“This service has given us an opportunity  to reengage at grassroots level for example more time spent with clients. “

 

The Supporting People Programme of support to Haringey Council and Housing Association tenants commenced last year.

This service has been based on our own ethos; empowering, self development, equal access, and involving people in the planning of the service, gearing it according to their needs, and working on successful outcomes.  Reviewing each individuals circumstances and working on further milestones. 

This service has given us an opportunity  to reengage at grassroots level for example more time spent with clients. It has been a roller coaster ride  for the past three years. We at last feel more stability with secured funding.

The opportunity  has arisen with this funding to concentrate solely on support planning and working more intensely with each client that has signed up on the programme.

This support consists of working with partner statutory and voluntary sector agencies, not duplicating work, but working with each agency on providing quality services.  It has brought us together to cut resources for the statutory agencies in terms of crisis intervention, we are there to provide the initial advice, prior to the client’s problem becoming statutory responsibility, and yet enabling clients to access their entitlement.

We are not here to provide interpreting facilities or take away the valuable work that the link services provide within a statutory framework.  We do provide the advocates role for the client, liaising with these agencies to arrange appropriate appointments.

The role of the Supporting People Project has a number of important functions; advice provision, advocacy, representation.

It is important to note that the programme is for a maximum period of 24 months, programme planning is vital from the onset in order to work towards each clients objectives for the future.  This also enables us to continuously provide this service to other women who essentially need it. Therefore we have a waiting list based on first come first serviced which provides a rolling process for the clients who fall in to this programme criteria.

It is also important to note that the clients who come off this programme are not left to feel isolated and not knowing where to turn to if they do need assistance at a later stage, therefore our Generic Refugee/ Women’s Advice Worker deals with inquiries from these client groups and other women who do not fall from the onset in to these programme criteria.

This particular project has given us the opportunity to provide more in-depth advice provision to our clients and we believe that the benefits to our clients is evident from the level of satisfaction communicated within our focus groups and user questionnaires.

The Supporting People Programme

“Visiting clients that are housebound, encouraging women to develop their skills and knowledge through weekly focus groups provided at the Centre which encompass; parental support, integration within British society, education for individuals and their children, stress relieving techniques.”

“The aim is to empower and not develop reliance on individual workers or the organisation.  Focusing on developing confidence in order for women and their families work on short and long-term milestones to develop assertion and pave the path for their own life goals.”