This page has details of websites and organisations that we regularly provide links to, broken down into different subject areas. This is part of our approach of signposting to others.
Criminal record checks
The Association of Chief Police Offices (ACPO) operate the Criminal Records Office (ACRO). They are responsible for subject access requests for most police forces, as well as police certificates.
Website: www.acro.police.uk
Telephone: 02380 479 920
Email: customer.services@acro.pnn.police.uk
Government body established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and merges functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
Website: www.gov.uk/dbs
Telephone: 03000 200 190
Email: customerservices@dbs.gsi.gov.uk
Government body who work to provide a more effective and transparent criminal justice system and have responsibility for the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Telephone: 020 3334 3555
Online contact form: https://contact-moj.service.justice.gov.uk/
Government body an executive body of the Scottish Government providing basic level checks in England, Wales and Scotland.
Website: www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
Telephone: 03000 2000 40 (or +44 141 427 2284)
Email: info@disclosurescotland.gsi.gov.uk
Employment
Can assist with claiming benefits and help getting back into employment.
Website: www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
Telephone: 0345 604 3719 or Contact your nearest jobcentre plus
The Governments main Welfare to Work Programme will be replaced by the Work and Health Programme in the autumn of 2017. The Work and Health Programme will provide specialised support for those unemployed for over two years and, on a voluntary basis, to those with health conditions or disabilities. The Programme will be run by service providers awarded contracts by the government. The Programme will target people who with specialist support are likely to be able to find work within 12 months. It takes the place of two existing welfare-to-work schemes, the Work Programme and Work Choice, although many jobseekers who would previously have been supported by the Work Programme will now receive support directly through Jobcentre Plus rather than the Work and Health Programme.
A national programme which specifically helps people in prison and those in the community that have recently been sentenced or released from prison. You usually need to be referred onto the programme. For details of your local provider contact NOMS-CFO
Website: https://www.creatingfutureopportunities.gov.uk
Telephone: 01925 423 444
Email: CFO-servicedesk@justice.gov.uk
Address: NOMS CFO, 1100 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4HS
Provides careers advice and information on a wide range of jobs, training course resources and funding.
Website: www.nationalcareersservice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 100 900
An organisation devoted to preventing and resolving employment disputes.
Website: www.acas.org.uk
Helpline online service
Insurance
The ABI provides consumers with general information on insurance and savings products.
Website: www.abi.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7600 3333
BIBA assists individuals to access insurance products through it’s ‘Find a Broker’ service.
Website: www.biba.org.uk
Telephone: 0370 950 1790
Email: enquiries@biba.org.uk
The Chartered Insurance Institute investigates complaints made by individuals against people in the financial services profession.
Website: www.cii.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8989 8464
Email: customer.serv@cii.co.uk
The Financial Ombudsman is the UK’s offical expert in helping individuals to sort out problems with banks, insurance, pensions etc.
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 023 4 567 or 0300 123 9 123
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme is responsible for compensating customers when their insurers have stopped trading or have no assets to pay claims made against them.
Website: www.fscs.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 678 1100 or 020 7741 4100
Housing
Shelter works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing by providing advice, information and advocacy to people in housing need and by campaigning for political change to end the housing crisis.
Website: england.shelter.org.uk
Telephone: Helpline 0808 800 4444
Offer a drop in housing advice service for local homeless people.
Website: www.stgilestrust.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 801 0600
On line form: www.stgilestrust.org.uk/contact-us/
Address : 64-68 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8JB
Offer housing information, advice and resettlement services.
Website: www.mungos.org
Telephone: 020 3856 6000
Email: info@mungos.org
Address: 3 Thomas More Square, Tower Hill, London E1W 1YW
The national charity for single homeless people, offers housing advice and assists single homeless people find rented accommodation.
Website: www.crisis.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 636 1967
Email: enquiries@crisis.org.uk
Address: 66 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT
A registered housing provider who provides homes and housing related support to people with complex needs.
Website: www.nacro.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 1999
Email: helpline@nacro.org.uk
Address: Walkden House, 16-17 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4SQ
Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC’s) are private sector suppliers of probation services in England and Wales responsible for supervising low and mediium risk offenders. To find the details of your local CRC visit www.gov.uk.
