Find advice on all aspects of family life from bonding with your new baby, dealing with tantrums, positive discipline, bullying, communicating with teens and divorce and separation. You can also chat to us online for support or call our confidential helpline on 0808 800 2222.
Safely raising children in an online world
With Thanks to Tara Worsham
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad Mobile World
It’s a fast-paced world, and our children are increasingly connected to the Internet. They cling to it. They rely on it. They log on through a host of different smart devices, computers, wearable technology and all sorts of video games.
Problem is – we don’t always know what they are watching and doing online
For more information, please visit:
https://www.wizcase.com/blog/safely-raising-children-in-an-online-world/
E-safety and cyber security for kids
Fixers
Fixers are young people using their past to fix the future. They are motivated by personal experience to make positive change for themselves and those around them.
Real people, real stories, real change.
Fixers have different backgrounds, interests and life experiences, and come from every corner of the UK.
But they do have several important things in common.
They are motivated by a desire to act on an issue that is important to them or a strong desire to help other people.
They also have a voice that they want to be heard, whether that’s on eating disorders, drugs, offending, cyberbullying or any other issue that is concerning them. Becoming a Fixer allows that to happen.
So you’re interested in becoming a Fixer? Great! If you’re aged between 16 and 25, and you have a positive message that you want to use to inspire others, let us know!
Whether it comes from your own personal experiences, or it's just something you feel passionate about, you can use posters, leaflets, films, stage your own events, or even star in your own music video to get your message across.
Just let the Fixers know how you want your voice to be heard and we'll give you the stepping stones that you need to build a better future.
Questions? Contact us at talk2me@fixers.org.uk
please have a look at the website at: http://www.fixers.org.uk/home/issues.php for more info on how to tackle issues such as drugs, crime, body image, safety, just to name a few examples.
Safer London
We believe every young person should be given the opportunity to live free from exposure to gangs, exploitation and crime. At Safer London, we work tirelessly to make this happen.
We are the leading London charity working to prevent and address gang violence, vulnerability and sexual exploitation. We provide needs led intensive support, early intervention and mentoring through our extensive, pan London services. You can find out more about our history and where we’ve come from here.
Our vision is a world where all young people can thrive, free from exposure to gangs, exploitation and crime.
But we know we can’t do this alone, so if you share in our vision, please join us. For more information on Safer London, please visit:
https://saferlondon.org.uk/about-us/
To read the full report please click here.
Contextual Safeguarding Network – specific resources and information and research about contextual safeguarding
• www.childline.org.uk – Offers children 24-hour telephone help. Tel no 0800 1111
• www.child-safe.org.uk–
Initiated by Avon and Somerset Police
• www.get.to/kids-in-crisis Online service for children with problems
• www.kidscape.org.uk Helpline and
child protection initiatives
• www.ceop.police.uk/ The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is part of the National Crime Agency (NCA) and can apply the full range of policing powers in tackling
the sexual abuse of children. Report sexual abuse to CEOP online
• http://www.londoncp.co.uk/ provides full child protection procedures and practice guidance for safeguarding children.
• http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/
provides full contact details for safeguarding contacts in all
London Boroughs.
• http://www.paceuk.info/ PACE: Parents against Child Sexual Exploitation.
• http://mesmac.co.uk/blast
Blast: Blast supports and works with boys and young men who have been, are being, or are at risk of being sexually exploited.
• http://www.barnardos.org.uk Barnardo’s: Children’s charity.
The NSPCC provides a free 24-hour Child Protection Helpline, staffed by experienced social work counsellors, which provides confidential counselling, information and advice for those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The telephone number is
0808 800 5000.
If using this service, please state at the outset that you are an adult seeking advice and information so that your call can be directed to an appropriate person.
Family Lives
https://www.familylives.org.uk/
Advice
Divorce & Separation
Find more information about different organisation which can provide support and advice with specific issues such as self harm, domestic violence, bereavement and pregnancy.
Abuse
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre - working across the UK to tackle child sex abuse and offering parents advice and support.
Childline - free, 24 hour helpline for children and young people in danger or distress.
Everyman Project - aims to help men change their violent or abusive behaviour.
MOSAC - support for all non-abusing parents and carers whose children have been sexually abused. Provides support, advice, information and counselling.
NAPAC - support for people abused in childhood
NSPCC - advice on child abuse and cruelty.
NSPCC - What can I do - Protecting your child from sexual abuse - link to PDF document from the NSPCC about protecting your child from sexual abuse.
