Benefits Advice

Barton: 01865 744152, Underhill Circus, Oxford.
Blackbird Leys: 01865 770206, 96, Blackbird Leys Road.
Rose Hill & Donnington: 01865 438634, The Cabin, The Oval, Rose Hill.
Claimants Union: 01865 723750, East Oxford Community Centre.
Oxfordshire Mind: 01865 247788, ask to be directed to the Benefits Service (open Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 4:30pm, Friday 9:30am to 4:00pm, closed bank holidays) or email info@oxfordshiremind.org.uk
Further information available here.

Bipolar UK Oxford Support Group

Support Groups are free to attend and are open to anyone affected by bipolar, including family, friends and carers. Meets: 1st Tuesday (online) and 3rd Wednesday (in-person) of every month, 7-9pm. In person meetings Oxford Quaker Meeting House, 43 St Giles', Oxford, OX1 3LW.

Breathe Easy Banbury Support Group

Group supporting those living with a lung condition. Meetings 1st Monday of every month 1.30pm - 3.30pm, Army Reserves Centre, 5 Squadron, Oxford Road, Banbury, OX16 9AN. Call Jeni on 07813448257 or email banburybreatheeasyclub@gmail.com

Both Parents Matter - Oxford Branch

Helpline: 0300 0300 363 or email oxford@bothparentsmatter.org.uk
Registered UK charity providing information and support to parents and grandparents, including unmarried parents, of any gender.

British Red Cross – 01235 552662

Oxfordshire Branch, Colwell Drive, Abingdon
Open Monday - Friday 9:00 to 17:00
Welfare, medical loans, advice, support, tracing relatives. Training in first aid, nursing skills, welfare skills and industrial skills. Hand crafts.

Care Agencies (private)

See list at the bottom of the page.

Childcare Information

Childcare.co.uk (support@childcare.co.uk)
offers lists of childminders, creches and playgroups. This service does not check Ofsted registration itself, and not all the people listed may be registered. Do check! You must become a member to access the information, and you may be charged a fee for some services, including messaging other members.

The Family Information Service (run by Oxfordshire Council) holds the full registered list, on behalf of Ofsted, and information is updated daily. Everything on this site is totally free to access. There's also a Facebook group.

Child Death Helpline

24 hour helpline dedicated to supporting parents who have experienced the death of a child. Call 0800 282 986.

Childline – 0800 1111

24hr free helpline for children and young people.

Citizens Advice Bureau – 0808 169 6031

Citizens Advice Oxfordshire serves Oxford city, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire - see their website to find your nearest centre and opening hours.
Phone advice available Monday-Friday 9.00am-4.30pm.
"Free advice and confidential information. Practical help with debt, benefits, employers, landlords, consumer rights, immigration etc. "

The Clive Project (Early onset dementia support) – 01993 776295

Enables younger people with dementia, and their families, to live life to the full by providing specialist services and support across Oxfordshire. Individual activities, social events and a monthly cafT are enjoyed by many, with information and supportive team available.
mail@thecliveproject.org.uk

Contented Dementia Trust – 01993 822129 (formerly SPECAL)

Independent dementia care charity with an innovative and highly practical approach, taking a positive view of what it is possible to achieve for a person with dementia and their family. Wide range of workshops, training courses and support services suitable for families requiring help and also for professionals working in the field of dementia care. Their care enables people with dementia to enjoy a good quality of life throughout the rest of their life.
Address: The Administrator, Unit 2, Bruern Home Farm Yard, Chipping Norton OX7 6QF. admin@contenteddementiatrust.org

Counselling

TLC (The Listening Centre), also below, offer low cost counselling to those otherwise unable to afford it. If you go to a private practitioner, expect to pay £25 - £55 per hour. Get a personal recommendation if possible. Otherwise, BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) lists their accredited practitioners, who are under obligation to practise ethically.

Cruse - Bereavement Care – 01865 245398

Wesley Memorial Hall, New In Hall Street
Open Mon-Fri 10:00-13:00. Messages can be left on answerphone outside hours.
Counselling, practical advice and help with all aspects of bereavement. Also social groups and activities.

Deaf Oxfordshire

A club for members of Oxford's Deaf community.

Dementia Oxfordshire - 01865 410210

Information for people with Dementia and their carers, and healthcare professionals wanting to know more about Dementia and local resources in Oxfordshire. Includes links to local support groups, and information for those with young onset dementia.

ElWell - (Helping people stay independent as they get older) - 01865 238185

ElWell makes home visits across Oxfordshire, helping people across the county stay independent and providing peace of mind for their families. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nutrition support, tailored to the individual. Focusing on mobility and balance / falls prevention, home adaptations, managing memory loss, limiting isolation and nutrition.
Phone: 01865 238185
Email: hello@el-well.com
Website: www.el-well.com/oxfordshire/

Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation is illegal in the UK, and when performed on anyone under the age of 16 it counts as child abuse. It carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. There are some areas of the world where there is a cultural tradition of carrying out FGM, but it is still illegal even if it is carried out in another country. Fortunately there are a number of groups who will help people at risk of this practice, or help families to resist cultural pressures to have it carried out.

The Sundial Centre are a local charity working to help prevent FGM of girls and women living in Oxfordshire and the South East. They have an informative website.
The NSPCC has a special FGM helpline, staffed 24hrs a day, on 0800 028 3550, or email fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk. Locally the Oxfordshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) are also very helpful if someone is at risk of FGM, and they can be contacted on 0345 050 7666 if an immediate response is required, or fill out a social care referral form. If someone is at immediate risk, call the 999 and ask for the police.
The Oxford Rose Clinic, a specialist FGM clinic based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, accepts self-referrals via email: oxfordrose.clinic@nhs.net or telephone/text 07767 671 406, it is a confidential service open to pregnant and non-pregnant women that is run by a female doctor. More information is available on their website

Support for people who have problems with compulsive gambling.

Health Information Service