aparto partners with kooth in Mental Health Drive

We're delighted to announce our partnership with Kooth, to make its personalised digital mental health platform freely available to all our residences.

The Kooth platform provides free, safe and anonymous access to drop-in chats, counselling, content and self-help tools, 365 days a year. It includes peer-to-peer support, mood journey mapping, research and insights, and self-care help and advice. In addition, it’s the only digital mental health provider to hold UK-wide accreditation from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

aparto selected Kooth as it delivers an anonymous, integrated and holistic approach to accessing multiple pathways to care with immediate access to help and advice. In addition, Kooth has also focused on supporting young adults during the C-19 pandemic with wider mental health and wellbeing services under acute pressure.

During the UK lockdown, and as a result of limited access to the classroom, children and young adults have struggled with isolation, loneliness and lack of social connection. As a result, there was a rise in demand for peer-to-peer support on the Kooth platform. Data from Kooth shows that on average children and young adults were creating 38% more articles and forum questions, and there was a 55% rise in comments, per service user.

Alongside providing best-in-class accommodation and facilities for students, aparto focuses on providing great holistic experiences for its residents such as DIY interior days, cook alongs, yoga and Pilates sessions, calligraphy, and networking clubs. This experience includes mental health and wellbeing with many of aparto’s onsite staff trained counsellors. This provision now extends further with the introduction of Kooth.

aparto’s residents will be able to access the Kooth platform providing a safe, secure and anonymous space for the guidance sought.

Kooth is commissioned by the NHS, Local Authorities, charities and businesses to provide anonymous and personalised mental health support for children and young adults. With over 4000 logins per day, it provides end-to-end support whatever the need.

Tom Rix, Managing Director – Operations, at aparto, said: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Kooth which is a forward-thinking platform, fit for the digital age, providing and delivering crucial support to students and staff alike. We really care about our residents’ mental health and wellbeing and, for us, this is a fundamental pillar of what we stand for as an organisation. Working with Kooth, we will reach all students who are experiencing mental health concerns who may be currently ‘locked-out’ of traditional routes or experiencing a delay in care. This will be a complementary tool to help support universities in their drive to address this pressing issue.”

Dr Lynne Green, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Kooth Plc, commented: “We’re delighted that aparto has taken this innovative step in providing mental health support to its student residents. It’s never been more important to offer safe and confidential help for those struggling with their emotional health and wellbeing whilst at University.  Students can easily log on to Kooth, which has no thresholds to meet to gain access to support.”

James Murray, Director at Kooth Plc added: "University should be fun but that transition from school, and to work, can be stressful. Young people go from being 'children' to 'adults' in the space of 10 weeks. Some struggle to connect, miss the support structure at home and won’t disclose their stress and anxiety. Kooth is delighted that aparto will be offering anonymous counselling and digital self-help to improve the student experience in their home from home." 

If you are a current resident and want more info on accessing the service, please contact us.