• Ways to reduce your fuel bills.

The Sheffield City Council website has a page of information about ways to reduce your fuel bills.

• Find ways to save energy in your home

The government has a Simple Energy Advice website, including an Energy Efficiency Calculator which provides personalised advice on reducing energy bills

• Green Doctor: provides free Green Doctor visits to help with reducing heating costs

Groundwork provides free Green Doctor visits to help with reducing heating costs

• National Energy Action: provide support to the most vulnerable and low-income households

NEA provide one-to-one advice, support, and grants to the most vulnerable and low-income households.

• Ofgem:Energy suppliers provide support for vulnerable people, including those with a mental health condition or families with children under five.

• Discretionary Housing Payments can provide financial support for rent or housing costs

Discretionary Housing Payments can provide financial support for rent or housing costs to those who receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (but not the maximum amount).

• The Homelessness Prevention Fund can be used as short-term help for someone who is homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Homelessness Prevention Fund can be used as short-term help for someone who is homeless or at risk of homelessness

• Shelter provide advice If you are worried about paying your rent or mortgage

Shelter provide advice If you are worried about paying your rent or mortgage

Children use the internet regularly and may be involved in more online activity than their parents. Some children may have greater technical knowledge than their parents, but they may be unable to identify the risks of giving too much personal information online, and may be unable to spot scams as readily as adults. 

Take time to get involved with your children’s internet use and teach them about online safety, which includes the following:

1. Don’t post any personal information online - like your address, email address or phone number

2. Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself. Once you’ve put a picture of yourself online most people can see it and may be able to download it - it’s not just yours anymore

3. Keep your privacy settings as high as possible 

4. Never give out your passwords 

5. Don’t befriend people you don’t know

6. Don’t meet up with people you’ve met online. Speak to your parent or carer about people suggesting you do

7. Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are

8. Think carefully about what you say before you post something online 

9. Respect other peoples views - even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views it doesn’t mean you need to be rude

10. If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried leave the website, turn off your computer if you want, and tell a trusted adult immediately.

• Protect your email account with a separate password

Your email account contains lots of information about you and is the gateway to all your other online accounts. If you think about it, if someone gets into your email, they could potentially reset the password on all your online accounts. That’s why it’s so important to keep it secure by protecting it with a strong password that is different to all your others.

• Create a strong password using three random words

Essentially the longer and more unusual your password is, the stronger it becomes and the harder it is for a criminal to hack or guess. The best way to make your password hard to hack is by using a sequence of three random – but memorable words. For example, “BeachTarantulaOranges” (don’t copy this one though…).

• Turn on two factor authentication

For an added layer of security on your important accounts, such as email, social media and banking, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). This is a free security feature that’s available on many popular services and helps to prevent criminals accessing your accounts even if they have your password.

What happens is after you have entered your password, you are also sent a text or code when you log in, to check you are who you say you are. So if another person tries to access your account, they can’t even if they have your password.

• Update your devices

Making sure your devices – your laptop, phone, tablet, games console, smart speaker - have the most up to date software and apps is one of the best things you can do to immediately improve your security.

Cyber criminals exploit weaknesses in software and apps to access your sensitive personal data, but providers are continually working to keep you secure by releasing regular updates. We’d encourage you to regularly check for updates on your devices and apps or set them to automatically update so you don’t have to think about it anymore.

• Turn on automatic backup

If you’ve ever left your phone in your pocket and not realised until you heard it bouncing round the washing machine, your first two thoughts were probably ‘that’s going to be expensive’ and ‘I hope I haven’t lost all my photos’.

We can’t help with the first thought, but the second one is easy to prepare for, just turn on automatic backup on your device. Not only will it help keep those treasured memories safe so you can access them again when you get a new device; it will also mean that if your phone, tablet or laptop is hacked you can recover quickly from your backup.

• Report suspicious emails

Ever wondered what you should do if you or your children receive an email you think might be scam? The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently launched its Suspicious Email Reporting Service, so if you receive an email you think is at all suspicious you can simply forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk.

