Papyrus (Parents and Carers)

Papyrus provides a direct helpline for young people with suicidal feelings, which takes a positive, wellbeing approach to give them hope.

Contact Details

• Telephone: 0800 068 41 41
• Hours of service: Monday - Friday 10am to 10pm; Weekends 2pm to 5pm
• Website: Papyrus

Service Hours

If the helpline is busy or if you need to call outside the opening hours you can leave a message on the answer phone and Papyrus will get back to you as soon as possible during opening hours.

Papyrus is free to call from BT landlines, other networks and mobiles may vary.  Your call will not appear on your itemised BT telephone bill.

Helpline Services

When a parent or carer calls Papyrus they will be able to access direct help through trained professionals who give non-judgmental support, practical advice and information to anyone concerned that a young person they know may be at risk of suicide, including professionals e.g. teachers, probation workers, doctors, nurses, youth workers, etc.

All calls are confidential and can be made without disclosing names, location or personal details. In certain cases where our advisers become aware of imminent danger to life, we will advise that emergency support is required. We will usually get callers to work with us in accessing fast response services. Where appropriate, we may need to ask emergency services to become involved in order to prevent a suicide or other significant harm, even if the caller's consent is not given. In such cases, we will only ask the emergency services to locate the caller and to intervene. We will not share information other than absolute essentials.

Papyrus may suggest that a parent or carer contact their GP who can offer help to get other kinds of support on behalf of a young person.

Ongoing Support

The helpline is an advice service, not an ongoing support service. When appropriate, Papyrus advisers help callers identify who can provide on-going support from other organisations.