Below are some organisations and support links for a number of different issues that you or someone you know may be facing.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch with Healthwatch North Lincolnshire by sending an email to enquiries@healthwatchnorthlincolnshire.co.uk, or calling 01724 844986.
Health and Social Care:
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North Lincolnshire Council Healthy Lifestyle Service –They can support people with things such as achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, stopping smoking, being more active, and increasing your emotional health. You can get in touch with them by sending an email to nlc.healthylifestyles@nhs.net or calling them on 01724 298212
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Disability Liaison Nurse - Learning Disability Liaison nurses work clinically with patients every day, as well as ensuring that staff are given advice and support so that reasonable adjustments can be made to patient care. If you have a learning disability and you need to go into hospital, it's important to let the staff know beforehand. The Learning Disability nurse at Scunthorpe General Hospital is Charlotte Simpson. She can be contacted weekdays on 03033 306175.
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Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) – PALS deal with any compliments, concerns or complaints you have about your local hospital. You can get in touch with them by sending an email to nlg-tr.PALS@nhs.net or calling 03033 306518
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Cloverleaf Advocacy – Cloverleaf Advocacy provides advocacy services to people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, older people, people with physical and sensory impairment, and carers. This supports people to make their own decisions, have their own voices heard, their rights respected and to achieve their own goals. To contact them, send an email to northlincs@cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk or give them a call on 01724 854952.
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Adult Information Service (AIS) - AIS provides free, impartial information and guidance on services, activities and what’s on for adults across North Lincolnshire. They provide advice on staying independent, support in your community, support for carers, activities and groups for you to get involved in and general information on care and support. You can visit their website at www.adultinformationhub.co.uk or send them an email at ais@northlincs.gov.uk or give them a call on 01724 297000.
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Virgin Care Sexual Health Hub – They are able to provide advice around any sexual health concerns you may have, and offer free testing for STI’s (including at-home testing kits), contraception, and PrEP. To find out more, visit their website at www.thesexualhealthhub.co.uk/services-near-you/north-east- lincolnshire/ or call them on 0300 330 1122.
Autism and Learning Disability Support:
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North Lincolnshire Autism Spectrum Education Team (ASET) – This team provides support to schools, families and services to enable children and young people on the autism spectrum to achieve their potential in mainstream settings. To contact the ASET Team, please send an email to Nicola.stephenson@northlincs.gov.uk or call 01724 297945.
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The National Autistic Society – This is the UK's leading charity for people on the autism spectrum and their families. They provide support, guidance and advice, as well as campaign for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people. To contact them, call 0808 800 1050 or send an email to supportercare@nas.org.uk. You can also visit their website at www.autism.org.uk/.
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Mencap – They believe that people with a learning disability should be valued equally, listened to and included in all aspects of life. Their services range from providing care to providing advice and information on things like employment and education, helping someone live independently for the first time, and even things like reporting a crime to the police. You can visit their website at www.mencap.org.uk/or give them a call on 0808 808 1111.
Work and Employment:
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Action Station - The Action Station in North Lincolnshire is on-hand to offer valuable support and advice for people looking for jobs. The team can help with CV writing, job searches and offer tips on applying for jobs. You can call them on 01724 296969 or send them an email at action.station@northlincs.gov.uk.
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Department For Work and Pensions (DWP) – The DWP is a ministerial department which is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. It provides the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. You can visit their website at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work- pensions.
Housing:
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North Lincolnshire Council Housing Advice Team – They will do their best to advise, help and signpost with regard to any general questions or problems around housing. They are able to assist tenants, homeowners and landlords with a range of issues. You can call them on 01724 297777 or email them at housingadvice@northlincs.gov.uk.
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Shelter - Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through their personalised advice, support and legal services. You can visit their website at www.england.shelter.org.uk.
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The Forge Project – They provide advice and support for homeless and other vulnerable individuals in North Lincolnshire. Their day centre opens five mornings per week offering food and vital support services. You can visit their website at www.theforgeproject.co.uk/ or call them on 01724 276742.
Foodbank:
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Scunthorpe – They provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks which are working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. You can send them an email at info@scunthorpe.foodbank.org.uk or call them on 07731321896.
Mental health:
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Scunthorpe and District Mind – They offer a range of support services for people in North Lincolnshire including 1-1 sessions and an evening telephone helpline Thurs-Sun. You can call them on 01724 279500.
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Samaritans – The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for anyone who is struggling with their mental health. You can call their helpline on 116 123.
LGBTQ+:
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Life-Central – Provides information for young people in North Lincolnshire on a range of topics including health, education, sexual health, and sexuality. You can visit their website at www.life- central.org and they also have an app you can download on Android and Apple devices.
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BeaYourself - BeaYourself is an LGBT support network designed for all members of the LGBT community, allies, families and friends. It is run by Bea, who is a local transgender female. You can visit the BeaYourself website which contains useful articles and information at www.beayourself.co.uk/.
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME):
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The Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation (GMCVO) – Their website www.gmcvo.org.uk/Coronavirus/BAMESupport.
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NHS – The NHS strives to ensure that any issues which BAME colleagues and patients experience are addressed. Recent research has also highlighted the disproportionate impact that Coronavirus has had on BAME communities. You can find more information on this at www.england.nhs.uk/blog/supporting-our-bame-nhs- people-during-and-beyond-covid-19-an-update.
Eating disorders:
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BEAT – Beat is a UK eating disorder charity which encourages and empowers people to get help quickly. They provide a range of support to sufferers and also their relatives, as well as provide information to help educate, and remove many of the stigmas lists information, sources of support and resources for BAME communities during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. You can visit their website at associated with eating disorders. You can visit their website at www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
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SEED – Seed is an eating disorder support service based in Hull. They work with people who have eating disorders and their families by providing support and helping sufferers to find professional help to overcome their eating disorder. You can visit their website at www.seedeatingdisorders.org.uk/or call their advice line on 01482 718130.
Domestic Abuse:
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Blue Door –You can visit their website at www.thebluedoor.org/ or call their helpline on 0800 197 47 87. They are a specialist service who provide support to anyone that has experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence in North and North East Lincolnshire and those who have experienced rape and serious sexual offences in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through a variety of advocacy, outreach workers, groups and programmes.
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Refuge – This organisation helps to support women and children who are victims of domestic violence. More information such as types of abuse, is explained on their website at www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/on their website. You can call their helpline 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247 or use their online web-chat option.
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Women’s Aid – They aim to empower women who have been affected by domestic abuse to live independent lives free from fear and abuse. They do this by providing services run by women that are based on listening to survivors and responding to what they define as their needs. You can visit their website at www.womensaid.org.uk/ for more information or to use their live online chat service. Alternatively you can send an email to helpline@womensaid.org.uk.
Addiction:
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We Are With You – They provide free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health. They also have a branch in North Lincolnshire, which is continuing to provide support during the Coronavirus pandemic. You can get in touch with them by calling 08081 430640, or visitingwww.wearewithyou.org.uk/services/north-lincolnshire.
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Be Gamble Aware – 0808 8020 133
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Quit smoking support (NHS) – The NHS ‘Better Health’ website contains information to support people to quit smoking. It contains useful advice, articles and tips to help you quit, as well as information on local stop smoking services. You can visit their website at www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/.
Bereavement:
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Cruse Bereavement Care - 0808 808 1677