NSPCC - Child Abuse - Parents tell their own stories about Child Abuse - parents tell their own stories about Child Abuse
Stop it Now! - aims to prevent child sexual abuse by increasing public awareness and empowering people to act responsibly to protect children.
Womens Aid - support for women experiencing physical, emotional or sexual violence in the home.
Addiction
Addaction - Britain's largest specialist drug and alcohol treatment agency who offer help and advice to anyone affected by drug and alcohol.
Alcohol Education Trust - support young people to enter adulthood having a healthy relationship with alcohol. They engage pupils before they begin drinking, help them build resilience skills, know how to avoid risky situations and learn how to look after themselves and each other.
Community for Recovery - the first national support network for anyone whose life is affected by solvent or volatile substance abuse.
Drinkaware - provides information on alcohol to consumers to allow them to make informed decisions about the effects on lives and lifestyles.
FRANK - free confidential advice and information on drugs 24 hours a day.
Gamcare - information, advice and practical help in relation to gambling.
Release - information and advice on drugs and the law.
Adoption
Adoption UK - is a national charity run by and for adopters, providing self-help information, advice, support and training on all aspects of adoption and adoptive parenting.
Coram BAAF - is an independent membership organisation for professionals, foster carers and adopters, and anyone else working with or looking after children in or from care, or adults who have been affected by adoption.
Advice - general
Adviceguide - Adviceguide is the online CAB service that gives you information on your rights for all four UK countries, and on a wide range of topics, including benefits and employment, and debt and legal issues. Some content is in Welsh, and also ethnic community languages.
ConnectFutures - an independent social enterprise bringing people together to build trust and collaboration between organisations and their clients, using research, facilitation and training.
Educate against Hate - gives parents, teachers and school leaders practical advice on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation.
Bedwetting
ERIC - ERIC is a UK charity, Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence.
Bereavement
Child Death Helpline - frreephone service for anyone affected by the death of a child.
Child Bereavement UK - support families and educate professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement
The Compassionate Friends - support and friendship to parents and families after the death of their child, at any age and from any cause
Cruse Bereavement Care - nationwide bereavement support and information.
Rosie Crane Trust - provide a number of services aimed at supporting bereaved parents including a 24 hour helpline.
SANDS (Still birth and neonatal death society) - support for those affected by the stillbirth or death of a baby in the early weeks of life.
Saying Goodbye - this is the web site for the Saying Goodbye services, the first national set of remembrance services for people who have suffered miscarriage, early term loss or early infant loss.
Winston's Wish - support children and their families through grief after the death of a parent or brother or sister.
Black and Ethnic Minority (BAME)
Equality and Human Rights Commission - creating a fairer Britain, this website takes a look at your rights.
NSPCC - the NSPCC offers multi-lingual helplines for the UK's BME communities.
Race Equality Foundation - the Race Equality Foundation promotes race equality in social support (what families and friends do for each other) and public services (what 'workers' do with people who need support).
RYICO - Provide teaching resources made up of varied activities that use art, audio, movement, games, and group discussion to tackle issues raised in Anti-bullying Week, Black History Month and Refugee Awareness Week.
Southall Black Sisters - information and resources for women, particularly Asian women experiencing domestic violence. Also offers immigration advice and advice on other matters relating to relationship breakdown.
Bullying and Harrassment
ACAS - (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations.
Anti-bullying Alliance - is a coalition of organisations and individuals working together to stop bullying and create safe environments in which children and young people can live, grow, play and learn.
Bullying UK – part of Family Lives. Provides help on all forms of bullying - at school, cyberbullying, racism, homophobia, bullying in sport etc.
Childnet International - information, advice, resources for children, parents and getting the most out of new technology and safe and responsible us.
EACH - Education Action Challenging Homophobia - challenges homophobia, specifically homophobic bullying, through education.
EyePAT - online safety and anti-bullying training for a variety of groups such as schools, social workers, foster carers and those who include children or vulnerable adults; as well as bullying in the workplace.
Kidscape - anti-bullying helpline for parents.
Scared of Someone - Scared of Someone aims to provide support to victims, potential victims and others affected by stalking/harassment throughout the UK.
Red Balloon - Provide an 'intensive care' full-time education for children aged between 9 and 18 who are unable to go to school because they have been severely bullied or who have suffered trauma.
Schools out - provides a support network to raise the issue of homophobia in schools
STANCE - the comprehensive 'Whole School' resource pack for addressing homophobic bullying.
Stonewall - working for positive change for gay lesbian and bisexual people in the UK with an education program: Education for all
Childcare
Family and Childcare Trust- national childcare charity working to promote high quality affordable childcare for all.
