Services in Highland

Caithness & Sutherland Women’s Aid have a well-established Children and Young People’s Service, which provides emotional and practical support to children and young people who have (or whose family has) experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. Each child or young person referred to the service is allocated a support worker. Support is led by the child or young person and is individually tailored to suit their life and their experience(s).

Children & Young People Service
Caithness & Sutherland Women’s Aid
VGES Building
Main Street
Golspie KW10 6TG

T: 07903 532 005
T: 0345 408 0151 (helpline)
E: info@caswa.org.uk
W: www.caswa.org.uk/ChildrenAndYoungPeople

CALA offers a one-door approach to a broad range of childcare and family support services, providing universal services in the Highland and Moray areas. Their Family Support team delivers a programme of visits to local parent baby and toddler groups, as well as a flexible home visiting service to meet group, family and individual needs. And their Direct Services team supports groups and childminders across Highland & Moray, providing a range of childcare, out of school and daycare services.

Care & Learning Alliance
Dochfour Drive
Inverness IV3 5EB

T: 01463 703 033
E: info@calachildcare.co.uk
W: www.careandlearningalliance.co.uk

CHIP offers information, support and advice to the families and carers of children and young people with additional support needs. CHIP provides information and outreach to families throughout the Highland region. They work with any family where a child requires additional support to fulfil their potential, whether because of disability, family circumstances, emotional and behavioural issues, or any other reason.

CHIP
Birnie Development Centre
Raigmore Hospital
Inverness IV2 3UJ

T: 01463 711 189
E: info@chipplus.org.uk
W: www.chipplus.org.uk

Connecting Carers works with unpaid carers in Highland, ensuring that they are acknowledged, supported and have access to the information they need to carry out their caring role. They are based in Dingwall and cover Highland from Caithness and Sutherland in the north, to Lochaber in the south. They provide support and advice at their drop-in centre (9:00-17:00, Mon-Fri), and a free, independent, confidential and accessible advocacy service, available to unpaid carers throughout Highland.

Connecting Carers
Glen Orrin House
High Street
Dingwall IV15 9TF

T: 01463 723 560 (carer support line)
T: 01463 723 575 (office)
E: carers@connectingcarers.org.uk
W: connectingcarers.org.uk

The Family First service is available in Sutherland, Skye and Lochalsh and is delivered by coordinators and a team of volunteers. It provides a confidential support service to families where there is at least one child under the age of 5 years. The support is given to a family in their own home, or outings with the children or family. In addition, they offer parent toddler support groups in Lairg, Portree and Kyleakin.

Family First
Care & Learning Alliance
Dochfour Drive
Inverness IV3 5EB

T: 01408 633 363 (East Sutherland)
E: a.wagstaffe@calachildcare.co.uk

T: 07979 920 559 (North Skye)
E: s.taylor@calachildcare.co.uk

T: 07934 458 984 (South Skye & Lochalsh)
E: m.lane@calachildcare.co.uk

W: www.careandlearningalliance.co.uk/our-services/family-supporttoddlers/family-first

Family Group Conferencing is a family-led decision making process. Children 1st provide this service for families of pre-birth and pre-school children affected by parental substance misuse.

Family Group Conferencing
Children 1st
5 Longman Road
Inverness IV1 1RY

T: 01381 620 757
E: highland@children1st.org.uk

Relationships Scotland supports individuals, couples and families experiencing relationship difficulties. Their office in Inverness offers a range of services, including family mediation, counselling and parent support, to families throughout Highland.

Relationships Scotland – Family Mediation Highland
6 View Place
Inverness IV2 4SA

T: 01463 712 100
E: fmhighland@btinternet.com
W: www.relationships-scotland.org.uk/find-a-local-service/family-mediation-services/highland

Action for Children’s Gael Og services provide a wide range of support services for children, young people and adults in the Highlands. These include: advisory services; services that encourage young people to take part in healthy activities; one-to-one support for young people experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol; intensive support and guidance for extremely vulnerable young people. Gael Og works across Highland with the aim of ensuring the best outcomes for children and families in the North of Scotland.

Gael Og
Action for Children
1st floor, Highland Rail House
Station Square
Academy Street
Inverness IV1 1LE

T: 01463 717 227
E: grahame.cooper@actionforchildren.org.uk

In Highland, Children 1st are funded to support kinship care families where children have been ‘formally’ placed through a Children’s Hearing, or ‘informal’ kinship care placements that are at risk of breaking down. They provide one-to-one support, which often includes therapeutic work with children, and helping kinship carers with their role of parenting children again. Children 1st also run a monthly coffee morning for kinship carers at their office in Inverness, and help carers with practical issues, including acquiring essential items, such as beds and clothes, and advice on financial difficulties.

Highland Kinship Carers
Children 1st
5 Longman Road
Inverness IV1 1RY

T: 01463 220 057
E: highland@children1st.org.uk

Home-Start centres provide a range of support to families with at least one child under five years old. Each centre has trained volunteers who support families who may be struggling with isolation, physical health, bereavement or a range of other issues.

Home-Start Caithness
Office 4, Stevenson House
10 Harbour Terrace
Wick KW1 5HB

T: 01955 609 163
E: office@homestartcaithness.org.uk
W: www.homestartcaithness.org.uk

Home-Start East Highland
69-71 High Street
Invergordon IV18 0AA

T: 01349 855 205
E: homestarteasthighland@btconnect.com

Lochaber Women’s Aid supports women and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse. Their children and young people workers are available to discuss issues that are happening in the home, at school, with family or with friends.

Children & Young People Service
Lochaber Women’s Aid
3 Belford Road
Fort William PH33 6BT

T: 01397 705 734
W: www.lochaberwomensaid.org/childrens-service

Osprey House offers a range of services including advice, information, treatment, support and contact with other agencies. The service is completely confidential, delivered by experienced staff and geared towards anyone who is experiencing problems in their life associated with alcohol and drugs or related issues, including family and friends. The service is provided in an informal friendly setting.

Osprey House
Raigmore Avenue
Inverness IV2 3DZ

T: 01463 716 888
E: info@fakeaddress.org
W: www.cullodenmedical.co.uk/osprey_p.htm

Soar Youth Projects (formerly Ross-Shire Special Needs Playscheme) was set up by a group of parents to provide safe and enjoyable leisure activities for young people with physical, learning and communication difficulties and additional needs. They provide school holiday clubs, youth clubs and afterschool clubs to young people throughout East Ross, Sutherland and Caithness.

Soar Youth Projects
Joss Street Hall
9 Joss Street
Invergordon IV18 0AP

T: 01349 853 508
E: office@soaryp.org.uk
W: www.spanglefish.com/soaryouthprojects

The Spark is a leading provider of couples counselling, marriage counselling, individual counselling and family counselling in Scotland. In Inverness they offer a range of face-to-face, online and telephone appointments for couples counselling, marriage counselling and individual counselling.

T: 0808 802 0050
E: appointments@thespark.org.uk
W: www.thespark.org.uk/relationship-support-for-couples-individuals/local-counselling-locations/the-spark-counselling-inverness

Wave is a sexual health and relationships education service for all young people aged 24 and under living in the Highlands. As well as delivering education programmes to groups in schools and the community, their website provides Highland-specific information and help to find relevant local services.

Wave
34 Waterloo Place
Inverness IV1 1NB

T: 01463 711 585
E: hello@wavehighland.com
W: www.wavehighland.com