Get help
BIHR cannot take cases or give you advice on a personal situation. The organisations listed below may be able to help you if you or someone you know is facing a human rights issue.
BIHR is not a referral or recommending organisation, and we cannot vouch for any other organisation; this list is provided for information only.
AdviceUK
AdviceUK is the UK’s largest support network for free, independent advice centres. They have information on where to find a range of advocacy and advice, from benefits advice to disability and health advice.
Advice Local
Directory of local advice and support groups that can help with benefits, work, money, housing problems and other matters.
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross national support line can help you with emotional support, finding local support services and accessing wheelchair and other support services. They have telephone interpreters available.
Support line: 0808 196 3651
Available: Monday to Friday: 10am to 5pm (open until 8pm on Wednesdays)
Care Rights UK
Care Rights UK provides free, expert advice about problems with care. You can book an appointment in advance or call during opening times.
Helpline: 020 7359 8136
Available: Monday to Friday: 9.30am - 1pm (open 6pm - 8pm on Thursdays)
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice provides free, independent and confidential legal advice, and can help you find a solicitor.
Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848
Advicelink (Wales): 0800 702 2020
Relay UK (type instead of talking): 18001, 0800 144 8884
Available: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Childline
Childline is a free, private and confidential service that supports everyone under 19 in the UK. You can talk to them about anything you like. Their phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or you can use their online chat. The phone line is free and doesn’t show up on the phone bill.
Phone number: 0800 1111
Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Contacts List:
The following organisations are listed by gov.uk (Domestic abuse: how to get help - GOV.UK) for people experiencing domestic abuse to get help:
England Refuge's National Domestic Abuse Helpline
Contact: 0808 2000 247
Northern Ireland Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline
Contact: 0808 802 1414
Scotland Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline
Contact: 0800 027 1234
Wales Helpline: Live Fear Free
Contact: 0808 80 10 800
info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
UK-wide Helpline: Men's Advice Line
Contact: 0808 801 0327
INQUEST
Provides free and independent advice to bereaved people following a death in state care or detention in England and Wales, and in other cases where wider issues of state and corporate accountability are in question.
www.inquest.org.uk/get-support
IPSEA
IPSEA is a national charity offering free and independent information, advice, support and training to make sure that children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in England get the right education.
They run a range of helplines: Our helplines and services (ipsea.org.uk)
Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
The Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) runs a Helpline for immigrants detained in prison whether serving their criminal sentences or detained under immigration powers.
Contact: 020 7553 7468
Law Centres
Law Centres provide a free and independent professional legal service to people who live or work in their area.
Law Society (England and Wales)
The Law Society has an online directory of law firms and solicitors. They do not provide legal advice themselves.
Law Society of Scotland
The Law Society of Scotland has an online directory of law firms and solicitors in Scotland. They do not provide legal advice themselves.
Find a Solicitor | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)
Law Society of Northern Ireland
The Law Society of Northern Ireland has an online directory of law firms and solicitors in Northern Ireland. They do not provide legal advice themselves.
Solicitor Directory | The Law Society of Northern Ireland (lawsoc-ni.org)
Liberty
Liberty is a human rights organisation that runs a free human rights advice service for members of the public and voluntary organisations.
Helpline: 0800 988 8177
Available: Monday and Thursday, 6pm – 8pm / Tuesday, 12pm – 2pm
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
Migrant Help
Migrant Help is a charity contracted by the Home Office to provide advice to refugees, people seeking asylum and victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. Their phone lines are free, open 24 hours a day and they have telephone interpreters available. You can also contact them using their webchat: migranthelpuk.org/webchat.
Helpline: 0808 8010 503
https://www.migranthelpuk.org/
Self-service portal: migranthelpuk.org/portal
Raise an issue: migranthelpuk.org/raise-an-issue
POhWER
POhWER is a national advocacy organisation which has information about different types of advocacy and where to find more help.
Prisoners Advice Service
Prisoners Advice Service provides legal advice and information to prisoners about their rights and conditions.
Contact : 020 7253 3323 - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-4.30pm. Tuesday evening 4.30pm-7pm.
Rights of Women
Rights of Women provides free, confidential legal advice to women on family law, criminal law, immigration and asylum law and sexual harassment at work.
Samaritans
Samaritans have a free listening service that is available at any time to offer support. Common reasons people call them include relationship and family problems; loss, including loss of a friend or a family member through bereavement; financial worries; job-related stress; college or study-related stress; loneliness and isolation; depression; painful and/or disabling physical illness; heavy use of or dependency on alcohol or other drugs; and thoughts of suicide.
Phone: 116 123
Email (it may take several days to get a response): jo@samaritans.org
Available: 24/7
Shelter
Shelter is a housing and homelessness charity that provides advice, information and advocacy.
Their webchat is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. They also run an emergency helpline on that you can call if you are homeless, are worried about losing your home in the next two months, have nowhere to stay tonight or are at risk of harm or abuse.
Helpline: 0808 800 4444
Available: Monday to Friday: 8am – 8pm / weekends and bank holidays: 9am – 5pm
Unlock
A charity whose stated mission is “to support & advocate for people with criminal records in England and Wales to be able to move on positively in their lives”.
Online Information and Advice
Helpline – Tel. 01634 247350 Monday to Friday 8.45 AM to 4.45 PM – WhatsApp or Text 07824 113848
STATUTORY BODIES
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission can provide advice to those, who may have issues or queries related to human rights in Northern Ireland. https://nihrc.org/our-work/legal
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman looks into complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England and UK government departments and other UK public organisations. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks into complaints about councils all adult social care providers (including care homes and home care agencies) and some other organisations providing local public services. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Housing Ombudsman Service
The Housing Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, and free service for social housing residents. They make the final decision on disputes between residents and landlords that are registered members of its Scheme - including tenants and leaseholders of social landlords (housing associations and local authorities), as well as for their voluntary members (private landlords and letting agents). Housing Ombudsman Service
A note on the Equality Advisory Support Service: As of 1 October 2016, the government contract to deliver the Equality Advisory Support Service (the national equality and human rights helpline) was taken over by G4S. The British Institute of Human Rights highlighted its concerns about this decision, particularly the impact it would have on people whose rights might be at risk from services provided by G4S themselves.
Our former director said, “Perhaps the most worrying question is the impact it will have on people whose rights may be at risk from services provided by G4S themselves, including those involved in the justice system, immigration, welfare benefit schemes and education. It seems people will now be expected to call a G4S-run advice line to find out whether their rights have been put at risk by a G4S-run service.”
Over 40 organisations raised the issue with the Joint Committee on Human Rights and an online public petition titled, “Don’t hand the government’s discrimination helpline over to G4S” received over 61,000 signatures.
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