Support and advice for children and young people
Anti Knife Crime Campaign - provides advice, ideas, support and resources for local anti knife crime
BROOK - free and confidential sexual health advice and contraception to young people up to the age of 25.
ChildLine - free, 24 hour helpline for children and young people in danger or distress.
Kooth.com - A unique service that provides vulnerable young people, who have emotional or mental health problems, with support when they need it most.
Careers Advice Service - help and information for young people 13-19 years.
The Mix - (formerly Get Connected) provides young people with help on finding a service to help them, whatever the problem.
National Youth Advocacy - advocacy services for children and young people up to the age of 25.
NCH - It's not your fault - practical info for children, young people and parents going through a family break-up.
NSPCC - National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
The Hideout - provides indirect and informal support to children and young people living with domestic violence or those who may want to help a friend. Also signposts to additional help and direct support.
Vinspired - is the UK's leading volunteering charity for 14 - 25 year olds. vinspired helps young people to make their mark on causes that they care about, whilst learning new skills and talents along the way.
Young Carers: Action for Children - advice, support and information for children and young people who have a caring responsibility for someone in their family.
Counselling
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - provides lists of counsellors in your local area.
Marriage Care - relationship support service including couples counselling, relationship and marriage preparation. No fixed charge, contribution-based
PACE - free counselling, support and advice over the phone and face to face, to all family members, whatever their age and sexuality.
RSCPP - Connecting users to therapists across the UK. Have advice pages that are helpful too.
Relate for Parents - Help with family life and parenting and access to a free counsellor online.
Relate - relationship counselling offered through regional centres.
Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships - consultation and psychotherapy services for couples seeking help with their relationships.
Thecoupleconnection.net - information and resources to parents who want to change their relationship for the better.
Crime
Anti Knife Crime Campaign - provides advice, ideas, support and resources for local anti-knife crime.
Rape Crisis (England and Wales) - provides coordination for the national network of Rape Crisis Centres across England and Wales. Rape Crisis Centres provide a range of specialist services for women and girls that have been raped or experienced another form of sexual violence - whether as adults or as children.
Victim Support - information and support for people who have been affected by a crime.
Dads
Dads Info -promotes fatherhood in all its aspects where fathers can share ideas find information and learn about parenting.
Families Need Fathers - information and support on shared parenting following separation or divorce.
Separated Dads - being separated from your kids can be hard if you're a dad. This website helps with ideas on how to cope when you are together or apart.
Disability
Action on Hearing Loss - raise awareness of hearing loss and offer support and information.
Appcessible.org - a database of useful mobile and tablet apps, specifically, apps that are designed to help users with additional needs and disabilities.
Carers UK -provides information and advice to carers of children and adults with disabilities.
Contact a family - provides support and advice to parents of disabled children.
Dial UK - information, advice and practical assistance for disabled people and their families.
Disability. Pregnacy and Parenthood International - information and enquiry service on all aspects for pregnancy and parenthood.
Disablity Rights UK - works to create a society where everyone with lived experience of disability or health conditions can participate equally as full citizens.
dysTalk - information on specific learning disabilities and advice on how parents can optimise their child's learning.
Equality and Human Rights Commission - creating a fairer Britain, this website takes a look at your rights. A website with the aim of sharing information for independent living.
National Autistic Society - advice and support for children and adults with Aspergers syndrome and autism - visit the site to see whether there is a centre near you.
NDCS - National Deaf Children's Society is a charity for deaf children and their families.
RNIB - Royal National Institute of the Blind which helps living with sight loss.
Scope - support and advice to people with cerebal palsy and their families.
Sibs - for people who grow up with a brother or sister with special needs, disability or chronic illness. Also has useful information for parents of children with special needs.
Divorce and separation
CAFCASS - CAFCASS looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. It works with children and their families, and then advises the courts on what it considers to be in the children's best interests.
Family Mediators Association - The Family Mediators Association is a registered charity which offers family mediation to private clients outside the court system.
Families Need Fathers - information and support on shared parenting following separation or divorce.
MATCH - provides emotional support to mothers whose children have been separated from them.
National Association of Child Contact Centres - provides safe places where children of separated families can spend time with one or both parents.
National Family Mediation - mediators helping parents who live apart stay close to their children.
Oxfordshire Family Mediation - support children and adults, with or without children, when they are dealing with the fall-out before, during and after separation.
Parent Connection - service to help parents who are either going through separation or who are struggling with issues associated with parenting after parting.
Separated Dads - being separated from your kids can be hard if you're a dad. This website helps with ideas on how to cope when you are together or apart.
