Frequently Asked Questions

Will Meic tell anyone what we have talked about?

Not unless we think you or someone else is in immediate danger or might be hurt. There are a number of reasons why this might happen and you can read our full confidentiality policy here for a more detailed explanation.

What if I need Meic after midnight?

While you can contact us anytime between 8am and midnight, we won’t be there to answer you outside of those hours. But don’t worry; you haven’t been forgotten.

You will have the choice of being forwarded to ChildLine, Samaritans or NHS Direct. You can read about these choices here.

Is my call free and will it show on my phone bill?

Calls to Meic are free and don’t show up on a BT or cable phone bill. Calls to Meic on 0808 80 23456 are currently free from all the existing networks – 3, BT Mobile, Fresh, O2, Orange, T Mobile, Virgin, Vodafone. We have been told that calls will not appear on any of these bills.

Remember: the telephone number will show in your list of dialled calls on your mobile as 0808 80 23456. If you don’t want people to see the number on your phone, you should delete this from your called number list.

Who at Meic knows what I've talked about?

Sometimes a Meic supervisor may listen into the phone call or read your text, instant message or WhatsApp message to make sure that the Meic advisers are helping you in the best way they can.

We do not record your messages here at Meic but we do record the number of calls, texts, instant messages and WhatsApp messages that we get. We also record what type of help we give out but we don’t keep any information on who had that help.

When you text the Meic helpline we can see other texts that have been sent from that telephone number but we can not identify who you are or the number that you are texting from.

Read our full confidentiality policy here.

Do you know my phone number?

No, we don’t know your phone number unless you give it to us.

Do I have to tell Meic anything about myself?

No, not if you don’t want to.

We might ask for your age and where you live in Wales so we can find information that will be useful to you, but you are in control of what you tell us about yourself.

If you want us to get in touch with someone else for you or contact another organisation that could help you further with what’s going on in your life you may want to give us your name, address, contact details and possibly other information – but this is up to you.

Can anyone see that I've used my home computer to get in touch with Meic?

No one will be able to read any messages you’ve sent to Meic or received from a Meic adviser as long as you keep your password private. It is possible for someone to see the history of the sites you have visited on your computer, but not if you have deleted your history.

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is all about helping you share your thoughts, feelings, and wishes about a situation. An advocate listens to you, helps you understand your rights, and explains your options.

Sometimes, you might feel confident enough to speak up for yourself. This is called self-advocacy. But there are also times when having someone else help you speak up can be really helpful. This could be a friend or sibling (peer advocacy), a family member or neighbour (informal advocacy), or even a professional like a teacher or support worker (formal advocacy).

There are also special advocacy services that are completely independent of other services. This is called Independent Professional Advocacy (IPA), and it’s available to some young people in specific situations. An IPA can help you understand your rights, explain your choices, and listen to what you want to say. What they can’t do is give you advice or tell you what you should do. The great thing about an IPA is that they are independent, meaning they work just for you and no one else.