Advice for Ukraine Refugees

Many of the children and families arriving in the UK who have fled the conflict in Ukraine will have experienced extreme trauma, having lost loved ones, seen death and injury, seen their homes destroyed and fled to safety.

Barnardo’s has set up a free helpline, staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, to offer support to children and families arriving in the UK from Ukraine.

The helpline is open Monday – Friday (10am-8pm) and Saturday (10am-3pm).
Callers will be able to get help and advice on a range of issues to help them build a brighter future. This will include:

• Therapy with a qualified psychotherapist delivered via the phone or online, with access to interpreters.
• Advice on a range of issues (e.g., housing, accessing key health services, education, employment and more).
• Practical support including access to digital devices, toys for children, baby items and food bank vouchers.

You can view or download the poster with more information about the helpline here.

Download social media assets to help spread the word here.

If you live in Gloucestershire and are aged 9-25, you can get support from our Talk Well counsellors. Talk Well works hard at raising funds so they can arrange for a counsellor to see you for free, all you need to do is call us on 01594 372777 or text us on 07520 634063 to arrange an appointment. We know it can be hard to take that first step but, like the other young people we’ve helped, you’ll be so glad you did.

If you need to speak to someone urgently, call NHS 111 (on 111) or the Samaritans on 116 123. There’s always someone there to help, and any conversations you have with them are confidential.

Talk Well also offers a Parent Support & Advice Line. If your child lives in Gloucestershire and is between the ages of 0 and 25 and you, as a parent or carer, would like support, please get in touch. To make it easier to reach out for help we offer a choice of ways to contact us on Freephone 0800 6525675 or web-chat. Whichever option you choose, there is no need to make an appointment, drop-in anytime during our open hours.

Alternatively, if you are a parent and would like to arrange counselling for a young person who lives in Gloucestershire and is aged 9-25, they can get support from our Talk Well counsellors. All they, or someone they trust, needs to do is call us on 01594 372777 or text us on 07520 634063 to give us some details so we can arrange an appointment.

For more advice check out our SUPPORT RESOURCES page!