Spotlight: Night OWLS

I have been very privileged to meet with Shabana from the Night OWLS on behalf of MindMate to discuss their service.

Night OWLS is a confidential support line for children, young people up to the age of 18*, parents and carers who live in Bradford, Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. The service is available all night from 8pm-8am.

This service offers outstanding support for children, young people, parents and carers. You can call, text or web chat without referral and they can give you up to 1 hour of support.  *Night OWLS also support young adults up to 25yrs who are care-leavers or have additional needs (eg neurodiverse)

Whether you are in crisis or just need to talk to someone, Night OWLS is a free service and you can contact them whenever you need. In the daytime, they can signpost you to other services for support, however you can leave messages to speak to a member at night if needed.

You can choose to stay anonymous when calling. Any information you share is only with your permission unless there is an immediate risk – but Night OWLS would still work with you to obtain permission before sharing.

When speaking to a member of the team it was really evident how passionate they are about supporting children, young people, parents and carers. It was clear how much they prioritise the wellbeing of young people in a completely non-judgemental way. They stated that when young people call, text or web chat Night OWLS, they will really take the time to listen and will never tell young people what to do. They are a service that genuinely wants to help and listen.

How to contact Night OWLS

• Call 0800 1488244
• Text 07984 392700
• Chat on online wynightowls.org.uk

Find out more www.mindmate.org.uk/night-owls