Domestic abuse support
Equality means every victim is heard.
Domestic abuse does not only happen to women. Men suffer too.
Domestic abuse affects men and women, fathers and mothers, young and old, across every background in the UK.
Support should never depend on gender.
Every victim deserves to be listened to, believed, protected, and supported by qualified and motivated professionals—without judgement.
Too often, male victims are ignored, and too often female victims are failed by delays, fear, and lack of action.
This must change.
Police, support services, charities, NHS staff, and public services must work equally for everyone—because abuse is abuse, no matter who the victim is.
Who helps?
🚓 Police – Emergency 999 / Non-emergency 101
📞 Victim Support – Confidential help for all victims
📞 Women’s Aid – Support for women and children
📞 Refuge – Safe support and emergency help
📞 Men’s Advice Line – Support for male victims
📞 ManKind Initiative – Help for male domestic abuse victims
🏥 NHS – Medical support, safeguarding, and guidance
The message is simple:
Listen. Believe. Protect. Act.
No victim should fight alone.
No victim should be dismissed.
No victim should be left unheard.
Real equality means support for everyone.
Support for Men
Phone: 0808 801 0327
Who they help:
- male victims of domestic abuse
- men in heterosexual or same-sex relationships
- family/friends supporting male victims
- practical advice + emotional support + signposting
Phone: 01823 334 244
Who they help:
- male victims of domestic abuse
- family, friends, neighbours
- employers supporting male victims
- confidential advice and local service referrals
Phone: 08 08 16 89 111
Who they help:
- all victims of crime and abuse
- emotional support
- independent practical help
- whether police are involved or not
Emergency: 999
Non-emergency: 101
Who they help:
- immediate risk
- threats
- assault
- coercive control
- stalking
- harassment
Who they help:
- medical support
- safeguarding referrals
- GP / hospital support
- mental health support
Support for Women
National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge)
Phone: 0808 2000 247
Who they help:
- women experiencing domestic abuse
- 24/7 confidential support
- refuge accommodation referrals
- multilingual support
Phone: 0808 2000 247
Who they help:
- women and children
- refuge accommodation
- crisis support
- safety planning
Phone: 0808 802 5565
Who they help:
- women experiencing abuse
- local support services
- live chat + safety planning
- refuge and specialist referrals
Phone: 08 08 16 89 111
Same support for all victims.
Additional specialist support numbers
LGBT+ domestic abuse
Phone: 0800 999 5428
For:
- LGBT+ victims of abuse
- hate crime + domestic abuse support
Older victims (60+)
Phone: 0808 808 8141
For:
- older victims of abuse
- elder abuse + domestic abuse
Forced marriage
Phone: 020 7008 0151
For:
- forced marriage
- honour-based abuse
Sexual violence / rape support
Phone: 0808 500 2222
For:
- sexual violence
- rape support
- counselling referrals
Emotional crisis support
Phone: 116 123
For:
- emotional crisis
- suicide prevention
- distress support
Best advice for employers / HR
If an employee discloses abuse:
do not investigate like HR misconduct first
instead:
listen + record safely + protect + refer
because often the first safe response changes everything.
Fighting for Fairness and Accountability Since Our Founding
Right First Time UK was established to address the persistent challenges faced by people wronged by public service decisions.
Our mission focuses on transparency, fairness, and holding institutions accountable to prevent harm.
When Public Services Get It Wrong
The Real Human Cost
When public services fail—whether through CMS, DWP, councils, family courts, housing departments, contractors, or tribunals—the damage is not just paperwork.
It affects lives.
It affects children.
It affects homes.
It affects survival.
The Main Effects of Getting It Wrong
Financial Collapse
- false debt
- false arrears
- unlawful deductions
- frozen bank accounts
- wage deductions (DEO / AOE)
- benefit overpayments
- rent arrears caused by errors
- council tax enforcement
- bailiff action
- bankruptcy risk
- credit damage
- inability to pay utilities
- loss of transport
- inability to work
Many people are pushed into crisis by debt that should never have existed.
Housing Loss and Homelessness
- rent arrears caused by false debt
- eviction risk
- Section 21 and possession action
- mortgage arrears
- repossession risk
- sofa surfing
- temporary accommodation
- homelessness applications
- unsafe housing placements
- family breakdown leading to homelessness
- single parents left unsupported
- fathers losing housing after separation
Housing loss often starts with one wrong decision.
