The TSA office will be closed for the 2018 Christmas period between Tuesday 25 December 2018 and Tuesday 1 January 2019. Although some members of the team will still be around during some of this time, responses from us may take longer than usual between these dates.

We will reopen at 09:00 on Wednesday 2 January 2019.

We know that Christmas can be a stressful time. To help make things a little bit easier, we have written the below list of services that might be useful over the festive period:


Urgent medical attention and advice

• In an emergency: please dial 999
• Urgent medical attention: go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department or ring your GP for an emergency GP appointment
• Urgent medical advice: call NHS 24 by dialling 111 (this service is not currently available in Northern Ireland)

Adult and Children’s Social Care
If you need help from adult or children’s social care services, please contact your local authority, who will have an emergency team on duty. You can find out who your local authority is by using this website.

Coping over Christmas
The National Autistic Society has some great top tips to help you enjoy the festive season, with guides for making the holiday an enjoyable time for everyone.

Sibs, the charity to support brothers and sisters of disabled children and adults, has a handy overview on handling the festivities.

Mental health support
• UK-wide: Samaritans – 116 123, phoneline open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• England and Wales: Mind – 0300 123 3393, phoneline open Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm (closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January)
• Scotland: SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) – 0141 530 100, phoneline open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday
• Northern Ireland: Lifeline – 0808 808 8000, phoneline open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Parenting issues and support
• England and Wales: Family Lives  – 0800 800 2222, phoneline open 9am – 9pm Monday to Friday (closed from 4pm 24 December, 25 December and 26 December)
• Scotland: Parentline Scotland – 0808 028 2233, phoneline open 9am – 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm Saturday – Sunday
 Northern Ireland: Parenting NI – 0808 801 0722, phoneline open Monday to Friday 9am – 8pm