Frequently asked questions about signing up to ChildLine

• How do I cancel or close my ChildLine account?

  If you would like to cancel or close your account on the ChildLine website, please:
  
  • send us an email through your personal inbox in your locker letting us know you’d like to close it
  • tell your counsellor in a 1-2-1 online chat
  • tell your counsellor when you call us on 0800 1111.
  
  We will then send you an email to your personal inbox confirming that you want to close the account.  If we don’t hear from you within three days, we will close your account and you will not be able to log in again. 
  
  Please note that when you close your account, we can’t delete all your information.  ChildLine has to keep a record of all users that have used our service, even if they close their account and don’t contact us anymore. This means that we will keep a record of any emails you have sent us or any contact with a counsellor you have had.  These will be saved under your username. We will only know about your real identity if you have given us identifying details about yourself (such as your name, where you live, the name of your school etc).

• Why can’t I log in to my ChildLine account?

  Very rarely, you may find that you no longer have access to your account when you try to log in.  The reason for this may be:
  
  • We are concerned that someone else had access to your account. You may want to think about whether you have ever shared your password with someone, which we strongly advise you not to do. 
  • There may have been some technical problem that has locked your account.
  
  If you do find you can’t log in to your account, please feel free to create a new account and talk with us again.  Please note that we will not be able to access any of the information you might have given us with your old account, so please be patient with us.
  
  In all other instances we will do our best to let you know if we are going to close your account for any reason.

• I don’t live in the UK, why can’t I sign up to the ChildLine website?

  I don’t live in the UK, why can’t I sign up to the ChildLine website?
  ChildLine is a UK based charity and only has limited numbers of counsellors.  We are only able to provide a counselling service to young people in the UK.  This means that only young people in the UK can sign up for an account and use the 1-2-1 chat, email and message boards on the ChildLine website.  All young people are welcome to read our advice and use the rest of the website.
  

• Why has my nickname been rejected?

  We take your safety very seriously and make sure that nothing you post on the ChildLine website could identify you. If your nickname is one that you use for other message boards, forums or social networking sites, this may identify you to users.  It is really important for your own safety and confidentiality that you choose a different nickname for the ChildLine website.
  
  If you have chosen a nickname which could identify you, like you real name, then we will send you an email into your personal inbox to let you know and to ask you to change it.  We will also do this if your chosen nickname includes swearwords or something that we think is inappropriate. You can find out more about what nicknames aren’t allowed in the House Rules.

• Why do I have to wait a long time for a counsellor in 1-2-1 chat?

  ChildLine is doing everything it can to improve waiting times for 1-2-1 chat.  It is a very popular way to contact ChildLine.  If you don’t have time to wait or want to try a different way of getting through, you can always call us on 0800 1111.

• Why don’t you show how long I have to wait for a 1-2-1 chat?

  We would really like to be able to tell you how long you’ll have to wait for a 1-2-1 chat.  We know it can be frustrating to wait, when you want to talk to someone.  Unfortunately it’s not possible to say how long you will have to wait, because it depends on lots of things, like:
  
  • how many other people are waiting
  • how many counsellors are working at that time
  • how long other young people need to chat to our counsellors.
  
  A 1-2-1 chat also takes longer than a phone call because both you and the counsellor type rather than speak, and this means that it can take a while.
  
  We have looked into trying to give you some idea of the waiting time, but we can’t do this technically at this time.  We will continue to look at ways to solve this problem and apologise for any inconvenience. If you need to speak to someone urgently and can’t wait for a 1-2-1 chat, you might find it easier to phone us on 0800 1111.

• How long can I talk to ChildLine for?

  You can talk to ChildLine on the phone on 0800 1111 and online on 1-2-1 chat any time that you want to.  There are times though when we get very busy and it might take a while for you to get through.
  
  An average phone call can be approximately 30 minutes. It's usually less than this, but might be more depending on what help you need.  A 1-2-1 online chat usually lasts around 40 minutes. We have asked young people who use the service about this, and they have told us that this should be long enough for us to explore what is worrying you, but also allow other young people the chance to talk to us too. You are of course welcome to come back any time that you need to.