About Online Support

Online Support is text-based one to one support you can access through a computer, phone or tablet.

After registering you’ll have an online assessment, go onto our waiting list and then be assigned a worker for one to one support (our Welcome Team will let you know roughly how long this wait will be and you can find out more here)

Your support will then be on this platform, in a text-based chat.

You have the option of doing this as a live chat (exchanging live messages with a worker over a 50 minute session each week) or via weekly messages (for those who might struggle to find the space for regular sessions; you can send messages whenever you like and your worker will respond each week).

You’ll get the same support that you would in our face to face services, only in a different form.

Why might it help?

Most of the time, it can feel possible to manage in difficult times, especially if you have good support from family and friends.

However sometimes things don’t get better and if you feel so low, stressed, worried or angry that it is having a big impact on your life you might need some extra help to get back on track.

You might feel like one to one support or therapy is an option, but find the thought of sitting in a room with a practitioner feels a bit daunting.

Perhaps you’re finding that practical things are stopping you, like finding time to make an appointment, trouble arranging childcare or physical issues which make it hard to get out and about.

We understand that opening up to someone for the first time can be extremely difficult and for some young people, taking the first step can take time

That’s where online support comes in. We believe in giving you a choice about what kind of support you receive, so that you can get things off your chest in your own time, on your own terms.

You can watch our short video on how the platform works here

If you are not already registered for our Online Support Services, you will need to complete our online registration form.

This form will ask you a few questions about yourself as well as ask you to tell us a little bit about why you are registering and why you want to talk to one of our practioners online.

(All of this information is subject to our data policy and will be kept private and confidential).

Getting Started

Once you have completed your registration form, you'll be sent an automated email acknowledging your request.

A member of Welcome Team will respond with an introductory message within 72 hours. This will aim to include some information about what will happen next and an idea of ho wlong you can expect to wait for support.

To view this message, you will need to log in and look at your "My Support" section of your "My Page" profile.

'Meeting' Your Practitioner

The next message you'll then receive is your first message from your allocated online worker.

In this first message, your counsellor or therapist will want to get to know you a bit better and may talk to you about seeting some goals or aims for your support. They'll also tell you a bit more about how online support works, so that you can decide if it feels right for you.

To read a bit more about this, please look at  Our Support Agreement. This should give you an idea about what to expect, in terms of how many online ‘sessions’ you will have and the range of things you can send during them.

If you have any questions, your worker will be happy to go through these with you.

It’s really important to us that everything feels clear, so that you can get on with your sessions, that way you and your worker can begin to explore some of the things that are going on in your life and begin to think about what will be the best way forward for you.

Trouble using the website?

Sometimes things can go wrong. For example, you might forget your username or password or you might not be able to find something you are looking for. Have a look in our FAQs section to see if you can find the answers there.

If you’re still stuck, click on the ‘I need help on the site’ button on the homepage and tell us what help you need. Our aim will be to get back to you within 48 hours and point you in the right direction.

You can also e-mail onlineteam@42ndstreet.org.uk and we'll get back to as soon as we can.

If you are thinking about talking to someone, whether online or face to face, one of the most important things you’ll probably want to know is whether what you say will be kept private and confidential.

At 42nd Street, we keep what you tell us is kept private, in line with our Confidentiality Policies. This means that your online worker will not tell anyone what you talk about together on the Online Support Services website.

However, there are a few exceptions to this, as described below and within our full policies. Your worker may also discuss their work anonymously with a supervisor, who makes sure that your worker is working effectively (in line with BACP Guidelines).

Our online service also uses 42nd Street's internal duty system, which might include an online practitioner speaking to a manager or other worker within 42nd Street about things you've told us particularly if we are concerned about someone's safety. However, nothing you tell us will normally be passed on to anyone else outside the charity without your permission.

Read our Confidentiality Policy in full

Read our Data Policy in full

What do you do with my information?

Your worker uses the information we have about you to help them understand your support needs.

We keep this information on a secure, internal database for a period of 20 years, in line with the NHS's Records Management Code of Practice.

There might be times they will need to share some of your information with a manager, either to make sure we are offering the right support or to keep you, or someone else, safe.

Otherwise, we don’t share this information outside of our organisation to anyone, unless one of the following occurs:

1. You ask us to share it with someone.
2. In very rare circumstances, we may be legally required to do so under UK Law (such as becoming aware of a terrorism threat or a lawful request relating to court proceedings)
3. You give us permission to include information in reports that we generate (meaning there would be no information shared that could identify you).
4. We have concerns that you, another young person or a vulnerable adult, is at risk of significant harm.

