Listening Ear

What Listening Ear does

Listening Ear (Merseyside) is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee (Charity No. 1117324; Company No. 5999650) founded in 1993 and headquartered in Halewood, Liverpool. It delivers therapeutic counselling and emotional support services across more than twelve English regions, organised around five core service lines: Butterflies (bereavement and loss support for children and young people), DiAmond (domestic abuse emotional support), Titanium (support for looked-after children and their carers), VIDA (occupational health counselling for employers), and Amparo (the largest suicide postvention service in England, covering ~23% of the English population). A parallel aftercare ecosystem — FAB, EYC, DiAmond, VIDA and Amparo aftercare groups — provides ongoing peer support post-counselling. Listening Ear is also a BACP-accredited training provider, operating the Bridging Course and Mindset professional training programmes, and delivers a private-pay counselling option at £100 per session.

The organisation's technology stack is deliberately lean and commodity-based: Lamplight for client management, Zoom and Microsoft Teams for virtual sessions, Stripe/GoCardless/PayPal for payment processing, and Google Analytics for website tracking. There is no proprietary software product or AI/ML component; the core offering is human-delivered therapy using modalities such as CBT, EMDR, Person-Centred, Solution-Focused, Systemic, Mindfulness, and Integrative approaches, all delivered within a trauma-informed care framework.

Listening Ear's business model blends multiple revenue streams typical of a UK social enterprise: contracted service delivery with NHS trusts, local authorities (Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens Councils, Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB) and schools (managed services revenue); charitable grants and trust funding (professional services revenue), with the Steve Morgan Foundation as a founding funder since 2004; individual and corporate donations including Barclays CodeFest partnership; employer partnerships through VIDA; and a small private-pay counselling stream. Most services are free at point of use for eligible individuals, with private pay at £100/50-minute session for those outside contract criteria.

Name

Listening Ear

Legal name

Listening Ear (Merseyside)

Website

https://listening-ear.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Listening Ear is a UK charity founded in 1993 providing counselling and emotional support services — including bereavement, domestic abuse, suicide postvention, and occupational health — across twelve-plus English regions, serving nearly 3,000 individuals annually via contracted NHS/council work, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and NHS Contracts: Contracted by NHS, local authorities (Knowsley Council, Sefton Council, St Helens Council), schools, and other agencies to provide counselling and therapeutic services.
2. Charitable Grants and Trusts: Funding from trusts and foundations including Steve Morgan Foundation. Grants from government bodies and integrated care boards for suicide prevention initiatives.
3. Donations: Individual donations and corporate donations from supporters including Barclays CodeFest. JustGiving fundraising pages for community fundraising.
4. Private Pay Counselling: Private counselling sessions at £100 per 50-minute session, payable in advance in blocks of three (£300). Revenue from individuals self-funding therapy.
5. Employer Partnerships (VIDA): Occupational health counselling services (VIDA) delivered in partnership with employers including Fusion21, Kitty's Laundrette, Homebaked Bakery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Listening Ear is a charity and social enterprise that delivers specialist counselling and therapeutic services for individuals affected by bereavement, loss, domestic abuse, and suicide. Its portfolio spans dedicated children and young people services (Butterflies, Titanium, DiAmond, EYC), adult counselling (including FAB aftercare), occupational health counselling for employers (VIDA), and the Amparo suicide postvention programme — the largest support-after-suicide service in England. It also runs professional training (Mindset, Bridging Course) for counsellors.

Product overview

Listening Ear is a charity and social enterprise offering a portfolio of specialist therapeutic counselling and support services. The core service portfolio includes Butterflies (bereavement and loss for CYP), DiAmond (domestic abuse emotional support), Titanium (looked after children and carers), VIDA (occupational health counselling), and Amparo (suicide postvention, the largest in England covering ~23% of the English population). These are delivered alongside an aftercare ecosystem (FAB, EYC, DiAmond Aftercare, VIDA Aftercare, and Amparo Aftercare) providing ongoing peer support following counselling. Professional training is delivered through Mindset, the Bridging Course, and the Hampshire Bridging Course for qualified adult counsellors expanding into CYP practice. Supplementary services include private pay counselling, self-help materials, and partnership programmes such as KOGS and Our Place Huyton.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Butterflies: Bereavement and loss support service for children and young people
• DiAmond
• Titanium
• VIDA
• Amparo
• Mindset
• FAB (Friendship After Bereavement)
• EYC (Emotional Youth Club)

