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 exactly 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 116000 (missing children helplines), 116111 (child help lines) and 116123 (emotional support helplines).
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As of March 2010, the following numbers have been assigned by the Commission:
| Number | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 116000 | 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. |
| 116006 | 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. |
| 116111 | 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. |
| 116117 | 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. |
| 116123 | Emotional support helplines | The service enables the caller to benefit from a genuine human relationship based on non-judgemental listening. It offers emotional support to callers suffering from loneliness, in a state of psychological crisis, or contemplating suicide. |
The number 116112 will not be used in order to avoid confusion with the single European emergency number 112. In addition, the number 116116 is in use in Germany (see below).
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.
Already in 2004, the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Postal Services (now Federal Network Agency) awarded the number 116116 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 Commissions' registry.
The number 116111 was assigned to Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. (“Number against Sorrows”), the number 116123 to the Katholischen Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Ehe-, Familien- und Lebensberatung, Telefonseelsorge und Offene Tür e.V. (a Catholic non-profit organisation). For 116000, no applications were received; the Federal Network Agency plans to re-start the assignment process when an adequate party expresses interest. In February 2010, the assignment process for the numbers 116006 and 116117 was started by publication of a request for applications.[1]
In Ireland, the Samaritans were awarded the number 116 123.
On 20 February 2009 the United Kingdom's telephone regulator Ofcom began its allocation process.[2] Missing People were awarded the number 116000; the NSPCC were awarded 116111; and The Samaritans were awarded 116123.[3]