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Who to contact

Helplines checked September 2026. Escalation routes correct as of August 2026.

Numbers worth having saved before you need them, and the routes to take when a decision has gone the wrong way. If you need to talk to someone today, start with the first box.

If you need someone now, at any hour

  • Samaritans 116 123 Free, from any phone. Day or night, every day of the year.

    You do not have to be in crisis to call, and you do not have to explain yourself first.

  • Shout Text SHOUT to 85258 Free, confidential, 24 hours a day.

    A text conversation rather than a phone call, which some people find easier.

  • NHS 111 111 24 hours a day, every day. Also online at 111.nhs.uk.

    When you are worried about someone's health and it is not an emergency, or when you do not know which service you need.

  • Your council's emergency duty team Evenings and weekends Every council runs one, for genuine out-of-hours social care emergencies.

    Find the number on the council's own website under adult social care. Save it in your phone now rather than at 9pm on a Saturday.

If you are the one who is struggling

  • Carers UK helpline 0808 808 7777 Free. Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, including bank holidays.

    Advice about your own position as a carer: your rights, your benefits and what to do when the arrangement is not working. Email helpline@carersuk.org is often better for a complicated question. They also run an online forum, open at any hour.

  • Mind Infoline 0300 123 3393 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Closed on bank holidays.

    Information about mental health support and how to get it.

  • Carers Trust carers.org No national phone line. Use the "find support in your area" tool.

    Carers Trust works through local carer services. A local service can often arrange practical help that a national one cannot.

  • Your local carers' service Ask your council by name Most council areas have one, funded by the council or the NHS.

    They handle carer's assessments, breaks and local support groups. Search for "carers service" alongside your council's name.

If you need advice about care, money or benefits

  • Age UK Advice Line 0800 678 1602 Free. 8am to 7pm, every day of the year.

    General advice for older people and their families, including care, benefits and money.

  • Independent Age 0800 319 6789 Free. Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm.

    Advice on care, benefits and the practical side of getting older.

  • Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848 England Adviceline. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

    Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own services with their own numbers, listed at citizensadvice.org.uk.

  • Your parent's council Find it by postcode For a needs assessment, a carer's assessment, a support plan or a review.

    Ask for the adult social care team, and use the name of the thing you want. "A carer's assessment under the Care Act" gets you into the right process. "Some help" does not. Our guide to the carer's assessment covers how to ask.

If your parent has dementia, diagnosed or suspected

  • Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support Line 0333 150 3456 Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 8pm. Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm. Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

    Their advisers handle practical questions as well as medical ones, including what to do when no diagnosis has been made yet. Our guide to mental capacity covers what a diagnosis does and does not decide.

If the problem is your employer

  • Acas 0300 123 1100 Free. Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

    The official source on carer's leave, flexible working requests and what your employer is required to do. Their written guidance is at acas.org.uk, and it is worth reading before you call so you know what to ask.

What to say when you call

You do not need to have your situation organised before you ring any of these numbers. It is enough to say what has happened this week and what you cannot manage.

If you are calling a council at a point where you cannot keep going, say that in those words. "I am at breaking point and need urgent support" is heard differently from "I am managing, but finding it hard."

Ask for the name of the person you spoke to, and write it down. Ask what happens next, and by when.

Every number above was checked on 9 September 2026 against each organisation's own website. Opening hours change. If you find one that is wrong, please tell us.

If you need to challenge a decision

Where to take a disagreement about NHS funding, a discharge or the way a council or trust has handled something. These are the routes for a decision you think is wrong, rather than for advice or support.

NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track Pathway Tool

Use when: a condition is deteriorating rapidly, possibly nearing end of life

A form completed by the treating clinician, not something you fill in yourself. It identifies people who need fully NHS-funded ongoing care urgently, without waiting for the standard checklist and full assessment process. If this might apply, ask the clinical team directly whether a Fast Track referral is appropriate.

NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist

Use when: your parent may have significant ongoing health needs after discharge

The standard first step toward fully NHS-funded ongoing care. See the full explanation on this site.

NHS Complaints Advocacy

Use when: you want independent help making an NHS complaint

Free, independent advocates who can help you write a complaint letter and attend meetings with you. They cannot make the complaint for you or give medical or legal advice. Search "NHS complaints advocacy" plus your area, or contact your local Healthwatch.

NHS complaints process

Use when: something has gone wrong with NHS care itself

Start with the provider directly, meaning the GP, hospital or trust involved. Most problems get resolved at this stage. You can instead complain to the commissioning body, usually your local Integrated Care Board, if you would rather not go to the provider, but not both. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the incident, or of it coming to your attention.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Use when: a council's own complaints process hasn't resolved things

The final stage for complaints about council-arranged social care. You are expected to have completed the council's own complaints process first. Complain online at lgo.org.uk, or by phone on 0300 061 0614.

The phone line is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 1pm, and Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm. Their own site notes the first hour after opening is the busiest, so calling later usually means a shorter wait.

Sources

Helplines

Escalation routes

More free guides

These pages are the free resources for They’re Sending Her Home On Friday, a sourced guide to hospital discharge for families. It is on Amazon as an ebook or a paperback, alongside its companion workbook, The Discharge File.