Website: www.gov.uk
National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS) provides free advice, training and support to housing professionals working in local councils, voluntary advice agencies, local Citizens Advice and public authorities in England.
Website: www.NHAS.org.uk
Family members of those in prison
Offer support for anybody with a family member who is in contact with the criminal justice system. They provide advice on all aspects from arrest to preparing for release.
Website: www.offendersfamilieshelpline.org Telephone: 0808 808 2003 Email: info@offendersfamilieshelpline.org Address: 15-17 The Broadway, Hatfield, Herts AL9 5HZ
Provide support services to families through all stages of the Criminal Justice System from arrest to resettlement.
Website: www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 702 1000
Email: mail@partnersofprisoners.co.uk
Address: POPS, 1079 Rochdale Road, Blackley, Manchester M9 8AJ
PACT is a national charity that provides support to prisoners, people with convictions and their families.
Website: www.prisonadvice.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 808 3444 Email: info@prisonadvice.org.uk . Address: 29 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UA
Work with parents whose children are in need, at risk or are in the care system.
Website: www.frg.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 801 0366
Address: 2nd Floor, The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL
Legal advice
We have a number of links to searchable websites, specific organisations and useful resources. These are on a page in the information section of this site.
Immigration advice
We are unable to give immigration advice as under UK immigration law, organisations can only provide this if they are registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Details of specialist immigration organisations can be found below.
Bail for Immigration Detainees is an independent charity that exists to challenge immigration detention in the UK. They provide legal advice and representation to migrants detained in removal centres and prisons to help them secure their release.
Website: www.biduk.org
Telephone: 020 7459 9750
Email: enquiries@biduk.org
Charities and voluntary organisations across the UK are being funded to provide help and information to vulnerable EU, EEA and Swiss citizens applying to the EU Settlement Scheme. The Home Office has information online about the organisations providing this support
The Citizens Advice Bureau website provides information on all aspects of immigration issues.
Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/immigration
For your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau office : Contact us – Citizens Advice
Movement for Justice was set up in 1995 to tackle racism in institutional and established forms. They fight for immigrant rights and a society that is integrated on the basis of justice and equality.
Website: www.movementforjustice.co.uk
PRCBC is the only organisation to focus directly on children and young adults and their right to British citizenship. They provide legal advice, aid, assistance and services relating to the registration of children as British citizens, to those people who could not otherwise obtain such provision due to lack of means.
Website: https://prcbc.org
For people with sexual offences
Supporting men and women who have sexually offended to resettle into the community by finding work or managing money.
Website: www.circles-uk.org.uk
Telephone: 0118 950 0068
Online contact form: https://circles-uk.org.uk/contact-us/
Address: Freepost Abbey House, Abbey Square, Reading, Berkshire RG1 3BE
A child protection charity committed to reducing the risk of children being sexually abused. LFF work with adult male and female sexual abusers, young people with inappropriate sexual behaviours, victims of abuse and other family members.
Their Stop It Now Helpline gives confidential advice and support to prevent child sex abuse.
Website: www.lucyfaithfull.org
Telephone: 0808 1000 900
Email: help@stopitnow.org.uk
Provides specialist therapy across the UK to people with sexual convicitons.
Website: www.stopso.org.uk
Telephone: 07473 299883
Email: info@stopso.org.uk
Resettlement services
The Clinks Directory is an online database listing hundreds of voluntary and community organisations working with offenders and their families.
Website: www.clinks.org/directory
Prison links
Links can be found in the information section on prison.
Counselling
Although we’re unable to provide any counselling services we’ve set out below some useful contacts. Some of these are general and some specific to people with convictions.
Provide confidential, non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, including those which could lead to suicide.
Website: www.samaritans.org
Telephone: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Address: Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, Stirling FK8 2SA
Offer advice, relationship counselling, sex therapy, workshops, mediation, consultations and support face-to-face, by phone or through their website.
