Guides for families and carers
Plain answers to the questions people ask about being reachable when it matters: schools, care homes, older parents, caring, hospitals and phones. Every guide lists its sources.
What happens when your child's school can't reach you
Schools work down your contact list one number at a time. Here's what that means, and how to make sure somebody picks up.
Children and schoolWho should be your child's emergency contact at school?
Who to pick, how many to give, and what to do if you have no family nearby.
An older parentWhen mum's care home rings: sharing the calls between brothers and sisters
Care homes usually ring one relative and expect them to tell everyone else. How to share it fairly.
Hospitals and next of kinCan you have more than one next of kin in the UK?
Next of kin isn't a legal role for adults in England. What it does mean, and what does give someone a say.
Phones and numbersCan two phones ring from one number in the UK?
Your own devices, call divert, business ring groups, and what actually rings several people at once.
Working parents and carersCan't have your phone at work? How to make sure someone can still be reached
Phones in lockers, on wards or on the shop floor: how an important call can still reach someone.
Two householdsSeparated parents and the school: making sure one of you answers
Schools treat all parents equally, but on the day they ring whoever is first on the list. How to make it work.
An older parentWorried about an elderly parent living alone far away? What you can do
You can't be there every day. How to build help around them that can be, from a neighbour and a weekly call to an alarm and the GP.
Caring for someoneCarers' emergency card: what if something happens to me?
How a carers' emergency card works, where to ask for one, and the simple free steps that cover the gaps.
Phones and numbersSecond number app, or one number that rings several people?
What second-number apps, dual SIM and call divert really do, and when one number that rings several trusted people is the better fit.
Phones and numbersIs there a UK version of Verizon Family Line?
Verizon Family Line rings a family's phones from one number, but only for Verizon customers in the US. Here is what the UK has instead.
Children and schoolMissed a call from your child's school? What to do
The practical steps after a missed call from school, and how to make sure the next one rings through.
An older parentThe care home didn't tell us: what you can do
Found out late about a fall or a hospital trip? What the home had to do, how to complain, and how to agree who gets the next call.
Phones and numbersCan you forward calls to more than one number? (iPhone, Android and UK networks)
How call forwarding works on iPhone, Android and UK networks, why it reaches only one number, what it can cost, and what rings several phones at once.
Hospitals and next of kinNo one to put as your emergency contact? What to do (UK)
Your emergency contact doesn't have to be family, and there are free options if there's nobody obvious to name.
MyCirCall is not an emergency service. In an emergency, always call 999 or 112.