What does "significant harm" mean?

Significant harm can include abuse, neglect or ill-treatment that can be physical, emotional or sexual in nature, as well as actions that might otherwise cause lasting harm to someone’s health or development.

According to the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (section 1.2.18), safeguarding concerns that can trigger sharing someone's data specifically includes:

protecting an individual from neglect or physical, mental or emotional harm, or protecting the physical, mental or emotional well-being of an individual

Any decision to share information about you will take your circumstances into account, including:

• any protective factors that might be helping to keep you safe
• who else knows what's happening and whether they’re able to support you
• your age (see "about your age" for more info)

If we do have concerns about significant harm and need to act, then we;

• will always try to talk you about this first and to involve you in the decision, as much as we can
• may talk the decision through with the 42nd Street manager on duty before sharing information, to make sure we are acting in the best interests of everyone involved
• will only share the information needed to make sure everyone involved is kept safe and only do so with relevant services
• will update you with the outcomes of any information sharing

How do I know my information is safe?

All the above information is stored on a secure database, which is only accessible to 42nd Street staff.
If we ever need to share written information about you for the reasons mentioned above, we use a secure, encrypted e-mail system to do that.

If you’ve given us permission, your data will be anonymised and included in reports that we produce about our service, so that no one will be able to identify you and no one outside of 42nd Street will have access to your original information in this way.

(If you access support with us through the SilverCloud CBT platform, that information is securely stored with SilverCloud. You can read their privacy policy here)

Could any of your policies change?

All our organisational policies are reviewed every year to ensure they’re accurate and to capture any changes in legislation that may have happened nationally (for example, changes in UK Data Law).

In general, the majority of updates won’t alter the key functions of any policy. They tend to be along the lines of incorporating new job roles, referencing any new internal systems used, referencing a different paragraph in an updated piece of legislation and so on.

In the rare instance that we ever update a policy in a significant way that could have an impact on your support with us or what we do with your data, we will get in touch and let you know.

You can always find the most up to date confidentiality and data policy on our site, and they include a list of dates when they were reviewed. Any significant changes since the last version will be highlighted on this

Read our Confidentiality Policy in full

Read our Data Policy in full

How do I know my information is safe?

All the above information is stored on a secure database, which is only accessible to 42nd Street staff.

If we ever need to share written information about you for the reasons mentioned above, we use a secure, encrypted e-mail system to do that.

If you’ve given us permission, your data will be anonymised and included in reports that we produce about our service, so that no one will be able to identify you and no one outside of 42nd Street will have access to your original information in this way.

(If you access support with us through the SilverCloud CBT platform, that information is securely stored with SilverCloud. You can read their privacy policy here)

Can I see my information?

Everyone has the right to access personal information/records held about them by an organisation. This is often called a Subject Access Request (or SAR). It covers information stored physically and digitally, and includes information you have given us, our notes and any letters about you.

If you'd like to request access to the information we have about you, an SAR needs to be made in writing and we might ask you to prove your identity to make sure your information is kept secure.

To do this, you can speak with you worker, e-mail us at theteam@42ndstreet.org.uk or contact us in writing at:

42nd Street, the SPACE, 87-91 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AG

In accordance with GDPR (and UK Data Protection Act) we will provide the information requested as soon as we are able to, with a maximum wait of 1 month from receiving your request. There is no charge for receiving your information.

Can I have my data deleted?

In short, the answer to this is usually that we're not able to delete data held about you unless that data is inaccurate (article 16 of GDPR gives everyone the right to have inaccurate data about themselves corrected).

This is because we have to keep the records on anyone who uses our service securely for 20 years, in accordance with the NHS Records Management Code of Practice.

To explain more;

Under the UK Data Protection Act, schedule 1, a “patient record”, such as the data we hold about you, is classed as “special category data”.

Special Category Data is exempt from GDPR's “right to erasure” (having your data deleted) under certain conditions, including if it’s used for “the provision of health or social care or treatment, or the management of health or social care systems and services”.

The length of time that we have to retain these "patient records" is determined by NHS regulations, in particular the Records Management Codes of Practice 2021, which states that all mental health records must be kept for a period of 20 years*

(*The definition of a "mental health record" is one that meets the criteria in section 2 of the Mental Health Act 2008 Code of Practice. If a person is sectioned under the Mental Health Act, those specific records might be kept for longer in line with clinical judgement of those involved. Records are only kept for 10 years following a person's death)

Can I delete my online profile?

