Hope (Kent) provide supported accommodation for homeless ex-offenders or those at risk of offending throughout Kent. Beyond Homelessness works in partnership with the Kent Probation Area of the National Probation Service.

Beyond Homelessness main aim and objective is to support and assist ex-offenders and those at risk of offending by the provision of a secure environment in which residents may acquire the skills needed for independent living.

To find out more go to the Beyond Homelessness website here: www.beyondhomelessness.org.uk or telephone: 01634 819649

The British Heart Foundation run a number of shops across Kent and Medway which provide volunteering opportunities for those looking to work towards getting back into employment.

• Volunteer work placements
• Wide range of ages – work closely with agencies such as the Shaw Trust
• Range of tasks, from shop display and retail to lifting boxes, cleaning items, ironing or steaming
• Solitary (backroom) or social (retail) available

120 High Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4PL, to see the location on a google map click here.
Telephone: 01795 425175

Catch 22 supports care leavers with the transition from the care system to adulthood and independent living, including accessing suitable and secure accommodation. Kent 16+ operates a supported lodging scheme for young people whereby they can live within a family-type environment whilst acquiring the independent living skills and emotional resilience necessary to enable them to live independently. The carers within this scheme are approved and receive comprehensive training and on-going support and supervision from the dedicated supported accommodation officers within the service.

Catch 22 services is committed to ensuring young people have the best possible chance to succeed in life, with support including:

• a dedicated worker to help each young person achieve the things that are important them
• a plan to keep track of the important things (a Pathway Plan)
• assistance in accessing and sustaining college and university
• help with gaining employability skills
• help with finances
• volunteering opportunities
• help in having their opinions heard
• referring to other specialist teams or workers
• accessing their care files.

Catch 22 services are all over and Kent and Medway to search for your local service click here.

To go to their website follow the link: www.catch-22.org.uk

Centra Support provides support for people who experience mental illness, older people, domestic abuse, young people, homelessness and learning disabilities with their accommodation needs. Centra Support projects are accommodation based. Centra Support provide a person centred approach, supporting people to achieve their aspirations, working closely with other agencies. There are five mental health schemes in Centra Kent. Four are accommodation based, with self contained flats and communal areas.

The Horizons projects, Archer House and George Culmer Court, are jointly managed with KMPT. People have more intensive support needs around both housing and mental health and may remain in their accommodation for some years. Referrals need to have a diagnosis of a mental illness and to be already receiving support from a CMHT.

Chaucer House and Lower Northdown Avenue are funded to support people with low or medium needs. The aim is for people to be living independently in the community within two years.

There is also another scheme, Release Planning and Re-enablement. (0238 1848729). Centra Support work in partnership with Oxleas NHS Trust with clients in Kent prisons who experience mental health and/or substance misuse issues and who are homeless. Centra Support help identify accommodation and provide a floating support service for up to 3 months upon release from prison.

To find out more about this service go to their website: www.centragroup.org.uk

Addresses and contacts for Centra Support projects:

Archer House, Sittingbourne : 01795 439120 email: [email protected]

George Culmer Court, Margate: 01843 297168

Lower Northdown Avenue, Cliftonville: 01843 223131

Chaucer House, Canterbury: 01227 454631

Community Learning Disability Teams work with adults who have a learning disabilities. They provide specialist health advice and support to people with learning disabilities, their carers, families and the wider healthcare community. As well as help with health appointments, day activities and respite care. They can help adults with a learning disability to understand more language and help speech by using symbols, photos and signs to teaching people to cook.

For their website follow the link: http://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/home/our-services/community-learning-disability-team-kent/

Headway want to promote understanding of all aspects of brain injury and to provide information, support and services to people with a brain injury, their families and carers.
Headway aim to:

• To increase awareness of brain injury and its consequences
• To provide information and support for people with brain injuries, their relatives and carers and concerned professional people
• To promote improved approaches to brain injury screening, acute care, assessment, rehabilitation and social re-integration
• To assist people with brain injuries to return to community living, including access to appropriate accommodation, social outlets, and productive activity

Helpline 0808 8002244. You can see their website by following the link: www.headway.org.uk

Many parents need help, friendship, advice or support during those early years when their children are young. If you have at least one child under five then Home Start can help. Being a parent can be a tough job, and a lack of support from family or friends can lead to isolation.

