Harmonised service of social value

A harmonised service of social value is a type of freephone service available in the European Union, which answers a specific social need, in particular which contributes to the well-being or safety of citizens, or particular groups of citizens, or helps citizens in difficulty. The phone numbers and the corresponding service descriptions are managed by the European Commission and harmonised across all EU member states. Harmonised services of social value use the prefix 116, which is then followed by three digits indicating the type of service.

After the commission has assigned a number, it is then up to the telephone regulator in each country (such as Ofcom in the United Kingdom) to allocate the number to a telephone service provider and providing organisation of their choice. The first telephone numbers to be allocated are 116 000 (missing children helplines), 116 111 (child help lines) and 116 123 (emotional support helplines).

Assignments

As of March 2010, the following numbers have been assigned by the European Commission:

Number Name Description
116 000 Hotline for missing children The service (a) takes calls reporting missing children and passes them on to the police; (b) offers guidance to and supports the persons responsible for the missing child; (c) supports the investigation.
116 006 Helpline for victims of crime The service enables victims of crime to get emotional support in such circumstances, to be informed about their rights and about ways to claim their rights and to be referred to the relevant organisations. In particular, it provides information about (a) local police and criminal justice proceedings; (b) possibilities of compensation and insurance matters. It also provides support in finding other sources of help relevant to the victims of crime.
116 111 Child helplines The service helps children in need of care and protection and links them to services and resources; it provides children with an opportunity to express their concerns, talk about issues directly affecting them and contact someone in an emergency situation.
116 117 Non-emergency medical on-call service The service directs callers to the medical assistance appropriate to their needs, which are urgent but non-life-threatening, especially, but not exclusively, outside normal office hours, over the weekend and on public holidays. It connects the caller to a skilled and supported call-handler or connects the caller directly to a qualified medical practitioner or clinician.
116 123 Emotional support helplines The service enables the caller to benefit from a genuine human relationship based on non-judgmental listening. It offers emotional support to callers suffering from loneliness, in a state of psychological crisis, or contemplating suicide.

The number 116 112 will not be used in order to avoid confusion with the single European emergency number 112. In addition, the number 116 116 is in use in Germany.

A reservation by the commission obligates member states to make the numbers available for registration by interested parties. However, the listing of a specific number and the associated harmonised service of social value does not carry an obligation for member states to ensure that the service in question is provided within their territory.

National implementations

Each service is now available in at least part of the EU. The 116 117 medical assistance line is the least-widely implemented so far, having only been activated in Austria, Germany, and Great Britain. By contrast, the 116 000 missing children line is active in 27 countries and the 116 111 child helpline is available in 22 countries.[1]

Country 116 000 116 006 116 111 116 117 116 123
Austria[2] Rat auf Draht Weisser Ring Unassigned Notruf Niederösterreich GmBH Unassigned
France[3] Centre Français de Protection de l'Enfance Unassigned Unassigned Unassigned Unassigned
Germany[4] Initiative Vermisste Kinder Weisser Ring Nummer Gegen Kummer Die Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung TelefonSeelsorge
Ireland ISPCC Crime Victims Helpline Childline (ISPCC) Unassigned Samaritans
Poland[5] Fundacja Itaka Unassigned Fundacja Dzieci Niczyje Unassigned Instytut Psychologii Zdrowia
Spain[6] Fundación ANAR Fundación ANAR Unassigned Unassigned Unassigned
United Kingdom[7][8] Missing People Unassigned Childline NHS 111 (Great Britain only) Unassigned (NI) Samaritans

In 2004, Germany's Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Postal Services (now the Federal Network Agency) awarded the number 116 116 to Sperr e.V., a non-profit organisation that would forward reports for lost credit and debit cards, SIM cards and key cards. This assignment predates the establishment of the Commission's registry.

United Kingdom
See also: NHS 111 and Police 101

On 20 February 2009 the United Kingdom's telephone regulator Ofcom began its allocation process.[9] Missing People were allocated the number 116 000; the NSPCC were assigned 116 111; and the Samaritans were allocated 116 123.[10]

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References
  1. "116 in your country". Digital Single Market - European Commission. November 15, 2013.
  2. "116 in Austria". Digital Single Market - European Commission. March 16, 2020.
  3. "116 in France". Digital Single Market - European Commission. May 6, 2013.
  4. "116 in Germany". Digital Single Market - European Commission. May 6, 2013.
  5. "116 in Poland". Digital Single Market - European Commission. May 6, 2013.
  6. "116 in Spain". Digital Single Market - European Commission. June 1, 2015.
  7. "Harmonised European numbers for harmonised services of social value (116XXX numbers)". Ofcom. September 6, 2016.
  8. "Numbering Plan" (PDF). Ofcom. July 2015.
  9. "Harmonised European numbers for services of social value: Allocation and charging arrangements for 116 numbers in the UK". Consultation Statements. Ofcom. 2009-02-18. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30.
  10. "Ofcom makes two new 116 helpline numbers available". Statements. Ofcom. 2010-10-01. Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
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