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Your call is very important to us and we will do everything we can to assist you when you telephone the NSPCC Helpline.
We recognise that it can be difficult for people who have concerns about the safety and well being of a child to seek help. You may be worried in case you are wrong, do not know what to do for the best, worried that your action may make matters worse or concerned about the consequences on yourself or your family. We are here to help you.
Contacting the helpline by phone
When you ring the helpline your call will most likely be answered by an operator.They will ask you a few questions that will help us to better understand who uses our service and most importantly establish the nature of your call and which of our helpline services may be best equipped to meet your needs. Find out more about the different services the NSPCC Helpline has to offer.
If there is an advisor available then the operator will pass your call on to them who will listen to the concerns you have, offer you advice, guidance and support and explore options with you. We will always take action if:
• We believe that a child is at risk of abuse or is being abused, and have been provided with details that would identify the child and their whereabouts. In these cases we have a duty to contact a local authority children’s services department or the Police to share the concerns.
• If we think that a child is at immediate risk of abuse, and we belive the child is in danger, we will involve the police immediately.
If there is not an advisor free the operator will offer you a range of options:
• the opportunity for you to call back later at a time when the call volume may be lower
• advice about other helpline services that are available to you, e-mail or online reporting.
• or where appropriate contact details of other agencies who may be able to help you.
Call back from the Helpline - if you request a call back we will try our best to call you back as quickly as possible or at a mutually convenient time. However in order to make a call back we will need you to give us your name and contact number - this means it is not possible for you to remain anonymous if we go on to make a referral in relation to the issues and concerns you have to Children’s Services or the Police. Please dsicuss this with the operator before you make a decision to request a call back.
Confidentiality. You can choose to remain anonymous when you talk to us. However, if you do provide us with your details we will not disclose your name or address to the person or family you have concerns about.
When we share any information with other agencies, if we have your details, then they will also be shared. These agencies are always reminded NOT to share these details with the family.
If you would like to find out more about our Confidentiality Policy
All telephone calls to the NSPCC Helpline are recorded for quality assurance purposes. This enables us to make sure we don’t miss any information, and monitor the quality of the service our advisor’s provide. Where we receive reports of abuse which prove to be mailicious, we will co-operate with the police and provide them with details and copies of these calls, where they can be used in legal proceedings.
Copyright © 2006 NSPCC - All rights reserved. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Weston House, 42
Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.