Separated Families - working with everyone affected by family separation to bring about better outcomes for children.
Sorting out separation app - helping you make the right decisions after divorce or separation
Money Advice Service: Divorce and Separation - a comprehensive guide to managing the financial aspects of divorce, as well managing debt
Domestic violence and abuse
Everyman Project - aims to help men change their violent or abusive behaviour.
Family Rights Group - for mothers who are involved with Children's Services because their children are (or may be) harmed by experiencing and/ or witnessing domestic violence.
Men's Advice Line - Men’s Advice Line: a confidential helpline for any man experiencing domestic violence and abuse from a partner or ex-partner.
Respect - our vision is to end violence and abuse in intimate partner and close family relationships. Our key focus is on increasing the safety and well-being of victims by promoting, supporting, delivering and developing effective interventions with perpetrators.
Respect Not Fear - if you are a young person and are worried about your relationship then try to talk to someone you trust about what you are experiencing.
The Hideout - provides indirect and informal support to children and young people living with domestic violence or those who may want to help a friend. Also signposts to additional help and direct support.
National Centre for Domestic Violence - provides a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation.
Women's Aid - support for women experiencing physical, emotional or sexual violence in the home.
Drugs
Community for Recovery - the first national support network for anyone whose life is affected by solvent or volatile substance abuse.
Frank - everything you need to know about drugs, they have helpline and livechat.
Know the score - Scotland’s drug information website.
Eating disorders
Beat - helpline for parents and young people.
National centre for eating disorders - advice and support.
HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young) – A charity offering programmes and online resources for parents of 0 to 5 year olds to help provide a healthy start in life for young children. Programmes cover how to juggle life with young children, how to respond to their needs without giving in to demands, tips to reduce mealtime stress, active play to help children learn, food groups, food labels, portion sizes for under 5s, first foods, snack swaps, and understanding and managing your child's behaviour.
Education
Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) - an independent national service centre for parents of children in state-funded education. They operate a dedicated advice line for referrals from Parentline Plus. The key topics on which ACE can provide further advice, information and support are: exclusion from school, school admissions, special educational needs and all other education-based issues with particular focus on the legal position/rights of parents and how to take unresolved matters further.
Department for Education - helping children and adults get the most from learning
Homework Elephant - resources to help children complete their homework
My World of Work for parents - can help you find the information you need to support your child as they begin to make choices about their future career.
Parents in Touch - an education and information site for busy parents covering curriculums, exams and much more.
ParentView - Ofsted has launched a website, ParentView, that gives parents in England the opportunity to assess state schools against 12 criteria covering safety, bullying, behaviour, teaching, leadership, homework, pupils’ progress, and pupils’ general happiness at the school. They will use the information you provide when making decisions about which schools to inspect, and when.
Red Balloon - Provide an 'intensive care' full-time education for children aged between 9 and 18 who are unable to go to school because they have been severely bullied or who have suffered trauma.
School- Home Support - national charity that places higly trained practitioners in schools to support children andfamilies, whatever they are going through.
The Good Schools Guide - feature more than 400 informative articles covering help, information advice and reviews of schools and tutors.
Tutor Pages - Tutor Pages contains thousands of articles on home tuition topics all written by private tutors. There's also an active forum to discuss private tuition, and a directory of private tutors who can be contacted for free.
Emotional support
Blurt - support all those who are affected by depression.
PAPYRUS – prevention of young suicide - support for young people under the age of 35 with thoughts of suicide, or those concerned about young people with thoughts of suicide.
Samaritans - emotional support to anyone in distress or at risk of suicide.
Understanding Childhood - provides free downloadable information leaflets for families and childcare professionals to help raise emotionally secure children
Families
CFAB (Children & Families Across Borders) - a charity which seeks to protect, defend and support any child, family or individual who faces a social, legal or personal problem as a consequence of global movement.
Childrens 1st - (Formerly ParentLine Scotland)is a free, confidential helpline for parents and anyone caring for a child in Scotland.
Family Action (formerly Family Welfare Association) - tackling difficult issues facing families including domestic abuse, mental health problems, learning disabilities and severe financial hardship.
Families Need Fathers - information and support on shared parenting following separation or divorce.
Family Rights Group - provides advice and services to families whose children are involved with social services
Gingerbread - Gingerbread is the national charity working with single parent families. Formed following a merger of the National Council for One Parent Families and Gingerbread, we now provide increased support and a stronger campaigning voice for single parents and their families.
