Getting external advice and support.
There are lots of organisations that can help if you are worried and want some external support.
Here are a list of services below that you or someone you are close to may wish to access:
- Citizens Advice provides some information if you’re being bullied or harassed at work
- The Samaritans provide emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Call 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- SHOUT is a text service. Text 'Shout' to 85258 to receive support when in crisis from a trained volunteer. They can help with a range of issues including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, relationship problems, bullying or if you're feeling overwhelmed
- CALM: The Campaign Against Living Miserably offers confidential, anonymous and free support information and signposting to people anywhere in the UK through their helpline and online webchat.
- ACAS has guidance on harassment at work, as well as a helpline offering free and impartial advice.
- National Bullying Helpline for practical support to anyone who is experiencing bullying.
- Bath and North East Somerset support for your own health and wellbeing.
- Community Wellbeing Hub provides a central place for you to access a range of services to improve your health and wellbeing. You can call the hub on 0300 247 0050 and find out more information here. The hub also has an access point in the atrium of the RUH where you can drop in any time without an appointment.
Discrimination and hate crimes
- Stop Hate UK offer support to victims of hate crime
- Tell Mama measure anti-Muslim hate crimes and harassment
- Community Security Trust, a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats.
- Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) offer a free and confidential casework service for victims of hate crime and incidents for anyone who faces or witnesses hate crime or incidents.
- The Switchboard LGTB Helpline, open 10:00–22:00, is a LGBT helpline for whatever you want to talk about.
- Mermaids have been helping gender-diverse kids, young people and their families since 1995
Domestic abuse
- Women’s Aid support for women and children in domestic abuse situations.
- Refuge provides practical and legal support women, children and men suffering all forms of domestic abuse.
- Men's Advice Line is a confidential helpline for men experiencing domestic violence.
- The Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge, is a national service for women experiencing domestic violence, their family, friends, colleagues and others calling on their behalf.
- Julian House provides high quality refuge accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse; they also provide the Freedom programme, which is for women who have experienced domestic abuse. Contact via e-mail admin@julianhouse.org.uk or telephone 01225 354 650
- Southside has a team of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) and support workers. This team works with men and women aged over 16 who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse (DVA). Phone 01225 331243 or email enquiries@south-side.org.uk
Sexual harassment
- Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership is a collection of people and organisations in Bristol working to end all types of violence and abuse against women and girls, and domestic and sexual violence against men.
- SARSAS (Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support) provide information on the different types of sexual violence including domestic abuse.
- Victim Support has sexual harassment guidance and support. You can call their free support line on 08 08 16 89 111 or get email support.
- The Survivor Pathway have information online about specialist sexual violence support services in the South West.
- Galop support LGBTQ+ people who have experienced sexual violence.
- Survivors UK give help and advice to male survivors of sexual assault and rape.
- SafeLink provide independent support for anyone who has been the victim of rape and sexual abuse across the whole of Avon and Somerset area.
Drugs & Alcohol
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s substance use or if you’re finding it difficult to switch off without having a drink, free and confidential advice and information is available from DHI. Phone 01225 329411 or e-mail TheBeehive@dhi.org.uk, more information about DHI services can be found for adults and for young people on their webpages.
Mental Health
Suicide & Crisis Helplines are available on a 24/7 basis, you do not have to struggle with difficult feelings on your own:
Suicide & Crisis Helplines are available on a 24/7 basis, you do not have to struggle with difficult feelings on your own:
- Samaritans 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org
- Papyrus UK suicide prevention 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967, email pat@papyrus-uk.org
- SOS Silence of Suicide 0300 1020 505, 4pm to midnight every day, email support@sossilenceofsuicide.org
- AWP Crisis Support Line for adults living in B&NES or Wiltshire, 0800 953 9599
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) 0800 585858, 5pm to midnight every day, web chat page
- Shout Crisis Text Line for anyone who feels anxious, worried or stressed, text 85258
Bath Mind provides a range of mental health support including 1:1 mental health support, evening support and wellbieng groups as well as help to access other mental health services via the Access Community Mental Health service. You can contact Bath Mind by phoning 01225 316199 or 0808 175 1369 or follow the link below to ind out more detaled informaiton about support available.
NHS BaNES Talking Therapies, previously known as BaNES IAPT aims to help people access support for a range of common mental health problems. Talking therapies provides a service for people registered with a GP in Bath and North East Somerset.
Talking therapies offers one-to-one therapy and online or in-person courses in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for common mental health problems, phone 01225 675150 or email awp.banes-talkingtherapies@nhs.net
Primary Care Liaison Service (PCLS) provides a first point of contact to access mental health services in Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire. In Bristol, this service is known as Bristol Mental Health Single Point of Access which also provides the same access to mental health services.
The teams offer mental health telephone triage, face-to-face assessment, brief interventions, support, advice and signposting. Telephone numbers vary depending on location, for more information follow the link below.
Our NHS People
Provides a confidential text service and on line self-check tool, more details via NHS England » Support available for our NHS people