Southside’s offices will be closed from 1pm on Friday 23rd December until 9am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023. We will however be actioning high risk domestic abuse referrals received from the Police.
Our amazing staff and volunteer team will be taking a much-needed break at the end of the year. At Southside, we ensure that our team are supported and cared for, and are very grateful to them all for their continued hard work and commitment throughout 2022.
Our support for isolated families throughout Bath and North East Somerset this year included specialist whole family support, and our Family Food Hub Groups enable families to access warm spaces and nutritious meals, prepared freshly by Dan, our professional chef.
We look forward to coming back in the New Year to ensure that individuals and families can access the care and support they need.
For support during the time that our offices are closed, please use these services:
If you, or someone you are with, is in urgent need of help, please call 999 for emergency services if you are in an immediately dangerous situation.
How to call the police when you can’t speak
If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and, if you can, respond by coughing or tapping on the handset.
Call 999 from a mobile:
If prompted, press 55 to Make Yourself Heard and this will transfer your call to the police. Pressing 55 only works on mobiles and does not allow police to track your location.
Call 999 from a landline:
If the operator can only hear background noise and cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, you will be connected to a police call handler.
If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick up again.
When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about your location should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response.
If you are deaf or can’t use a phone:
You can register with the emergencySMS. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text which tells you what to do next. Do this when it is safe so you can text when you are in danger.
Police non-emergency line – if you are not in immediate danger but wish to report an incident to the Police, call 101. You can also report a crime or incident online.
Samaritans – if you need someone to talk to, the Samaritans’ freephone 24-hour confidential listening service is available for anyone in crisis by calling 116 123
National Domestic Abuse Helpline – freephone 24-hour advice around domestic abuse for victims, or on behalf of someone you know. Call 0808 2000 247
The Men’s Advice Line – run by Respect, the Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline specifically for male victims. Call 0808 801 0327
Mental Health 24/7 Response Line – this dedicated telephone line for anyone who may be worried about their own or someone else’s mental health. Call 0800 953 1919
B&NES Mental Health Team – f you’re a relative or a health professional who believes someone urgently needs treatment for a mental health disorder and is at risk of harm to themselves or others, you can the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) team on 01225 362814 or 01454 615 165 out of hours.
B&NES Children’s Social Care Duty Team – if you have concerns about the welfare of a child(ren). Call 01225 396312 or 01225 396313, or 01454 615 165 out of hours.
B&NES Adult Safeguarding – if you have concerns about the welfare of an adult, call 0300 247 0201 or 01454 615 165 out of hours.
Safe Spaces – available in Boots, Morrisons, Superdrug and Well pharmacies, TSB banks and independent pharmacies across the UK. Once you are inside, specialist domestic abuse support information will be available for you to access.
Many Safe Spaces are also prepared to respond to the ‘Ask for ANI’ codeword, to provide victims with a discreet way to access help calling the police on 999 or specialist support services.
Ask for ANI Codeword – If you are experiencing domestic abuse and need immediate help, ask for ‘ANI’ in a participating pharmacy. ‘ANI’ stands for Action Needed Immediately. If a pharmacy has the ‘Ask for ANI’ logo on display, it means they’re ready to help. They will offer you a private space, provide a phone and ask if you need support from the police or other domestic abuse support services.
