What is being evaluated?

Samaritans, the charity in the UK and Republic of Ireland aiming to reduce suicide risks, has developed a new web chat service that makes it possible to chat with a Samaritan (trained volunteer) online. 

This new service was developed as sometimes typing can be more comfortable than talking and sometimes talking on the phone just isn’t an option. Samaritans read messages and respond in real time, helping people work through what’s on their mind. 

Our role

Samaritans have commissioned TIHR and Habitus Collective UK to evaluate the pilot web chat service. Our role is to understand the needs, impact, and user experience for those using the service. We will complete a report based on our findings to support Samaritans in considering the future development of the service. 

What are we doing?

The project centres lived experience of mental health distress and feelings of suicidality. 

Therefore, we have recruited peer researchers with lived experience to lead on qualitative research alongside our own research team. This involves conducting workshops with users of Online Chat including adults, children and young people, and Samaritans volunteers, taking a creative and innovative approach to facilitation and data collection. 

The project also considers quantitative data analysis utilising in-house survey data and operational service data from Online Chat. 

How this fits in

This research fits in with TIHR’s wider interest and passion to support children, young people and families through thoughtful and innovative research, evaluation, leadership development and organisational consultancy. We are experts in the evaluation of support programmes for young people, for example those designed by Barnardos for care-experienced young people, and we are supporting the development of social work practice through systemic family therapy training in Oldham Council, and motivational interviewing training in Sandwell Children’s Trust. 

This project also deepens our expertise in working with peer researchers.

Partner

Habitus Collective UK

Project team