This UK home education emergency directory covers all four UK nations. Most organisations listed here are UK-wide. Where support differs (particularly in Scotland), a separate section is included.
What should I do right now in a UK home education emergency?
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. If you need urgent medical advice, call 111. If neither of those applies, stay on this page and scroll to the section that matches what is happening for you. Every link below goes to a charity's own website, where you will find their current contact options.
Is it normal to need this page?
You are here because something is wrong, or because something might be about to go wrong. That is enough of a reason.
Home-educating families (families who educate their children at home rather than sending them to school) do not come with a staff room, a union rep, or a school secretary who knows the number for everything. When a letter arrives from the council, or your mental health dips, or someone threatens court, you are often on your own trying to work out who to ring. This page exists so you do not have to guess.
Asking for help is not a sign that home education (the legal term for educating outside school) is failing. It is a sign that you are taking it seriously.
What if my child is in immediate danger?
Call 999. This is for life-threatening emergencies, including if a child is being hurt or is at risk of serious harm right now.
If you are worried about a child's safety but it is not an emergency at this moment, visit the NSPCC. They can help you work out whether and how to report a concern. You do not need to be certain before you contact them.
For urgent medical concerns that are not 999 emergencies, call 111. A clinician will triage you by phone and direct you to the right service, whether that is A&E, an out-of-hours GP, or something else.
What if I am thinking about hurting myself?
You matter. The fact that you are reading this page means you are still looking for a way through, and that counts.
Visit the Samaritans for confidential support, available around the clock, every day of the year. You do not need to be at a crisis point to reach out to them. If you are having a difficult night, they are there for that too.
If your mental health is affecting your daily life but you are not in immediate crisis, visit Mind for guidance on what support is available and how to access it. Your GP is also a good starting point; you can ask for an urgent appointment if you need one.
If you are struggling specifically with the pressures of parenting or postnatal mental health, the PANDAS Foundation supports parents during pregnancy and in the first years. YoungMinds has a dedicated parents' helpline for when your worry is about your child's mental health rather than your own.
None of these organisations will judge you for home educating. They have heard it all before.
What if I am drowning as a new home-ed parent?
The overwhelm is real, and it does not mean you have made the wrong decision. Most families hit a wall in the first few months.
Education Otherwise is the UK's longest-running home education charity and one of the most established home ed support organisations in the UK. They cover everything from "where do I start?" to "the council is threatening me." If you only bookmark one link on this page and you are not in crisis, make it this one.
HE-UK is peer-led and community-driven, so it tends to land closer to a Facebook group than a helpline. It is a good second source when you want lived-experience advice from other home-educating parents, particularly if Education Otherwise's availability does not suit your timeline.
If you are feeling isolated, that is common and it is not your fault. The further-reading section at the bottom of this page links to articles on mental health and burnout for home-educating parents.
What if I have received a school attendance order or the LA is threatening court?
This is one of the most frightening things that can happen to a home-educating family. Take a breath. You have time, and you have options.
A school attendance order, often called an SAO, is a formal legal notice requiring your child to attend a named school. It is issued under Section 437 of the Education Act 1996. It is rare, and it does not mean your home education has been judged and found wanting. It means the local authority believes you are not providing a suitable education, and you have the right to challenge that.
Contact Education Otherwise as your first step. They have decades of experience supporting families through SAO proceedings and LA disputes, and they know what works.
Citizens Advice can help if you need broader legal orientation, particularly if the LA issue intersects with housing, benefits, or other problems happening at the same time.
If you are on a low income or cannot afford a solicitor, Citizens Advice can also point you towards free legal help. You do not have to face this alone, even if it feels that way right now.
What if my child has SEN and the LA is being unhelpful?
Special educational needs add a layer of complexity, and local authorities do not always get it right.
IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) is the specialist charity for SEN and EHCP cases (Education, Health and Care Plans, the legal framework for children with significant additional needs). If your child has an EHCP and the LA is being difficult about home education, or if you are trying to get an EHCP in the first place, IPSEA is who you need.
SOS!SEN provides independent advice on special educational needs, with a particular focus on helping parents through tribunals and disputes with LAs. If IPSEA's availability is limited or you want a second perspective, SOS!SEN is a strong alternative.
Both organisations understand that home education and SEN are not contradictions. A child can be home educated and have an EHCP. The LA has a duty to provide the support named in the plan regardless of the educational setting. If an officer tells you otherwise, that is exactly the kind of thing to raise with IPSEA.
What if social services have contacted me about a home visit?
A knock on the door from social services can be terrifying, and most home-educating parents have done nothing wrong. A visit from children's social care is not the same as a visit from your LA's home education team, and the two processes have different legal frameworks.
