NHS 111 - First Response Service
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis call Freephone 111 – Option 2
Call 111, select option 2 and speak to a mental health professional 24/7.
A specialist healthcare professional, 'First Responder' will talk to you and assess your needs. Someone may come out to see you or arrange for you to go to The Sanctuary (open 6pm-1am, 7 days a week) which is a safe place providing support for people in crisis.
Please note that all medical emergencies still need to attend A&E at Addenbroke's Hospital. Tel: 01223 217118
Urgent Care Cambridgeshire
Overnight and at weekends, Urgent Care Cambridgeshire provide the out of hours GP service. They are located at the Urgent Treatment Centre at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Please remember that this service is for conditions which cannot wait until your GP practice is open.
To contact the service you will need to call NHS 111
Further details can be found here
Samaritans
Freephone Helpline: 116 123
4 Emmanuel Road, Cambridge CB1 1JW
Local 24-hour helpline: 01223 364455
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Samaritans Website
If you need someone to talk to, we listen. We don’t judge or tell you what to do. Call us any time, day or night. Emotional support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Linkedin Learning
Linkedin Learning is now available for all University and College staff and students, alongside existing provision for Professional Development and academic study. This resource, widely used by many high performing Universities, offers online courses on creative, technical and professional skills, including leadership and development, as well as resources on wellbeing and remote working. You can access it at www.cam.ac.uk/linkedinlearning, using your Raven login. The site includes information about how to get started and some initial areas that may be of particular interest at this time.
Disability Support
In response to the University’s commitment to supporting disabled staff and creating a disability smart environment, we have joined the Business Disability Forum (BDF), a membership organisation which provides pragmatic support by sharing expertise, giving advice, providing training and facilitating networking opportunities. BDF helps organisations become fully accessible to disabled employees.
BDF provides access to an Advice Service providing expert advice on disability – enabling and supporting the University to ensure that we are an inclusive employer. They advise on the wider strategic or policy implications and improvements and do not advise disabled individuals directly; for example, if an employee has a grievance with a line manager, or a customer has complaint about a service.
There is also a resource area on their webpages that contains lots of information, guidance and suggestions for HR professionals and managers of staff with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
To access the BDF Advice Service and Resources
Anyone with an @cam.ac.uk or @admin.cam.ac.uk email domain can sign up to the Member Hub of the BDF website thereby accessing a wide range of additional resources to support disability equality.
To create an account:
1. Visit the BDF website
2. Enter your name and work email address
3. Create a password.
University and College staff and students resident in Cambridge are eligible to join Qwell – a new online counselling and wellbeing platform launched by MIND (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire).
Qwell provides confidential chat-based counselling from qualified counsellors, free of charge.
While this government-funded online service is not intended to be a replacement for face to face counselling, it does provide an alternative for those unable to access face to face counselling services.
Mind in Cambridgeshire
Lifeline Helpline: 0808 808 2121
9am – 11pm Monday to Friday
2pm – 11pm Saturday to Sunday (and Bank Holidays)
Lifeline is a helpline for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough providing a listening ear to discuss issues affecting mood and wellbeing especially during this time.
Lifeline can help address issues around feeling isolated, lonely and for mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. It can support you to find self-help or signpost to other partners for particular concerns; about caring for others, parents or bereavement for example.
Your call will be answered by trained professionals from CPSL Mind, local NHS mental health services or our partner charity Lifecraft* and is supported by a wide range of organisations and charities that have specific or specialist knowledge.
CPFT Psychological Wellbeing Service
Phone: 0300 300 0055
Phone lines are operational 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday (closed bank holidays).
This service enables access (including self-referral) to NHS psychological services or talking therapies in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
This is not an emergency or crisis service. For this dial 111 and select option 2.
Sane
Phone: 07984 967 708
Email: support@sane.org.uk
4.30pm – 10.30pm daily
Sane provides emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including families, friends and carers.
Due to the pandemic, the previous SANEline number cannot operate at the moment, but you can leave a message on 07984 967 708 giving your first name and a contact number, and one of Sane’s professionals or senior volunteers will call you back as soon as practicable. You can also email them at support@sane.org.uk, and they will respond as soon as possible. Our normal Support Forum and Textcare services are still open.
Refuge: For Women and Children. Against Domestic Violence
Phone: 0808 2000 247
24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline
Refuge supports women and children who experience all forms of violence and abuse, including domestic violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so-called ‘honour’-based violence, and human trafficking and modern slavery.
Rape Crisis
Helpline: 0808 802 9999
The Helpline is a free, confidential emotional support service for women and girls aged 16 and over who have experienced sexual violence. We listen and believe. We are run by women, for women. We are confidential and non-judgemental. You are not alone.
See information below about the local Rape Crisis Centre
Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre
Phone : 01223 245888
Email : support@cambridgerapecrisis.org.uk
Men’s Advice Line
Freephone: 0808 801 0327 (24 hour)
The Helpline for male victims of domestic abuse. Our friendly Men’s Advice Line Advisors will believe you, offer you non-judgmental emotional support, practical advice and information.
Cambridge Women’s Aid
Safe refuge helpline: 01223 460947
Support and advice: 01223 361214
Email: outreach@cambridgewa.org.uk
Currently providing telephone and email support to women experiencing abuse at home.
You can call for telephone support and advice. If it is not suitable or safe to call, you can email on outreach@cambridgewa.org.uk. We will respond within 2-3 working days. Please leave safe contact details and times for us to get back to you.
Centre 33
Phone : 0333 4141809
Text / WhatsApp : 07514 783745
Supporting young people up to the age of 25 with mental health, caring responsibilities, housing, sexual health and more.
The Kite Trust: Gender and Sexuality. Supporting Young People
Phone : O1223 369508
Providing support to young LGBTQ+ people aged 25 or under in Cambridgeshire.
As well as supporting LGBTQ+ young people directly, we are also increasing the ways in which we can support parents, carers and other family members of LGBTQ+ young people.
Currently we have a group for parents and carers of Trans and Non-binary young people (including those who are questioning their gender identity) who meet on a fortnightly basis. Contact us using the link below to find out more about attending this group.
Young Minds
Freephone : 0808 802 5544
Monday to Friday | 9.30am to 4pm
A helpline for adults worried about the mental health of a child or young person up to the age of 25. Contact the Parents Helpline for free, confidential advice via the phone, email or webchat.
Your adviser will help you to understand your child’s behaviour and give you practical advice on what to do next. If you need further help, they’ll arrange for a qualified mental health professional to call you for a 50-minute telephone consultation within seven days.
Beat
Helpline (open to anyone 18+): 0808 801 0677
Studentline (open to all students): 0808 801 0811
Youthline (open to anyone under 18): 0808 801 0711
Open 365 days a year
9am-8pm Monday - Friday / 4pm-8pm weekends and bank holidays
Beat is the UK’s eating disorder charity. Beat provides Helplines for adults and young people offering support and information about eating disorders. These Helplines are free to call from all phones.
Cruse Bereavement Care
Freephone Helpline: 0808 808 1677
Monday to Friday | 9.30am - 5.00pm
Cruse offer support, advice and information to those affected when someone dies. Trained bereavement volunteers offer support to adults and children. Our local services provide free and confidential phone and face to face support to bereaved people.
Dhiverse: Sexual Health Matters
Phone : 01223 508805 (not a helpline)
Email: enquiries@dhiverse.org.uk
Provides high quality sexual health and HIV support, education and information for all. We are inclusive, caring, non-judgmental and committed to upholding our organization’s values. Through service user involvement, campaigns and collaboration we challenge stigma, prejudice and inequalities.