Release date: December 10, 2021
Candle offers peer-to-peer mental health support
A new start-up in Rochdale aims to address the mental health crisis by making help and support available to all.
Co-developed by CEO Toby Nolan, Candle is a social support platform that provides peer-to-peer mental health support.
“I’ve seen how difficult it is for people to get psychological support,” explained Nolan. “As I worked in various security functions, I realized that the socio-technological barrier is a problem.
“Therapy can be great, but accessing it through the NHS can be a slow process. It can be like wading through mud. I wanted that technology support to be available and give normal people the skills to support one another with mental health problems, addictions, anxiety, and so on.
“Candle provides that support by giving you the skills and technology to make giving and receiving support normal, informal, and effective.
With up to one in four of us having a mental health problem, it’s no surprise that the wait for therapy at the NHS can be weeks, if not months.
Candle can be used in a number of different ways and Mr. Nolan demonstrated exactly how it works to Rochdale Online. The platform can be used on a desktop as well as on phones or tablets.
When you feel like you are in a crisis, you can “light your candle” – which signals to other people in your network that you need help now. Their networks are called circles and can be personal or work-related.
Mr. Nolan demonstrated – and our reporter’s phone rang with a message: “Hey! Toby Nolan lit her candle. Can you call them or text them? “
Several suggestions are also offered when you feel like you know why you are feeling this way – like overwhelming, sadness, insomnia, and anxiety – and tapping a button makes communicating a lot easier than saying the words out loud.
An email sent with the text gives some of these reasons: Mr. Nolan selected “I feel overwhelmed” for our demonstration.
He said, “The reverse is also true; For example, if you feel bullied at work, you can highlight this internally without anyone else noticing. “
“When someone lights their candle, they may be trying for the first time to articulate their feelings, thoughts or experiences. It can be difficult for them – but if you provide support you don’t have to be trying to solve the problem. Your role as a first responder is listening to them, affirming them, and comforting them. Just knowing that they need support can really help.
“It can be hard to know what to say, but try to be honest and understanding, patient and compassionate.”
And you also know when that person is doing better – if they feel better and extinguish their candle, a follow-up message is sent: “Toby Nolan is better! Thank you for supporting them. “
“Your network can consist of people at work, friends or family,” said Mr. Nolan. “And you can keep these separate. If you suffer from bad mental health due to something outside of work, you do not need to contact your work network if you do not want to. “
Alternatively, you can access The Meadow, a mental health support curriculum with a variety of web resources such as helpful news articles, NHS resources, as well as pick-me-ups like feel-good music playlists, reminders of a good diet, and tips on how to improve. Your mood and inspirational quotes.
The platform itself was designed to be barrier-free, even the colors were carefully chosen to take into account color-blind people, and the use of the word “human” instead of users was also chosen deliberately.
Mr. Nolan added, “For employers, unresolved mental health issues can cost on average over £ 3,000 per employee per year, which is a lot of money, according to Deloitte. One of our goals was to provide this aid with a much smaller amount.
“Our primary research corresponds to global research on depression and the fear that a small fraction of those who need it access it. It’s about breaking that social and human stigma by using technology to make it easy to reach out or support someone.
“Sometimes you cannot manage yourself in a crisis and you need someone else; To be able to add that person next to you can be a priceless resource. “
Since founding Candle in April 2020, Mr. Nolan has recruited a non-executive team of experts, including Elaine Bousfield, founder of Kooth PLC, as well as former NHS primary care physicians and therapists, to enhance the clinical utility and commercial appeal of Candle.
Early on, Tom Summerscales became an early investor in Candle and eventually joined Candle as an official co-founder.
Mr. Nolan added, “When Candle was just an idea, I was in contact with Richard Tang at Zen, who was very kind to give us directions on our next steps, which was very helpful.
“We brought Candle to the market by taking it to small customers and EFL clubs and presenting it at their meetings. “We also talk to multinational corporations with an extremely large workforce.”
For an employer, you can see if the support for someone is internal or external, and a standard responder can be designated in the workplace. Employers can invite their employees to use Candle, and an interactive dashboard shows how many candles are lit across the company.
Businesses can request a demo of Candle and access mental health training. One year support starts at £ 39, with custom options for larger businesses.