If anything is found to be malicious, the NCSC will take it down and you will have helped protect others from falling victim to scams. Since it was launched in April, they have received over a million reports, which has led to over 10,000 new scams being taken down.

National charity offering confidential advice

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Site explaining what government help is available to people

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Charity offering emergency food support

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Calculator showing what benefits people could quality for.

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A community support project of the St Vincent de Paul Society, collects and redistributed recycled furniture and household items to people who are disadvantaged due to poverty, deprivation and circumstance.

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The freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline

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IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services). Call the confidential helpline free 0808 808 2241

Tel: 0800 2000 247. Free phone 24 hour.

Tel: 0808 802 9999.

The national helpline is provided by Rape Crisis South London. It offers confidential emotional support, information and referral details. 

Open between 12:00 - 14:30 and 19:00 - 21:30 every day of the year.

Tel: 0808 801 0327

Telephone support Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm

Tel: 0800 999 5428

Emotional and practical support for LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse.

Mental Health Matters is a walk-in service where no referral is needed. The Sheffield Support Hub offers free mental health support in a welcoming, comfortable, non-judgemental, and non-clinical environment. 

Their experienced team is available to provide emotional, social and practical support if you are in crisis or feel you are heading toward a crisis situation.

MeeToo is a multi-award winning, free, anonymous app where young people can talk about difficult things. Built on research showing the positive impact of peer support for mental health, MeeToo provides a safe, pre-moderated (by humans) space for young people aged 11+ to experiment with opening up about whatever may be on their mind.

Posts can be responded to by other users, as well as a team of trained university psychology students and MeeToo counsellors who help to guide discussions and ensure that no post goes unanswered.

Moderators check every post and reply before they go live to ensure the safety and anonymity of our users, and our counsellors uphold a sophisticated system for monitoring and tracking potential safeguarding risks.

MeeToo supports over 6,000 young people each month. It is featured on the NHS Apps Library and promoted by more than 1,000 schools in the UK.

SafeSpot gives you your own personalised coping plan, useful strategies and tools to help and directions to local resources to help you - all at your fingertips.

SafeSpot has 3 aspects:

1. The Quirky and Cool SafeSpot App

2. SafeSpot website

3. SafeSpot Curriculum

Together these aspects of SafeSpot will aim to equip young people with all the information, advice and access to services that they need to manage their own mental health and deal with any challenges that life may throw at them.

SafeSpot has involved young people throughout the design and development of the app, website and curriculum.

The website also has workbooks which may be useful.

Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. 

On My Mind has been developed by the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families to support children and young people make informed choices about mental health support. 

The free digital resources are designed for use by children and young people between the ages of 10 – 25 who are thinking about looking for support, who may be receiving or waiting to receive support or for those the traditional offer does not appeal to or has not worked for and who want help and information about self-managing their own mental health and wellbeing.

Feeling stressed, anxious, low or struggling to sleep? Every Mind Matters and One You can help with expert advice and practical tips. Start the fightback to a healthier you today.

Door 43 is Sheffield Futures mental health and wellbeing service, available for young people aged 13-25

This site is all about helping you to help your friends who might be struggling to cope emotionally.

Leading the fight for the future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges.

Support and information for people hearing voices, 14-19 year olds.

Advice and support.

Calm Harm provides tasks to help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can make it private by setting a password, and personalise the app if you so wish. You will be able to track your progress and notice change.

Mental Health Advice; reducing stigma campaigns under 25 section.

Meditation / relaxation app, 13 and up.

"Brilliant things happen in calm minds."

Whether you are experiencing mental health issues, you are worried about someone else,or you are interested in how to stay mentally healthy, there are lots of different ways you can look after your mental health and find support.

Kooth.com is an online counselling and support service which is now available to all young people in Sheffield aged 11-18 years and to those who are leaving the care system up to 25. It is a safe, confidential and anonymous way for young people to access emotional wellbeing and early intervention mental health and support.

