FRONTLINE care workers in Southampton are being offered free counselling to help them through the pandemic.

Offered by Options Wellbeing Trust, the support is being given to social care workers or teams that feel they would benefit from the opportunity of talking in confidence with a counsellor.

Counselling sessions are offered on a one-on-one basis or in small groups, online or by telephone.

The free service includes six sessions and two follow up sessions to check in and to see how people are doing and if they need more support.

Wendy Lee, Head of Health and Wellbeing at the charity based on Dukes Road, said: “Working closely with residents in Southampton, we’ve seen first-hand how the pandemic has had a profound negative impact on many people’s mental health and wellbeing, particularly those who have witnessed the effects of Coronavirus within their close circle.

“So, we’re re-launching our free service in partnership with Southampton City Council. We unveiled it originally earlier in the year and had thought by now that we’d have been further on with regards the pandemic.

"But with the arrival of Omicron, we’ve decided to re-boot the scheme and have allocated some funds to continue it."

Options Wellbeing Trust, which is based in Shirley Road, is part of the not-for-profit enterprise Social Care in Action.

For more information, call 023 8063 0219.