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Safeguarding organisations

A list of suggested safeguarding organisations that can provide information, advice and support.

Association of Christians in Counselling

Provides a facility to search for Christian counsellors: www.acc-uk.org

Citizens Advice

Providing free general advice and guidance around a range of concerns such as benefits, debt, relationships, housing, law, discrimination, tax, money, healthcare and education: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Premier Lifeline

A confidential telephone helpline offering a listening ear, emotional and spiritual support from a Christian perspective, prayer and signposting: www.premierlifeline.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 111 0101 - 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday

Samaritans

A crisis helpline, providing a listening service for any worries or concerns: www.samaritans.org

Telephone: 116 123

Victim Support

Independent charity supporting victims of crime: www.victimsupport.org.uk

Barnardo’s

Protecting, supporting and nurturing the UK’s most vulnerable children, including campaigning to end child sexual exploitation. Provides leaflets in both English and Welsh for parents, children, young people and professionals, showing how to spot the signs of child sexual exploitation and how to keep safe: www.barnardos.org.uk

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)

CEOP is a law enforcement agency which helps to keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. They provide advice and accept direct reporting from young people, parents/carers or other concerned adults about online abuse: www.ceop.police.uk

Childline

A free 24-hour support and counselling service for children and young people up to age 19: www.childline.org.uk

Freephone helpline for children: 0800 1111

Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a UK-wide child protection charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse including: young people with inappropriate sexual behaviours, adult male and female sexual abusers, and other family members: www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk

NSPCC

Providing support and advice for keeping children safe from harm and abuse: www.nspcc.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 800 5000

Parents Protect

Helping parents and carers to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation: www.parentsprotect.co.uk

Telephone: 0808 1000 900

UK Safer Internet Centre

Helping children and young people stay safe online: www.saferinternet.org.uk

We Stand

Provides a range of support services and information for families affected by child sexual abuse: www.westand.org.uk

Helpline: 0800 980 1958

Age UK

Support and advice services for older people: www.ageuk.org.uk

Advice Line: 0800 678 1602

Alzheimer’s Society

Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk

Telephone: 0333 150 3456

Anna’s Chaplaincy

Offering spiritual care in later life: www.annachaplaincy.org.uk

Telephone: 01865 319 700

Faith in Later Life

Providing resources to help churches support older people, including guidance on developing a dementia friendly church:
www.faithinlaterlife.org/fill-resource/developing-dementia-friendly-churches-livability/

Hourglass (previously Action on Elder Abuse)

Provides information and support to an older person or anyone concerned about an older person who is at risk of, experiencing or recovering from any form of abuse or neglect: www.wearehourglass.org

Helpline: 0808 808 8141

Linking Lives

Helping churches run befriending schemes and reduce loneliness amongst older people: www.linkinglives.uk

Additional Needs Alliance

Help churches support and spiritually grow children, young people and young adults with additional needs or disabilities: www.additionalneedsalliance.org.uk

Mencap

Supporting and resourcing people with learning disabilities, their families and carers. The website has specific advice on safeguarding: www.mencap.org.uk

Respond

A national charity providing therapy and specialist support services to people with learning disabilities, autism or both who have experienced abuse, violence or trauma: www.respond.org.uk

Telephone: 020 7383 0700

Hub of hope

UK-wide mental health service database which lets you search for local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support: www.hubofhope.co.uk

Kintsugi Hope

Working in communities through the local church to provide safe and supportive spaces for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed: www.kintsugihope.com

Mind

Providing a range of advice and services on mental health: www.mind.org.uk

Renew Wellbeing

Helps churches open spaces of welcome and inclusion in partnership with mental health teams to improve mental and emotional wellbeing: www.renewwellbeing.org.uk

Rethink

Providing services and advice to those severely affected by mental illness: www.rethink.org

Shout

A free, confidential, anonymous text support service: www.giveusashout.org

Text: 85258

Forced Marriage Unit

The unit works both inside and outside the UK. It provides help and support to victims of forced marriage/those at risk of a forced marriage: www.gov.uk/forced-marriage

Telephone: 020 7008 0151

ManKind

Helping men escape domestic abuse: www.mankind.org.uk

Telephone: 01823 334 244

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (for women)

Website: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours).

Also options for live chat and British Sign Language interpreter service.

National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline

Telephone: 0800 999 5428

Refuge

Provides a range of specialist domestic abuse services to women and children: www.refuge.org.uk

Telephone: 020 7395 7700

Respect: Men’s Advice Line

A helpline phone and website service for male victims of domestic abuse: www.mensadviceline.org.uk

Helpline: 0808 801 0327

Restored

A Christian charity working to raise awareness of domestic abuse, support survivors, and equip the church to do the same. They also provide a Survivor’s Handbook: www.restored-uk.org

Helpline: 020 8943 7706

Safe in Faith

Providing survivors of domestic abuse, who are part of a faith community, with safe, faith based support and counselling that is tailored to their needs as believers: www.safeinfaith.org.uk/about

Women’s Aid

A national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children. Supports a network of over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the UK: www.womensaid.org.uk

Galop

Provides support for LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse and violence: www.galop.org.uk

MACSAS (Ministry and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors)

A support group for women and men from Christian backgrounds who have been sexually abused by Ministers or Clergy, as children or as adults. They support both survivors who have remained within their Christian communities and those who have left: www.macsas.org.uk

NAPAC (The National Association for People Abused in Childhood)

Provides support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse: www.napac.org.uk

Free confidential support line: 0808 801 0331

One in Four

Specialising in supporting childhood survivors and current survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, abuse and trauma: www.oneinfour.org.uk

Rape Crisis England and Wales

An organisation supporting the work of Rape Crisis Centres across England and Wales, and raising awareness and understanding of sexual violence and abuse in all its forms: www.rapecrisis.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 500 2222

SurvivorsUK

Helping men who have been sexually abused and raises awareness of their needs. Sexual violation includes both childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault/rape: www.survivorsuk.org/ways-we-can-help/

Telephone: 0808 800 5005

The Survivors Trust

An umbrella agency for over 135 specialist voluntary sector agencies providing a range of counselling, therapeutic and support services working with women, men and children who are victims/survivors of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse: www.thesurvivorstrust.org

Thirtyone:Eight Listening Service

Telephone service which offers the chance for adults with lived experience of abuse to talk about their experiences in detail and in confidence with a sensitive listener: www.thirtyoneeight.org/safeguarding-services/consultancy/listening-service/

Clewer Initiative

Seeks to raise awareness of all aspects of modern slavery and help support victims and vulnerable groups by mobilising local churches and communities: www.theclewerinitiative.org

Hope for Justice

Fighting human trafficking and helping victims and survivors all around the world: www.hopeforjustice.org/church-partners

UK Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline

Website: www.unseenuk.org

Telephone: 0800 0121 700

Respect Phoneline

A confidential helpline, email and webchat service for domestic abuse perpetrators: www.respectphoneline.org.uk

Helpline: 0808 802 4040

Stop it Now!

Confidential helpline for people who are struggling with sexual thoughts and behaviours towards children, or are concerned about someone else’s behaviour: www.stopitnow.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 1000 900

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