The Family Rights Group supports families who are involved with children's social care. They can help you understand what is happening, what your rights are, and what to do next. They are particularly useful if a Section 47 investigation (a formal child protection enquiry) has been mentioned.
Education Otherwise can help if the social services contact appears to be triggered by your decision to home educate rather than by a genuine safeguarding concern. This does happen, and they know how to challenge it.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse and the social services involvement relates to that, Refuge provides specialist support for women and children. The Men's Advice Line provides equivalent support for men.
What if my school is refusing to deregister my child?
Schools cannot legally refuse to deregister your child from the school roll once you have notified them in writing. In England and Wales, the school must remove your child within a set number of days. If a headteacher is stalling, being evasive, or telling you that you need LA permission first, that is not correct.
Contact Education Otherwise if a school is resisting deregistration. They know the law, they know the common stalling tactics, and they can tell you exactly what to write next.
If your child has an EHCP and is registered at a special school, the process is different. You may need the LA's consent to deregister. IPSEA is the right charity for this specific situation.
What if I am in Scotland?
Most of the organisations on this page operate across the UK, but Scotland has its own home education law, its own council structures, and its own culture around home education.
Schoolhouse Home Education Association is the specialist Scottish home education charity. They cover Scottish law, Scottish council processes, and Scottish families. If you are in Scotland and need home education advice, start here alongside Education Otherwise.
Samaritans, Mind, NSPCC, and the NHS services (999 and 111) are all UK-wide and work in Scotland without any difference.
What does finding the right charity look like in practice?
Leanne is a single mum in a one-bed flat in Salford, working shifts as a care assistant. Her eight-year-old, Kai, has been home educated for a year. Things have been going well, mostly, but this week three things landed at once.
First, a letter from the council. It says her "provision appears to have gaps in English and maths" and asks her to attend a meeting at the council offices. Leanne knows Kai reads every day and has been working through a maths workbook, but the letter makes her feel sick.
Second, Kai has been saying he misses his friends from school. Leanne is worried this means she should send him back, and the guilt is keeping her awake.
Third, Leanne's own mental health has dipped. She is not in crisis, but she cried in the car park after her shift on Tuesday and she cannot remember the last time she felt all right.
Here is what she does.
For the council letter, she visits the Education Otherwise website and reads their guidance on LA requests. She learns that she is not obliged to attend a meeting at the council offices and that a written summary of Kai's learning is a reasonable alternative. She puts together a short document with dates, activities, and books they have read.
For Kai missing his friends, she reads the article on socialisation and home education (linked in the further-reading section below). She also looks into local home education groups. The missing-friends feeling does not mean home education has failed; it means Kai needs more social contact, which is a solvable problem.
For her own mental health, she visits the Mind website and uses their information on accessing talking therapies through the NHS. She also books a GP appointment. She does not mention home education during the appointment, because she does not need to. The GP's job is to help her feel better, and that is what happens.
Three problems, three different paths. None of them required Leanne to be an expert in anything. She just needed to know where to look.
If you genuinely do not know who to call, ring 111 or your GP. They will signpost you. You are not bothering anyone.
Frequently asked.
- Are these charities free to use?
- Every organisation listed here is either a registered charity or a public service. You will not be charged for contacting them. Some, like Education Otherwise, offer additional membership options, but their core advice and signposting services are free.
- What if I am not sure which section applies to me?
- Call your GP or ring 111. Describe what is happening and they will signpost you. If it is about your child's education and you genuinely do not know where to start, Education Otherwise covers the broadest ground.
- Do I have to give my name when I contact a charity?
- That depends on the organisation. Samaritans is entirely anonymous. Education Otherwise and IPSEA may need some details to advise you properly, but they are bound by data protection law. None of them will report you to your local authority for asking a question.
- What if it is the middle of the night?
- Call 999 for immediate danger, 111 for urgent NHS advice, or visit the Samaritans website. Samaritans support is available around the clock, every day of the year.
- Can I contact more than one charity about the same issue?
- Yes. There is no protocol that says you must choose one. If you have a school attendance order and your child also has SEN, contacting both Education Otherwise and IPSEA makes sense. They are used to working alongside each other.
- What if my local authority has told me I must not contact these organisations?
- Your local authority cannot prevent you from seeking independent advice. That is your right. If an officer has said this to you, it is worth mentioning it when you contact the charity, because it tells them something about how the LA is behaving.
- Is this list the same for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Most organisations listed here operate UK-wide. The Scotland section highlights Schoolhouse, which is Scotland-specific. Education Otherwise, IPSEA, Samaritans and the NHS services cover all four nations.