About our support line and email service

What can you expect when calling our support line?

NAPAC’s support line is staffed by trained volunteers and team members, some of them with years of experience of speaking with survivors in a range of settings. Some of the volunteers and staff identify as survivors; others do not.

We offer supportive and non-judgmental listening in calls of up to 30 minutes.

The caller is in charge. Whatever questions you may have, however painful your memories may feel that day, or whatever it is you need to share about your abuse history, we are here to listen and support.

We are not an ongoing therapeutic service, our primary goal is to encourage and empower survivors to take control of their healing and recovery, and to signpost them to the appropriate service where possible.

We do this by offering empathy, validation, normalisation, understanding and care. We can also offer information for those who have questions about the impact of abuse, common coping mechanisms, and the different ways in which healing and recovery can be achieved over time.

We do not provide general or legal advice, therapy, mental health diagnoses, or call-backs. 

However, we can signpost you to key organisations around the country that provide these services or who may be better placed to signpost you to local support organisations.

We recognise that the process of disclosure can bring up intense negative emotions, and our support line is a safe space to express those emotions, tell us what you feel, and explore what you may need to recover.

However, we will not tolerate abuse towards our staff. If you are abusive, threatening, or aggressive towards any member of our team, you will be barred from the support service.

Our confidentiality policy

In order to better support survivors, NAPAC collects basic anonymised data from our support services. Only information voluntarily given is collected, and it is completely anonymised and aggregated. This enables us to identify trends so we can keep adapting our services, and provides insights for funders, policymakers, and other support organisations so they can better understand the needs of survivors. This also enables us to advocate for survivors without individuals needing to disclose publicly or compromise their privacy.

We never share specific personal data with third parties. The only exception to this is if we are told the name of an adult or child who is at imminent risk of harm. We are also legally obliged to disclose any information we may be given concerning acts of terrorism or money laundering to the police or other relevant authorities.

What can you expect when contacting our support email?

Sometimes writing down your feelings can be easier than talking. You can write to us with any questions or comments about abuse experienced in childhood, its impact in adulthood, your recovery experiences, or to find longer-term support in your area. 

• We aim to respond to all emails within 48 hours, though the wait can sometimes be slightly longer during busy periods, please bear with us.

• Unfortunately we cannot offer ongoing support by email. There is a well moderated internet forum for survivors of all types of abuse and neglect on the HAVOCA site, please click here.