People who grew up in care

• 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.

The Care Leavers’ Association

• People who grew up in care

A national, user-led charity for care leavers of any age; its advice service is run by a team of care leavers. It gives advice and guidance, and free guides and help to get your social care records. It says it wants to work on behalf of people who were abused in the care system in the past.

Child Migrants Trust

UK and Australia

• People who grew up in care

Former child migrants, sent abroad as children under British child migration schemes, and their families, whatever agency sent them and wherever they were sent. Its social workers help with family research, getting your records and specialist counselling, and it offers professional help with harm suffered in institutions in childhood. It also helps with applications to redress schemes in the UK and Australia.

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
• 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.

• 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.