Happy steps - The UK's only research based stepfamily resource centre. Designed to gather together a whole range of services to help families and individuals strengthen their stepfamilies and to provide training and tools for organisations who regularly deal with them.
HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young) – A charity offering programmes and online resources for parents of 0 to 5 year olds to help provide a healthy start in life for young children. Programmes cover how to juggle life with young children, how to respond to their needs without giving in to demands, tips to reduce mealtime stress, active play to help children learn, food groups, food labels, portion sizes for under 5s, first foods, snack swaps, and understanding and managing your child's behaviour.
Home-start - offers regular support to families with one child under 5 years old - look at the site to see whether there is a scheme near you.
Mumsnet - online forum for parenting support and the discussion of issues connected with parenting.
National Family Mediation - mediators helping parents who live apart stay close to their children.
Netmums - a unique local network for Mums (or Dads), offering a wealth of information on both a national and local level. Once registered, you can access details for all kinds of local resources, from child-friendly cafes to childminders, places to go etc.
One plus One - an independent research organisation whose role is to generate knowledge about marriage and relationships - how they work, why they can sometimes run into difficulties and how couples can cope when they do.
Parenting NI - provides a telephone helpline and face-to-face support and guidance service for families on issues such as bullying, separation/divorce, self-harm and emotional difficulties.
Parenting UK – part of Family Lives, Parenting UK is the national umbrella body for people who work with parents. DOES NOT OFFER DIRECT SERVICES TO PARENTS, but parenting courses offered by forum members are advertised on the page 'for parents' on their website.
ParentPort - ParentPort is run by the UK’s media regulators. We set and enforce standards across the media to protect children from inappropriate material. Seen or heard something unsuitable for children? Maybe it was a programme on TV or online, a film, an advert, a video game or something in a magazine. At ParentPort you can find out about the standards we expect from the media, make a complaint and share your views with us.
Parentline (Ireland) - provides information and a listening ear to anyone in a parenting role in Ireland.
There for you advisory service- provides support and advice to individuals and families involved with or being investigated by their Local Authority Children's Services Department.
Young Minds - information for parents who may be concerned about the mental health of their child.
FGM
Grandparents
Age UK - is the country's largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life and give advice on range of issues including money, health, care and wellbeing.
grannynet.co.uk - tips and support on all aspects of life as a grandparent
Grandparents Plus - information, advice and support for people looking after a relative's child, and for grandparents who have lost contact with their grandchildren.
Health
beat (formerly Eating Disorders Association) - information and support on eating disorders across the UK.
Dementia UK- provides specialist dementia support for families through our Admiral Nurse service.
ERIC (education and resources for improving childhood incontinence) - information and support on childhood betwetting, daytime wetting, constipation and soiling.
HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young) – A charity offering programmes and online resources for parents of 0 to 5 year olds to help provide a healthy start in life for young children. Programmes cover how to juggle life with young children, how to respond to their needs without giving in to demands, tips to reduce mealtime stress, active play to help children learn, food groups, food labels, portion sizes for under 5s, first foods, snack swaps, and understanding and managing your child's behaviour.
The Tuck Sleep Foundation - provides advice to parents on their child's sleep of all ages, from birth to teens.
Terrance Higgins Trust - help and advice on living with HIV.
Housing
Shelter - information for people who are homeless or having a housing problem
St Mungo's - support and advice for homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
Immigration
Asylum Aid - free advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seeker.
Parents pack (from the Refugee Council) - the resource pack aims to support refugee parents who may not have access to these resources and it is hoped that it will be useful for advisers working with refugee families.
Refugee Council - advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees.
UKCOSA (Council for International Education) - provides independent advice for students from overseas on issues such as immigration, fees and welfare benefits.
Internet
Childnet International - Know IT All - resources aimed at young people, parents and teachers about safe and positive use of the internet. It contains information about what the risks are to users and outlines practical advice in avoiding or minimising risks when using online and mobile technologies.
Internet Matters - information, advice and support on internet safety, from cyberbullying to setting up parental controls online.
Internet Watch Foundation - site for reporting potentially illegal online content, specifically child abuse images and content hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene content hosted in the UK and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK.
Kidsmart Digiducks Big Decision Book - a resource book for teachers to use in classrooms from Kidsmart.
NSPCC Net Aware - Your guide to the social networks your kids use with tips on keeping them safe.
O2 & NSPCC online safety helpline - get advice on the technical side of online safety, such as setting parental controls and privacy settings. Call 0808 800 5002.
The Professionals Online Safety Helpline is a free service for professionals, and volunteers working with children and young people, managed by the UK Safer Internet Centre.