How Separation Causes Homelessness
One Home Becomes Two
After separation:
- one household must become two
- rent doubles
- bills double
- furniture must be replaced
- transport costs increase
- child arrangements create added costs
- legal costs begin
- CMS may start
- Child Benefit often goes one way only
One income often cannot support two households.
This creates immediate housing risk.
Emotional and Mental Health Damage
- depression
- anxiety
- panic attacks
- trauma
- sleep loss
- isolation
- stress-related illness
- relationship breakdown
- parental alienation
- shame and humiliation
- suicidal thoughts
- self-harm risk
False debt creates emotional imprisonment.
Our Promise
Right First Time UK exists to:
- support better awareness
- improve access to information
- encourage accountability
- support safer systems
- protect vulnerable people
- help families feel less alone
- push for fairer public processes
- help prevent avoidable harm
We believe systems should support people before crisis happens.
Not after lives are damaged.
A Message to Families
To every family struggling through pressure, conflict, enforcement, safeguarding concerns, or systems that feel impossible to navigate:
You are not invisible.
Your experiences matter.
And the human impact of system failure should never be ignored.
Final Reflection
This page is not about blame.
It is about remembrance.
Awareness.
Protection.
And the belief that systems can and should do better.
Because getting it wrong costs lives.
And getting it right protects families.
A Message to Families
To every family struggling through pressure, conflict, enforcement, safeguarding concerns, or systems that feel impossible to navigate:
You are not invisible.
Speak out and get support
Your experiences matter.
And the human impact of system failure should never be ignored.
In Memory of Those Failed by Broken Systems
May Their Experiences Lead to Fairer Systems for Others
Right First Time UK
Fair Decisions. Public Money. Real Accountability.
The public should not spend years proving the
system is wrong.
The system should have to prove it is right.
Getting It Wrong Costs Lives
Public services should work fairly, transparently, and be able to explain and justify the decisions they make.
Too often, people are left carrying the burden of mistakes they did not create.
We believe systems should be
accountable to the people they serve.
Why We Support
- Families affected by family court difficulties
- People facing financial hardship caused by disputed debts
- Those challenging DWP overpayments and benefit errors
- Parents facing Child Maintenance Service disputes
- Individuals affected by housing problems, safeguarding concerns, and local authority failures
- Workers facing underpayment or unfair treatment by public contractors
- Vulnerable adults who struggle to access support
- People facing homelessness linked to unresolved public service failures
- Campaigners raising awareness of injustice
- Whistleblowers speaking up for fairness and accountability
We support the public.
Because when systems fail, ordinary people often carry the consequences.
How People Feel They Are Treated
Too many people describe feeling treated as:
- Guilty before being properly heard
- A case number instead of a person
- A target for collection instead of support
- A burden instead of someone needing help
- A problem to be managed rather than someone to be protected
People are often told:
- “The system says you owe it”
- “It cannot be changed”
- “You must appeal”
- “You need more evidence”
- “Someone else deals with that”
- "You're out of time"
while:
- Wages are reduced
- Housing becomes unstable
- Children are affected
- Mental health suffers
- Relationships break down
- Lives are placed under unnecessary pressure
This is not what public service should look like.
People deserve better.
This organisation is built with
remembrance, respect, and purpose for people whose lives were deeply affected by
failures within the system
Andy Kellett and Gavin Briggs each played an important part in
highlighting the impact that public systems can have on people's lives.
For many years, Andy Kellett was
affected by failures, delays, and challenges within public systems and services. Through those
experiences, he learned how
systems worked, the difficulties people faced, and the importance of understanding rights, processes, and available support.
He shared that knowledge freely with others, helping people navigate complex systems, access support, and better understand their options. Andy became a passionate advocate for improvement, campaigning for better support, clearer processes, and greater accountability across public services.
His commitment to helping others continues to inspire the work of Right First Time UK. We carry
forward that purpose by making systems easier to understand,
helping people gain the knowledge they need to
access support, understand their rights, and ensure that services
follow the rules, policies, and
responsibilities they are required to uphold.
Gavin Briggs' experience highlighted the serious consequences that can arise when public systems fail. His story serves as a reminder of the importance of fairness,
accountability, and ensuring that concerns are addressed properly and without unnecessary delay.
