Support

We Offer Support in Various Ways:

Through our telephone Helpline
All who work for MACSAS are volunteers, who themselves are survivors. Helpline workers are trained and certified to undertake helpline duties.
By responding to confidential letters
MACSAS volunteers are trauma informed and many are trained advocates or have undergone counselling and support training.

By organising meetings, conferences, workshops and training to raise awareness
By advising churches and church authorities on effective policies and procedures.
MACSAS has representatives on bodies such as the National Safeguarding Panel for the CofE, Safe Spaces, The CofE Redress Scheme and many more.

You are not on your own

MACSAS supports those who were abused as a child or as an adult by a clergyperson, minister, pastor, church leader, religious or religious sister. As a victim or survivor you may yourself be a priest, minister or religious sister. We are happy to give you the support you might also need.

Members of MACSAS regularly support survivors by advocating for them. Liaising with the Police and with the Churches or finding them lawyers who are willing to take on their cases if they are seeking compensation.

We also offer advice and resources for those who care about what happens in our church communities, to both children and adults, and who wish to stamp out all sexual violation by church leaders. If you are a clergyperson or Minister yourself, and need advice or help, please do contact us.

MACSAS wants all those sexually abused or exploited by church leaders to know they are not alone. We have vast experience of supporting and advising in this area of abuse work.

Free Helpline: 0808 801 0340
The Helpline currently has very limited ability
We would like to expand this service but need to raise substantial funds to do so.

www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk

Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales.

Helpline:
0300 303 1056

Monday to Friday: 09:00-21:00
Saturdays: 09:00-13:00
Sundays: 13:00-17:00

napac.org.uk

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) support adults who have suffered any type of abuse in childhood. They have a national freephone support line and an email/letter writing service.

Abuse, Adults, Helpline, Regional, Self-harm, Self-help, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trauma,Victimisation/abuse, Women's support

Helpline:
0808 801 0331

Monday to Thursday: 10am – 9pm
Friday: 10am – 6pm

Saturday and Sunday – Closed

thesurvivorstrust.org

The Survivors Trust is a national umbrella agency for over 125 specialist voluntary sector agencies throughout the UK and Ireland providing a range of counselling, therapeutic and support services working with women, men and children who are victims/survivors of rape, sexual violence and sexual abuse. The organisation aims to offer a national collective voice to support and empower survivor groups.

Helpline:
08088 010818

survivorsvoices.org

Survivors Voices is a survivor-led organisation that harnesses the expertise of people affected by abuse in order to transform society’s response to trauma and abuse. They are ‘experts by experience’, survivors of all types of abuse, experienced as a child or as an adult, turning our pain into the power to create something good. Our vision is for a safer society with support for survivors that is survivor-sensitive, survivor-empowering and services that are trauma-aware and trauma-competent.

samaritans.org

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, often through its telephone helpline. Its name derives from the biblical Parable of the Good Samaritan although the organisation itself is not religious.

Helpline: 116 123

www.childline.org.uk

Childline is a telephone and online service open to anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.

You can talk about anything. Whether it’s something big or small, trained counsellors are available to support you.

Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us:

Helpline: 0800 1111

churchofengland.org/
safeguarding

The Church states that it is committed to safeguarding as an integral part of its ministry and mission, promoting a safer culture and the welfare of every child, young person and adult.

The National Safeguarding Team manages safeguarding cases relating to senior clergy including bishops and deans.

safeguarding@churchofengland.org

catholicsafeguarding
.org.uk

It is the policy of the Catholic Church to report all allegations of abuse to statutory authorities, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or in the past, or whether the accused person is living or deceased.

You can refer allegations directly to the safeguarding office for your diocese or religious congregation, or directly to the police.

admin@catholicsafeguarding.org.uk