If you are registered on our online platform and would like this profile and the information stored on our online platform deleted, then yes we can do this for you. It’s important to know that there is no way to recover this profile once it is deleted. It is also important to know that we will still have to keep a health record in our secure database as mentioned in the legislation above.

To ask for your profile to be deleted, you can speak with you worker, e-mail us at theteam@42ndstreet.org.uk or contact us in writing at:

42nd Street, the SPACE, 87-91 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AG

Is working online secure?

We will always make sure any information we collect about you is securely and safely stored in our database; however, it is worth thinking about what equipment you are using to access the website.

Sometimes public PCs, in places such as libraries, schools or colleges, have monitoring software installed that might mean they’re not fully confidential. You can speak to the owner of the equipment to check this or contact us via your own device.

You can also use the "exit site" button to leave the page you are on at any time.

It’s important to make sure you’re the only person with the password to your online account. For tips on making a secure password, we recommend having a look here.

Could any of these policies change?

All our organisational policies are reviewed every year to ensure they’re accurate and to capture any changes in legislation that may have happened nationally (for example, changes in UK Data Law).

In general, the majority of updates won’t alter the key functions of any policy. They tend to be along the lines of incorporating new job roles, referencing any new internal systems used, referencing a different paragraph in an updated piece of legislation and so on.

In the rare instance that we ever update a policy in a significant way that could have an impact on your support with us or what we do with your data, we will get in touch and let you know.

You can always find the most up to date confidentiality and data policy on our site, and they include a list of dates when they were reviewed. Any significant changes since the last version will be highlighted on this.

Unfortunately we're not able to staff our site 24 hours a day, but if you’re here and feeling you’re in crisis there are people you can talk to, even if it’s the middle of the night, many of them local to Greater Manchester. 

Find someone to talk to now

Look at grounding techniques that might help

If you're signed up for support with us you can also use the "I need help now" button - we'll get in touch when we're able to but it's important to know this will only be during Mon-Fri working hours. For immediate help please visit the page above (you'll be directed to these contacts if using the button too)

If you would like to start online support with us, we will ask you to read and agree to the agreement below. It explains exactly what you can expect from us and what we will ask of you. Our FAQ page may also answer some of your questions. Feel free to ask your worker any questions about it too.

Choosing Online Support

When you register for online support, we ask you to confirm that you want support and that you’re not being pressured into doing so by anyone else.

It’s also really important to have a look at our confidentiality policy which tells you what we do with anything you share with us.

Confidentiality:

This means that the details of your sessions will not be shared with others, outside of the 42nd Street team, excpet under he circumstances below. We may share general issues and themes from sessions within our team and supervision sessions so that we can improve our service.

When confidentiality must be broken:

This will happen if we have concerns of severe risk or harm to yourself or another person. Then we would have to talk to the right professionals to discuss the best possible support and help for you. Where we can, we will try and talk to you about what we are doing and who we are discussing your situation with.

You can read more about confidentiality HERE

Your worker

Every practitioner employed in our service has undergone suitable professional training and holds relevant qualifications.

We do have some trainee therapists/counsellors as well as social work students completing their placements in our service. We ensure that any trainees receive appropriate levels of supervision and support throughout their placement with us.

If you are offered sessions with a trainee counsellor or therapist they'll inform you that they are currently on placement when you begin sessions with them.

Struggling in between sessions

Your worker is only available to work with you once each week at a time you both agree. If you message in between this time, your worker may not see it and will probably not respond until your next session or the time agreed before hand.

If you ever feel you are in crisis, feeling suicidal or having thoughts of self-harm in between your sessions, you can find services who can support you HERE. It's important to know that we are not a crisis service ourselves and would recommend contacting these other services if you needed more immediate help.

There are a few things other young people have said have helped them in between sessions

• go for a walk after sessions
• go somewhere quiet to reflect
• meet someone who you trust to talk things through during the week
• keep a journal or put your thoughts into a note on your phone
• pursue a hobby that feels like it boosts your mood and self-esteem
• draw in a sketchpad or listen to music
• pursue a learning that keeps you involved
• try some exercise

You can also find a host of grounding techniques that might help if you're struggling HERE

Number of messages/sessions

We can offer a range of sessions, typically between 6 and 12 sessions. At points during these sessions, you and your worker will review how your support is going.

These reviews give you the opportunity to check what's working and what's not. They can also help you decide if you need to have slightly less or more sessions than originally agreed (if this would be helpful and useful).

If you ever feel like ending your support please talk to your worker about this so that we can think about the best way for you to end.

