Oxfordshire County Council has launched a mental health support service for young people in the county through the Tellmi app.
It said it will provide users with continuous access to a space where 11-18 year-olds can discuss their feelings anonymously, providing pre-moderated peer support and in-house counsellors to support high risk users.
It said the app also provides access to local support services through the Tellmi Directory and over 700 crisis specialists.
Cllr Nathan Ley, Oxfordshire’s cabinet member for public health, inequalities and community safety, said: “This app will be freely available to support all young people in secondary schools in Oxfordshire and local organisations that would like more support to help them deal with young people’s concerns about mental health and wellbeing.”
The council said that since 2015 there has been a consistent increase in the number of school pupils with mental health needs. According to a 2023 OxWell Student Survey, an average of 33% of students in groups seven to 13 reported serious thoughts about self-harm and 19% of secondary school students stated they often felt lonely.
Building trust
Kerstyn Comley co-CEO at Tellmi, said: “We look forward to working closely with schools and organisations to build trust in our new service and improve outcomes for young people.
“In addition to our digital service, we will be delivering outreach activities, which include outreach campaigns, school resources, workshops, and training for anyone working directly with young people.”
The social enterprise’s website indicates that the app is used by other local authorities including West Berkshire, Kingston upon Thames, Wokingham and Lewisham, and a number of NHS organisations.
The app is available through Google Play and the App Store, and the desktop app can be found on the website.