Behind every delayed decision,
unfair process, ignored complaint, or failure of accountability are real people and families living with the consequences. Too often, institutions focus on paperwork, policy, and procedure while the human
impact is overlooked.
Right First Time UK exists to ensure those experiences are not forgotten.
We believe public services should act fairly, listen carefully, and take responsibility when mistakes occur. We advocate for greater
transparency, accountability, and
reform so that people receive the support and treatment they deserve.
Andy Kellett and Gavin Briggs
remind us why this work matters. Their stories continue to encourage conversations about fairness,
transparency, accountability, and positive change.
This is not just about
complaints. It is about people.
This is about protecting lives.
This is about making sure public bodies get decisions right — right first time.
Who We Are
Right First Time UK is a non-profit organisation created to support individuals, families, campaigners, and communities facing real-life hardship caused by failures in public services, homelessness, family court issues, child maintenance problems, local council failures, and barriers to justice.
We exist to bring people together in one place—offering support, awareness, practical information, complaint guidance, and community-led campaigning that helps turn personal struggles into meaningful change.
We do not provide legal advice, act as solicitors, or operate for private profit. Our purpose is to raise awareness, support vulnerable people, help people understand their options, and create stronger public voices for those who often feel unheard.
Through campaigns, public education, employer support resources, interviews, investigations, and charitable fundraising, Right First Time UK works to turn problems into progress and voices into action.
Because real change starts when people are heard—right first time.
Our Purpose
We work to support families, parents, workers, and vulnerable people affected by financial hardship, public service failures, housing problems, family court difficulties, child maintenance disputes, benefit issues, local authority failures, and systems that do not always get decisions right first time.
We believe public services should work for people—not against them.
Too often, poor decisions or unresolved disputes can lead to:
- financial hardship
- emotional distress
- homelessness
- complaints and tribunals
- family breakdown
- avoidable harm
- loss of trust in public institutions
In some cases, the consequences are life-changing.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple:
To help people be heard and to encourage public bodies to get decisions right first time.
We believe fairness should not depend on who can fight the longest.
Good decisions protect:
- children
- parents
- public money
- trust in services
- wellbeing
- communities
Bad decisions cost everyone.
We Stand For
Fairness
No person should face unnecessary hardship because of avoidable public-sector mistakes or unresolved failures.
Transparency
People deserve to understand how decisions affecting their lives are made.
Accountability
Public bodies and service providers must answer for failures and work openly toward better outcomes.
Reform
Where systems create unfairness, improvement and reform must follow.
Ensuring Public Services Get It Right
Why “Getting It Right” Matters
Across the UK, local councils, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), NHS services, and public contractors make decisions that directly affect families every day.
When those decisions are wrong, people are often forced into:
- complaints
- mandatory reconsiderations
- appeals
- tribunals
- ombudsman investigations
- court hearings
- enforcement action
This causes avoidable hardship, damages trust, and costs public money that could be better spent on getting decisions right in the first place.
Getting it right first time is fairer, safer, and more efficient.
The Problem We See
Too often:
- evidence is overlooked
- shared care arrangements are not properly recognised
- disputed arrears continue unresolved
- cases remain open when they should be reviewed
- vulnerable people are left without proper protection
- public contractors fail to meet their duties
- families are left carrying the burden of proving the system wrong
- people on long waiting lists
The responsibility is too often placed on the public instead of the service.
That must change.
What We Are Calling For
1. Right-First-Time Decisions
Before any enforcement, deduction, or debt action:
- evidence must be properly checked
- the legal basis must be clear
- full notice must be given
- review and appeal rights must be explained
No public body should create hardship through avoidable error.
2. Fairness in Shared Care (CMS)
Where children live across two homes, systems should reflect real parenting arrangements.
Shared care should be fairly recognised and assessed properly.
Children should never be reduced to financial calculations.
3. Transparent Family Courts
Justice should be visible.
We support greater transparency through appropriate publication of anonymised family court decisions so the public can better understand:
- judicial reasoning
- consistency of decisions
- accountability
- patterns of repeated concerns
Families deserve confidence in the process.
4. Accountability for Public Contractors
Where public contractors:
- fail service standards
- miss key obligations
- underpay staff
- create avoidable public harm
there should be:
- contract review
- financial accountability
- proper investigation
- removal where serious failure continues
Public money should deliver public value.
