NYAS — National Youth Advocacy Service

NYAS is a UK charity that supports, safeguards and empowers children, young people and adults in vulnerable situations across England and Wales — including children in care, on the edge of care, or leaving care. Its free, confidential helpline offers advocacy support, guidance and referrals, and it is one of the key services for making sure a child's voice is heard in decisions about their future.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-31

What NYAS is

NYAS (Registered Charity 1012485) is headquartered in Birkenhead, Wirral. It provides independent advocacy services across England and Wales, including advocacy for children in care and care leavers, independent visitors, and specialist family legal services. In 2022/23 it handled over 12,000 referrals through its national advocacy helpline.

NYAS is independent of local authorities and government. Its advocates listen to what a child or young person wants, help them understand their rights, and support them to put their views across to social workers, review meetings and courts.

What help it offers

A free helpline: 0808 808 1001, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Calls are free from UK landlines and mobiles and do not appear on phone bills.
Email support at help@nyas.net, with responses usually within 24 hours.
WhatsApp (16+): 07494 788875 — messages are end-to-end encrypted, replies usually within 24 hours on working days.
Text support: text NYAS to 85258 — 24/7 text service for anyone struggling to cope.
Independent advocacy for children in care, on the edge of care and care leavers, including support at reviews and in proceedings where a child's wishes and feelings need to be heard.
Independent Visitor service — trained volunteer befrienders for children in care.
Specialist family legal services — NYAS also provides legal advice in some family matters (contact the legal team via 0151 649 8700 or legal@nyas.net).

All helpline contact is confidential — information is only shared with permission, where someone's life is in danger, or where the law requires it (for example, a court case).

Contact details

Website: https://www.nyas.net
Helpline: 0808 808 1001 (Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 10am–4pm)
Email: help@nyas.net
Text: NYAS to 85258 (24/7)
Helpline page: https://www.nyas.net/about-us/what-we-do/helpline/

How a self-representing parent can use NYAS

1. Your child's voice in proceedings. If your child is old enough to have views but feels unheard — in child arrangements disputes, care proceedings or reviews — NYAS advocacy can help them express those views independently of either parent. 2. Edge-of-care support. If children's services are talking about accommodation or pre-proceedings, a NYAS advocate can support the young person through that process. 3. Care leavers. Young people leaving care who are struggling with entitlements, accommodation or contact with family can call the helpline for advocacy and referrals. 4. Legal services. Where NYAS's specialist family legal service covers your issue or area, its legal team may be able to help directly — otherwise ask the helpline to signpost. 5. Crisis moments. The 24/7 text service (NYAS to 85258) is there if a young person in the family is struggling to cope; it does not replace 999 in an emergency.

Useful links

NYAS homepage: https://www.nyas.net
Helpline: https://www.nyas.net/about-us/what-we-do/helpline/
Get support: https://www.nyas.net/get-support/

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures and contact details change — verify anything important against the official sources linked above before relying on it. Your Family Case is an independent directory listing; we take no referral fees and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or receiving payment from any organisation listed.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.