Gloucestershire County Council is investing in new and improved mental wellbeing services in the county, and we want to make sure that our future plans meet the needs of our residents.

The need for mental health support has increased in recent years nationally and locally. Everyone experiences ups and downs with their mental health, and anyone could need support for their emotional wellbeing. Initial engagement with a range of groups has highlighted a need for people to be able to access support early, when they first notice changes in their emotional wellbeing or start to find things difficult.

To make a positive difference to the mental wellbeing of people in Gloucestershire, additional funding has been allocated to commission an open access helpline service for adults. It is proposed that the new service will provide support on a drop-in basis for people experiencing mild-moderate issues with their mental health and emotional wellbeing, such as anxiety, stress, or low mood. Support is likely to be available over the phone or via live chat (webchat) and will not require a referral from a professional. People accessing the helpline will be able to remain anonymous.

Often the first support available for people struggling with their mental health is from their GP or the NHS Let’s Talk Service (IAPT). The new service would work alongside these existing services to provide people with the option of accessing support anonymously at a time that is right for them without the need to wait for a referral or undergo an assessment process. Being able to access support early from trained advisers may not only prevent symptoms from worsening; but also help reduce demand on other mental health services in the county.

Gloucestershire County Council currently commissions the Gloucestershire Self-Harm Helpline which provides open access, anonymous support by phone, webchat, or text for anyone seeking support around self-harm. The contract for the current Self-Harm Helpline will come to an end in March 2023, and we are exploring whether we integrate the standalone support for self-harm into the proposed mental wellbeing helpline for adults. This would allow those aged 18 years and above in the county to get support for their self-harm alongside wider support for all aspects of their mental health and emotional wellbeing. We would like to seek your views on this option.

Support for emotional wellbeing and self-harm will also continue to be available for under 18s. The council have invested in a new mental wellbeing helpline for children and young people called TIC+Chat. This offers young people anonymous one to one drop in support by phone or text-chat for a range of mental health issues, including self-harm, anxiety, and stress, without the need for a referral from a professional. There are also a range of other mental health services for young people in Gloucestershire and further information is available on the ‘On Your Mind’ online service finder.

What type of support could the proposed helpline offer?

The new mental wellbeing helpline for adults could offer:

Support and advice with low mood and anxious thoughts on a drop in basis
Support and advice when day to day life is impacted by emotional strain or stresses
Support and advice for self-harm
Someone to talk to confidentially about your mental wellbeing and self-harm
Advice for people who are worried about a family member, friend, or someone else they care for
Resources and advice on looking after your mental wellbeing
Advice and signposting to further sources of support.

Please share your views

We would like to understand your views around this proposed new helpline. We are particularly keen to hear your views on:

Whether you would reach out for support from a service like this
The proposal to offer wider mental wellbeing support alongside support for self-harm
How helpline support for mental wellbeing and self-harm might be accessed e.g., by phone or online
How we can make the helpline accessible to you or your community

The outcome of the consultation will inform the recommendations taken to the council’s cabinet, who will consider the proposal to commission a new mental wellbeing helpline for adults in Gloucestershire. To add your views, please can you answer the questions in the following pages as best you can. Please do not disclose any personal information or for the purpose of seeking help, as a clinical professional will not be able to follow up with you. If you would like support for your mental health, please see the options listed at the end of the survey.

We understand that people may not be comfortable talking about their mental health needs or self-harm, so this is an anonymous survey.

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