What is Ollee?
Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8-11 that helps them explore their feelings and seek the support of their parents or another trusted adult.
Ollee supports conversations between children and parents – and helps them to share expert advice with each other through connected accounts.
Parents and adults with parental responsibility can also use Ollee to get advice about subjects they think their child might need extra support with.
Ollee was created by Parent Zone and funded by BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me initiative to make a difference to children’s emotional wellbeing.
Who can use Ollee?
Ollee is aimed at children aged 8-11 and their parents or other trusted adults. Children outside of those ages can use it, but the advice is tailored for this age group.
How can I access Ollee?
Open in a web browser or download the app:
How do I use Ollee?
There’s a full guide to using Ollee in the app. It covers key features, how to find advice, how to set up an account, how to add a linked account and much more. We’ve also created a video showing Ollee’s key features.
Why should I use Ollee?
Ollee helps children talk about and process their feelings – with advice to support their wellbeing. Once they have accessed Ollee, children feel more empowered to talk to their parents about these feelings, which prevents small problems from escalating.
Parents can use Ollee too. It provides tailored parenting advice and supports them in what can be tricky conversations with their children.
We know from an independent evaluation that, after using Ollee, children are more able to reflect on and communicate their feelings. There are short-term improvements in their wellbeing and confidence and parents report on a more positive relationship with their child.
What is the Ollee Help Hub?
The Ollee Help Hub is a directory of organisations and services which can provide specialised help, as well as emergency contacts and crisis helplines. There’s also a page for children. They are organised by subject, so that you can easily find the right link.
Do I have to pay to use Ollee?
No, Ollee is free. Just follow the link or download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Do I need an email address to use Ollee?
For parents to use Ollee with their child, they will need to set up an account. We recommend that children do too, to enable the accounts to be linked together. To set up an account, they each need an email address.
When you have an account, you get access to more features to help support wellbeing and facilitate conversations.
By linking accounts, you can save and share Ollee’s advice and ideas, helping to start conversations about feelings.
Children can still use Ollee without setting up an account, by clicking a button that says ‘I don’t have an email address’. However, if a child doesn’t have an account, they won’t be able to link to a parent, save or share advice or save their Ollee customisations.
Find out more about how we’ll use your email address in the Terms & Conditions page in the app.
I’m a teacher – can I use Ollee in the classroom?
Absolutely! We’ve created resources for schools including a lesson plan to support the Physical health and mental wellbeing section of primary schools’ RSE curriculum, flyers for children and parents that you can display around your school, as well as a family worksheet to send home.
Download all of the resources here.
I’m a professional working with families – can I use Ollee?
Definitely! Register here and you can download resources including flyers, information sheets and a social media pack.
Are there any Ollee resources for parents?
In the Parents area of the Ollee Hub you’ll find a selection of articles to support parents, covering subjects such as the early warning signs that your child needs emotional help and how to recognise low mood in children.
Ollee also helps children process powerful emotions by featuring engaging wellbeing videos to encourage children to slow down by focusing on mindful activities like guided breathing, positive visualisation and taking time to de-stress through art. You can find these in the Parents area so you can watch them at any time.
For more information on where to get advice, support and help click here.
Can I give you feedback about Ollee?
Yes please, we welcome and appreciate any feedback!
Please email feedback about Ollee to info@ollee.org.uk