Where there is an immediate risk of harm
If you are thinking of hurting yourself, or you believe that someone is about to harm themselves or somebody else call the emergency services on 999 or 112.
Who can help?
As the Mencap
Learning Disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
Helpline (England) do not offer emergency advice and support, we have put together this list of agencies and services who may be able to help you in a crisis situation.
However, if you or someone else is in crisis, but you don’t think you need the police or an ambulance:
- Contact a GP (doctor) – Search for a GP
- Contact an out of hours service, by calling 111 or using NHS 111 online service. The NHS 111 service has created an Easy Read to tell you more about their service and how to contact them.
- Go to NHS services on the NHS website.
- You could also visit the NHS website to find out where to get urgent mental health help.
Samaritans
You can speak to the Samaritans, they are available 24 hours a day for
confidential
Confidential means something is private.
, non-judgmental support.
- Phone: 116 123
- Email: jo@samaritans.org
Help to stop domestic abuse
If you are a survivor of domestic
abuse
Abuse is when someone bullies you and does or says something to you that makes you feel hurt, upset or scared.
- you can get support from Refuge. Refuge run the National
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is when a member of your family or someone you are in a relationship with,
threatens
To threaten someone is to say you are going to do something bad to them if they don’t do what you want them to do.
, hurts or abuses you.
Helpline: 0808 2000 247
If you are hurting the ones you love - contact the
Respect
Respect means showing someone you think about someone's feelings, wishes or
rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school.
.
Helpline on 0808 802 4040.
Papyrus
Suicide prevention charity Papyrus, run a crisis helpline called HOPELINE247 for children and young people under the age of 35.
- Phone: 0800 068 4141
- Text: 07860 039 967
- Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential and 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs support. If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, they have trained Shout Volunteers available.
- Text: SHOUT to 85258
- Visit the Shout website
Hub of Hope
Hub of Hope have a searchable database, just put your postcode in and you can find crisis support local to your area https://hubofhope.co.uk/
Childline
If you are a child, you can contact Childline
- Phone: 0800 1111
- Visit the Childline website.
NSPCC
If you are an adult and concerned about a child, contact NSPCC helpline for adults.
- Phone: 0808 800 5000.
Hospital and inpatient units
If your loved one has been taken into hospital – there is more information on our health pages.
If you are concerned about someone being admitted to an
Assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form.
and Treatment Unit (A.T.U.) – there is more information on our Meeting the challenge - guides for families webpage.
Help with food
If you need food visit the Trussell Trust website to find a local foodbank.
Help with the cost of living
If you need advice and support due to the current cost of living crisis, we have information and
easy read
Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing.
guides on the Mencap cost of living pages.
Help with money
If you need help with money or benefits there are many
organisations
Organisations are groups like companies and businesses.
who can support you including:
Help with housing
If you are going to be made homeless, contact Shelter by
- Phone: 0808 800 4444
- Using their online Webchat.
You also need to contact the Housing Department at your local council without delay.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding
Keeping people safe from being hurt, abused, or neglected is called Safeguarding.
is what we do to keep people safe from abuse, bad treatment, neglect or exploitation. Most of the time when people talk about
safeguarding
Keeping people safe from being hurt, abused, or neglected is called Safeguarding.
, they are talking about protecting children or
vulnerable
Being vulnerable means being at risk of harm, or that you need special care because of your age or disability.
adults.
If you are concerned that a vulnerable adult or a child is at risk of exploitation, harm, abuse or neglect and they are in immediate danger, contact the police on 999 or 112.
The Learning Disability Helpline (England) is only for general advice and support
The Mencap Learning Disability Helpline (England) is a very busy service, and we help as many people as we can. However, we are not a crisis service, and due to the volume and type of enquiries we receive, we cannot always respond to urgent issues outside our opening hours. The helpline is not open on Bank Holidays.
If you need emergency assistance, please refer to the instructions on this page for
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
.