The Home-Start volunteers are all parents themselves, and offer friendship, support and strategies to help families establish good bedtime routines, manage challenging behaviour, and even finances. They also help families with more complex needs including mental health, child protection or domestic violence issues. They work with the family over a number of weeks providing confidential friendly support to help families grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children and widen their links with the local community.

Address: Central House, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, ME10 4NU. To see this location on a google map click here.
Tel: 01795 429007
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.home-startsittingbourneandsheppey.org.uk

• Provide support for parents
• Support and Friendship for families

Homeless UK is an online resource providing advice and information on services, day centres and hostels. Find services or accommodation if you are having housing problems.

To go to the website click here, or go to the following link: www.homelessuk.org

To search for all services click here.

To search for accommodation click here.

Kent Adult Education provide a range of courses and information in Kent. There are short courses or longer more involved courses as well as free taster sessions - all designed for you to Keep Learning.

Why not take up a new hobby, rediscover an old hobby or just get active? Find a course to suit you at Kent Adult Education.

• Courses for adults for work, recreation and leisure
• Literacy and Numeracy help and support
• crafts, arts, education

Telephone: 0845 6065606 or email at: [email protected]

To go to their website follow the link: www.kentadulteducation.co.uk

Kent Association for the Blind (KAB) provide free, specialist support for children and adults, including those who have learning disabilities and those who are deafblind. This support enables people to be independent and to exercise choice and control over their lives. They are based all over Kent and Medway

KAB can provide:

• Rehabilitation
• Leisure and social support
• A Guide Communicator service providing one-to-one support for people with dual sensory impairment
• Intervenor Service
• Sight Support Service
• Digital Kent Talking Newspapers
• Transcription Service

To find out more about their work or to find your local service click here.

www.kab.org.uk

Kent Autistic Trust ensure that everyone with autism gets the right balance of support that they need to be as successful as possible in all areas of their life. Kent Autistic Trust provide opportunities that encourage people to grow, take risks and learn the skills they need. Kent Autistic Trust provide services for adults and young people:

• Adult: information, support and advice, support groups, multi-agency support, financial benefits, grants, entitlements applications
• Younger People: Carers support, multi-agency support for health, education etc. benefits, grants, entitlements applications

Head Office: 14 High Street Brompton, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5AE Telephone: 01634 405168 or email at: [email protected].

To their website by follow the link: www.kentautistic.com

The Live It Well Website has a range of information and advice all designed to support your mental health and wellbeing. Find out about the Six Ways to Wellbeing and what people in Kent are doing to support their wellbeing.

We have information on money and benefits, debt help and advice, mental health services and how to get help in Kent and Medway.

We have a unique database of local support and help that is available in your community.

We have listings for all of the NHS Talking therapy providers in Kent, so if you are struggling find out how you can refer yourself into services here.

• Gives advice and links to other services
• Local focus website, with links to social activities, physical health and things to do in Kent and Medway
• Hosts the Live It Library - mental health recovery stories
• Offers support pages, live online support and local information
• Information on how the community mental health teams work and the mental health system in Kent and Medway
• Supports the Six Ways to Wellbeing and has local suggestions to support these - Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Take Notice, Give, and Planet - Care
• Employment , money and debt advice
• Information about personal budgets and self direct support
• Information on carers groups and service user networks
• Information on PTSD
• Information on Housing help and support

We are always looking to improve our website so if you have any ideas about how we can help let us know. To go to the home page go to www.liveitwell.org.uk or to contact Live It Well email: [email protected]

The Live Well Kent service is there to help people improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing. It is a free service for anyone over 17. Some of the things Live Well Kent can help with are:

Mental health and wellbeing

• Understanding and managing thoughts and emotions
• Achieving personal goals
• Accessing therapies and support groups.

Keeping active and healthy

• Healthy living support eg stopping smoking or cutting down on alcohol
• Dance clubs
• Walking groups and sporting activities.

Meeting people

• Volunteering
• Social enterprises and community projects
• Arts, music and culture groups.

Training and work

• Gaining new skills
• Finding the right job.

