Project5 adds extra and vital psychological support to the NHS,

offering FREE 1-2-1 sessions with wellbeing specialists.

These sessions are available now (in the wake of COVID19)

and into the future, offering the NHS a sustained level of extra capacity.

Project5 is the only independent wellbeing service to be supported by the NHS that offers free 1-2-1 support sessions for anyone in the NHS.

NHS people now have the choice to use either their own wellbeing services or to use Project5, an autonomous service outside of the NHS.

The NHS and Project5 believe that it does not matter where people go if they need the help, it is just important that they do access support, but it has to be at the appropriate level of need and provided for by suitably qualified staff. 

Project5 only onboards highly trained, verified professionals. This gives the NHS confidence that they are supporting a service run by qualified and competent specialists.

Project5 pledges to support the NHS now, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and into the future. This is a sustainable offering. It can do this because of the way Project5 has been set up (as a rapid-learning evidence-based model). This means the system can rapidly learn and implement service changes according to the changing needs of the NHS. 

Dr. Craig Newman (Project5's CEO) says,

"Our strict high-governance model means we only onboard qualified and competent specialists into Project5 and give them additional training and guidelines to deal with whatever the NHS needs help with. This is our greatest strength. It allows the NHS to know that they are getting the right support from the right people at the right time."  

Project5, a not for profit community interest initiative, is supported by the NHS to offer anyone working in the NHS access to FREE psychological support sessions with highly qualified wellbeing specialists. This service is available to anyone who feels that they have been (or are) affected by the impact of COVID-19, or that life or work is getting too much to handle and they would like a safe space to offload and get support.

This launch coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week (18-25 May) and highlights how important it is to get the right help as early as possible. Many people, who are resilient and capable feel that they can carry on without getting help but, psychologically, this leads to early burn out and long-term psychological issues. Project5 is offering a service that aims to help NHS staff access help they need as early as possible.

Project5 currently has capacity of over 10,000 hours of FREE 1-2-1 support sessions per week, and is ready to assist with all sorts of wellbeing issues that NHS staff may be experiencing through a 3-tier system approach. Depending on need, a person can choose to have free sessions with a coach who can support them through difficult decision making or dilemmas they are facing, or access more specialist support for people who are feeling distressed and who would benefit from a safe space so they can re-stabilise themselves emotionally, helping them to re-identify their strengths, so they can carry on and manage their stress in the future. 

Project 5's CEO Dr. Craig Newman said "This service is for everyone and anyone who works in the NHS who needs a bit of extra support whether they are a porter, working in the morgues, an administrator or a clinician we are here to help them to cope. Many of the people that use this service are very resilient and already deal with so much and we are here to help them rebalance in a safe space so they can carry on working with their mental wellbeing supported." 

The NHS has recognised that Project5 can fill a niche by adding extra capacity into the NHS focussing on psychological support and prevention services. The NHS agreed to support Project5 after seeing its dedication to providing a high quality and professional service with a rigorous quality control system in place. The NHS has placed Project5 on its support services and access to therapy site, driving traffic to Project5's booking system at www.project5.org and here on the NHS website, https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/support-services-access-to-therapy

Based on its USPs of high governance and evidence-based rapid learning modelling, Project5 has also already received the backing of The Laura Hyde Foundation and Action to Prevent Suicide charities.  

Notes to editors:

• Project5 is delivered via an online booking system (www.project5.org) which gives anyone in the NHS access to free one-to-one support from a team of volunteer coaches and mental health practitioners. The booking system requires an NHS email address for access. 

• Project5 is working alongside the NHS mental health services to offer the additional psychological support required during a sustained frontline medical crisis. 

• Currently Project5 can offer the NHS workforce over 2,500 hours of FREE support per week. Increasing weekly.

• Project5 received over 4000 registered wellbeing specialists who have volunteered their time to help with this initiative, onboarding is taking place rapidly after verification checks.

• Project5 relies on volunteers from across the UK to provide this support and is asking for those who work in coaching or mental health professions with 4 hours capacity (or more) a week to donate some time to help healthcare workers who have been performing their roles in this incredibly tough time.

For further comment or to arrange an interview please contact:

Lisa Kramer, Comms Lead, Project5 on 07917 131312

Email: info@project5.org 

Website: www.project5.org

Socials: #WeAreProject5