You may the find organisations listed below useful.
Please get in touch with us if you know of an organisation that we should link to:
links@onlymums.org
Please note: OnlyMums & OnlyDads CIC does not necessarily endorse the organisations listed.
Alcohol & Drugs
People with a drug user or drinker in the family often take months and even years to look for help. Adfam provides a place where families can take that first step and find information about where to get the expert support and advice they need.
You can read more about them here.
If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a problem with alcohol there is lots of help available. You can find some useful links and phone numbers here
Friendly, confidential drugs advice.
Children
Childline is a free, private confidential service, online, on the phone, anytime. They can help with a range of issues including abuse, home, family, sex and relationships.
The Mix is the a support service for young people. They are there to help you take on any challenge you’re facing – from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. You can talk online, social or on a free confidential helpline.
Separation and divorce can be a challenging and upsetting time for all involved. But although there may be a lot going on, it’s important to make sure the children get the support they need.
Knowing how to tell children about the separation can be a challenge. Take a look at their advice on talking about difficult topics.
If you’re worried about how your relationship break-up might affect your child, here is our advice and information on where you can get help.
Age appropriate content for 13-19 year olds on what is going on, ways in which they can share their voice and support for their health and wellbeing.
Friendly discussion boards with peer and expert support from our moderators and Service Partners. Directory of local youth organisations to find someone to talk to nearby.
Guides for parents and family law & mediation organisations on supporting children and young people in the middle of divorce & separation.
Dads
Dads Unlimited offers advice, support, and a community of men who have been through similar (and different) experiences.
You can read more about them and the services they offer here.
Domestic Abuse
Mankind supports male victims of domestic abuse. They run a confidential helpline available across the UK for all men suffering from domestic violence or domestic abuse by their current or former wife or partner (including same-sex partner). 01823 334244.
MenSpace (FaceBook)
Menspace offers ongoing, online and one-to one support to men experiencing domestic abuse, or those who have come out of destructive relationships and would value some support. No one should dread going home: everyone should have a space called home which is a safe place to recharge.
Facebook: @MenSpaceGlobal
Twitter @andrewpain1974
Supporting those who have experienced violence and abuse is at the core of everything we do. No matter what your experience – domestic violence, sexual violence, ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage, FGM, human trafficking or modern slavery – we are here to support you.
The National Domestic Violence Helpline
0808 2000 247
The helpline can give support, help and information over the telephone, wherever the caller might be in the country. The Helpline is staffed 24 hours a day by fully trained female helpline support workers and volunteers. All call are completely confidential. Translation for callers whose first language is not English and a service for callers who are dear of hard of hearing are available.
Rights of Women work in lots of different ways to help women through the law. They want to make sure that, at some of the most difficult times in their lives, women are able to talk to a lawyer who can give them expert and non-judgemental legal advice or get clear and accessible information about the law and their legal rights.
Useful sign-posting information on where to go for support and how to recognise and understand the different forms domestic abuse can take.
As an independent charity, they work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and the respect they deserve. They help people feel safer and find the strength to move beyond crime. Their support is free, confidential and tailored to your needs.
Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
0808 2000 247 Freephone 24hr National Domestic Violence Helpline.
Regional Organisations
SODA – West Midlands
SODA offer support and friendship. They have self-care groups, one-to-one support and a phone line: 07805 164358. You can read more about this group here.
Disability
If you have a disabled child, they offer a range of short breaks including community, residential short breaks, family-based breaks or support in your own home. They also provide a range of services from early support to helping disabled young people prepare for adulthood.
They are the umbrella body for the disabled children’s section bringing together professionals, practitioners and policy-makers. They have an online library of resources that you can access to find out more about disability policy and practice which includes a selection of materials specifically written with parents in mind.
Help if you have a disabled child
This is the Governments page on support you can get if you have a disabled child, including where to find local support groups to accessing financial support.
They provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year.
Grandparents
Bristol Grandparents Support Group
The aim of this group is inform people of the issues surrounding Grandparents and their rights to see their Grandchildren, when contact has been denied.
You can find out more about this support group here.
Family lives is a national family support charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life.