Everyday living

• Managing money, including debt and benefits
• Housing support and guidance

Live Well Kent’s aim is to connect people with their communities, ensuring they have access to the widest possible range of support and services to meet their particular needs.

So if you are looking for help and support for yourself or someone you know call on 0800 567 7699 or email [email protected] and they talk you through how we can help you and give the support and advice you need. To go to their website go to: www.livewellkent.org.uk

Live Well Kent is delivered on behalf of Kent County Council and the NHS by two charities, Porchlight and Shaw Trust.

The Money Advice Service (MARS) are an independent service, set up by government to help people make the most of their money, we give free, unbiased money advice to everyone across the UK – online, over the phone and face to face.

Find free advice, online or on the phone on a wide variety of money matters.

Click here to go to the website, or call 0300 500 5000 they are open 8am - 8pm Monday - Friday and 9 - 1 on Saturday or follow the link: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Find information, advice, online tools and templates on a variety of subjects including:

• Life Stages: Setting up home, having a baby, losing your job, divorce and separation
• Retirement
• Long-term care
• Managing your money better, including: How to review or reduce borrowing & Money saving tips
• Universal Credit and other benefits
• Bank accounts and credit or debit cards
• Scams and identity theft
• Wills and estate planning
• Saving and investing
• Borrowing money
• Debt management
• Homes and mortgages
• Insurance

The Primary Care Community Link Service works alongside your GP practice. It is there to help you find a way through to problems you are facing by building your confidence, helping you to feel more included in your community and help you to address any issues that may be affecting your housing or ability to live as independently as you would like.

Telephone: 0800 567 76 99 (or 0300 365 76 99 from a mobile) or email: [email protected]

To go to their website follow the link: www.porchlight.org.uk

Support and advice is provided in a range areas including:

• Money
• Housing
• Education, training and volunteering
• Community involvement
• Health
• Drugs & Alcohol
• Confidence

Support is completely free and can last for up to 8 weeks. The service is open to adults (18+) living in Kent who feel that their circumstances have affected their mental health and well-being. Speak to your GP and ask them to complete a referral form for you. If you prefer, you can refer yourself by phone or email and they will let your GP know that you have been in touch.

www.porchlight.org.uk

The Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service can provide telephone and email advice and information for prisoners’ friends and relatives.

The Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service can send you a pack of useful information about:

• prison visits
• prison transfers
• home detention curfew (tagging)
• preparing for release,
• where else to get help and more

Their Freephone helpline: 0808 808 3444 the helpline is open Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm or you can email them on: [email protected].

They also have a wide range of factsheets online that you can access here: www.pffs.org.uk/faqs

To find out more about the work that they do and how to access help go to their website here: www.pffs.org.uk

Kent Probation is a statutory criminal justice agency with more than 100 years of experience of working with offenders on community orders and licences. The Probation Service aims to protect the public and reduce re-offending by delivering the orders of the courts and by helping offenders to reform their lives.

• Specific monitoring of offenders within the community
• Work with individuals to address the underlying causes of their offending
• Working with offenders on community services to reduce reoffending

Telephone: 03000 473000

To find out more go to the Kent & Medway Probation website click here: ksscrc.co.uk

Sanctuary Supported Living offer housing related floating support, which is a free service, funded by Commissioned Services at Kent County Council and the support can last up to 1 year. The service is available to anyone aged 16 and over in Kent who has a housing related issue and is: Homeless, a council or private tenant, staying with friends or family or a homeowner.

They can help clients to:

• find somewhere to live
• sustain tenancies
• maximise income
• manage bills and debts
• find education/employment/training
• develop independent living skills

For more information click on the relevant link below:

• Floating Support
• Floating Support - East Kent
• Floating Support - West Kent
• Young People - East Kent
• Young People - West Kent

• Dolphin Lodge Hythe
• Nelson House
• St Johns Church Road Folkestone

For more information call: 01905 335730 or email: [email protected] or you can go to their website by following the link: www.sanctuary-supported-living.co.uk

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness. They provide free information and advocacy to people in housing need.

