Publish date: 8 March 2021
Just Say app connects young people to health and wellbeing support across Northumberland
Just Say is a new app created to improve access to health and wellbeing advice and services for young people across Northumberland.
The Just Say app is now available to young people aged between 16-25 helping young people of Northumberland to find their way to be happy, healthy, safe and independent whenever they need to.
It was inspired by young people involved in a local youth project called SILX based in Blyth who have worked with Northumbria Healthcare and Northumberland County Council to develop the app.
Donna Pain, from Blyth, who goes to SILX and has suffered with mental health problems herself in the past says:
“The app will really benefit young people as it helps them to get in touch with the right services especially out of hours so you know what’s open.
It would have really benefitted me when my mental health flared up and I wasn’t able to get in touch with people, so I ended up calling emergency services. This could have been prevented if I knew the full range of services available.”
There are a number of concerns in relation to the impact that Covid-19 has had and will continue to have on children and young people, particularly their health and wellbeing.
Just Say aims to help young people get advice and support they need at earliest opportunity to start achieving their ambitions and brings together local information as well as signposting over 250 services for young people.
These include support for mental health, money worries, relationship problems and more, games, daily positive messages and activities, goal setting and trophies for hitting milestones.
Jill Harland, consultant in Public Health at Northumbria Healthcare said:
“We’re delighted to be launching Just Say to support young people in Northumberland. The app provides a range of information and support so you can find out what’s available locally to improve your health and wellbeing.
We know how it important it is to get the right support at the right time for young people, especially now during the pandemic when a lot of young people have felt very isolated and worried about using services.
We also hope it will empower them to spot the warning signs so they feel more confident asking for help at this difficult time and get the support they need whenever they need it. ”
The app was developed by Northumbria Healthcare and Northumberland County Council as part of their to work to support young people in the area to get the help they need at the earliest opportunity to stay healthy happy, safe and independent before getting into a crisis. They will be working with partners and local communities to raise awareness of the new app.
Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson , cabinet member with responsibility for children’s services said: “We are proud to be part of an initiative which focuses on supporting the wellbeing of our young people. It’s extremely important to learn to look after our mental and emotional wellbeing at a young age and this app aims to do exactly that, allowing our younger residents to find the right support, connect with others and get tips on how to be happy, healthy, safe and independent.”
Just Say was funded by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS) and NHS England. Just Say is available to download on the App store and Google Play. Find out more at www.northumbria.nhs.uk/justsay