Helpline and email support

Why has my child started having wee accidents since starting school? Is soiling a behavioural issue? At what age should bedwetting be treated? 

ERIC offers a wide range of services to provide support and information to anyone caring for children and teenagers with a bowel or bladder issue. 

Who can call the Helpline?  

Our small team of expert advisors is here to support young people with a bladder or bowel problem, their family and healthcare and education professionals. 

What help can I get? 

Our advisors, Natalie, Alina and Amy, have been trained by healthcare professionals to provide up-to-date information and support on potty training, daytime bladder problems, bedwetting, constipation and soiling. All information is based on guidelines produced by NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 

Before calling, take a look at our frequently asked questions based on the most common queries we receive:

• Potty training - FAQs
• Daytime bladder problems - FAQs
• Bedwetting - FAQs
• Bowel problems - FAQs
• Help at school - FAQs

Remember: the Helpline offers advice, information and support, but not medical treatment or care. Our advisors cannot diagnose or give medical advice. Seek advice from your GP or other healthcare provider as needed. You can also call NHS Direct on 111 (for England and Scotland), or 0845 46 47 (in Wales). 

Can I leave a message and get a call back? 

During busy times we may not be able to answer your call straight away. If that happens, please leave us a message, including your name and number. One of our advisors will call you back as soon as possible. We will attempt to phone you back once, so if you are unable to take our call, contact the Helpline again. Please note that when we call back it will show on your handset as a private number.

How much does it cost to call?

Calls to the helpline cost 9.6p per minute, plus the phone company's access charge. 

Can I email the helpline? 

If you'd rather email us, send your query to [email protected] Due to the high volume of emails we receive there are times when it can take us up to four weeks to reply. If you need to speak to somebody urgently, please call our helpline.  

Confidentiality and personal information 

The ERIC helpline and [email protected] are private and confidential services. This means that what you choose to share with us remains confidential. However in rare circumstances, for example if we have reason to believe that you or someone else is at risk of significant and immediate harm, ERIC has a duty to break confidentiality and pass on information to a relevant third party.

You can read our privacy policy here.

All helpline calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes. 

We’re members of The Helplines Partnership and adhere to their good practice standards.

Your feedback 

After your call, you will be sent an email asking you to provide feedback on the service you received. This feedback helps us make sure we keep getting better at supporting people affected by continence problems. We’re very grateful to everyone who takes the time to do this.

Complete our Helpline feedback form. 

And finally...

The work that we do is only possible because of the support of people like you - we rely on voluntary donations to keep our vital services running. Please consider making a donation so we are here to help even more children, teenagers and families who need our support.