Website: www.relate.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 100 1234
BACP are the largest and broadest body within the sector. It’s work with large and small organisations within the sector ranges from advising schools on how to set up a counselling service, assisting the NHS on service provision, working with voluntary agencies and supporting independent practitioners.
Website: www.bacp.co.uk
Telephone: 01455 883300
Email: bacp@bacp.co.uk
You can use the Counselling Directory to search their network to connect with a professional counsellor or psychotherapist. They only list qualified/registered counsellors and psychotherapists.
Website: www.counselling-directory.org.uk
Jigsaw Therapies is run by Jo Murdoch-Goodwin, who has experience of working in prisons in Kent, setting up services for long-term offenders and substance misusers.
Website: www.jigsawtherapies.co.uk
Telephone: 07729 672003
Email: info@jigsawtherapies.co.uk
Affect is a non-judgemental organisation that supports the families and friends of prisoners regardless of length of sentence or type of offence”.
Website: www.affect.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 3653651
Email: affect01@hotmail.com
Address: c/o 58 Haylands, Portland, Dorset DT5 2LAT
Other organisations
Provide practical up-to-date information on a wide range of topics including benefits and housing, employment rights and discrimination and debt issues. Find your local bureau at www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Website: www.adviceguide.org.uk
The UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. Also provide advice on how to protect personal information and how to gain access to official records.
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
KeyRing has an e-helpline to assist people with learning disabilities or autism who are going through the criminal justice system.
Website: www.keyring.org/cjs/helpline Email: enquiries@keyring.org
Telephone: 020 3119 0960
Set up by the government to provide free and impartial money advice.
Website: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 138 7777
A women’s charity working to help and support women through the criminal justice system .
Website: www.rightsofwomen.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7251 6575
A Big Lottery Funded project which aims to reduce reoffending by improving employability and enhancing life skills. Their annual target is to get 30 ex-offenders a driving licence and in return for being taught to drive, the applicants must commit to 80 hours of voluntary work in the UR4Meals Foodbank.
Website: www.theupperroom.org.uk/ur4driving
Telephone: 07967 328564
Assists British citizens who are in prison abroad. They also help families and friends of people who are incarcerated abroad. When British citizens return back to the UK after being imprisoned abroad, they provide a resettlement service to support them.
Website: www.prisonersabroad.org.uk
People who maintain their innocence
We exist to help people who have accepted what they have done, and are now wishing to lead a law-abiding life. If you maintain your innocence, we have details below of some organisations that may be able to help you.
MOJO is a charity offering support to those who have suffered wrongful conviction.
Website: mojoscotland.org
Telephone: 0141 552 0009
Email: info@miscarriagesofjustice.org
Accused.me support anyone who has been falsely accused of domestic violence, rape or any other sexual offence.
Website: https://accused.me.uk
Online contact form: https://accused.me.uk/contact.us
Crisis services offering urgent support
You can access confidential emotional support at any time from the Samaritans. They are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Website: samaritans.org
Telephone: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
National charity offering information, advice and support to anybody with a mental health problem.
Website: www.mind.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling and need immediate help.
Website: crisistextline.uk
Text: 85258
Offer support to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.
Telephone: 0300 304 7000 (Open from 4.30pm to 10.30pm every day)
Offer support to anybody under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings.
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Telephone: 0800 068 4141 or text 07786 209 697
If you identify as male and have hit crisis point, you can contact CALM.
Website: www.thecalmzone.net/help/get-help/
Telephone: 0800 58 58 58 (open 5pm – midnight everyday)
Provide free confidential help and support to anybody under the age of 25 from Sunday – Friday, 2pm-11pm.
Website: www.themix.org.uk/get-support
Telephone: 0808 808 4994)
If you or somebody else is in danger, or it feels like a situation might get dangerous and you need support right away, click on the link below to find out how to contact the police.
Website: www.police.uk
Telephone: 999
Mental health services are free on the NHS.
Website: www.nhs.uk
Telephone: To get urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 Online Service, or call 111 if you’re unable to get help online. For life threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance.
CEOP help children stay safe online. If anybody acts inappropriately towards you or another child or young person online (such as sexual chat, or being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable) you can report if on the CEOP website.
