Advice and support for parents and carers

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*Please note that the Parent Advice Line will be closed on Tuesday 19th and Monday 25th March 2024.*

We offer friendly, impartial, non-judgemental information, advice and support to parents, carers, family members or professionals who are concerned about a child  - either because they are being bullied, or because they may be involved in bullying others. Bullying can happen anywhere: inside and outside of school, in the community, in the home, and online. 

Kidscape are members of the Helpline Partnership.

"I felt that I had been listened to, which was incredibly important and a huge relief."  Parent Advice Line caller

Parent Advice Line contact details

The Parent Advice Line is open on Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:30am - 2:30pm. If we are not available at the time you call, please leave a message with your name and best contact number, or send us an email, and we will soon be in touch. 

Parent Advice Line: 0300 102 4481

WhatsApp: 07496 682785

Email: parentsupport@kidscape.org.uk

 

Email us

"It may have been the useful email I have ever received."  Parent Advice Line caller

If someone is in immediate danger in the UK, please call the police by dialling 999.

"All advice received has been invaluable and we are very grateful."
“Once I described my son's issues with bullying, I was able to make a clear plan of what would be the best way to move forward. She pointed me in the right direction and flagged possible solutions I hadn't considered before. I'm very grateful and I appreciated the time and opportunity.” 

What should I do if I need help when the Parent Advice Line is closed? 

If we are not available, leave your name and contact number and we'll be in touch as soon as we can. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to take a look at our top tips for supporting children with bullying. 

Top tips for parents and carers

Top tips for children

Top tips for schools in English or Welsh

You can read our top tips for parents/carers and children in multiple languages here.

"I wish that I had called the Parent Advice Line sooner. I instantly felt at ease."  Parent Advice Line caller 
"It is fantastic that your service is available to parents struggling such as myself with the education system."  Parent Advice Line caller

What can I expect when I contact you?

We will be led by you. This means that you are in charge of what you want to share. We will listen and explore the situation with you and offer advice and support. If you have used our telephone based service (when this is available) you will be charged at normal rates.

We will give you:

  • A friendly, empathetic response

  • Professional guidance on school responsibilities

  • Advice on communicating effectively with your child’s school

  • Tips on how best to support your child

  • Information about other relevant Kidscape services

  • Details of other organisations that can help

We cannot:

  • Take on your individual case or act as your advocate

  • Contact a school or other involved agencies (unless there are serious safeguarding concerns)

  • Comment on the actions of individual school staff or professionals involved in your situation

  • Offer a counselling service (we can signpost to relevant organisations)

  • Give specific legal advice (we can tell you the legislation relating to bullying)

  • Offer advice to anyone residing outside of England and Wales

  • Accept liability for third party information such as websites that we may refer you to

  • Offer advice in regards to bullying of adults (we can signpost you to a more relevant organisation)

How can I prepare?

It may be useful to have a pen and paper to hand, to jot down any notes you wish to take. It is best to be in a quiet place so you can speak to the adviser without worrying about background noise.

Is my contact with the Parent Advice Line confidential?

We want to reassure you that your call or email to us will be treated in confidence.

We may ask for some personal information, such as your child’s age and your location but you are under no obligation to provide this. We only ask for this information to enable us to direct you to appropriate services and to help us better understand those who use our service.

Discussions between you and the Parent Support Adviser will be confidential, unless we deem a child, young person or vulnerable adult may be experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing significant harm. In such cases, we may be legally required to notify the appropriate authorities. We will also need to pass on any concerns we have of an individual intent on harming others. We will discuss passing on these concerns with you unless it isn't safe or appropriate to do so.

A record of your contact with the Parent Support Adviser will be stored on a secure database. We record data about bullying, anonymise it and process it to enable us to monitor trends and target our service appropriately. You can request that we delete your personal data by emailing mydata@kidscape.org.uk. Kidscape will never sell your personal information to third parties. For more information, please read our privacy policy.

Can a child call you for help?

Our helpline is there to support parents, carers and family members who are concerned about a child. If your child wishes to speak to someone about their situation then please encourage them to contact Childline on 0800 1111 (24 hours), or they can chat 1-2-1 with a counsellor online.

What other help is out there?

Our ZAP workshops are free of charge to every child and parent/ carer going through a bullying situation. 

The Counselling Directory also has a range of blogs on bullying, which you may find helpful.

Can I give you my opinion of how I found the service?

We always welcome your feedback as this helps us evaluate our service. You can share your thoughts here.

ZAP workshops for children impacted by bullying (available online and in the community)

ZAP workshops bring together children facing a similar situation and teach a range of tools to increase assertiveness, build confidence and help manage bullying situations. 

 

Find out more

Digital Safety for parents and carers

Digital Safety for parents and carers 

The training is designed to equip adults with the knowledge to understand the potential risks associated with keeping children and young people safe online, while also covering the many positives of the digital world.

Find out more

 

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