Products and services

• Butterflies – Affected by Bereavement & Loss Specialist activity-based therapy service for children and young people who have experienced bereavement and loss, including bereavement by murder, manslaughter, or suicide. Includes support for the wider family system.
• DiAmond – Emotional Support for Domestic Abuse Specialist service providing emotional support for children, young people, and adults who have experienced domestic abuse. Delivered in multiple regions including Warrington and Warwickshire, including risk assessment and aftercare.
• Titanium – Looked After Children & Carers Specialist therapeutic support service for looked after children and their carers, providing counselling and emotional support to help address trauma, attachment issues, and the unique challenges faced by this group.
• VIDA – Occupational Health Counselling Workplace-based counselling service providing emotional support and therapeutic interventions for employees experiencing mental health difficulties, stress, or personal issues affecting their work life, offered in partnership with employers.
• Amparo – Support Following Suicide Suicide postvention service providing free practical and emotional support to individuals and families bereaved or affected by suicide. Includes contact within 24 hours of referral, one-to-one liaison worker support, assistance with police and coroner processes, and community and workplace critical incident debriefing. The largest provider of support after suicide in England, covering approximately 23% of the English population.
• Mindset – Professional Training & Services Professional training arm of Listening Ear delivering high-quality mental health training and awareness courses to a wide range of professionals and workplaces, including private sector staff, local authorities, teachers, foster carers, social workers, GPs, NHS Trusts, and police departments.
• FAB – Friendship After Bereavement (Aftercare) Safe and confidential group aftercare service for adults who have completed bereavement counselling. Led by experienced group facilitators, meetings explore the physical and emotional effects of loss and include activities ranging from crafts to quizzing to yoga, providing ongoing peer support.
• EYC – Emotional Youth Club (Aftercare) Ongoing support service for children and young people who have completed counselling with Listening Ear. Provides monthly fun activities (cycling, climbing, kayaking, arts), creative workshops, and monthly online art club via Zoom, facilitated by qualified CYP Counsellors and Therapists.
• Private Counselling & Therapy Sessions Private pay counselling and therapy sessions offered to individuals wishing to book outside of funded services. Priced at £100 per 50-minute session, including a free initial assessment.
• Bridging Course – Professional Training (CYP) A 3-day intensive training course for qualified adult counsellors wishing to gain skills in working therapeutically with children and young people presenting with bereavement, domestic abuse, and loss. Includes 100 placement hours in schools. Aligned to the BACP curriculum for counselling CYP aged 4–18 years.
• Hampshire Bridging Course A 5-day intensive in-person training course for qualified adult or trainee counsellors covering working therapeutically with children and young people. Delivered from The Wells Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire, with placement hours across Merseyside schools and Listening Ear's Halewood office.
• FREE Certificate in working with CYP presenting with bereavement and loss Free certificate course for qualified adult counsellors or mental health/psychology professionals at Level 4 or above, focused on working therapeutically with children and young people presenting with bereavement, domestic abuse, and loss.
• KOGS – Knowsley Open Gateway Service A collaborative partnership with Merseyside Youth Association guiding children, young people, parents, and carers through wellbeing and mental health options in Knowsley, helping them find the right support at the right time.
• Our Place Huyton Counselling Service Counselling service operated in partnership with Merseyside Youth Association at Our Place Huyton, providing more children and young people with access to free professional counselling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported almost 3000 individuals in 2024/25
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amparo (Sister Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmparo is Listening Ear's sister organisation providing suicide prevention and postvention support. It is the largest suicide bereavement provider in England, covering 23% of English population. Listening Ear provides administrative and organizational support for this nationwide service.
• Grassroots Suicide PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmparo (Listening Ear's sister service) is listed on the Stay Alive App, a pocket suicide prevention resource created by Grassroots Suicide Prevention.
• Merseyside Youth AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide more children and young people with access to free professional counselling at Our Place Huyton.
• KOGS (Knowsley Open Gateway Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListening Ear is a partner in the KOGS collaborative, guiding children, young people, parents and carers through wellbeing and mental health options in Knowsley.
• NHS TrustscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with NHS trusts for delivery of counselling services and referrals across Merseyside and wider regions.
• Local AuthoritiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracts with Knowsley Council, Sefton Council, St Helens Council, and other local authorities for delivery of counselling services.
• Hampshire County CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunding partner for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) and local councils supporting Amparo service.
• Lapland UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate charity partnership. Lapland UK founders Mike and Alison Battle made a generous donation of Christmas stockings to Listening Ear through the Lapland Foundation.
• The Dream (St Helens)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStaff wellbeing activity partner. Staff walk to The Dream landmark as part of Christmas wellbeing activities.
• Halsnead SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Gardening for Wellbeing allotment programme.
• LamplightcoreTechnology or IntegrationClient management system used by Listening Ear for managing client records and Emotional Youth Club registrations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: Major UK mental health charity providing advice, support, and counselling services across England and Wales. Larger national footprint than Listening Ear, with overlapping adult counselling and wellbeing offerings though broader scope.
• Samaritans: Large UK mental health charity providing emotional support for distress including suicidal feelings. Overlaps with Listening Ear's Amparo service in addressing suicide-related distress, though Samaritans is a helpline rather than postvention.

Direct peers

• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing school-based counselling and emotional support. Closely comparable to Listening Ear's school-based counselling services and CYP focus.
• Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS): UK charity providing support to those bereaved by suicide. Closely comparable to Listening Ear's Amparo service for suicide postvention, with overlapping beneficiary group and regional/local group model.
• Winston's Wish: UK charity offering bereavement support for children and young people. Directly comparable to Listening Ear's Butterflies CYP service, with overlapping therapeutic approaches and family-based support.
• Child Bereavement UK: UK charity supporting bereaved children and families through counselling, training, and information. Directly comparable to Listening Ear's Butterflies service and Bridging Course CYP training.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: UK's largest bereavement charity providing counselling, support, and training. Most directly comparable to Listening Ear's Butterflies and adult bereavement services, sharing the bereavement-counselling niche and BACP-aligned workforce.

Regional players

• Mindroom: Scottish charity supporting children and young people with mental health and learning difficulties. Comparable to Listening Ear's CYP counselling and Titanium looked-after children services, though geographically focused on Scotland.

Emerging players

• Rape Crisis UK: National umbrella charity for rape and sexual abuse support services. Tangentially comparable to Listening Ear's DiAmond domestic abuse service, with overlapping trauma-informed therapeutic approaches.

Others

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): Professional body accrediting counsellors and services. Listening Ear is BACP-accredited under BACP standards; BACP is a useful industry-adjacent peer for benchmarking governance, ethical frameworks, and training standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/listeningearmerseyside
• Xx.com/_ListeningEar
• Facebookfacebook.com/ListeningEarMerseyside
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/listening-ear-merseyside

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Listening Ear