Support in Islington for survivors of non-recent child abuse

What happened to you as a child can affect you as an adult. We are still committed to ensuring that survivors have access to the support they need. 

If you have been affected by abuse within Islington’s children’s homes up to the 1990s, you may be able to get support. The support has been designed with survivors, based on what people say they need.

Get practical and emotional support 

Survivors Service – run by Islington Mind 

To contact the service:

• call: the helpline on 0203 301 9850 and choose option 1  
• opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30am-5pm. Outside of these times you can leave a voicemail.  

When you call: 

• say that you want  to refer yourself to the 'Survivors Service' 
• the helpline team will take your details  
• a support worker will contact you. You may need to wait up to one week to be contacted about your first appointment.   

Get access to your care records 

You can ask to see records held by children’s services. 

Find out how to make a request – this is known as a subject access request. 

You can choose to see your records:

• by email 
• printed and posted 
• printed for you to collect 

It can take up to 90 days to process your request, depending on how complex it is.  

General help and support

Our Access Islington Hubs offer drop in advice and support surgeries, as well as booked advice and guidance sessions. 

To book an appointment:

• email: heretohelp@islington.gov.uk
• call: 020 7527 8222 and we will contact you to arrange a date, time and location that works for you

Get help with benefits

If you need help with benefits, including challenging benefit decisions: 

• email: claimit@islington.gov.uk
• call: 0207 527 8600  
• opening times: Monday – Friday, 9:30am - 4:30pm  

Get help with council housing

If you need help accessing council housing and live in Islington: 

• email: referrals.co-ordinator@islington.gov.uk

Wellbeing coaching

Our Bright Lives Wellbeing Coaching Service offers up to 10 sessions of one-to-one sessions.  

It can help you: 

• feel better emotionally 
• make positive changes in your life 
• set and work towards personal goals 

To book or find out more about coaching: 

• call: 020 7527 7488 
• email: brightlivescoaching@islington.gov.uk
• opening times: Monday – Friday, 9:30am and 12:30pm. If you call outside these hours, leave a voicemail and we’ll get back to you. 

Out of hours emergency

If you need to speak to someone urgently outside of normal opening hours, contact our emergency social work service: 

• call: 020 7226 0992