Website: ceop.police.uk
Information/advice outside England & Wales
Our information and advice covers England & Wales only. We get lots of queries from people in other places, and much of our information and advice will be helpful. However, we’re unable to give specific advice as the laws and rules are different outside England & Wales, which is why we have details of organisations that cover different places below.
Australia
OARS has been delivering professional services and support to people who have offended and their families for over 130 years. They offer practical help including finding accommodation and clinical and legal support/services as well as advocating for better public policy to reduce the overuse of incarceration.
Website: www.oars.org.au
Outcare is a not for profit organisation providing rehabilitation services, programmes and support for people with convictions in Western Australia. They work with people prior to and after their release from prison and offer practical support such as finding accommodation, helping individuals find work together with financial assistance and support.
Website: www.outcare.com.au
VACRO works with individuals and families throughout an individual’s journey through the prison system and as they transition back into the community. They offer a range of courses for individuals as well as downloadable resources.
Website: www.vacro.org.au
The Prison Fellowship is a non-profit organisation set up approximately 40 years ago to support men and women in prison in Australia.
Website: https://prisonfellowship.org.au
Canada
CFN assists individuals and families affected by criminal behaviour and imprisonment. They offer a free helpline and a bank of downloadable resources as well as facilitating support groups.
Website: www.cfcn-rcafd.org
The John Howard Society have numerous offices across Canada and provide a range of services to released prisoners from basic job search skills to finding housing. They also advocate for changes in the criminal justice process and work to educate the public on all matters relating to criminal law and it’s application.
Website: johnhoward.ca
The 7th Step Society runs self-help programmes to assist people with convictions in changing their attitudes and behaviour that led them into conflict with the law.
Website: www.7thstep.ca
Kenya
The RPPC provide information, advice and training to assist people with convictions to reintegrate into society and rebuild ties with their families and friends.
Website: www.rpprights.org
Netherlands
Gevangenenzorg Nederlands is a voluntary organisation which helps people inside and out of the prison system, in becoming self-reliant. They also offer courses and mentoring to people released from prison.
Website: www.gevangenenzorg.nl/home
Northern Ireland
Access NI is a criminal record disclosure service in Northern Ireland.
Website: www.accessni.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 200 7888
Email: accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk
NIACRO is a charity based in Northern Ireland. Part of its work includes providing advice to people with convictions through a helpline.
Website: www.niacro.co.uk
Telephone: 028 9032 0157
Online Enquiry form: niacro
Portugal
CONFIAR provide assistance to ex-prisoners and their families.
Website: https://confiarportugal.pt/en/missao
Scotland
Disclosure Scotland is an executive body of the Scottish Government providing basic, standard and enhanced criminal record checks. They can provide advice on Scottish-related disclosure issues.
Website: www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
Telephone: 03000 2000 40 (or +44 141 427 2284)
Email: info@disclosurescotland.gsi.gov.uk
Next Chapter Scotland provides online information to anybody in Scotland who has been involved in the criminal justice system.
Website: www.nextchapterscotland.org.uk
Work with employers to promote safe, effective and sustainable employment for people with criminal records in Scotland.
Website: www.recruitwithconviction.org.uk
Email: info@recruitwithconviction.org.uk
The official site for the Scottish Government with information on MSP’s, history and current parliamentary business.
Website: www.parliament.scot
Telephone: 0131 348 5000 / 0800 092 7500
Email: info@parliament.scot
United States
A campaign initiated by John Legend to change the criminal justice policies in the USA.
Website: letsfreeamerica.com
Hope for Prisoners is a non-profit organisation that offers mentoring programmes, pre-vocational training workshops and other training to men, women and young adults exiting the criminal justice system.
Website: hopeforprisoners.com
Kentucky Re-entry are a collection of businesses, local government bodies, faith based organisations, non-profit organisations and individuals who work together to offer support, assistance and resources to those who have been in prison.
Website: www.kentuckyreentry.org
The Fortune Society helps those that have served prison sentences re-enter the community by providing a ‘one stop shop’ of in-house services.
Website: fortunesociety.org