Mental Health

Refugees are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the UK population.

Refugee Council

If you're struggling with your mental health, you can talk to your doctor about this. They can help you manage this in a number of ways, such as by giving you information, discussing medication options, or referring you to a specialist. There are also other resources you might find helpful, below.

The Helpline will offer advice, signposting, emotional support and 8 free sessions of therapy by qualified Barnardo’s therapists. These sessions can take place remotely via telephone or online. Barnardo’s has a long history of providing mental health support to children, young people and adults and has a large pool of culturally informed therapists who speak a range of languages. Sessions can take place in your own language at a time that works for you.

Helpline Advisors can also offer practical support such as food vouchers and access to digital devices. We are continuing our partnership with Vodafone to ensure that asylum seekers can access support by providing digital devices. 

You will be allocated a dedicated Advisor who will work with you over a series of calls to ensure that you have someone to talk to, and access to all the support that you need. 

Calls are confidential and we will not share personal information with the Home Office. 

We welcome referrals from professionals via our referral form, as well as direct contact from asylum seekers by telephone, email or online chat. 

The Helpline is open Monday – Friday (10am-8pm) and Saturday (10-3pm) via phone 0800 151 2605, webchat and email Boloh.helpline@barnardos.org.uk.

The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.

The services and support listed on the Hub of Hope are not only for when things become unbearable – a crisis point. They are also for those times when we notice we are starting to struggle, or when we need extra support as we start to emerge from a particularly difficult time.

The Hub of Hope also lists support and services for family members and friends to enable them to find help for themselves, as well as for the person they are supporting. We recognise that the wellbeing of each member of an interconnected family or community is dependent on the wellbeing of all of its members.

If you or someone you know feels suicidal, or may be a danger to themselves or others, call 999, your local crisis service or contact Samaritans or Crisis Text Line directly through the Hub of Hope app, via the Need Help Now? Button.

BeWell exists to improve the wellbeing of people working in the migration sector. We know that everyone has different wellbeing needs, and the demands of the sector are unique in some ways. People need to work together to improve staff wellbeing.