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FAQs

Below is stuff you might want to know about Get Connected and the helpline service before you contact us. If there's anything else we haven't covered, use the contact form to ask and we'll respond as soon as we can.

For information about the organisation as a whole, go to the organisational information section.

What are Get Connected's Helpline Workers like?

The helpline is staffed by about 90 Helpline Workers, all of whom are volunteers sparing 4 hours a week of their time to help you. They are all of different ages, races and backgrounds but each one has been trained to provide the same high quality service. This involves active listening, providing emotional support and searching our resources for the best help available.

What sorts of help are out there?

There are over 13,000 different services in the UK that young people might find useful. These include local and national organisations, some exclusive to young people and some for all ages. They deal with all sorts of issues, including bullying, abuse, housing, depression, mental health and physical health. They provide all sorts of help, including counselling, advice, practical help and advocacy.

What if the service I choose doesn't turn out to be the right one?

Sometimes you aren't sure what help is best. We'll give you some options we think might be useful but if you try them and they don't give you the sort of help you were expecting or you decide a different sort of help would be better, you can contact us again and we'll have a look at alternative sources of help. If you have any comments about the service we've referred you to - bad or good - you can tell us and we'll pass them on where appropriate.

How can I tell you what I thought of your service?

If you used the helpline and you'd like to give us feedback on the difference we made - or the difference you'd like us to make - you can tell us about it in our feedback section.

Follow this link to the questionnaire.

What if I'm in immediate danger?

Get Connected does not provide an emergency service. If you're in immediate danger call the emergency services on 999. If we think you're in immediate danger, or you're putting someone else in immediate danger, we will suggest that you call the emergency services or that you give us enough information that we can call them for you.

Can you trace my call?

No, we can't trace your call. We can't tell who or where you are from your email address and we won't email you unless you email us.

Can I become a Helpline Worker?

Anyone can train as a volunteer Helpline Worker provided they are at least 17 years old. However to start working on the helpline you must be at least 18.

For more information on becoming a Helpline Worker, visit our volunteer section.

How long will it take you to reply to my email?

First you will get an automatic message confirming that we've received your email. We aim to send you a personalised response within 24 hours.

Do you have a text service?

Get Connected can send important information to your mobile. You may ask us to do this when you're speaking to a Helpline Worker and don't have a pen and paper to write down a phone number or address, for example. We will ask for your mobile number so that we can send you the SMS but won't keep your mobile number for anything else.

Get Connected does not have a two-way texting service: we cannot currently provide the full helpline service via SMS (text) message.

Will anyone listen to my call apart from the Helpline Worker I'm speaking to?

Other Helpline staff may listen to your call. This is to ensure we provide you with the highest quality service possible and to support the Helpline Worker as they try to find you the best help available. Your emails will be read by the Helpline Worker who responds and checked by a supervisor to ensure that we provide you with high quality support and consistent information.

Do you have a chat room?

Get Connected has spaces where you can share your opinions and ideas, such as the online polls and the feedback section, but we do not have a chat room.

How are you different from other helplines?

Get Connected is the first step in finding help. We give you emotional support with any issue and then find you the best help available. We are totally impartial and will not judge you, tell you what to do or decide on your behalf what help is most appropriate. Rather than providing one specific service such as counselling or advice, we enable you to decide which service or services are going to be best for you and then give you access to them.

Can I join the Young People in Management Project?

You can read more about the Young People in Management Project here

The Youth Committee has a permanent membership of young people from central London but there are opportunities to join the Youth Annual General Meeting, which involves young people from all over the UK.

Can I visit you?

Get Connected provides its service only via phone, email and Internet. If you have another reason for visiting you can contact us.

Can I contact you more than once?

You can contact us whenever you have a problem you feel you need help with. We aim to find you the best help we can through one call or webchat or two or three emails, but if you discover that this help isn't right, or you need a different sort of help later on, you can get back to us and we'll look at more options. If you contact us an excessive amount of times over a short period, we may take steps to limit the service we provide you, as there are many young people trying to get through for the first time.