Childline launches new 'For Me' app to support young people via their smartphone
Childline has launched an app to provide counselling to young people in need of help directly through their mobile devices. The app has been named 'For Me' to ensure that it can be discreetly installed, this means that if someone happens to see the young person's phone they can't tell it's a Childline service.
'For Me' was created by 4 teenagers who realised there was an urgent need for young people to have easy access to confidential advice and support. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WPezz3UcA8[/embed] When Childline first launched over 30 years ago all contact was over the phone, with many calls being made from telephone boxes. How children and young people contact them now is dramatically different:
- 71% of counselling sessions are delivered online via email and 1-2-1 chat
- Last year, 1.8 million sessions on the Childline website were conducted via mobile devices.
The app, developed in partnership with Barclays, is now available as a free download so young people can easily access Childline's online services. These include:
- 1-2-1 chat with a counsellor
- 'Ask Sam' problem pages
- Private locker - a personal area where young people can track their mood and write down their thoughts.
Schools may wish to share and highlight this app with pupils and staff; for example via the school website, newsletters or information around the school.
For Me Posters
Canterbury College have created two posters to help raise awareness of the "For Me" app with their students, which other schools/settings may find helpful to print and use.
Posters shared with kind permission from Canterbury College
