Help & Information

Last Updated on Thursday, 07 March 2013 13:43

Here is a list of agencies and voluntary sector organisations that can offer help and information on a range of issues.

However, your first step could be to contact us, the Grandparent's Association which has worked with and for grandparents for decades. We operate a helpline, a unique welfare benefits advice service, and can give you information on support groups for grandparents in your area.

Helpline: 0845 4349585

Welfare benefits advice: 0844 3571033

Information on support groups: 0844 3572907

We can give you specialist help if you:

* have lost, or are losing contact, with their grandchildren because of divorce

* are experiencing family feud or other problems

* are bringing up grandchildren on a full time basis

* have childcare responsibilities for your grandchildren

* and/or are interested in the educational and welfare needs of your grandchildren.

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• Kinship care: Bringing up your grandchildren

• Contact issues and family breakdown

• Schools, education and learning

• Adult learning

• Health and wellbeing
  

• Money: pensions, welfare benefits, allowances, debt advice

• Your grandchildren

• General information and support for grandparents and their families

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Kinship care: Bringing up your grandchildren

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Family Rights Group
www.frg.org.uk/fgc_model.html
Advice service (Mon–Fri 10am–3.30pm): 0808 801 0366
Advises, advocates and campaigns for families whose children are involved with, or require, social care services. A leading national charity, the FRG works to secure the best future possible for children, including those who are in need, at risk and/or cannot live at home, and to improve the services received by these families. It also runs a discussion board for people who are raising a young relative or have serious concerns about a child/children within their family.

The Children’s Legal Centre
http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/
The Children's Legal Centre is an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people.  If you need free legal advice relating to children and kinship care  immediately, call one of the CLC helplines:
• Child Law Advice Line (freephone) 08088 020 008
• Community Legal Advice - education 0845 345 4345
• Young Person’s Helpline (freephone) 0800 783 2187

Grandparents Plus
http://www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/index.php
Advice line on 0300 123 7015.  Lines are open Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm.
A national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children's lives.

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Contact issues and family breakdown

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National Family Mediation Service (NFM)
http://www.nfm.org.uk/home
If you would like to contact an NFM service in your area for more information or to arrange an appointment, why not find your nearest local family service.

Cafcass
www.cafcass.gov.uk
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. Champions the interests of children involved in family proceedings, advising the family courts in England on what it considers to be in the best interests of individual children. The website includes the experiences of children and young people, and you can download leaflets suitable for children and the Needs, Wishes and Feelings pack.

The Childen's Legal Centre
http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/
The Children's Legal Centre is an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people.  CLC has a free factsheet on contact issues

Family Needs Fathers
www.fnf.org.uk
This national charity seeks to obtain the best possible blend of both parents in the lives of their children, so that the children realise that both parents are fully involved with them. The FNF offers help for families in a range of ways and welcomes all enquiries.

Family Lives
http://familylives.org.uk/
Helpline: 0808 800 2222
Offers support for families on a range of issues.

Relate
www.relate.org.uk
Tel: 0845 130 4010: Relateline, Relate's helpline, will put you in touch with a counsellor who can briefly talk things through with you for up to 20 minutes and offer ideas and direction for the future. It is open from 9:30 and to 4pm. You can call anytime during these hours and talk to a counsellor for the cost of a local call.

Samaritans
http://www.samaritans.org/
Samaritans provides confidential emotional support 24/7 to those experiencing  feelings of distress or despair.

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Schools, education and learning

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Childcare and pre-school learning
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Childcare/index.htm
Information on childcare and early years education

Pre school learning alliance
http://www.pre-school.org.uk/
Early years membership organisation and one of the largest providers of quality childcare in England.

National Curriculum
http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk
Help for schools to design a curriculum that 'inspires and challenges all their learners.

Ofsted: Parents and carers
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/About-us/Parents-and-carers
Accessible information, including the answers to frequently asked questions. Ofsted also publishes reports on specific schools.