5. Learning From Failure
When complaints are upheld or tribunal decisions expose failures:
- lessons should be learned
- repeated mistakes should stop
- systems should improve
The same failure should not harm families again and again.
Our Standard
We believe every public service should work to one principle:
Right First Time UK
Not after complaints.
Not after tribunals.
Not after lives are damaged.
Our Promise
Right First Time UK will continue through helping campaigns, public awareness, and community support to:
- challenge unfair outcomes
- support families facing difficult systems
- expose avoidable failures
- push for lawful reform
- strengthen the Kellett and Briggs Bill campaign
- promote accountability across public services
Because fairness should never depend on who can fight the longest.
Right First Time UK
Fair Decisions. Public Money. Real Accountability.
Support and Guidance information can be found on our site
Access our clear step-by-step guidance for complaints, escalation routes, tribunals, ombudsman pathways, and public service challenge processes.
Because people deserve to understand how to be heard.
Right First Time UK Helps Save Lives
When systems fail families, the cost is paid in homes, children, health, and human lives
A false debt can cost a home. A broken system can cost a life. When public services, child maintenance decisions, housing disputes, safeguarding failures, or contractor negligence go wrong, the damage does not stay on paper—it enters real homes and real families. Children are often affected first and hardest: instability, repeated house moves, school disruption, emotional insecurity, conflict between parents, neglect, loss of contact with one parent, safeguarding failures, poor mental health, and long-term trust issues that follow them into adulthood. Family breakdown is rarely caused by one single issue; it grows from financial pressure, debt stress, housing instability, abuse, addiction, court battles, false allegations, parental alienation, work pressure, and legal systems that exhaust people rather than protect them. False debt and financial pressure are among the strongest forces destroying relationships because fear enters the home before the money is even gone. When services fail, the taxpayer also pays—through complaints, tribunals, homelessness services, temporary accommodation, NHS mental health support, safeguarding intervention, policing crisis, lost productivity, benefits dependency, and repeated contractor failure. Getting it right first time is not only fairer—it is cheaper, safer, and saves lives. Children remember instability, even when systems do not.
The Kellett and Briggs Bill for changes
Child Maintenance, Shared Care and Public Accountability Reforms
Summary of the Kellett and Briggs Bill campain
The Kellett and Briggs Bill is a proposed UK law to reform the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), Child Benefit, family courts, councils, and public services where poor decisions create false debt, unfair treatment, and avoidable harm.
The Bill calls for shared Child Benefit in genuine shared-care cases, stronger protection against false CMS arrears and unlawful enforcement, greater family court transparency, and full accountability for councils, contractors, and public decision-makers. It also introduces personal responsibility for serious misconduct, including stronger action where harmful errors are knowingly left uncorrected.
Its core principle is simple:
No debt without proof. No enforcement without fairness. No silence without accountability.
Right First Time UK
The Kellett and Briggs Bill
Fair Decisions. Public Money. Real Accountability.
Right First Time UK
The stories of both Robert Andrew Kellett helping many, Gavin Briggs and Jonny O'Neill, show the same pattern:
bad decisions → false debt → emotional collapse → family breakdown → life-changing harm
Both campaigns
exposed concerns around
- shared care unfairness
- Child Benefit and CMS conflicts
- tribunal and court transparency
- false debt and arrears
- accountability for public decision-makers
This is why Right First Time UK carries both legacies forward.
Why This Matters
Both campaigns exposed concerns around:
- shared care unfairness
- Child Benefit and CMS conflicts
- tribunal and court transparency
- false debt and arrears
- accountability for public decision-makers
This is why Right First Time UK carries both legacies forward.
The Kellett and Briggs Bill Campaign
Robert Andrew Kellett
Shared care fairness, Child Benefit reform, 50/50 parenting recognition
Ian Briggs for Gavin Briggs
False debt protection, CMS accountability,
enforcement
transparency, suicide prevention
Together, they represent both:
fairness for families
and
protection from harmful public systems
Memorial
In memory of Robert Andrew Kellett and for Gavin Briggs — two men whose fight for
fairness exposed the
human cost of getting public services wrong.
Their voices continue through Right First Time UK.
With all others we have lost.