The business case

Kooth is a universal access service but, importantly, it does reach high risk, vulnerable young people who do not access face-to-face or telephone based services

In the period August 2007 to November 2008:

• 19% of Kooth users who received counselling presented with depression, self harm or suicidal thoughts


• 17% of users who received counselling presented with family relationship problems


• 14% presented with in-care precursors (these are circumstances that studies have found to be significant risk factors for children going into care: parental relationship breakdown; sexual abuse; disruption to education; teenage pregnancy; absent parents; domestic violence; safe and healthy environment; parental substance misuse; financial hardship)

Kooth enables objectives to be met in terms of a number of key local and central initiatives, such as:

• the Preventative Strategy
• Every Child Matters
• the E-Government agenda, Safeguarding
• Youth Matters

Local authorities and PCTs are making a return on their investments into Kooth.

For example, Stockport Council achieved savings of almost £870k in 2004/05 because of Kooth and the contribution of associated agencies - 8 of the young people referred to and supported by the early intervention team by the Kooth counsellors would otherwise ultimately have gone into the care system

Given the preventative nature of the work Kooth does and the types of young people who use the service, other savings can be projected on the basis that an inpatient episode costs £1,155, an A & E presentation costs £102, a child going missing from home due to family breakdown costs £1,500, and the cost of local authority accommodation is between £500 and £2,000 per week.