Missed Sessions

Your support will be most helpful if it is regular and we'd always encourage to log-in, even you may not be feeling like it at the time.

If you cannot attend your next sessions, or reply to a message if having support via weekly messages, please send your worker a message as soon as you know this. If there's something that might come up frequently then it's a good idea to chat about this with your worker when beginning support.

If you miss 2 sessions without getting in touch, or if we don't hear from you for 14 days we will assume no longer wish to continue support at this time and will end your support.

If you don't feel it's the right time for support you can always let us know and re-refer yourself at a better point, up to your 26th birthday.

Wellbeing Forms

We will ask you to complete a short form, called a "CORE" form when your worker gets in touch. Your worker can explain a little more about them.

You’ll be sent this each week and it should only take a couple of minutes to complete. It's an important part of the process, and ensure support is working properly for you. Please give yourself time to complete them.

Written Notes / Information

We will keep weekly notes of the main issues and themes that we discuss. You have the right to see these notes under the Data Protection Act 1998. You can ask to do this by speaking with your worker. You can also read more about this HERE.

If any of your contact information changes, please update us as soon as you're able.

Alcohol / Drugs

We ask you not to exchange messages under the influence of drugs / alcohol as this will affect your use of support.

Seeing Your Worker Online Outside Your Session Time

If you log onto the site outside of your agreed session time and see that your worker is online, it may be tempting to message them to ask them to speak to you now.

However, your worker will not be able to do this as they will be working with other young people and will need to give them the same focus and concentration they will give you during your sessions.

Your worker will only be able to communicate with you via the site, so please don’t try to contact your counsellor via other websites or social networking sites.

Your worker will not accept a ‘friend request’ or start to chat to you. This is because it’s important to have boundaries with a counselling relationship.

Technical Issues

From time to time there may be problems with computer or internet connections.

If we’re having a technical issue we will normally contact you via email or phone, using the details you give us when you register.

If you are having technical issue please try to let us know via onlineteam@42ndstreet.org.uk or using the contact box on our homepage.

We know it can be annoying and even upsetting if technical problems get in the way of your support, however briefly.

It might help to be prepared for the possibility (maybe speak to your worker in advance if you think this will stress you out a lot, so you can come up with a plan to manage it together) and remember that we will be keen to keep working with you as soon as we can.

Feedback and Complaints

Feedback is very important to us and we want to hear about your experience of using our services, whether it’s good or bad. To give feedback, please use the button on our homepage 'I want to give feedback'.

If you are ever unhappy about anything to do with support or any other service from 42nd Street please talk to us about this. If this doesn’t sort things out then you can ask to speak to one of the Head of Services to resolve this.

Please take a moment to check you have read and understood this agreement as well as the Privacy Notice fully. If you have any questions, please get in touch – usually your worker is the best start. If you don’t have one yet you can e-mail onlineteam@42ndstreet.org.uk.

All the workers at 42nd Street follow the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Ethical Framework and Guidelines to ensure that you get a professional

42nd Street is an innovative Greater Manchester young people’s mental health charity with over 40 years’ experience of providing free and confidential services to young people who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Our Welcome Statement

We are here to support young people with their emotional well-being and mental health by offering a choice of effective, creative, young person-centred and rights-based approaches.

The 42nd Street team recognises that many young people feel disempowered, that some services are difficult for them to identify with and access and that their mental health and personal difficulties can be made worse by the health, social, cultural and economic inequalities that they might experience

We will do all we can to make young people feel listened to, valued, included, safe and unique.

Our Vision and Mission

42nd Street’s vision is for inclusive, accessible mental health and wellbeing support and opportunities for all young people.

Our shared mission is to support young people with your emotional well-being and mental health by offering a choice of effective, creative, young person-centred and rights based approaches. By demonstrating local impact with national significance, we drive meaningful change that makes a positive difference to the lives of young people.

Our Social Objectives

Our social objectives underpin everything that we do, keeping us focused and with a clear sense of purpose. Our social objectives are to:

• Improve young people’s mental health and well-being.
• Empower young people to make decisions about their own lives, campaign for social justice and influence system change.
• Embed systemic anti-oppressive practice and cultures that champions inclusion.
• Learn from young people, educate, raise awareness and celebrate difference.

What do we do online?

Provide a safe online space to help you talk about difficult things that you might be facing in your life. We'll allocate you a trained practitioner who will listen and support you, without judgement.

Rather than talking about your problems face to face, you can type them out, or use artwork or videos or other resources to talk about how you're feeling.

Instead of using video like skype, we offer online counselling via private, confidential messages which are sent between you and your worker.