Mental health helpline goes live

The helpline will signpost adults to community-based support and mental health services

A new county-wide helpline offering support to adults with mental health issues has gone live.

Gloucestershire Connect and Offload, or CandO, is designed to provide support to adults struggling with their mental health and self-harm.

In the next seven years, Gloucestershire County Council is investing £1.4m in the free helpline, managed by charity Rethink Mental Illness.

CandO can be accessed via phone (text and call), web chat and email.

'Listening ear'

The helpline - pronounced "can do" - aims to help those who have noticed signs and symptoms of their mental health worsening.

It also offers "a listening ear" and advice to people struggling with self-harm, alongside wider support for their overall emotional wellbeing.

Adults wishing to access the service do not require a referral or an appointment. Carers, friends and family members of someone in mental distress can also access the helpline for support.

Users can remain anonymous, and it will be available between 14.00 and 21.00, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council, Siobhan Farmer, has encouraged anyone struggling with mental health issues to use the helpline.

"We are committed to helping everyone to look after their mental wellbeing and receiving help and support early is crucial to prevent symptoms getting worse," she said.

"The new Connect and Offload helpline is a great addition to the range of mental health support services available in Gloucestershire and I know it will make a difference to individuals, and their families and friends."

'Safe space'

Janice Laverick of Rethink Mental Illness said: “For lots of reasons, it can be difficult for people to reach out for help when they are experiencing mental health concerns or worries.

"Our Helpline team promise a safe, confidential space in which people can remain anonymous and talk to someone about their concerns and how they are feeling.

"Having that safe space in which to talk things through and be truly heard can make a real difference."

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.