When we launched the Shout service in 2018, we knew there was a need for a different type of support to complement existing services; one that focused on encouraging the normalising of help-seeking behaviour, that not just broke down the stigma around talking about mental health, but that also gave people a place to reach out to.
By launching the UK’s first free, anonymous, confidential and 24/7 text service for mental health, we wanted to pioneer the use of digital support and push forward with our mission of transforming the mental health of a nation, by ensuring no-one has to face their problems alone.
Through our leading anonymised dataset and insights gleaned from the service, our Data and Insights team has worked to provide real-time feedback to help inform and improve our service, and feed insights into the sector to help support the mental health needs of people across the UK.
Our clinical experts have delivered training, webinars and contributed to panel discussions about mental health, and our partnerships team have forged relationships with a range of different organisations to bring mental health support to their staff, customers and audiences.
We’ve trained more than 17,000 people in the UK and New Zealand through our unique online volunteer training model, which delivers a listening and learning approach over the course of 25 hours. Volunteers are able to start the training at a time that suits them, are provided with regular feedback throughout and have access to an AI conversation simulator to practise their responses to situations ahead of taking their first shift. Many have taken this training into the world, using it to help strengthen their relationships with friends, family and colleagues, while others have forged careers in mental health.