Think U Know - come in to find the latest information on the sites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology.
True Vision - Have you or someone you know been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident? True Vision gives advice about hate crime/incidents and how to report it.
Legal
CAFCASS - CAFCASS looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. It works with children and their families, and then advises the courts on what it considers to be in the children's best interests.
Children's Legal Centre - information on all aspects of child law in England, including contact, parental responsiblity and residence orders.
Resolution - an association of solicitors specialising in family law.
Rights of Women - provide women with the legal advice and information they need to understand and use the law and their legal rights.
Which? Legal Services - legal advice and services from the consumer rights group
LGBTQ
EACH - Educational Action Challenging Homophobia - a national, charitable organisation, set up to challenge homophobia, specifically homophobic bullying, through education.
Families Together London - Support group and website for friends and family of lesbian, gay and transgender people
FFLAG - Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays UK is a national and voluntary organisation and registered charity which offers support to local parent groups and contacts in their efforts to help parents and families understand and accept and support their lesbian, gay and bisexual members.
Free2b Alliance - Support LGBTQ+ young people and parents and empowering them to work with us in delivering awareness training. We challenge homophobia, biphobia & transphobia, fostering an inclusive environment within education establishments and organisations across the sectors.
PACE - free counselling, support and advice over the phone and face to face, to all family members, whatever their age and sexuality.
STANCE - the comprehensive 'Whole Shool' resource pack for addressing homophobic bullying.
Stonewall - lesbian, gay and bisexual support and information.
Mental health
MENCAP - support and information for people with a learning disability and their families.
Mental Health Foundation - Committed to reducing the suffering caused by mental ill health and to help everyone lead mentally healthier lives.
Mind - information on all aspects of mental health.
Out of the FOG - Helping family members & loved-ones of people who suffer from personality disorders.
Place2Be - Provides emotional and therapeutic services in primary and secondary schools, building children's resilience through talking, creative work and play.
RC Psych - Provide advice and information on mental health and wellbeing
Rethink - advice and information for those suffering severe mental illness and their families or carers.
Sane - Mental health helpline.
Student Minds - Mental health peer support for students
Time to change - They empower people with mental health problems to feel confident talking about the issue without facing discrimination
Young minds (for children's mental health) - information for parents who may be concerned about the mental health of their child.
Money
Child Benefit - deals with all child benefit claims.
Child Maintenance Options - providing impartial information and support to help both parents make an informed choice about their options for child maintenance.
Child Support Agency - the Child Support Agency, as part of the Department for Work and Pensions, is responsible for assessing, collecting, paying and enforcing Child Support Maintenance.
Consumer Affairs - offering debt and money advice to consumers via free guides and reports.
Financial Ombudsman Service - the official independent expert in settling complaints between consumers and businesses providing financial services. The service is free and can look at complaints about a wide range of financial matters - from insurance and mortgages to savings and credit.
Give as you earn - donating to charity through your payroll.
Money Advice Service - the Money Advice Service helps you manage your money better. You can use their Health Check tool, calculators and comparison tables and access free, independent advice.
Money Saving Expert - aims to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques.
National Debtline - advice by telephone or email for people with debt problems.
Personal Finance Society - free guides to understand your choices when it comes to money. Find out about professional financial advice and search for a qualified adviser near you.
Tax Credits - 9 out of 10 families are entitiled to tax credits, but you don't need to have children to qualify. Find out more here.
Turn2Us - website offering people in financial need access to welfare benefits and charitable grants, free of charge and all in one place. Visitors to the site can use the benefits calculator or search for a grant giving organisation based on their need to see if there are funds available to them.
The Trussell Trust - The Trussell Trust is a Christian charity that does not affiliate itself with any political party and currently receives no government funding. They are non-judgemental and inclusive, providing assistance to people of all backgrounds and all faiths or none who are found to be in genuine need. The Trussell Trust partners with churches and communities to open new foodbanks nationwide. With over 250 foodbanks currently launched, their goal is for every town to have one.
Pregnancy
Bounty - support families in the transition to parenthood, through each key life stage, from pregnancy to birth to toddler to pre-school.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service - offers information and treatment for unplanned pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Network - find help and support with breastfeeding.
Ectopic Pregnancy Foundation - provides support and information on the care of women with a diagnosis, or possible diagnosis, of ectopic pregnancy.
FPA - advice and publications on all aspects of sexual health.
NCT Breastfeeding Support - information and guidance for any parents that have questions about breastfeeding
NCT (National Childbirth Trust) - support through pregnancy and beyond.
