Two young girls smiling, leaning on a wooden beam at a playground.

How to get help from Home-Start Shepway

Focus groups empower parents to play a crucial role in how and what services we provide and develop to support families.

Quality Home Start Assured 2025 purple and orange badge.

Home Start Quality Assurance Self-Assessment 2024 badge, PROTECTING FAMILIES.

Domestic Abuse

If you are experiencing Domestic Abuse, here is a The Domestic Abuse Services and you will find helpful contacts for Kent.

Domestic Abuse (domesticabuseservices.org.uk)

Rising Sun

Rising Sun provide support for Adults, Children and young people – with one to one support, groups and counselling.

Rising Sun Domestic Abuse Services on 01227 452852

KIDAS – 0808 168-9111

The Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS) offer a person centred, holistic range of support services to victims and their families in Kent, with support available including;

Safe refuge accommodation
Specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisors
Community Outreach Services
Therapeutic and group programmes
Sanctuary’s provision (adaptations to make the home safer)
Assistance with legal issues including seeking court orders and access to legal advice.
Emergency welfare assistance for clients in crisis (food, energy, travel)

National Domestic Abuse Helplines

Women can call The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night.

If you identify as LGBT+, you can call Galop on 0800 999 5428 for emotional and practical support (Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, Wednesday and Thursday, 10.00 am to 8.00 pm).

Food Banks

Shepway Food Banks

Supported by the Trusell Trust, this operates from the Rainbow Centre and take referrals from a variety of organisations to help people wioth low income, delayed benefits or facing food poverty.

0808 208 2138 or 07913 573403

The Rainbow Centre

69 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2AF also holds emergency food parcels, which can be collected from the cente during opening hours 10am – 1pm Monday to Friday.

Hythe Salvation Army

This is open on Wednesdays from 10am – noon at the Salvation Army Hall, Hythe CT21 6EG. No referral needed.

Folkestone Community Fridge

Wood Avenue Library, 17 Wood Avenue, Folkestone CT19 6HS. Open Monday, Thursday and Fridays 10.30am – 4.30pm

Wednesday and Saturday 10.30am – 1pm

(If they are not their, you can help yourself)

Immediate Support

Parents struggle and it takes alot to ask for help – here are some useful contacts.

Early Help and Preventative Services – KELSI

Getting Help For My Child | Where to Start | YoungMinds

Universal Credit Helpline

0800 32855644