If you were abused as a child

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

Adults who were abused as children while in the care of Action for Children, formerly National Children’s Home (NCH), in one of its children’s homes or foster homes. It says it can support you: its Safeguarding Service will listen and tell you about other help, and it can help you get your records. If you tell it about a crime, it may pass the information to the police or social services.

Future Pathways

Scotland

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

Adults who were abused or neglected as children while in care in Scotland, such as in children’s homes, foster care, boarding schools, long-term hospital stays or young offenders’ institutions, wherever they live now. A Support Coordinator helps you work towards your own goals, for example with local services, mental health support, finding your care records, or training and education. Support is free; there is a waiting list, with some help while you wait.

• If you were abused as a child

Adults whose lives have been affected by abuse in childhood, and the people who support them. Run by survivors, it is an online organisation with information on recovery and a members’ forum where survivors give each other support, friendship and advice. It does not run support groups, one-to-one services or a phone line, and its site warns that some content may be triggering.

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

The In Care Survivors Alliance supports people who were abused or neglected as children in the Scottish care system, and runs Future Pathways. Its Redress Support Service gives free emotional and practical support to anyone applying, or thinking of applying, to Scotland’s Redress Scheme, including next of kin, wherever they live. Its Emotional Support Helpline is open to anyone; for a Link Worker, ask a Redress Scheme case worker to refer you.

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

Survivors of non-recent abuse in Islington children’s homes, foster care and other Islington Council placements, such as secure units and boarding schools, wherever you live now. Islington Mind gives trauma-informed, one-to-one support with your wellbeing and practical support and advice, such as help with benefits and health services, and you can come back to it when you need to. Islington Council’s page explains how to ask for your care records.

MACSAS (Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors)

• Rape and sexual abuse
• If you were abused as a child
• Faith settings

Women and men sexually abused, as children or as adults, by ministers, clergy or others acting for a church, and their relatives, whether or not they are still part of a church. It is run by volunteers who are survivors themselves. It offers a helpline with limited hours, support by email and letter, and advocacy, such as help in dealing with the police or the church.

Marie Collins Foundation

• If you were abused as a child
• Online abuse
• Parents and carers

For children, young people and adults harmed by child sexual abuse that involved technology, such as phones, apps, social media or games, and for their families. Its specialist staff offer support and advocacy, for example helping you understand what happened, attending meetings with you and making complaints. Parents and carers can get advice and guidance too.

National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)

Across the UK

• If you were abused as a child

Adults aged 18 and over living in the UK who were abused as children, whatever form the abuse took, and the people who support them. Its free, confidential support line offers calls of up to 30 minutes of listening and signposting to other help, and it also gives support by email. It does not offer counselling, therapy, legal advice or ongoing support.

Nexus NI

Northern Ireland

• Domestic abuse
• Rape and sexual abuse
• If you were abused as a child

People aged 8 and over affected by sexual abuse, in childhood or as an adult: specialist counselling across Northern Ireland after you refer yourself. It also manages Northern Ireland’s Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline for anyone aged 18 and over affected by domestic or sexual abuse, and for people worried about someone.

• If you were abused as a child
• Parents and carers

For any adult worried about a child, including parents and carers who want advice. If you were abused as a child, you can also contact its Helpline to talk through your options, including reporting. The NSPCC also runs Childline, for children and young people.

One in Four

London

• Rape and sexual abuse
• If you were abused as a child

Adults who were sexually abused as children, or who have experienced sexual violence. It offers long-term one-to-one counselling for adults over 18, for which it asks a contribution, and groups and workshops; its counselling rooms are in south and north London. Its free ISVA service supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse who are thinking about reporting to the police.

Rape Crisis England & Wales

England and Wales

• Rape and sexual abuse
• If you were abused as a child

Anyone of any gender aged 16 and over in England and Wales who has been affected by rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment or any other sexual violence, whenever it happened, and the people supporting them, through its 24/7 Support Line. Its member Rape Crisis centres give free, confidential local support, such as counselling and group work, and many also support children and young people.

Safe Spaces England and Wales

England and Wales

• Rape and sexual abuse
• If you were abused as a child
• Faith settings

Adults aged 18 and over who were abused by someone in the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales, or harmed through their link with the Church, as a child or as an adult, recently or long ago. Trained advocates give free, confidential emotional support, practical help and advocacy, and you do not need to have reported the abuse. It is run by First Light and funded by the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, but says it is independent of the Church.

Survivors Voices

Online

• Domestic abuse
• If you were abused as a child
• Faith settings
• Black and minoritised communities

Survivors of any kind of abuse, trauma or violence, as a child or as an adult. Survivor-led peer support groups, mostly on Zoom, including a general group, a group for Black and racially marginalised people (online or in person in south London) and a faith and abuse group; you join by invitation after a chat. It does not offer therapy or counselling.

Towards Healing

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

• If you were abused as a child
• Faith settings

Adults who were physically, emotionally or sexually abused or neglected as children by a priest, brother, religious sister, volunteer or employee of the Catholic Church anywhere in Ireland, including Northern Ireland, and their partners, spouses and children. It offers counselling face to face, online or by phone. It is funded by the Catholic Church in Ireland but says it is independent of the Church in its policies and in how it works.

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

People who were abused as children while living in an institution in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995, and their close family members; you or your family can refer yourselves. Its historical institutional abuse service offers an outreach caseworker, free counselling and psychotherapy, complementary therapy, welfare advice and health and wellbeing support at five centres across Northern Ireland. Survivors who live outside Northern Ireland can get support too.

Wellbeing Scotland

Scotland

• If you were abused as a child
• People who grew up in care

People aged 16 and over living in Scotland who experienced any form of abuse or neglect as a child; you can refer yourself. Its specialist service for people abused in care in Scotland is also open to people who live elsewhere, once they have registered with Future Pathways. Support is free and can include emotional support, counselling and groupwork, and it has a service for children aged 5 to 16 and their families in Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.