We provide advice and information to grandparents in all kinds of situations, whether they’re having to take on care of children full-time (as kinship carers) or are struggling to see them.
Information for grandparents wanting to maintain relationships with grandchildren.
Housing
They have lots of useful information online about how to go about renting or buying a home or just finding somewhere to live. You can also find advice on handling problems with your landlord and help to avoid losing your home.
Gingerbread provide information to help single parents support themselves and their family. They provide support on range of housing issues including finding a new home for you and your family, and setting up home for the first time as a single parent.
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through their advice, support and legal service.
Immigration
This organisation support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to settle, integrate, and build new lives in the UK. They have a range of support services including immigration legal advice.
They support people who have had to flee their homes. They offer support for vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.
They provide a range of services covering issues including immigration problems and abusive relationships; immigration advice and a counselling service helpline – 0208 571 0800.
Legal & Mediation
Advocate is the Bar’s national charity that makes it possible for barristers to balance a dedicated practice with making a significant contribution to the community. We match make members of the public who need help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases for those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. You can read more about Advocate here.
Resolution is an organisation of 6,500 family lawyers and other professionals in England and Wales who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters. You can read more about how Resolution can help you here.
NFM provides a voluntary, confidential process helping people reach joint decisions without using court. We offer a safe, neutral place where couples no longer in a relationship can meet with a trained professional mediator to make sustainable plans for the future. You can read more about National Family Mediation here.
The PSU are a charity supporting people who face court alone so that they can represent themselves to the best of their ability. The service is free and based in court buildings.
PSU volunteers will provide reassurance and practicable help, including:
- Explain how the court works, help fill in forms, organise papers, and discuss settling issues without going to court
- Help plan what you want to say in court, and if needed, go with you to court to provide support, take notes and help afterwards
- Provide details of other specialist advice agencies and help you find out whether you can get free legal advice
Lots of very useful information on family law and support to help you make better informed decisions for your family.
Mental Health
Child And Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
CAMHS are specialist multidisciplinary services, funded by the NHS, to assess and treat children with mental illnesses, and emotional and behavioural disorders. You can access CAMHS through your GP.
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. You can find out where your nearest local service is and lots of information and support to help you and your family.
A really useful guide to mental health services in England.
They have lots of support and advice for parents who are concerned about their children, including an fee confidential helpline – 0808 802 5544.
Money
Lots of useful information and advice on managing your finances when you are going through divorce and separation.
Free and impartial money advice set up by Government. Very useful site with lots of support on a range of issues including debt, managing your money and benefit payments.
Guidance on how to manage your finances between you and your ex, as well as information around benefits and debt advice providers.
This charity has team of debt experts help, the advice is free, impartial and confidential and they will tailor it to your situation. They provide a range of managed debt solutions and all the support you need to help you if you have debt.
Relationships
This organisation specialises in providing supervision of contact in a safe welcoming environment where children and families can be brought together.
Eleda offers counselling and psychotherapy to help people with relationship difficulties, family issues, divorce or separation.
Support for separated parents – a child-focused program offering parents specialist guidance and advice on how to create a collaborative, effective and successful co-parenting partnership beyond their separation. You can read more here.
Lots of information on how to support your children through separation and divorce.
A wide range of information and tools to help you understand the issue that maybe affecting your parenting relationship. All the material have been designed to support parents as they work things out for themselves.
Lots of support and advice for couples going through separation including confidential phone line where you can talk to qualified counsellors.
Single Parents
Gingerbread provide information to help single parents support themselves and their family. They run programmes to equip single parents with the skills and opportunities to gain employment. They campaign and influence policy to reduce stigma against single parents, and make services more accessible to all families.
They offer help to all single parent families; mums, dads, young parents and kinship carers.
They offer essential information, expert advice, interactive learning, multi-media content, links to other support organisations and news for anyone who is parenting alone.
Young Parents
They have some useful advice and information for young parents who are not living with their child’s other parent.
Lots of useful link and advice on being a young mum.
They offer assistance to young mothers when applying for benefits to ensure that mothers are receiving all of the money that they are entitled to. They provide specialist information and advice regarding stopping smoking, budgeting, keep fit, breastfeeding, further education, training, employability and lone parenting.