Advisory Centre for Education
www.ace-ed.org.uk
Advice line: 0808 800 5763
For free independent advice for all parents and carers of children educated in state schools.

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Adult learning

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Next Step
http://nextstep.direct.gov.uk
The adult careers service with advice on  skills building, careers, work and life choices.

Adult learning grant
A grant for adults returning to college.

City & Guilds
www.cityandguilds.com/uk-home.html
City & Guilds is an awarding body creating qualifications that you can take with colleges and training providers all over the UK and worldwide.

Directgov
www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/index.htm

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Health and wellbeing

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General health

NHS Direct

NHS Choices

Dementia

Alzheimer's Society
http://alzheimers.org.uk/
Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
National dementia helpline: 0845 300 0336   Monday-Friday 8.30am-6.30pm.

Age UK
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/
The Age UK Group works to improve later life for everyone by providing life-enhancing services and vital support. The site has a special dementia section
Age UK operates a free national information line on 0800 169 6565.

Dementia UK
http://www.dementiauk.org
Dementia UK is a national charity committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia by promoting and developing Admiral Nursing, providing high quality training and promoting best practice for professionals working with older people through Dementia UK Training, and supporting the carers network Uniting Carers.
The helpline, Admiral Nursing DIRECT can be contacted on 0845 257 9406.

Depression

Mind
http://www.mind.org.uk/
National charity focussing on mental health.  They have a factsheet for older people.

Alzheimer’s Society
http://alzheimers.org.uk/
The leading charity supporting and informing about Alzheimer’s. They have a factsheet  on depression.

Samaritans
http://www.samaritans.org/
Samaritans provides confidential emotional support 24/7 to those experiencing despair, distress or suicidal feelings.

Mental Health Foundation
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Charity improving the lives of those with mental health problems or learning disabilities. They have a factsheet on Depression and suicide in later life.

Bereavement

Winston’s Wish
http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/
Helpline  08452 03 04 05 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) Winston's Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity and the largest provider of services to bereaved children, young people and their families in the UK.

Cruse
http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/ National charity set up to offer free, confidential help to bereaved people.

Information on substance misuse

Addaction
www.addaction.org.uk/?page_id=1687
Provides free, confidential services for adults and young people with a drug or alcohol problem and for their families.

Adfam: Families, drugs and alcohol
www.adfam.org.uk /
Has the details of many services across the country available for families affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use – go to their 'Support groups' section. Operates a London-based grandparent carers’ project specifically aimed at supporting grandchildren because of parental substance misuse.

Al-anon
www.al-anonuk.org.uk
Linked to Alcohol Anonymous (AA). Supports families and friends of people with alcohol problems, including young people affected by their parents drinking.

Alcohol Concern
www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
Offers support for families affected by problem drinking.

FRANK
www.talktofrank.com/
National Drugs Helpline: 0800 77 66 00
FRANK's A–Z of Drugs contains an enormous amount of information on all sorts of misused substances. You can also contact 'FRANK' by email, phone/mobile, text or instant message.

Narcotics Anonymous
www.ukna.org
Helpline 0845 373 3366
Non-profit fellowship of men and women for whom drugs have become a major problem. Recovering addicts meet regularly to help each other stay clean. The only requirement is the desire to stop using.

Release: Drugs, the law and human rights
www.release.org.uk /
Tel: 020 7729 5255
Helpline: 0845 4500 215
Provides a range of services dedicated to meeting the health, welfare and legal needs of drug users and those who live and work with them. Has recently launched a support and information service for heroin users and the people who care for them.

Turning Point
www.turning-point.co.uk /
Works with individuals and their communities in the areas of drug and alcohol misuse, mental health and learning disabilities. Has particular expertise in working with people who have complex needs and are facing multiple social challenges. Its website provides details of local projects and services it provides.

