Powys School Nursing Service are launching a new messaging service to support children and young people aged 11-18 in Powys on 21.11.22
ChatHealth is a texting service that allows young people to text a helpline and get confidential information and support from a team of school nurses. Users can choose to access advice anonymously if they wish.
The service has been in use in England for over 10 years and is already being used by Health Boards in Wales. For rural areas like Powys it allows easy and timely access to health information via a communication method that young people are comfortable with.
By using ChatHealth young people can get help and support for a variety of issues relating to physical and emotional health and wellbeing. Hopefully texting will also enable young people to access help more easily for sensitive issues as well, low mood sexual health, substance misuse and bullying to name but a few.
Young people in other areas that operate ChatHealth have commented that they feel less embarrassed and not judged by using the service.
The service will be operated Monday to Friday with the exception of Bank Holidays and will be open 9am to 4.30pm. The School Nursing team will aim to reply to any contact within 24 hours. If messages are received out of hours there will be a reply about, when are they next in with advice about other services that might be able to help.
Disclosure Statement
This conversation is confidential. We will not pass on anything you say to anyone else, unless you or someone else is at significant risk of harm. If we did need to share anything you have told us, we would always try to discuss this with you first. For our safety and yours this conversation will be stored on electronic records that can be seen by other healthcare professionals who all follow the same confidentiality rules.