Kooth Plc Regulatory News (KOO)

For immediate release

Kooth plc

("Kooth" or the "Company" or the "Group")

Partnership with Chartered Management Institute ("CMI")

- CMI members have free access to Kooth digital mental health platform

- 72% of employees rate their wellbeing as a top management priority

Kooth (AIM:KOO), a leading provider of digital mental health services, has partnered with the Chartered Management Institute ("CMI") to give all CMI members free access to the Kooth digital mental health platform.

Kooth is the only digital mental health provider to hold a UK-wide accreditation from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Kooth works with employers to support the wellbeing of their employees, providing confidential and anonymous access to counselling, content and self-help tools.

According to research published by the CMI, 72% of employees(i) rated their wellbeing as a top priority for management. A new study today has revealed that just under half (44%) of managers(ii) believe that their overall mental health has got worse as a result of the pandemic. And more than half (56%) of them(iii) believe that the employees in their organisations have suffered the same effects.

Early last year, it was predicted that mental health related issues cost UK firms up to £45 billion a year(iii). The impact of Covid-19 has seen a 73% upsurge in the usage by adults of Kooth's digital mental health platform(iv). The full scale of the potential impact of the pandemic is still unknown, but it is expected that the need for services such as Kooth will continue to grow. As the UK emerges from a third lockdown, with restrictions eased, this prompts the need for employers to continue to prioritise their employee's mental health and wellbeing needs. Almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents(ii) stated that the wellbeing/mental health of their team had been or would be impacted by a return to the workplace. Despite four out five managers (83%) feeling that their organisation prioritises the mental health of their staff, more than one in five (22%) were apprehensive about using their corporate employee assistance programmes.

Dr Lynne Green, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Kooth, said:

"Returning to the workplace is likely to be anxiety provoking for many people and we should all be alert for any changes in 'usual presentation' which may suggest increasing stress levels or deteriorating mental health of our colleagues. For those people who are not comfortable using their organisation's employee assistance programmes, membership with CMI enables access to the Kooth digital mental health platform and support."

Ann Francke, Chief Executive of CMI, said:

"It's not surprising that so many people feel that the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have had an adverse effect on their mental health and wellbeing. What is worrying is that employees are hesitant about using their companies' employee assistance programmes. As leaders of any organisation, we have a duty of care to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing of our staff is prioritised and that effective support is offered where needed. This means equipping our managers with the skills and knowledge of how to spot any signs of people struggling with mental health issues. Giving them the support to understand how and when to intervene or signpost in an appropriate and timely manner. We must also ensure that we're keeping an eye on our managers too, those who may be prioritising everyone else's needs above their own."

- Ends -

Notes to Editors

About Kooth

Kooth is one of the UK's leading digital mental health platforms, set up to provide accessible and safe spaces for everyone to achieve better mental health. The Company's online platform is clinically robust and accredited to provide a range of therapeutic support and interventions. All services are predicated on easy access to make early intervention and prevention a reality.

Kooth offers three services:

· Kooth is commissioned in 85% of the NHS's clinical commissioning group areas across the country. It is a fully safeguarded and pre-moderated community with a library of peer and professional created content, alongside access to experienced online counsellors. There are no thresholds for support and no waiting lists. Currently, Kooth sees over 3,000 logins a day. 

· Kooth Adult operates across distinct locations and serves specific cohorts, including parents, teachers, victims of crime and those who have suffered from or continue to experience domestic violence.

· Kooth Work is a corporate service, aimed specifically at employers to support the wellbeing of their employees, providing confidential and anonymous access to a wellbeing community, counselling, content and self-help tools. Kooth Work provides valuable, anonymous insights into the wellbeing of the workforce so that employers can identify specific areas of improvement for their wellbeing strategy.

About the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the Chartered professional body for management and leadership, counting 155,000 managers and leaders in its membership community. There are currently over 11,000 Chartered Managers and growing.

Backed by a unique Royal Charter, CMI is the only organisation able to award Chartered Manager status - the ultimate management accolade, which is proven to boost individuals' career prospects, management capability, and impact in the workplace.

Notes

(i) Management Transformed, CMI commissioned ICM to undertake a nationally representative poll of over 2,282 UK employees in August and September 2020 - including senior leaders, managers, and non-managers.

(ii) The research was carried out by the Chartered Management Institute between 26 March and 6 April 2021: 1,274 managers responded to the poll.

(iii) Analysis published by Deloitte, 22 January 2020 https://bit.ly/3e0ELtU

(iv) Insight from Kooth Plc, 6 August 2020: https://xenzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Qwell_060820_CovidInfographic-2.pdf