The Source

The Source offers confidential support for young people and the parents and families of children with arthritis.

Who is it for?

You can ring The Source if you are a young person with any questions about arthritis and how it affects your life. We also get calls from parents, carers, teachers or anyone involved with young people.

How can I get in touch?

By phone: 0808 808 2000 (10am-4pm weekdays)

By email: TheSource@arthritiscare.org.uk 

By letter: The Source, Arthritis Care, 18 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD 

Book Kids with Arthritis – A Guide for Families

In recent developments Arthritis Care has taken Choices into its remit. The Helplines Team who staff The Source, have worked closely with Carrie Britton and Choices for many years and the team have been trained by Carrie and are taking over the support part of Choices' work. Young people, parents and family members and parents can contact us direct by calling free on the confidential line for The Source – 0808 808 2000 or email us TheSource@arthritiscare.org.uk 

The Source has supplies of Carrie Britton’s excellent book Kids with Arthritis – A Guide for Families. A free pack containing this book, CHAT booklets and other information resources is available for free for every family with a child with juvenile arthritis. Due to low stocks, we cannot supply Kids with Arthritis – A Guide for Families to professionals and organisations. If you are a health professional and you would like a copy for a young person or family, please ask them to contact The Source directly.

What can I ask about?

Young people contact us to ask about a wide range of topics including:

• school, college and work life
• going out, playing sports
• body image
• parents of children that have been newly diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis often want information on how to support their children and on topics such as medication and exercise.

Some people contact The Source because they want to get in touch with other young people with arthritis or parents of children with arthritis.

Who will I speak to?

As well as keeping up-to-date with new developments, every member of The Source and the Arthritis Care helpline team has had experience of living with arthritis or close links with someone who does. This means that you will be speaking to someone who understands your concerns.

What happens when I get in touch?

We are there to provide you with support that is tailored to your needs, from listening to you to sending you specific information about your query.

How do I know I’ll get what I need?

We pay very close attention to what people say about our service and are always striving to achieve the best standards. In 2009, 96 per cent of people we surveyed said our telephone service was either good or excellent.

The Source has been awarded The Helplines Association Quality Standard accreditation which shows that we comply with the very highest standards.

‘Heineken-like, your letter service may be able to reach me [information] parts where other approaches have failed. I refer particularly to difficulty in getting GPs etc., to communicate ie commit themselves. Thanks for your patience and hope I haven’t ‘gone on’ too much.’

‘Thank you so much. I really appreciate this and I'm sure both my daughter and myself will learn a lot from them. We will certainly be ringing you again.’ [e]

‘Thank you for the care and support given by your Helplines staff when I rang this week. My grand-daughter aged 22 months has recently been diagnosed with arthritis. This has been a very stressful time for my daughter and families. She asked me to forward to her A Day with Sam. Together with the book, other relevant information was sent which has been forwarded to them. I can’t express the relief I felt after the kindness I received from the Helpline staff. A big thank you from a relieved granny, and I hope the enclosed cheque will help others.’

‘Thank you very much for answering my email. I have spoken to my son regarding your email and it is very helpful. It is good to know he will be able to get help and extra knowledge about ankylosing spondylitis (AS) apart from the GP and hospital consultants. As soon as he gets a permanent address and is able to get back on the Internet he shall make contact with you. Hopefully he will be getting accommodation from the Housing Association pretty soon and will be able to begin sorting their selves out and get himself registered with a new GP.’ [e]

‘I just thought I would get in touch to say thank you for your reply and your help. I am worried about how things will turn out for me but thank you very much for your help.’ [e]

'A big thank you to you and your Helplines team for the speed and efficiency that you dealt with my query. You offer a wonderful service!’ [e]

‘My mother wrote to you for help on my behalf and I feel very pleased with what you sent. Thank you.’

‘Thanks so much for the information on exercise. I will certainly act upon it. I find the bicycles in the gym not too bad and I can also manage the cross trainer on a good day but rowing machines are out because the pain is too much when I bring my knee up – also I stopped treadmill work earlier in the year because it was too painful.

‘Thank you very much for your helpful reply. I have downloaded those two booklets for reading and I will get in touch with the CAB re the DLA. Thanks again.’ [e]

‘Someone from your office sent me a whole lot of bumpf on colitis, arthritis etc. I’d like to say thank you so much for sending this and it has been a great help. I shall send a donation as soon as possible – I’m skint at present – I’m unable to work and a bit short on readies! But will contribute as soon as I can. [Obviously leaflets like these do not grow on trees]. [e]

‘Thank you for your email. I did send my address and you did send some information on arthritis. It is just good to know there is someone I can talk to if I can’t find what I am looking for.’ [e]

‘Thank you for all your information. I’ve got lots to read through now. I feel better just knowing that someone else can understand how frustrating all of this is. I’ll let you know how I get on. Thanks again.’ [e]

‘Thank you very much for a packed envelope of very useful information, which I’m finding very helpful. The Chat booklet is extremely good and covers a good area of subjects. I really wasn’t expecting it. Now I feel I can get things moving and getting all the contacts I need for helping my daughter and the claim forms brilliant. I’m glad I contacted you on that day, it has been wonderful, I feel I’m getting somewhere now. Thanks again.’