Supporting People Useful Links

Domestic Violence

• Refuge - have a network of safe houses to provide emergency accommodation for women and children when they are most in need. National domestic violence helpline - 0808 2000 247.
• Women's Aid - is a national domestic violence charity working to end domestic violence against women and children.

Drug and Alcohol Issues

• Alcoholics Anonymous - provide support groups for people committed to overcoming alcohol problems.
• Drugscope - provide quality drug information, undertake research at local, national and international levels and advise on policy-making.
• Talk to Frank - website proving independent drugs advice and information.

General

• Abuse of Vulnerable Adults - Cheshire East Council Social Services, with the support of the Police, Health Organisations, Housing and the Voluntary and Independent Organisations have launched a campaign to stop the abuse of vulnerable adults.
• Citizens Advice - help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice.
• Diversity and Equality - The Council recognises that promoting equality and diversity will improve public services for everyone.
• Equality and Human Rights Commission- champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.
• Refugee Action - is an independent national charity that works with refugees to build new lives in the UK.
• Supporting People Services Search  - search for Supporting People services in Cheshire.
• Terrence Higgins Trust - is the leading HIV and AIDS charity in the UK.

Homeless

• Crisis - is a national charity that fights homelessness and empowers people to fulfil their potential and transform their lives.
• Homeless UK - is a website that provides information on services across the UK that help homeless people and those at risk of homelessness, including hostels and day centres.
• Shelter - are a housing and homelessness charity.

Learning Disabilities

• British Institute of Learning Disabilities - is working to improve the lives of people in the UK with a learning disability.
• Change People - national organisation run by disabled people working on equal rights for all people with learning disabilities.
• Cheshire Learning Disabilities Partnership Board - includes regular newsletters about learning disability services in Cheshire. The page also has copies of key policy documents about learning disabilities.
• Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities - promote the rights, quality of life and opportunities of people with learning disabilities.
• Mencap - is the leading UK charity working with and for people with a learning disability.

Mental Health

• MIND - is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales
• SANE - was established in 1986 to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness.

Older People

• Age UK - Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to become Age UK.
• Alzheimers Society - is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.
• Care and Repair England - is a charity set up in 1986 to improve the housing and living conditions of older people and disabled people.
• Cheshire Single Assessment Process - the purpose of the single assessment process is to ensure that older people receive appropriate, effective and timely responses to their health and social care needs, and that professional resources are used effectively.
• Elderly Accommodation Counsel - offers a wide range of information to help older people identify ways of improving their home environment, plus details of all UK sheltered housing and care homes. 
• ERoSH - the national consortium for sheltered and retirement housing. They work with, and on behalf of, providers and residents of sheltered and retirement housing.#
• First Stop - independent, free service providing advice and information for older people, their families and carers about care and housing options in later life. FirstStop also offers useful information for carers looking for support and advice. The freephone number is 0800 377 7070.

Physical Disabilities

• Assist UK - is the national network for impartial advice on independent living equipment.
• Deafblind UK - offers support and specialist services to people who are deafblind or living with a combined loss of sight and hearing, enabling them to lead as fulfilled and independent lives as possible.
• Disabled Living Foundation - a national charity that provides free, impartial advice about all types of disability equipment and mobility products for older and disabled people, their carers and families.
• Leonard Cheshire Foundation - is an organisation which provides help for disabled people to live independently.
• National Centre for Independent Living - is a national support, advice and consultancy organisation that aims to enable disabled people to be equal citizens with choice, control, rights and full economic, social and cultural lives.

Young People

• Connexions Cheshire and Warrington - an advice, guidance and support service provided by the government for 13-19 year olds. Their specially trained Personal Advisers provide a one-stop service to help with life choices - from careers, further education, and training, to health and life issues.
• Get Connected - provides a free, confidential helpline that gives young people in difficult situations the support and information they need to decide what they want to happen next.
• National Care Advisory Service (NCAS) - focuses on improving young people’s transition from care. They are a national advice, support and development service for young people in and from care age 13-25, providers and support workers.
• Straight Talking Peer Education - is the national teenage pregnancy charity. They provide peer education in schools and training programmes for teenage parents.
• The Who Cares? Trust - the Trust are a national charity working to improve public care for children and young people who are separated from their families and living in residential or foster care.

Useful Links for Providers and Partners of Supporting People Services

• Audit Commission - is responsible for inspecting the Supporting People programme
• Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust - partnership agency of Cheshire East Supporting People programme.
• Centre for Housing and Support - provides courses and support services designed for professionals working in the specialist and rapidly changing fields of Sheltered and Supported Housing. Tel: 01905 21155
• Centre for Policy on Ageing - the work of CPA is primarily directed towards informing and influencing service providers, the fundamental touchstone of its approach being to discover and advocate what older people themselves want and need.
• Client Record Office -  The Supporting People Client Record Office has been established for the purpose of distributing, collecting and analysing the Client Record forms. This office will provide information to the DCLG with an overview of who is accessing Supporting People services, as well as useful monitoring data for administrative authorities. The latest form can be downloaded from this site.
• Cheshire Probation Service - a key agency within the local criminal justice system, they supervise offenders subject to community sentences or prison post-release licences as well as producing reports for sentencers in the Magistrates' and Crown Courts.  
• Department of Communities and Local Government - central government department responsible for Supporting People
• Department of Health 
• Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals - is the professional body for the substance mis-use field and works to help improve standards of practice across the sector.
• Foundations - is the National Co-ordinating Body for Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs) in England, appointed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
• Hact - the Housing Associations Charitable Trust is a development agency that acts as a catalyst for change in the housing sector. Working in partnership, they develop and promote solutions for people on the margins of mainstream housing. Tel: 020 7247 7800
• Homeless Link - is the national membership organisation for frontline homelessness agencies in England and Wales. Tel: 020 7960 3030
• Literacy Action Net - provides guidance and resources for working with children and young people to help motivate and engage learners, develop methods and skills for literacy projects and lists organisations that deliver literacy programmes. Registration is free.
• National Housing Federation - runs training courses throughout the year, including 1 day introductions to topics such as social housing, housing finance and development. Tel: 0870 010 7676
• National Offender Management Service - bridges the divide between custody and community and is committed to reducing re-offending.
• National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse - is a special health authority, created by the Government in 2001 to improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England.
• NOH Solutions - is a consultancy working primarily within the public/voluntary sector. Tel: 020 8428 9554
• North West Regional Assembly - works in partnership with the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Government Office for the North West and is responsible for the Regional Housing Board.
• SITRA - an organisation offering policy, training and consultancy. Tel: 0870 1620746
• Teenage pregnancy unit - part of the Every Child Matters website and provides resources for local areas and all agencies working on tackling both the causes and the consequences of teenage pregnancy.