Before contacting us
Our helpline is run on limited charitable resources and can get extremely busy. Please search our information and advice pages before contacting the helpline – if you can’t find what you’re looking for or you need more detailed help, we’ll be happy to hear from you.
Please note that we are only able to provide support to people based in England and Wales.
In a crisis?
If you’re feeling desperate and need to speak to someone outside of our opening hours, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 for free. You can also email them at jo@samaritans.org
Frequently asked questions about our Helpline
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Our telephone line is normally open Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 4.45pm. If there are any interruptions to our normal opening hours, a notice will be placed in the section above.
Please note: Our helpline is closed on public holidays (e.g. Bank Holidays) and over the Christmas break.
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Outside of our normal opening times, enquiries can be made by email, online, text, WhatsApp or letter. If your enquiry is urgent, please call theHelpline when it’s open.
We promise to respond to every enquiry that we receive. We try to respond to queries as soon as possible, and are normally able to do so within five working days, but sometimes this might be longer if we’re busy.
In the meantime, you may find the answer to your question on this self-help information site. In particular, check out our quick links section which has answers to some of the most common questions we get. Or you might find the answer on our online forum.
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We’re just a phone call away and because it’s just a phone call, you’re in total control of what’s happening – you can end the call at any time, and no one needs to know who you are, or where you’re calling from, unless you want them to.
If you’re calling us, you can dial 141 before you dial our number. This will hide your number (please check with your network providers as this doesn’t work on some mobile networks.
Our number will appear on your itemised bill – if someone else will see your telephone bill and you don’t want them to know you’ve called us, you may prefer to use a public telephone or pay-as-you-go mobile.
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We have a voicemail system so that you can leave us a message. If you would like us to call you back, please leave your name, number and brief message after the tone. If possible, please provide us with a landline number and the best time to get hold of you. If you only have a mobile, we will ask you to ring us back when we return your call.
Did you find what you were looking for?
If you couldn’t find the answer to your question in our information & advice articles, then you can try our disclosure calculator or contact the Helpline for direct support and advice.
Contacting the Helpline
The most important thing to remember is that we’re here to help! There are various ways that you can get in touch with us:
We ask that individuals contact us directly if possible. If a family member or an organisation working with you contacts us on your behalf, we will normally ask to speak to you.
Find out more about how our helpline works, and what issues we cover
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Call us on 01634 247350
The Helpline is open Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 4.45pm.
Call us -
Message or WhatsApp us on 07824 113848
Send us a message any time, and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.
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Email us about your own criminal record
Email us through this form and we aim to get back to you within five working days.
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Email us on behalf of a family member, friend or someone you're supporting
Email us through this form and we aim to get back to you within five working days.
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Write to us
Please send to the Helpline, Unlock, Maidstone Community Support Centre, 39-48 Marsham Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1HH
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Use our accessible service
Deaf and speech impaired callers can use our Relay UK Service. Textphone users should prefix their call with 18001.
New service for hearing and speech impaired callers
