Local area customisation

Local area customisation allows local health and care providers to make information about local services and support easily accessible on some of our apps.

Page contents (quick links)

What is local area customisation?

Local area customisation provides you with:

your own local content page - add crucial local support information and edit anytime, as often as you like
your own personalised homepage - display your logo or another local image on the app
access to anonymised analytics - get insights into how people use the app, and track visits to your website

We offer a limited number of customised pages per app. If demand exceeds availability, we operate waiting lists.

Who is local customisation for?

Integrated Care Systems
Clinical Commissioning Groups
Primary Care Networks
Local authorities
Public health bodies
Local education providers
Other organisations commissioned to provide local or regional care

What are the benefits?

A customised page on an app allows you to improve digital access to local information for people in your communities:

signpost local services and support - make it easier for people to find and access help and support, especially in a crisis or when offline
show you care - ensure people know about all the available services in your area, and which ones they can trust
be more digitally inclusive - serve people with reduced online access to information, e.g. out of data, no reception, poor coverage in remote areas, no access to a computer
enable seldom-heard, underserved and high-priority groups to better access local information
raise your profile - add your logo and stand out as a caring provider

How much does it cost?

The cost for subscribing to a local customised page is £340 per month (plus VAT, billed annually or by monthly direct debit).

We can offer special rates for:

bulk subscriptions - when you create different local pages on a single app for multiple areas within your wider region
'multi buy' subscriptions - when you add the same (or largely similar) local page to more than one app

The minimum initial subscription period is 6 months, and we don't charge a separate set-up fee. You can cancel anytime.

What if we don’t have the budget?

We know that support budgets can be tight. If you're interested in subscribing to a customised page but don't have the funds, here are possible options for getting creative and making it work:

Partnerships - you could consider teaming up with other providers in your area to share the costs (e.g. local authorities working with NHS. education providers or charities)
Sponsorship - gain sponsorship and offer to credit the sponsor on your page (this must not damage your or our reputation and should be in line with NHS sponsorship guidance)
Private donations - invite donations from reputable private donors
Alternative budgets - look for other 'pots of money' you could tap into, such as Covid-19 funding or marketing budgets
Advertising - consider selling advertising space on your page to cover the costs (must not damage your or our reputation - in line with NHS guidance)
Group offers - if you apply together with other local areas a group, we might be able to offer a group discount (contact us for details)

When can local customisation be useful?

You might find customising apps useful in situations when you want people to have instant access to local information, so they feel supported and can make the right decisions:

Pressure on services - your support services are in high demand, and you want to offer info about safe alternative local support
People in need are not seeking help - offer easy digital access to information to encourage people in need of support to get help, or those who worry about asking for help, to get in touch with services
Health and other crises - make it easy for people to know where to get help in a crisis (e.g. when feeling suicidal, or in a medical emergency) - even when offline
Information is difficult to find - people can't easily find crucial support information on your website because it is spread over several pages, or they get frustrated doing online searches
Remote service provision - make sure people know about changing service arrangements during the pandemic

Which apps are eligible?

We offer local customisation to the following apps:

CONfidence App - supporting people with bladder and bowel leakage)
distrACT - supporting people who self-harm or may feel suicidal
Eating Disorder Support App - for people with eating disorders and those supporting them
International Student App (UK) - practical and wellbeing advice for international students studying in the UK
Student Health App - physical and mental health information for UK students
Young Carers Support App - supporting young carers

Design your own page

We help you prepare your own page/ Choose text, images and embedded video (e.g. YouTube) to encourage engagement. You can list useful links and provide hyperlinked phone numbers (useful in a crisis).

Below is an example of a customised page for the Leeds area on the Young Carers Support App:

How can we set up a customised page?

Setting up a customised page takes 3 simple steps - and we'll guide you all the way:

Initial chat - you tell us about what you want your page to cover, and ask any questions (usually takes no longer than 10-15 mins)
Text and images - you email us the images, text and links you'd like us to include (we'll be happy to make suggestions)
Creating your page - we then draft a page that we review and revise together until it feels right (we'll use a shared online document to make it easy)

Once you've signed off on your new page, we'll do the rest. Your page will go live within a week or two (depending on how busy we are).

If you've forgotten to include something (say, info about a particular service), don't worry. We can edit and update your content at any time, as often as you like.

For full terms and conditions, please contact us.

Are customised pages limited?

Yes. We currently only offer a limited number of customised pages on each app, so we can continue to provide a personal service and maintain quality.

If demand exceeds availability, we may need to put you on a waiting list.

At times, we might also give preference to organisations that can demonstrate a particular need for customised pages. Such circumstances may include a recent significant event (such as a suicide) within their communities, or a crisis in care provision.

Where can I find out more?

Go to the customisation FAQ page for more answers to common questions.

Get in touch

To find out more, express an interest or arrange an informal chat, please get in touch.