Papyrus-uk.org is a confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person, through their helpline - HOPELINEUK.

Sheffield Flourish have now launched the Sheffield Suicide Support website, which is available here.

The Hub of Hope is the world's first of its kind mental health database bringing grassroots national mental health services together in one place for the first time ever.

Using the location web browser or mobile devices, the cloud-based web application allows anyone, anywhere, to find the nearest source of support for any mental health issue, from depression and anxiety, to PTSD and suicidal thoughts, as well as providing a 'talk now' button connecting users directly to the Samaritans.

It is currently the biggest and most comprehensive resource of its kind, with more then 1,200 validated support networks already registered on the web app and this number increasing each day. It has been endorsed by the Samaritans and 25 other national mental health support organisations and trusts.

Under 18s helpline - 0845 634 7650.

First Steps

Beat

Teen Sleep Hub

Adults advice and information

Information, support, crisis line - up to 19.

0800 1111

The Children and Young People's Empowerment Project is a charity dedicated to raising the voices of young people and giving them the confidence, influence and platform to shape their world.

18 years and under.

0800 1111

If you would like support and advice,
you can talk to one of our Family Support Workers
by calling our confidential helpline on
0808 800 2222.

Young DeafHope is a unique project working with young Deaf people of eleven years and older, to raise awareness of abuse and domestic violence. Our aim is to help young people change or avoid abusive behaviour, and to help them to have healthy relationships and stay safe.

NSPCC have launched a video version of the successful underwear rule guide to help deaf children talk PANTS and stay safe.

Support and information for young people who have a carer's role who are aged 8-25 years old.

Helps create safer digital spaces #FORTHEKIDS.

SAYiT's Vision is to create an environment that supports the sexual and emotional wellbeing of young people and empowers LGBT+ young people and those affected by HIV to transform their own lives and that of their peers by addressing issues of awareness, developing knowledge and addressing organisational discrimination and inequality. 

The National Information Centre on Children of Offenders has been established to provide an information service for all professionals who come into contact with the children and families of offenders.  The Centre is delivered by Barnardo's in partnership with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPSS). 

Cavendish Cancer Care is a local Sheffield charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with cancer in South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We believe no one should face cancer alone, so we provide emotional support through counselling and complementary therapies to the patient, their carer and their children. Our services are provided free of charge and we rely on the donations from supporters and help from volunteers to continue our work. We provide the support that local families deserve. 

Incidentally, the NAS have launched their re-brand with a new logo and a new vision 'a society that works for autistic people.'

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We understand that being online is important for children and young people.

It’s also important to feel in control of what happens in the digital world. Being online can be confusing, and you can encounter conflicting advice and information on sexual relationships through pornography, social media or other online sources.

Our website offers upfront and clear information on sex and the law to make sure you:

• are well informed
• feel supported
• know where you can go for help if you have any concerns or questions

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Guides which aim to empower parents by providing essential steps and insights on how to handle the traumatic situation of child sextortion.

Learn more - IWF (Internet Watch Foundation)

Learn more - Internet Matters

Children and Young people - Hopeagain - 0808 808 1677.

Adult - Cruse Bereavement Care - 0808 808 1677.

Explaining miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a newborn baby to young children.

Grief Encounter is one of the UK's leading bereaved child charities, providing free, pioneering services and support to bereaved children, young people and their families.

Phone: 0808 802 0111 (Free to call; Monday - Friday 9am-9pm)
Email: grieftalk@griefencounter.org.uk

Talk Grief is a dedicated online space for grieving teenagers and young adults (13 to 25), powered by the childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish. Here you can learn from other young grieving people, find healthy ways to cope and feel less alone. You’ll find out what it’s really like to live with grief from teenagers and young adults, along with advice and tips on managing your grief from our bereavement experts.

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Hollie Guard is a next generation smartphone app that provides enhanced levels of protection. In danger? With a simple shake or tap it activates Hollie Guard, immediately notifying your chosen contacts, pinpointing your location and sending audio and video evidence directly to their mobile phones.