Sense CDs - teenagers and pregnancy: Interactive CD Rom.
The Miscarriage Association - support and information for people who experience pregnancy loss.
Prisoners
Action for Prisoners' and Offenders' Families (now part of Family Lives) - lots of information for families with member in prison.
Key for Life - A new social venture and charity creating innovative solutions to help reduce youth offending and gang warfare.
Offenders' Families Helpline - this free helpline is now run by Family Lives and is a free service to anyone with a family member in prison.
Prisoners abroad– advice for anyone with family member in prison abroad.
Relationships
Barefoot Institute - help support Muslim relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, siblings and relatives.
Forced Marriage Unit - contact the Forced Marriage
Unit (FMU) if you are trying to stop a forced marriage or you need help leaving a marriage you have been forced into. Email: fmu@fco.gov.uk, Telephone: 020 7008 0151. From overseas +44 207 008 0151 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
Out
of hours: 020 7008 1500 (ask for the Global Response Centre)
Marriage Care - relationship support service including couples counselling, relationship and marriage preparation. No fixed charge, contribution-based
Relate - relationship counselling offered through regional centres.
Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships - couple therapy services.
The Couple Connection (One Plus One) - this interactive, self-help site will provide you with resources and practical tools that will enable you to improve your relationship with your partner
Runaways
Missing People (formerly National Missing Persons Helpline) - the UK's only charity that works with young runaways, missing and unidentified people, their families and others who care for them.
Self harm
Harmless - provides information, support, training and consultancy for people who self harm, as well as their friends, families and professionals.
National Self Harm Network - our priority is to support survivors and people who self-harm. We also support the people it indirectly affects, like family and friends, they can discuss the issue and gain effective support in our forums.
Young Minds - supporting people who self-harm. We also support the people it indirectly affects, like family and friends, they can discuss the issue and gain effective support in our forums.
Sexual health
Single parents
Gingerbread - support organisation for lone parent families.
OneSpace - the parenting site for single parents. Support from parenting professionals on all aspects of being a parent, plus a lively online community offering support and friendship from other single parents.
Special educational needs (SEN)
Council for disabled children - are the umbrella body for the disabled children's sector bringing together professionals, practitioners and policy-makers.
The Dyslexia and SpLD Trust - provides information to parents, teachers, schools and the wider sector.
Family Lives SENDIASS Services - Since April 2013 Family Lives has been running a SENDIASS Service to Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark residents providing independent information, advice and guidance for parents/carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
I CAN - provides a range of information services that provide help and advice to parents and practitioners about speech, language and communication.
IPSEA - provides Independent Parental Special Education Advice on all educational matters for SEN.
Contact a Family - find out more about their services for families whose child may have special educational needs.
National Autistic Society - provides impartial, confidential information along with advice and support for autistic people and their families and carers.
SENDirect - SENDirect brings together lots of information for families to find the services you need
Twins and multiples
Tamba - support and information to parents of twins and multiple births.
Space
SPACE is a self-funded not-for-profit organisation founded in January 2018, in response to the national prevalence of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)and the County Lines phenomena which has entrenched thousands of young people into serious violence and organised crime.
Please visit http://www.bespaceaware.co.uk for more information.
Runaway reassurance
Missing People and St Giles Trust SOS have been jointly funded by the Home Office to deliver a project which scopes and tests new ways of working with young people who are criminally exploited to become drug mules. This project will test a Missing People-led pilot of an intervention – called SafeCall.
SafeCall is a scheduled telephone call to children who are referred to us by professionals working with them. They will be offered a non-judgemental, safe space to talk about their experiences in confidence. We will reassure them that there is a way out, support them to explore their choices, and help them formulate a safety plan.
The SafeCall service will also reach out to the child’s parent or carer, offering them a chance to debrief, access emotional support and be guided on how to keep their family safe in the future.
If you would like to refer someone into SafeCall please use the forms shown. If you require further information, please email safecall@missingpeople.org.uk
Please click here to down load more information
For the child or young person
If the child has been away from home, suspected to have been involved in county lines and would like further in-depth support (outside of the return home interview) - you can refer the child to our SafeCall programme following their consent. Please contact us by sending an email to safecall@missingpeople.org.uk OR call 0208 392 5710 OR online at www.missingpeople.org.uk/safecall.
If the child does not want to access this service, please sign post the child to Missing People’s runaway helpline website www.runawayhelpline.co.uk for more information on support they can access.
