📞

UK Safeguarding Helplines

Every number in one place — organised by situation. All numbers verified May 2026.

🚨

If someone is in immediate danger — call 999 now. Don't wait.

Emergency

999 — Emergency services

24/7

Police, ambulance, fire. Use when someone is in immediate danger.

101 — Non-emergency police

24/7

Report crime, share information, make a concern known. Not for emergencies.

Missing People

24/7 · Free

Report a missing child or adult. Also supports those who have run away.

missingpeople.org.uk

NHS 111

24/7

Urgent medical concern that is not an emergency. Also covers mental health crisis line.

Child Safety & Abuse

NSPCC — Parent & professional helpline

24/7 · Free

Advice for adults worried about a child. Trained child protection specialists. Can take referrals.

nspcc.org.uk

Childline — For children & young people

24/7 · Free

Free, confidential. Does not show on most phone bills. Also available via online chat.

childline.org.uk

CEOP — Report online grooming

Online report

Child Exploitation and Online Protection. Report online sexual abuse and grooming.

ceop.police.uk/safety-centre

Modern Slavery Helpline

24/7 · Free

Report modern slavery, trafficking, and criminal exploitation of children and adults.

modernslaveryhelpline.org

Crimestoppers — Anonymous tip-offs

24/7 · Free · Anonymous

Report crime anonymously. Never asks your name. Also online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

crimestoppers-uk.org

PAPYRUS — Youth suicide prevention

Daily 9am–midnight · Free

Specialist support for young people at risk of suicide and those worried about them.

papyrus-uk.org

Mental Health & Crisis

Samaritans

24/7 · Free

Anyone in emotional distress. Confidential. Also email: jo@samaritans.org

samaritans.org

SHOUT — Crisis text line

24/7 · Free

Text-based crisis support. Useful if calling feels too difficult.

giveusashout.org

Young Minds — Parent helpline

Mon–Fri 9:30am–4pm · Free

For parents and carers worried about a child's mental health.

youngminds.org.uk/for-parents

Kooth — Free online counselling

Online · Free · NHS-funded

Free, anonymous online counselling for young people aged 10–25. No waiting list in most areas.

kooth.com

Beat — Eating disorders

365 days/year · Free

Advice for people with eating disorders and their families. Separate helplines for adults and under-18s.

beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Self-harm UK

Online resources

Resources, forums and support for young people who self-harm and their families.

selfharm.co.uk

Drugs, Alcohol & Gambling

FRANK — Drugs information

24/7 · Free

Honest information about any drug. Non-judgmental. Also live chat at talktofrank.com.

talktofrank.com

Nacoa — Children of addicted parents

Free

Support for children and adults who grew up with a parent's alcohol or drug problem.

nacoa.org.uk

Adfam — Families of substance users

Online resources

Support and guidance for families affected by a loved one's drug or alcohol use.

adfam.org.uk

GamCare — Gambling support

24/7 · Free

Support for anyone affected by gambling problems — including parents of young gamblers.

gamcare.org.uk

NHS Smokefree — Vaping & smoking

Free

Stop smoking and vaping support. NHS advisors can help with nicotine replacement for under-18s.

nhs.uk/quit-smoking

County Lines & Criminal Exploitation

NSPCC helpline

24/7 · Free

If you believe a child is being criminally exploited. Advisors can guide you through next steps.

Modern Slavery Helpline

24/7 · Free

County lines is a form of modern slavery. This line can advise and take referrals.

modernslaveryhelpline.org

Crimestoppers — Anonymous

24/7 · Free · Anonymous

Report county lines activity anonymously. Never asks your name.

Fearless — Anonymous youth reporting

Online · Anonymous

Young people can report crime anonymously without going to police directly.

fearless.org

Online Safety & Image Abuse

CEOP — Online grooming & CSAM

Online report

Report online grooming, child sexual abuse material, or exploitation.

ceop.police.uk/safety-centre

Internet Watch Foundation

Online report

Report and remove child sexual abuse imagery from the internet. UK-based removal service.

report.iwf.org.uk

StopNCII — Stop image sharing

Online · Free

Create a hash of an intimate image to prevent it being shared across major platforms globally.

stopncii.org

Revenge Porn Helpline

Mon–Fri 10am–4pm · Free

Support for anyone whose intimate images have been shared without consent, including deepfakes.

revengepornhelpline.org.uk

Internet Matters — Parental controls

Online resources

Step-by-step setup guides for parental controls on every device and platform.

internetmatters.org

NSPCC Net Aware

Online resource

Parent reviews of every major social platform — what children do there, what the risks are.

net-aware.org.uk

Domestic Abuse & Relationships

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

24/7 · Free

Run by Refuge. For anyone experiencing domestic abuse. Also live chat available.

nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Rape Crisis — Sexual violence

24/7 · Free

Support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse at any time in their life.

rapecrisis.org.uk

Galop — LGBTQ+ abuse support

Mon–Fri · Free

Specialist support for LGBTQ+ people experiencing domestic abuse, hate crime, or sexual violence.

galop.org.uk

Men's Advice Line

Mon–Fri 9am–8pm · Free

Domestic abuse support specifically for men and their children.

mensadviceline.org.uk

LGBTQ+ Support

FFLAG — Families of LGBTQ+ people

Free

Support for parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. Helpline and local support groups.

fflag.org.uk

Mermaids — Gender identity

Free

Support for gender-diverse children and young people and their families.

mermaidsuk.org.uk

Stonewall — Information & advice

Online resources

Comprehensive information on LGBTQ+ rights, school duties, and family support.

stonewall.org.uk

Galop — LGBTQ+ hate crime & abuse

Free

Report hate crime, get support after abuse or assault. Specialist LGBTQ+ service.

galop.org.uk

School, SEND & Education

IPSEA — SEND education law

Free legal advice

Free SEND advice and advocacy. EHCPs, exclusion, school complaints, tribunal support.

ipsea.org.uk

Coram Children's Legal Centre

Free legal advice

Free legal information for families — exclusion appeals, child law, rights.

childrenslegalcentre.com

Mencap — Learning disability support

Free

Advice and support for people with a learning disability and their families.

mencap.org.uk

Anti-Bullying Alliance

Online resources

Guidance for parents and schools on bullying, cyberbullying and school response duties.

anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

For Young People Directly

These services are for young people themselves — confidential, non-judgmental, and free.

Childline

24/7 · Free

About anything. Will not show on most phone bills. Online chat available. You won't be in trouble.

childline.org.uk

SHOUT — Text crisis support

24/7 · Free

If calling feels too hard. Text from anywhere. Trained volunteers respond.

giveusashout.org

Kooth — Online counselling

Free · NHS-funded

Free anonymous online counselling for young people aged 10–25. No referral needed.

kooth.com

Fearless — Report crime anonymously

Online · Anonymous

Report knife crime, county lines, or any crime without giving your name. Never traced.

fearless.org

Samaritans

24/7 · Free

If you're feeling overwhelmed, desperate, or just need to talk. No judgement.

samaritans.org

Brook — Relationships & sexual health

Online resources

Non-judgmental information and services on relationships, consent, and sexual health for under-25s.

brook.org.uk

All numbers correct as of May 2026.

If you find a number that has changed, please let us know. This page is updated regularly.