999
Anyone in immediate danger, or a life-threatening emergency
Call 999
24 hours, every day
Safety first
Urgent support
Nothing on this site is more important than your child being safe. If you are worried about immediate risk, use these contacts first and come back to the rest whenever you are ready. Your record keeps its place.
Before anything else
Some of what you have recorded needs a different kind of help than a map or a school plan. Understanding the barriers still matters, and it will still be here afterwards. Right now, please use one of the routes below.
NHS 111
Urgent health advice, including urgent mental health support
Call 111, then choose the mental health option
24 hours, every day
Shout
Anyone, including young people, who would rather text than talk
Text SHOUT to 85258
24 hours, every day
Childline
Children and young people up to 19
Call 0800 1111
24 hours, every day
Samaritans
Anyone struggling to cope, including parents and carers
Call 116 123
24 hours, every day
Papyrus HOPELINE247
Under-35s with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person
Call 0800 068 4141 or text 88247
24 hours, every day
NSPCC helpline
Any adult worried that a child is being harmed
Call 0808 800 5000
Every day
Your local authority children's services
Safeguarding concerns about a child
Search your council's website for "report a concern about a child"
Office hours, with an out-of-hours emergency duty team
Your GP
Deterioration, eating or physical health changes, medication questions
Ask for an urgent appointment and say it is about your child's mental health
Office hours
EBSA: START HERE is not an emergency service, does not monitor what you write, and cannot pass information to anyone on your behalf. If you believe a child is at risk of harm, contact 999, your GP or your local authority children's services.
When you are ready
If today is only about getting through the day, there is a smaller version of this app: one tiny thing, or nothing at all.