Helplines
ChildLine - freephone 0800-111
ChildLine is the free, 24-hour telephone helpline for children and young people anywhere in the UK. Trained counsellors offer comfort, support, advice and protection. Calls to ChildLine are confidential, which means that what you tell us is just between you and the counsellor.
Calls to ChildLine are free from every kind of phone, including mobiles. ChildLine has been promised that calls will not show up on mobile phone bills. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulties with speech, you can use our textphone service on 0800 400 222 (not available at night).
ChildLine's website - www.childline.org.uk - contains lots of useful information and advice for children and young people.
NSPCC Children Protection Helpline 0808 800 5000
This is a free national 24-hour service that provides counselling, information and advice.
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Textphone helpline: 0800 056 0566 (English only)
Welsh helpline: 0808 100 2524 - Open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm.
Asian helplines (All of these lines are open Monday-Friday 11am-7pm):
- Bengali: 0800 096 7714
- Gujurati: 0800 096 7715
- Hindi: 0800 096 7716
- Punjabi: 0800 096 7717
- Urdu: 0800 096 7718
- Asian helpline in English: 0800 096 7719.
Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline - 0808 2000 247
There is no excuse for abuse:
- you are not the only one
- you are not to blame
- you alone cannot change your abuser's behaviour
- ignoring violence is dangerous
- break the silence - do not stay isolated
- there is life beyond an abusive relationship
- you have the right to live free from fear
Make a plan in case you need to leave or get help quickly: find somewhere you can use a phone
- carry a list of numbers for an emergency
- agree a code or signal as a call for help from someone you trust
- save some money for fares and emergencies
- keep an extra set of keys for home and car
- keep clothes, medicines and personal valuables for you and your children in an emergency bag you can reach quickly
- take important legal and financial papers, and your bank cards with you
- leave while the abuser is not around and tell a friend or someone you trust
A crisis plan booklet is available from; the Kernos Centre, Suffolk Domestic Violence Helpline 0800 783 5121, and Social Care Offices.
Run in partnership between 'Women’s Aid' and 'Refuge'. This helpline service provides support, information and a listening ear to women and children experiencing domestic violence. It also provides assistance to women and children to access a place of safety in a women’s refuge.