24 Housing support, help and advice 0808 8004444

• Visit the Get Advice section for help online
• Phone or visit a Shelter advice centre near you
• To go to their website click here
• Provides advice and support on all aspects of housing
• Legal advice on eviction, emergencies, homelessness
• Will offer support and advice for housing in cases of family break-up, domestic violence and homeless young people

http://england.shelter.org.uk

Social care services help people who are in need of support due to illness, disability, old age or poverty. Social care services are available to everyone, regardless of background. However, social care is subject to rules about your needs and ability. Services can also support the families or carers of people who receive social care.

Services include:

• Support in your own home - helping you live independently in your own home.
• Your options if living in your own home is no longer possible.
• Paying for care & how much your care costs and how to pay for it.
• Caring for other people - help and support for those who regularly care for another person in Kent.
• Disability - services for people in Kent with a disability.
• How to get social care help
• Children in care and looked after children in Kent.
• Adoption and fostering

To find out more or follow the link: www.kent.gov.uk

St Giles Trust aims to help break the cycle of prison, crime and disadvantage and create safer communities by supporting people to change their lives. Their services put reformed ex-offenders at the heart of the solution, training them to use their skills and first-hand experience to help others through peer-led support. Around one-third of our staff are ex-offenders who now support others.

Skills and employment services for ex offenders includes:

• On the job training,
• regular monitoring and supervision,
• professional training in a range of areas,
• a one-to-one session with a specialist in disclosure,
• involvement in our Peer Advisor User Group,
• access to employment opportunities and support to move into paid employment
• Work with prisoners towards rehabilitation and support
• Youth offenders and those at list of offending, support and projects
• Supports prisoners in prison and on release towards work and independence
• Support for children and families of offenders

Telephone: 0207 703 7000 or email: [email protected]

To go to their website follow the link: www.stgilestrust.org.uk

Swale Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) provide services to adults people living in the community who are experiencing mental health problems.

Address: Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, Bell Road, Sittingbourne, ME10 4DT. To see the location of this service on a google map click here.

Tel: 01795 418359

For their website click here or to find out more about Community Mental Health Teams click here.

• Referrals to the CMHTs are usually made directly through a GP
• The intake element of a CMHT acts as a single point of access for all referrals to mental health services that we provide.
• If you are referred to a team they will assess you, signpost and offer short-term treatment as close as possible to your home

www.kmpt.nhs.uk

Swale Volunteer Centre helps people find a volunteering role which matches their skills, experience and circumstances.

Central House, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, ME10 4NU. To see the location of this service on a google map click here.

Telephone: 01795 473828. To go to their web page click here or follow the link: www.swalecvs.org.uk

If you have a mental health needs, Swale Your Way can offer you a range of community based activities including informal drop-in sessions, one-to-one support and peer-led social and leisure groups.

To go to the Swale Your Way Service finder click here.

Telephone: 07740 488576 or email: [email protected]

The Salvation Army work with people who are vulnerable and marginalised they offer practical help, unconditional assistance and support.

The Salvation Army, Sheerness Corps, 163 High Street, Sheerness, ME12 1UH. To see the location of this service on a google map click here.

Tel: 01795 664964

• Clubs, support and night shelters for the vulnerable - please contact branch for details

TheSite.org is an online guide to life for 16-25 year olds in the UK. It provides non-judgmental support and information on everything from sex and stress to debt and drugs.

Straight-talking emotional support is available 24 hours a day. There are options for:

• Chatting about anything on moderated discussion boards and live chat rooms
• Browsing over 2000 articles and videos full of trustworthy facts
• Reading about the experiences of other young people in the True Life section
• Asking questions about friends, dating, love or family life to trained advisors – free and confidential

They have information and advice on:

• Sex & Relationships
• Your Body
• Mental Health
• Drink & Drugs
• Housing
• Money
• Work & Study
• Crime & Safety
• Travel & Lifestyle

www.thesite.org

Unlock is a charity that provides information, advice, training and advocacy, dealing with the ongoing effects of criminal convictions.

Unlock provides:

• Information advice and support through their Information Hub, Disclosure Calculator, Online Forum and Online Magazine
• Provide help and support for people with convictions through their Helpline
• They recruit and train people with convictions as volunteers to help support the information and advice we provide
• They run training courses on criminal record disclosure for those that help people with convictions
• They support employers who are handling criminal record information

So if you need help and support following a spell in prison Unlock could help you.

For more information and advice go to: www.unlock.org.uk