Links

NHS online services

Everything you need to help you manage your mental health – tips and free resources offering simple steps to help you look after your mental health, reframe your thoughts, stay connected, stay fit and sleep better.

Wellbeing

The Mind charity provide helpful advice and ideas about how you can manage your wellbeing during the Coronavirus outbreak, as well as practical tips on how to plan and adapt if needing to self-isolate.

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust provide a useful self-help guide to managing stress.

A mindfulness course which is available online for improved mental wellbeing (£30).

Samaritans is a free, 24-hour helpline which is open 7 days a week offering support to anyone if they are feeling distressed or in despair.

My Possible Self and Feeling Good (age 18+) are mental health apps which supports you to develop skills to manage anxiety and stress and improve your wellbeing. Calm Harm is an app supporting those concerned about self-harm with managing emotions. Relax your body and mind with this series of NHS audio tracks designed to help you build confidence, energy and a positive mindset.

Sleep

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust provide a useful self-help guide to overcoming sleep difficulties.

Sleepio is a web-based self-help course based on CBT for Insomnia which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has been proven to help people make great improvements in the quality of their sleep.

Support for carers and the elderly

Too many older people feel they have no one to turn to for support. Age UK exists to help older people when they need us the most. Find your local Age UK group:

The Silver Line offers a confidential, free helpline for people aged 55 or over which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Silver Line offers advice, information and friendship; such as weekly friendship calls, facilitated group phone calls between people who have shared topics of interest, as well protecting and supporting older people from abuse and neglect.

Carers UK have published guidance for carers regarding what support is accessible to them, and the person they are caring for, during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Support for young people

A useful set of resources for supporting children and young people with worries about COVID-19.

A helpful resources for students coping with the coronavirus.

Physical activity

A collection of free workout exercises which you can access at home such as chair-based exercises and fitness videos, which include dance, yoga and strength-building exercises.
Active 10 is a free app which supports you to build brisk walking into your daily routine.

Age UK’s physical activity service, Generation Games, offers an online video for home exercising for people over the age of 50.

Money

Turn2us is a national charity helping people when times get tough. They provide financial support to help people get back on track with a range of tools including benefits calculators and specific advice around your personal circumstances.

This service provides free money guidance and debt advice online and by telephone.
Keep up to date with the most recent government changes.
A debt advice charity with free help and advice on dealing with your debt.
Jobcentre Plus is the part of the Department for Work and Pensions which delivers working-age support services. Find your nearest job centre or check eligibility for benefits online.
This service can provide free advice on debt and money issues.
A service that helps people with debt problems take back control of their finances and their lives.
Buckinghamshire Mind provide benefits and money advice to people using their service.
A service helping you to find out what financial help is available in relation to welfare benefits and how to make a claim or appeal.

Work

Stay up to date with the latest government information and advice for employers, employees and businesses.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service can offer online and telephone guidance on employment related matters.

This service can provide free advice on your employment rights and ways to solve problems at work.

Provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work.

Jobcentre Plus is the part of the Department for Work and Pensions which delivers working-age support services.

  • Website: www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus

The Coronavirus helpline is a help line specifically for the self-employed and businesses who are struggling due to the current situation. They can provide advice and guidance on tax and benefits you may be eligible for.

  • Phone: 0300 456 3565

Some top tips for working from home and how to manage this.

Food

The service is able to discuss your needs with you and how to access food banks.

Allows you to search for food banks near you in a network of food banks in the UK.

Healthy Start is a government scheme to improve the health of low-income pregnant women and families on benefits and tax credits.

Housing

A service offering advice and information regarding money and housing and what your rights are.

Provides helpful housing advice in light of Coronavirus, including rent payment problems and income and benefits.

Stay well

Whatever you are doing, remember to take the recommended health advice to stay well physically.

Go to trusted websites for advice such as GOV.UK and NHS.UK on how to reduce transmission and protect the vulnerable.

Get help from our talking therapy services, TalkingSpace Plus in Oxfordshire or Healthy Minds in Buckinghamshire.

 

For more ideas, visit Mental Health Matters’ guide to Mental wellbeing while staying at home.

Photo of a person looking out of the window.

Worry

Photo of a person pouring a cup of tea.

Wellbeing

Photo of a frail person sitting on their own.

Social isolation

Photo of a person accessing resources on their phone.

Resources

Page last reviewed: 21 June, 2021