Support services
View useful local resources and support services.
If you have concerns about yourself or anyone you know or become aware about, please contact the organisations below.
Quick links:
- Safeguarding
- Support for disabilities
- Social prescribing
- Mental health services
- Debt advice
- Local debt and money advice
- National debt and money advice
- Financial hardship support and advice
Safeguarding
Safeguarding adults and children is important and there may be times when you are concerned about the welfare of a child, adult or both. If you need advice, guidance or support please refer to the Sussex Integrated Care System (ICS) website for links to services.
RU-OK
Ru-ok? is a self-referral service for free confidential guidance, support and information on drugs, alcohol and sexual health for under 18s, their parents and carers, or concerned others.
Website: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/ru-ok
Phone: 01273 293966
Email: ruokdb@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Support for disabilities
The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that patients (or their carers) who have a disability or sensory loss receive information they can access and understand, for example in large print, braille or via email.
As part of the Accessible Information Standard we must:
- Identify patients who may have an additional communication need.
- Record the patient’s need in our clinical GP system.
- Flag the patient’s record to assure additional communication needs are obvious to practice staff;
- Share this information with other care givers such as social care;
- Act to ensure our staff can effectively communicate with patients who may have additional communication needs.
If you feel this applies to you, or someone you care for please let us know by telephoning us on 0300 130 3333.
Social prescribing
Age UK
Social prescribing service for registered patients over 18.
Helping people to connect to services within their local community that support their overall wellbeing.
Support can be given be for a range of issues from social isolation and help with your wellbeing, to housing problems, debt or benefit support.
Access to Age UK’s social prescribers is available through our practice for our registered patients over the age of 18. Contact us to request a referral through eConsult.
Together Co
Support to navigate local services and make connections with people and places to support your health and wellbeing.
Social Prescribing Brighton & Hove / 0127 322 9382
Mental health services
Self help
Online information, resources and tips about how to support your wellbeing:
Support for young people:
Sussex Mental Healthline
Provides direct support for mental wellbeing and signposting to other services.
Sussex Mental Healthline 24/7 telephone service: 0300 500 0101
Mental Health Rapid Response Service (MHRRS)
Provides support for adults (18+) experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can refer: 0300 304 0078
UOK Brighton & Hove
Is a group of sixteen community groups working together to provide prevention, wellbeing and recovery support for people with a range of mental health issues. Support for carers and families is also available.
A freephone central access point phone number is operated by a team of community navigators who can guide people through the support available and provide professional advice.
Self-refer online / 0808 196 1768
Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service
The wellbeing service supports people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The service provides talking therapies to adults (18+) with mild to moderate depression, anxiety disorders and some trauma. The Children and Young People’s (CYP) service provides a range of treatment for young people from 4-25 who require support for anxiety, low mood, stress and phobias.
The service offers an open access advice and information service to the public as well as to wellbeing clients.
Self-refer online / 0300 002 0060 / bics.brighton-and-hove-wellbeing@nhs.net
Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust (SPFT)
Is the specialist mental health service. Access to support is via GP and primary care team and other professional referral routes.
Suicide
Need someone to talk to? Call Samaritans on 116 123 and look at the Preventing Suicide in Sussex website.
Grassroots Stay Alive App: a suicide prevention resource if you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.
Bereaved by suicide? / 0737 661 6628 / Sussexbereavedbysuicide@cruse.org.uk
View comprehensive online support guides.
Drug and alcohol services
Brighton and Hove Recovery Service / 0127 373 1900
Brighton & Hove City Council
Provides support for social care, education, housing, finance and related public services.
Visit the Brighton & Hove website for more information.
Breakeven Sussex
Debt advice
Mental health and money self-help and toolkits
Mental Health & Money Advice: a website offering practical advice, tips and a toolkit.
The MoneySavingExpert.com guide to mental health and debt.
Online money advice resources
Benefits calculators
Entitled 2 Benefits Calculator
Budgeting tools
Policy in Practice Benefit and Budgeting Calculator
Money Advice Service Budget Planner
Local debt and money advice
Money Advice Plus
Specialist debt and benefit advice, casework and support.
Money Advice Plus / 0127 366 4000
Moneyworks
Here to help Brighton & Hove residents save money, make money and manage their money better. The services are for anyone who is struggling to make ends meet. Drop-ins and helpline support.
Money Advice Brighton & Hove / 0800 988 7037
Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove
Provide free confidential and impartial advice.
Citizens Advice Brighton & Hove / 0808 278 7815
St Luke’s Advice Service
Provides free advice, information and help with form filling in relation to debt, benefits and pension credit.
St Luke’s Advice Service / 0127 354 9203
Possability People
Disability advice centre can help with disability advice, welfare benefits and a range of other issues. Can help with enquiries about:
- Disability benefits (ESA, UC, PIP, AA, Carers Allowance, WTC).
- Disability benefits appeals
- Some pension credit enquiries
- Some Council Tax enquiries
- Fuel debt or changing fuel providers
- Utilities debt
- Information on equipment or assistive technology
- Accessible holidays
- Food bank referrals
Advisors are available by telephone on 0127 389 4050, from 10am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (closed Wednesdays).
If you are deaf or hard of hearing text to 0771 842 4214.
Visit the Possability People website.
Youth Advice Centre in Brighton
Offers housing advice, family mediation, floating support, advice and support around emotional health and wellbeing and debts and benefits. Budgeting and money management advice and support with benefit claims.
YMCA Youth Advice Centre (YAC) in Brighton / 0127 362 4432
The Financial Support Line for Victims of Domestic Abuse
Financial support for victims of domestic abuse.
Armed Forces Network
If you or a close member of your family have served or are serving in the UK Armed Forces there is help and support available.
Sussex Armed Forces Network / 0127 340 3693
National debt and money advice
Money Advice Service
Offers free and impartial money advice, set up by the government.
Telephone: 0800 138 7777
Typetalk: 18001 0800 915 4622
WhatsApp: 0770 1342 744
Visit the Money Advice Service website.
StepChange
Online and telephone free, confidential debt advice.
StepChange Debt Charity / 0800 138 1111
National Debtline
Free independent debt advice on the telephone or webchat and offer online tools.
Digital Advice Tool / 0808 808 4000
Debt Advice Foundation
Debt advice, tools and resources.
Personal Debt Analyser / 0800 043 4050
Financial hardship support and advice
Community hub
If you need emergency help with food, energy bills and other essentials, please phone 0127 329 3117 and select option 1. You will be directed to the Local Discretionary Social Fund.
For queries relating to COVID-19, please phone 0127 329 3117 and select option 2. You will be directed to the Community Hub.
If you are over 18, require food or shopping related support and can afford to pay for this, please phone 0127 329 3117 and select option 3. You will be directed to Food Support at Impact Initiatives
If you need help to stay safe and well, or if you need care and support, please call Access Point on 0127 329 5555.
Request help for yourself or someone else.
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
A not-for-profit organisation including community organisations, statutory agencies, local business and individual residents. Offering various community food projects, including community gardens, food sharing, food banks and free or low cost meals. Visit the website.
Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project (BUCFP)
Provides practical support, education and advice to those in poverty, poor living conditions or low incomes.
Impact YPC
City Centre space for drop-in support, affordable meals, activities, counselling, peer support
UOK Brighton & Hove
A group of 16 community groups working together to provide prevention, wellbeing and recovery support for people with a range of mental health issues. Support for carers and families is also available.
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, a freephone central access point phone number is operated by a team of community navigators who can guide people through the support available and provide professional advice.