For the family member
We know that for family members with a child who is being criminally exploited by a gang and is away from home it can be a really upsetting and worrying time. You can also refer family members, with their consent into this service by sending an email to safecall@missingpeople.org.uk or call 0208 392 5710, or you can make a referral online at www.missingpeople.org.uk/safecall.
For Further information
Project lead – Becca Morley- Please direct all communication via the SafeCall information below.
SafeCall information – Call 0208 392 5710/ Email SafeCall@missingpeople.org.uk
Marketing materials – Partners@missingpeople.org.uk
Stop and search app
Complaints
We've set up a system to make it easier for you to complain about stop and search. If you have been treated badly by the police or think something unlawful happened, or even if you don't want to complain to the police but just want to share your experience with Y-Stop, you can now report every stop and search to us via the Y-Stop app!
The Y-Stop app lets you:
- Report your stop and search experiences or ones you witness
- Record video/audio of the police interactions and send it to Y-Stop
- Connect with lawyers and experts for support
- Make a complaint directly to police
- Know what your rights are to keep you safe
Y Stop Search Cards:
https://www.release.org.uk/sites/default/files/ereader/ystop/index.html#/10
For more information, please visit https://www.release.org.uk/publications/y-stop-search-card
Self harm
http://www.harmless.org.uk/whoWeSupport/youngPeople
Young people self harm for a number of reasons but the most common is to help them cope with
their feelings or state of mind. This is a learnt 'coping strategy' and helps people feel: calmer, in
control, relief, release and better.
Sometimes people also hurt themselves because they want to punish themselves, out of anger,
fear or lack of confidence.
Mostly there is something that has happened that makes people hurt themselves in the first place,
this can be something that is big or small but it's likely to be something that has effected how you
feel, such as:
• bullying
• abuse (physical, emotional or sexual)
• neglect
• family difficulties
• boy/girlfriend troubles
• housing
• loneliness
• someone you know dying
• pressures from school/college
• drug or alcohol problems
• eating disorders
• family money problems
• plus many more
Please have a look at the section on Self Harm and Suicide for more information as well as visiting http://www.harmless.org.uk
BLAST Based in Yorkshire but serves the UK male population
http://www.mesmac.co.uk/projects/blast
Our Mission
The BLAST Project is dedicated to tackling the grooming and sexual exploitation of boys and young men.
We are passionate about ensuring services are available for boys and young men that are equal, inclusive and accessible to them as males and that the issue of male child sexual exploitation (CSE) along with associated myths and barriers and are addressed.
Our ethos and service user centred approach means we put the needs of the boys and young men accessing our service first by following their lead, building a positive relationship with them and providing information and support aiming to increase their safety and understanding, lower their CSE risk and provide them with the skills and resources needed to engage in safer behaviours, make safer choices and deal with the consequences of CSE effectively.
Whilst working in partnership with other services and sharing safeguarding concerns appropriately we maintain our service user centred approach by acting as an advocate for the boys and young men accessing our service, working in a way that promotes their welfare, champions their rights and respects their choices.
The BLAST Project is the UK’s leading male only sexual exploitation service supporting and working solely with boys and young men who have experienced, are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing child sexual exploitation (CSE).
We provide services locally across Leeds and Bradford with other services available nationally and we have provided support and information to thousands of boys and young men since 2002.
To date there is no other CSE service in the country supporting only boys and young men.
The BLAST Project is regularly invited to represent boys and young men at local and national conferences, forums and subgroups, including being invited to feed into policy development with the Department for Education.
Please view our video below and contact us to find out more.
Resources
Please view our YouTube video below which highlights the grooming and sexual exploitation of boys and young men and how professionals sometimes fail to practice equally and fail identify the warning signs.
You can view more of our videos at our YouTube channel
B.R.E.C.K
The Breck Foundation is raising the awareness of playing safe whilst using the internet. Breck Bednar was a 14 year old boy, from Caterham, Surrey who loved technology and online gaming. He was groomed via the internet and murdered on February 17th 2014 by someone he met online. This foundation has been set up in his memory to help other young people enjoy playing online but crucially to be aware of some simple rules to stay safe. To always remember that the friends that are made online are not like your real friends. Play Virtual/Live Real
For more information, please visit http://www.breckfoundation.org/
Remember:
Be Aware
Report
Educate
Communicate
Keep Safe
Wall of Expression
https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/games/games_expressive#filter
There are some really good games on this site that are therapeutic. Definitely worth a try!
Play our game and feel your worries float away.
Pop the right bubbles before the time runs out.
Send your worries into the sky and watch them disappear.
Worried or frustrated? Write on the wall and then watch your worries crumble away.
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