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).
- Website: www.bemindfulonline.com
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.
- Phone: 116 123
- Website: www.samaritans.org
- Website: www.mypossibleself.com
- Website: calmharm.co.uk
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.
- Website: www.sleepio.com/nhs
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:
- Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/services/in-your-area
- Phone: 0800 678 1602, 8am to 7pm
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.
- Helpline: 0800 4 70 80 90
- Website: www.thesilverline.org.uk
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
- Website: www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10
Age UK’s physical activity service, Generation Games, offers an online video for home exercising for people over the age of 50.
- Website: generationgames.org.uk/videos
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.
- Website: www.turn2us.org.uk
- Website: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
- Website: www.gov.uk/coronavirus
- Website: www.nationaldebtline.org
- Website: www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
- Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
- Website: www.stepchange.org
Work
Stay up to date with the latest government information and advice for employers, employees and businesses.
- Website: www.gov.uk/coronavirus
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service can offer online and telephone guidance on employment related matters.
- Website: www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
This service can provide free advice on your employment rights and ways to solve problems at work.
- Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work.
- Website: nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
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.
- Website: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51868894
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.
- Website: www.trusselltrust.org
Healthy Start is a government scheme to improve the health of low-income pregnant women and families on benefits and tax credits.
- Website: www.healthystart.nhs.uk
Housing
- Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing
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.
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.
Page last reviewed: 21 June, 2021