National Helpline
A dedicated group of our volunteers, who also support in Court, run our national helpline offering emotional and practical support to anyone following the death of someone when the death has been reported to the Coroner. They are able to offer free and confidential advice about the Inquest process, over the phone or via email.
Our trained volunteers can offer guidance on the different roles and responsibilities of those attending an inquest and what can be expected on the day. If our service is available in the court, we can signpost to one of our local volunteers with specific knowledge of the court where the inquest will be held. We can also signpost to other organisations and bereavement agencies.
The helpline is available Monday – Friday 09.00-18.00
If calling from outside the UK please ensure you provide an email address for us to contact you.
If you are in emotional crisis or need support outside of these hours please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or CRUSE on 0808 808 1677.
Here is an example of some feedback received from people supported on the helpline:
“The support you give is amazing.”
“You’ve given me more time than anyone else has. You sound like you are listening to me and taking it in.”
“Good job – few people understand these additional pressures following a sudden death.”
More information about attending an inquest can be found in our leaflet here.
A summary of the pilot evaluation can be found here
The Service we provide is free and confidential although we may be required to share information for legal reasons or if we believe you or someone else may be at risk of serious harm. We do collect anonymised data to help better understand how we can improve our services. For further information about how we use your personal information, please see our privacy statement.