Useful resources

Helplines:

Bullying UK: Bullying UK provides advice, information and resources to young people, parents and schools to help stop bullying across the UK.
website: www.bullying.co.uk
Childline: Childline is a free, 24 hour helpline for children and young people. You can call the helpline about any problem, at any time, day or night.
telephone: 0800 1111
textphone: 0800 400 222
website: www.childline.org.uk
Nightlink Mental Health Helpline: Nightlink offer telephone support if you are feeling down. They are only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.00pm to 1.00am.
telephone: 0808 8000 306
Respond: Respond supports people with learning disabilities, their families, carers and professionals affected by trauma and abuse.
helpline: 0808 808 0700
website: www.respond.org.uk
Samaritans: You can call the Samaritans about anything that is troubling you, 24 hour a day. Calls are not free, but they can phone you back if you ask them to. You can also email them.
telephone: 08457 90 90 90
email: jo@samaritans.org.uk
website: www.samaritans.org.uk
Skill: The National Bureau for Students with Disabilities promotes opportunities for young people and adults with any kind of impairment in post-16 education, training and employment.
helpline: 0800 328 5050
website: www.skill.org.uk

Booklets and DVDs:

All about feeling down: Download this booklet from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities website.
telephone: 0207 803 1101
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
Coping with stress: Get this from BILD Publications, Book Source, 32 Finlas Street,Glasgow, G22 5DU.
telephone: 0141 558 1366
Depression. What is depression? What causes depression? What treatments are available?: Get these materials from Change, Units 19/20, Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundway Road, Leeds LS7 1AB.
telephone: 0113 243 0202
Getting better – keeping your mind healthy: This booklet is from the Learning Disability Directorate at Olive Mount, Old Mill Lane, Liverpool, L15 8LW.
telephone: 0151 737 4800
Let me in – I’m a researcher: This booklet gives advice about getting involved in research. Download it from the Department of Health website.
email: dh@prolog.uk.com
website: www.dh.gov.uk
The strongest link: This training manual helps young people feel emotionally strong as they move into adulthood. It was developed by young people, based on their own experience of transition. Subjects covered include friends, feelings, growing up and where to get help. Download the guide from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
What kind of a future?: Get this guide to getting the most out of the transition from school or college from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.
telephone: 0207 803 1101
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
What’s happening?: This DVD from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities is about the lives of three young people with learning difficulties
Email: fpld@fpld.org.uk
Website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk

Websites and organisations:

11 Million: 11 Million is the website for the Children’s Commissioner for England. It gives a voice to young people.
website: www.11million.org.uk
Change: This national rights organisation is led by disabled people campaigning for equal rights for all people with learning disabilities.
telephone: 0113 243 0202
website: www.changepeople.co.uk
Choice and voice: This is a website made by people with learning disabilities for people with learning disabilities.
email: admin@choiceandvoice.co.uk
website: www.choiceandvoice.co.uk
Circles of Support: Visit this website for more information about Circles of Support.
website: www.circlesnetwork.org.uk
Clear Thoughts: This is the name and website address for the ‘mental health in learning disability knowledge centre’ project. It provides clear and accessible information about mental health in learning disability. It is aimed at individuals, their families and carers and frontline staff.
website: www.clearthoughts.info
Connexions: Connexions can offer young people between 13 and 19 who live in England the information and advice they need to make the decisions and choices in their lives as they move on from school and college.
telephone: 0800 975 511
Easy Health: This website offer easy to understand information about staying healthy and getting help with your health.
website: www.easyhealth.org.uk
Easy Info: This website, set up by the Valuing People support team, gives guidance about making information easier for people with learning difficulties.
email: info@easyinfo.org.uk
website: www.easyinfo.org.uk
The National Society for Epilepsy: This website has lots of information to help people with epilepsy.
website: www.epilepsynse.org.uk
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities: The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities works to promote the rights, quality of life and opportunities of people with learning disabilites and their families. They have undertaken extensive work in the area of young people and mental health.
telephone: 0207 803 1100
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
LDUK: This learning disabilities information website, includes a forum for discussions.
email: lduk@learningdisabilities.org.uk
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
Look up Info: Look Up is a great website focusing on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities. It is a collaboration between SeeAbility and RNIB.
website: www.lookupinfo.org
Mental Health Foundation: The Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live.
telephone: 0207 803 1100
website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
National Healthy Schools Programme: This long-term initiative, sponsored by the NHS and DCSF, aims to help young people and their schools to be healthy.
website: www.healthyschools.gov.uk
One for us: This website has information and stories for people who have a learning difficulty.
website: www.oneforus.com
Participation Works: This website, run by a consortium of six leading children and young people organisations, provides expert advice to anyone wanting to give a voice to children and young people.
telephone: 0845 603 6725
website: www.participationworks.org.uk
See Ability: SeeAbility is a charity that helps people who are blind or partially sighted and also have additional disabilities.
website: www.seeability.orgk
School Councils UK: This organisation provides a range of services designed to help schools make the most of their students councils.
telephone: 0845 456 9428
website: www.schoolcouncils.org
Speaking Up: Speaking Up provides advocacy, training, consultancy and support together with a range of materials promoting self advocacy to young people with learning difficulties.
email: info@speakingup.org
website: www.speakingup.org
The Site: This website, owned and run by Youth Net UK, provides advice, information and support on all the key issues facing young people.
website: www.thesite.org
Valuing People: The website for Valuing People has all sorts of useful information for making the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families better.
website: www.valuingpeople.gov.uk
Values into Action: Values Into Action works to support and promote the right of people with learning difficulties to enjoy and to be treated with the same respect due to all citizens.
telephone: 0207 729 5436
email: general@viauk.org
website: www.viauk.org
Wellbeing Workshop: These materials from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities are designed to help family carers and support staff promote the emotional and mental wellbeing of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
telephone: 0207 803 1100
website: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
YoungMinds: YoungMinds work to improve the mental health of all children and young people.
telephone: 020 7336 8445
email: enquiries@youngminds.org.uk
website: www.youngminds.org.uk
Young Researcher Network: The National Youth Agency runs this network dedicated to valuing, supporting and encouraging research led by young people.
telephone: 0116 242 7350
website: www.nya.org.uk