UK charities supporting parent carers and families

Need some help, information or guidance around caring for your child? Get connected with organisations advocating for and working alongside families like yours.

Below you’ll find some of the UK-based charities supporting parents raising children with disability or health conditions. This is an evolving directory, so please get in touch with any offerings you’d like to see added to the list at hello@hibi.health.

Mencap
This charity works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities.

For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap’s Freephone Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (10am – 3pm on weekdays) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.

mencap.org.uk

Newlife: The Charity For Disabled Children
Newlife is the largest charitable provider of specialist equipment for children and young people with disabilities in the UK.

Telephone Newlife on 01543 462 777 or email info@newlifecharity.co.uk. You can reach Newlife’s Nurse Helpline on 0800 902 0095 (free from UK mobiles and landlines) Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm

newlifecharity.co.uk

Family Fund
This fund is the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, on a low income.

Family Fund’s telephone support team is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) on 01904 550055. You can email the team at info@familyfund.org.uk.

familyfund.org.uk

Resources for Autism
Resources for Autism provides practical services for autistic children and adults and those who love and care for them, including youth groups and parent-carer workshops.

Contact the London office via telephone on 020 8458 3259 or email admin@resourcesforautism.org.uk.

resourcesforautism.org.uk

Caudwell Children
Caudwell Children is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting autistic and disabled children and young people.

Get in touch with the team via telephone on 0345 300 1348 or email charity@caudwellchildren.com.

caudwellchildren.com

Contact: the charity for families with disabled children
Contact provides advice and information for families raising children with disability. They offer a free helpline for parents and carers in any part of the UK with a disabled child up to age 25, and 1-1 telephone appointments for parent carers looking for emotional support.

Freephone 0808 808 3555 (9.30am – 5pm weekdays) or email the Contact team on helpline@contact.org.uk.

contact.org.uk

Scope
Scope is a disability equality charity in England and Wales. It provides practical information and emotional support and campaigns to create a fairer society. The Families with disabled children section of the Scope website, in particular, has a bounty of useful information.

Get in touch by calling 0808 800 3333 or emailing helpline@scope.org.uk.

scope.org.uk

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF)
This registered charity is focussed specifically on supporting families of children, young people and adults with significant learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. CBF also runs a podcast, ‘Challenge Accepted’, featuring parent-carer perspectives and advice.

Telephone 0300 666 0126 or email support@thecbf.org.uk.

challengingbehaviour.org.uk

Kids
Kids supports young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families, with free and impartial information and advice.

Contact the team on 0330 460 9872 or via the contact form on their website.

kids.org.uk

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA)
IPSEA is the leading charity in the field of SEND law in England, providing free and independent legal advice and support to families of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Their advice line is an appointment-based telephone helpline for parents, carers and family members of children with SEND, and for young people with SEND, who would like support.

You can contact the IPSEA office via telephone on 01799 582030, or email office@ipsea.org.uk.

ipsea.org.uk

Sandcastle Trust
The Sandcastle Trust supports families living with a rare genetic condition through a range of programmes, which can include bespoke family respite, engagement activities and peer support.

Contact the team via telephone on 0207 1998 26, or email info@sandcastletrust.org.

sandcastletrust.org

National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society offers services, schools, helplines, work programmes and local branches that provide support for autistic people and their families.

Get in touch by calling 0207 833 2299 or emailing nas@nas.org.uk.

autism.org.uk

Ambitious about Autism
This charity stands with autistic children and young people, champions their rights​ and creates opportunities through specialist education services, an employment programme, policy work, campaigning, and training and consultancy to a wide range of organisations to improve awareness and understanding of autism.

Email the team on info@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk, or telephone 020 8815 5444.

ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

Little Miracles
Little Miracles is a charity providing advice, guidance, support, activities, training and safe places to any family that has a child with an additional need, disability or life-limiting condition.

Find your local branch on their website or call 01733 262226.

littlemiraclescharity.org.uk

WellChild
WellChild is the national UK children’s charity making it possible for children and young people with exceptional health needs to be cared for at home instead of hospital, wherever possible.

Give the team a call on 01242 530007 or drop them an email at info@wellchild.org.uk.

wellchild.org.uk

Disabled Children’s Partnership
The Disabled Children’s Partnership is a coalition of more than 100 organisations, supported by a network of thousands of parent carers and allies, who campaign for improved health and social care for disabled children, young people and their families.

Get in touch via email at disabledchildrens.partnership@mencap.org.uk.

disabledchildrenspartnership.org.uk

We’d love to know your UK-based parent carer charity recommendations. Drop us a line at hello@hibi.health.

Let’s clear out the complexities of care. Try Hibi for free here.