What to do if you’re worried about your safety at home

We’ve all been urged to stay at home during the Coronavirus outbreak, however we understand that for some young people this might not feel like the safest place to be right now.

If you feel at all unsafe at home during the current school closures, or if you are worried about a friend or family member who could be in danger, then here is a list of people and organisations you can turn to for help and advice:

• If you – or someone you know – is in immediate danger, call the Police on 999 who will take action to keep you safe.
• Our social workers can offer you help and support if you feel you are at risk. You can call them during office hours on 01294 310300 or on 0800 328 7758 in the evenings and at weekends. You can find out more about our Child Protection team and what they can do to support you here.
• Is there an adult you trust from outwith your household who you can contact? This could be another family member who doesn’t live with you, a youth leader or a parent of a friend?
• You can talk to a teacher or a member of your school staff – you will already have been provided with ways to contact them and someone from your school should be in touch with you regularly, either online or by phone.
• School counsellors are also available for young people of secondary school age to talk to. If you’d like to have a chat with one of them, you can do so by discussing this with your school contact.
• North Ayrshire Council’s Educational Psychology Service and Mental Health and Well-being Team have also collated some helpful advice for young people, which can be found here.
• Childline can support you and help you find ways to cope, not matter what is worrying you. You can call them on 0800 1111, or there are lots of other ways to get in touch, which you can learn about here. You can also message other young people through their site at www.childline.org.uk.
• Are you care experienced? WhoCaresScotland has a helpline which you can call if you need support. You can find out more here.
• The cool2talk website provides a safe space where you can have any questions answered accurately and without judgement. They respond to all questions within 24 hours. You can visit the website here.
• If you are worried about your mental health, you can find out how to access support through the ‘13 Ways’ page on the Young Scot website here.
• With the schools being closed, you might find that you are spending more time online than usual. If you are worried about cyberbullying and online grooming, then the www.net-aware.org.uk and www.thinkuknow.co.uk websites can help you report abuse and have lots of information on how to minimise the potential risks from others online.