Shelter runs a dedicated telephone advice line for agencies working with families who are experiencing housing problems, giving them direct access to Shelter's legal expertise. This service is free, confidential and independent.

 Please note this service is for professionals who work with families. If you need advice about your own situation, please visit our advice pages instead.

'Brilliant, if only there were services like this for every issue of family support.'

How do I contact you?

Call 0845 421 4444, from 8am-8pm, Monday to Friday.

Which agencies do you work with?

'This up-to-date, quantifiable service, available free at point of delivery is an absolute boon for community workers everywhere, even if only to reinforce what they already think. Shelter has such a good reputation, this only enhances it.'

The children's service advice line was originally launched to support children's centres and Home-Start agencies who are working with families across England. From April 2010, the advice line has also been offered to the children’s and families’ service listed below:

• voluntary sector children’s service professionals, including those at Action for Children, Save the Children and NSPCC
• professionals working in some extended schools, schools attached to children’s centres and pupil referral units
• health professionals supporting families with children and 16 and 17 year olds, whether they live within a family or independently, including Family Nurse Partnership.
• School Home Support and Family Action services
• family intervention projects
• homelessness health visitors.

It is expected that other services will also become eligible during the next few months.

What issues can you help with?

'I found the service offered by the advice line very helpful and professional. It enabled me to give clear and accurate advice to the family that was followed up by your team in writing and the family concerned benefited from being taken on as a case by the London office and were eventually re-housed.'

The children's service advice line offers direct access to Shelter’s specialist advisers. We can help you to support your clients on a range of issues related to housing, including:

• disputes with landlords
• preventing eviction or repossession
• local authority duties to provide accommodation
• bad conditions, including disrepair and severe overcrowding
• affordability issues, such as arrears and problems accessing financial assistance
• family breakdown or domestic violence
• living in temporary accommodation.

Shelter recognises that one problem often leads to another, so our advisers can also help with issues such as debt, welfare benefits and community care issues.

What if the advice line cannot help?

'Overall it is a useful service for those that don't know much about housing and clients’ rights. Advice is given straight away which you can act on straight away.'

Our advice centres provide face-to-face advice, advocacy and representation. Many have specialist legal aid contracts in debt, community care and welfare benefits, as well as housing. Families who are receiving income-based job seeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance, income support or guaranteed pension credit will normally be eligible for legal aid funding.

What about confidentiality and data protection?

Shelter is an independent organisation. Information you give us is confidential [1] and will not be shared with anyone without the client's full agreement. In line with the Data Protection Act 1998, we keep case details securely on file for six years and the client may request a copy of their records from us at any time. Read more about our privacy policy.

[1] We only refer details without a client's agreement in exceptional circumstances, if there's a 'child at risk' or vulnerable person.

What else do professionals who have used the children's service advice line say about it?

'A very useful service that I have used twice now. Makes me feel confident that I can contact at any time and get helpful advice. Copy of information sent on email also very useful.'

'It was very helpful to have the written notes emailed to me. I was able to put these in with the family’s notes as evidence. It was useful to refer back to these so that I could speak to the right people for support and pass on some information to the family.'

'Member of staff I spoke to was extremely helpful and courteous which made a lot of difference to me. She was very patient especially as I kept asking questions where I don’t have that much knowledge on housing issues.'

'For many of my families your service was their last chance of being heard. It gave my families clear honest advice and helped a professional like me navigate around the tricky world of housing and the law. Often working as an advocate for families around housing, you feel that you are not being heard or given the right advice from the housing authority. Having a clear-cut report and the support of a living person at the end of the phone has opened doors that have been firmly shut. Our local housing department has now realised that professionals are now being supported with the right advice and guidance. Without this service my job and the planned work I do for families around housing would have been a never ending thankless task.'