Speek Health

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NHS Problem

Mental health disorders account for nearly half of the global disease burden in youth, with hospital admissions increasing 65% over the past decade. One in five teenagers self-harms, making suicide the second leading cause of adolescent death. Over 270,000 children await care, some for three years. Self-harm disproportionately affects marginalised communities, including female, neurodiverse, LGBTQ+, and low-income teens. The reactive, crisis-driven care model inflates costs and worsens outcomes. DBT-A proves most effective for self-harming adolescents but costs over £3,000 per person when delivered manually.

 

Founder Story

Speek was conceived by a team operating at the intersection of digital health, clinical care and data science. 

Kanu Batra is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Speek. Kanu is a specialist in developing and implementing strategic health initiatives and has developed and commercialised an in-vitro diagnostic. She has enabled organisations ranging from billion-dollar multinational firms to early-stage start-ups to achieve technological excellence, unlock demand and execute strategy in challenging environments. Kanu is trained as a Biotechnologist with a Master’s in Management from the London School of Economics.  

Speek’s Founding Clinical Officer, Dr Olivia Collier, is an HCPC-accredited Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience in working with diverse populations facing complex mental health challenges, including mood disorders, psychosis, and PTSD. She was previously at South London and Maudsley Trust. Dr Collier holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) from King’s College London.

 


The Solution

 Speek Health is developing a comprehensive digital ecosystem to transform adolescent mental healthcare through tech-augmented Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A). The platform addresses critical gaps in adolescent self-harm treatment, focusing on anxiety and depression using a trans-diagnostic approach, where current response rates remain low despite an increasing demand. The integrated platform combines four key components:

  • Evidence-based assessment with personalised treatment pathways
  • Specialist 16-week DBT-A programmes delivered by clinical psychologists
  • Continuous tech-augmented support through an Adaptive Learning Engine (ALE)
  • Recovery-focused community support for families.

The technology-driven model reduces costs by 50% while improving outcomes, enabling scale across NHS trusts.

 

Impact

 Initial results demonstrate exceptional outcomes:

  • 92% retention rates (compared to 40-60% industry standard)
  • 82% reduction in self-harm behaviours
  • 89% of parents are gaining crisis management confidence.

The platform reduces clinician time requirements by 60% while improving clinical outcomes. First clinical trial underway in partnership with UCL, to be completed by Jan 2026. The platform has served over 400 families.