knus chat explained

knus uses innovative technology to connect you with trained and supervised volunteer mental health peer support coaches. All you have to do is say ‘Hello’ using your favourite chat app (using the links from our website) and one of our volunteers will be with you soon as they can.

The next message you’ll receive from us will be a volunteer welcoming you to the chat.  They will often ask ‘How are you doing today?’ or ‘What would you like to chat about today?’. We know it can be a little daunting reaching out for help, but be reassured we know how you feel and there’s no need to be shy.  We’re a friendly bunch at knus.

A chat typically lasts for around 10-15 minutes.  However, for those on the go and needing a more flexible approach, we’ve adapted our platform for flexible chats within a 24-hour period.  If we do not hear from you within 24 hours, our system will close the chat until you initiate a new conversation by saying ‘Hello’ again.

We like our conversations to be hopeful, respectful, supportive and based on shared understanding. Our volunteers all have different mental health tips based on their lived experience and we hope this empowers you moving forward.

As the conversation comes to a natural close, we may incorporate life coaching into the conversation, as it always feels good to have a plan and some aims.

The volunteers you will speak to have a lived experience of mental health, have undergone peer support training and some hold or are training towards professional qualifications in the field of mental health.  All volunteers are fully DBS checked and are supervised regularly.

Our service is subject to availability.  If you reach out to us in the twilight hours, we may take a little longer to respond.  Our service is not intended to be a crisis de-escalation service.  If you feel you’re in crisis, please visit our crisis page for further guidance.

knus is a non-for-profit organisation known as KNUS MENTAL HEALTH C.I.C. based in London.  All services we offer are free of charge.

Peer support coaches do not provide diagnosis, treatment or therapies.  Rather the conversation will be strengths based, and provide inspiration, on how to overcome mental health issues, using the lived experience and qualifications of the peer support coach.

If we’re unable to help, we will always try to signpost you to someone that can help.

All volunteers are regularly supervised and receive on-going training.

All chats on knus are confidential and you can request a copy or deletion of the information we hold on you at any time by contacting: [email protected].  The only time we will breach confidentiality is if we believe someones safety is at risk or if there is a safeguarding concern. If this occurs, we will contact and pass on the information to the emergency services or the authorities.

You can check our privacy policy by clicking here.