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Money: pensions, welfare benefits, allowances, debt advice

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Pensions
Directgov:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/index.htm
freephone: 0800 99 1234
textphone: 0800 169 0133

Working past state pension age
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/BeginnersGuideToPensions/DG_1837

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm
Helpline for the newly self-employed people: 08459 154545

Money made clear
http://www.moneymadeclear.org.uk/guides/everyday/managing_your_money.html
http://www.moneymadeclear.org.uk/tools.aspx?Tool=financial-health-check

Finding a financial advisor
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/consumerinformation/checkourregister/index.shtml

Welfare benefits
Grandparents' Association
www.grandparents-association.org.uk
The only organisation that gives grandparents with full-time care responsibilities information regarding welfare benefits. For more information, contact wb@grandparents-association.org.uk .

Welfare Benefit Service: 0844 3571033
     Tuesday 10-12
     Wednesday 10-12
     Thursday 11-1
     wb@grandparents-association.org.uk

• Child benefit:  Contact the Child Benefit office on 08453 021 444 (textphone: 08453 021 474)  visit HM Revenue & Customs: 'How to claim Child Benefit'.
• Child maintenance:  Contact Child maintenance options.
• Disability allowance: Call the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882 200 (textphone 0800 243 355) and ask them to send you a claim pack contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or local social security office visit Services and Benefits Online.

Directgov: Money, tax and benefits
www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/index.htm
For information on the latest rates for the financial year 2011-2012

Department for Work and Pensions
http://www.dwp.gov.uk
employment, benefits and pensions information

Citizens Advice
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/benefits.htm
Information on benefits and the address of your local Citizens Advice bureau

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Your grandchildren

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YoungMinds
www.youngminds.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 802 5544
A national charity committed to improving the mental health and emotional well-being of all children and young people.

Contact a Family
www.cafamily.org.uk
Helpline 0808 808 3555
National charity supporting families with disabled children
Free copies of all their guides are available by calling the helpline or on their website.

NSPCC
www.nspcc.org.uk
0808 800 5000. NSPCC Helpline is a free, 24-hour service which provides advice to anyone worried about a child.
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk

Teenage grandchildren
Got a teenager
http://www.gotateenager.org.uk/
For anyone with a teenager in their life.

FPA
www.fpa.org.uk
Information and advice on all aspects of sexual health.

NHS Choice: Sex and young people
Information, advice and guidance for young people under 18 on sex, relationships and contraception.

Brook
www.brook.org.uk
Information and advice for young people under 25 on all aspects of sexual health.

FFLAG: Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
www.fflag.org.uk
Works to combat prejudice and discrimination in the family, in school and in society.

FRANK
www.talktofrank.com
Information and advice on drugs.

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General information and support for grandparents and their families

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Family Lives
http://familylives.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 800 2222
Offers support for families on a range of issues.

Gingerbread
www.gingerbread.org.uk.
Gingerbread Single Parent Helpline: Freephone 0808 802 0925
National charity working with single parent families. It provides expert information and advice, along with membership and training opportunities, to single parents and their families, and campaigns against poverty, disadvantage and stigma to promote fair and equal treatment and opportunity for them.Grandparents Club
www.grandparentsclub.co.uk
A one stop site for grandparents, grandchildren and their families providing discounts, deals and information on a wide range of products and services, and ideas for days out including theme parks, safari parks, zoos, aquariums, sports venues, steam trains, castles, stately homes and palaces.

Grandparents Plus
http://www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/index.php
Office:020 8981 8001
A national charity that champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children's lives.

Grannynet
www.grannynet.co.uk
Grannynet is a website for grandparents looking after grandchildren with articles on everything related to being a grandparent, from activities for children to information on grandparents rights.  You can chat to other grandparents within our lively online forum and buy gifts for grandchildren in our shop.  Grannynet is a one-stop-shop for grannies who like to be in the know.
About Grannynet http://www.grannynet.co.uk/