A list of organisations and services offering support for children, young people, and families in Scotland.
Additional Support for Learning
Enquire – the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. Phone lines are open from 9.30pm-4.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays: 0345 123 2303
Alcohol and Drugs
Drinkline – Supports people who are worried about their own or someone else’s drinking or drug use. Phone: 0800 7 314 314
Know the Score – Free confidential helpline for drugs information and advice. Phone: 0800 587 5879
Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol – Support you if you are concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use. Phone: 08080 10 10 11
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants
Migrant Help UK – Support, guidance and accommodation to vulnerable migrants across the UK. Phone: 0808 8010 503
Saheliya – Specialist mental health and well-being support organisation for BAME asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls (12+) in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area. Phone number: 0131 556 9302
Scottish Refugee Council – Services for refugees in Scotland – Phone: 0141 248 9799
BAME Women & Children
Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre – Listening and signposting service for Muslim women across Scotland. English, Urdu, Arabic, Bangla and Swahili and, when required, using online interpreting. Phone number: 0808 801 0301
Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid – Support for BAME women who experience domestic abuse influenced by culture and tradition. Phone: 0141 353 0859
Shakti Women’s Aid – BME women, children and young people experiencing, or who have experienced, domestic abuse from members of the household. Phone number: 0131 475 2399
Bereavement
Cruse Bereavement Care – Free professional support for bereaved adults, children and families across Scotland. Phone 0808 808 1677
Care Experience
Who Cares? Scotland – Support and advice line for care experienced people. Phone number (call or text): 0775 604 7389.
Forced Marriage & Trafficking
The Forced Marriage Unit – Public helpline to provide advice and support to victims and potential victims of forced marriage as well as professionals dealing with cases. Phone number: 020 7008 0151
Scotland’s Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline – Helpline to support anyone experiencing domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them. Phone: 0800 027 1234
The TARA Project – Support and access to crisis accommodation for women in Scotland, aged 18+ who have been trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. Phone: 0141 276 7724
Unseen – Trafficking and exploitation prevention helpline. Phone: 0800 0121 700
Fostering
The Fostering Network’s Fosterline Scotland – Information and guidance on all issues affecting foster carers and fostering services. Phone: 0141 204 1400
Gender Based Violence
The National Stalking Helpline – Practical information, support, and advice to victims of stalking. Phone number: 0808 802 0300
The NSPCC FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Helpline for anyone who is worried about a child who is at risk of or has had FGM. Phone: 0800 028 3550
Rape Crisis Scotland – National rape crisis helpline and email support for anyone affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. Phone: 08088 01 03 02
Refuge – Advice on dealing with domestic violence. Phone: 0808 2000 247
SAY Women – Offers safe, supported accommodation and related services for young women, aged 16-25 years, who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault and who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Phone number: 0141 552 5803
Scotland’s Domestic Abuse & Forced Marriage Helpline – Helpline to support anyone experiencing domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them. Phone: 0800 027 1234
General
Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland – information and advice about human rights for children, young people and adults. Phone: 0800 019 1179
Childline – A listening service for anyone under the age of 19. Phone: 0800 1111
NSPCC – Helpline for adults who are worried about children. Phone: 0808 800 5000
Housing
Shelter Scotland – Advice, support and legal services for people struggling with bad housing or homelessness. Phone: 0808 800 4444
LGBTQ+
LGBT Helpline Scotland – A helpline providing information and emotional support for the entire diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community in Scotland. Phone: 0300 123 2523
National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline (Galop) – LGBT specific domestic abuse helpline (1pm-5pm Tuesday is a trans specific service). Phone number: 0800 999 5428
Mental Health
Anxiety UK – Support, advice and information on all anxiety, stress and anxiety-based depression conditions. Phone: 03444 775 774
Beat – Support for people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder, as well as others affected, such as friends and family members. Phone: 0808 801 0677 (adults) or 0808 801 0711 (for under-18s).
CALM – Helpline for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support. Open 5pm – midnight everyday. Phone: 0800 58 58 58
Mencap – Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers. Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Mental Health Foundation – provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
Mind – Information and signposting about mental health and mental health law. Phone: 0300 123 3393.
No Panic – Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Phone: 0844 967 4848
PAPYRUS – Helpline for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide or anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide. Phone: 0800 068 4141
Rethink – Support and advice for people living with mental illness. Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Samaritans – Listening service where you can talk about anything. Phone: 116 123
SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) – Provide a variety of mental health services across Scotland.
SANE – Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers. Phone: 0300 304 7000
Trauma Counselling Line Scotland – Confidential telephone counselling to any adult who experienced abuse as a child. Phone: 08088 020 406
YoungMinds – Information on child and adolescent mental health for parents and professionals. Phone: Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544
Money & Finances
Citizens Advice Scotland – Helps people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice. Phone: 0131 550 1000
National Debtline – Free and independent debt advice over the phone and online. Phone number: 0808 808 4000
Parenting
Children 1st Parentline – Listening service for anyone needing help or advice. Phone: 08000 28 22 33
Family Lives – Advice on all aspects of parenting, including dealing with bullying. Phone: 0808 800 2222
One Parent Families Scotland – Advice and support to single parents. Phone: 0808 801 0323
Parentclub – Scottish Government website for parents with resources and parenting tips.
Shared Parenting Scotland (previously Families Need Fathers Scotland) – Advice, assistance and other support for those who are suffering from the consequences of divorce or separation.
Relationship Support
Relate – the UK’s largest provider of relationship support.
Sexual Abuse
Stop it now! Scotland – Confidential advice and support to help you prevent child sexual abuse. Phone: 0808 1000 900
The Upstream Project – Online resource that enables adults in Scotland to prevent child sexual abuse and to protect the next child.
Victim Support
Victim Support Scotland provides support and information services to victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland. Phone: 0345 603 9213
