About Careline
Why Careline Exists.
We exist because there many people today who are isolated by loneliness, a breakdown in relationships or by a particular personal or family problem that they cannot share. Sometimes people call because there is a worry or fear they want to talk about in confidence.
People need an empathetic, non-judgemental person at the other end of the line, who is interested in them and their feelings about whatever is troubling them.
What Can Careline Provide?
Careline provides confidential crisis telephone counselling for children, young people and adults.
We offer a unique service in that we can provide instant telephone crisis counselling to any individual on any issue.
The calls we receive include family, marital and relationship problems, rape and sexual assault, child abuse, bullying, exam worries, eating disorders, HIV/aids and sexual health, bereavement, drug and alcohol addictions, homelessness, disability, ethnic issues, stress, depression, loneliness, anxieties and phobias.
Careline also provides a subsidised face-to-face counselling service to adults who might otherwise find counselling beyond their resources.
At Careline we have an extensive referral system covering the whole country and can offer to refer callers to a specific agency or support group in their area if required.
Careline offers anti bullying and assertiveness workshops for local schools.
Callers refer themselves to our service and our details are passed on to callers from other agencies which include Childline, Child Protection teams, Domestic Violence Units, Victim Support Schemes, Relate, Mind, The Samaritans, C.A.B. Brook Advisory Centres, Rape Crisis Centres, G.Ps, Health Visitors, N.H.S. Direct, Social Workers, College Advisors, Teachers and Youth Leaders.
We are regularly referred to by agony aunts who write for national newspapers and magazines and by television companies including BBC, Granada, Carlton, LWT, and HTV Wales.
Careline Volunteers
Careline volunteers came from a wide range of backgrounds. We have a cultural mix of volunteers and as many of our callers come from different ethnic cultures, we are able to offer other spoken languages.
Although volunteers do not need to have any professional qualifications, we do look for warm, patient, stable, clear-headed people who have an accepting, non-judgemental attitude.
We look for people with a willingness to learn as after our initial extensive training, supervision and training is continuous for all volunteers, once accepted as crisis counsellors.
Our history
How Did Careline Evolve?
Careline has been in existence since 1978 and was previously run and funded by the National children's home as part of their countrywide network of NCH Carelines. Over the years NCH closed down their Carelines in order to pit their finances into developing new areas of work and the Ilford Careline was closed by NCH in September 1992.
The Careline volunteers, however, were determined to keep this important service running and embarked on an initial fundraising campaign to keep the telephone lines open.
A Management Committee was formed to manage the project and we are now registered as a national charity in our own right, receiving calls from all over the country. Out of the original 9 NCH Carelines, we are the only Careline to have remained open. Our Patron is Frank Lampard Senior.