Services
Housing Support - Our housing programme looks at a whole range of issues facing women at risk of domestic violence in Haringey. These could include housing advice around overcrowding, repairs, homelessness as well as helping women access other services such as Home Connections.
(Key outcomes: Reduction in the risk of Domestic Violence, Women gain a better understanding about identifying and managing risk, Increase in confidence, Reduction in isolation, Increase in take up of training and employment opportunities, Ability to sustain housing especially continuity of tenancy, Ability to self-manage financial affairs)
Counselling - Through a team of trained Counsellors women are offered the chance to work through a number of different issues.
(Key outcomes: Increase in depth and range of coping strategies, Reduction in the risk of Domestic Violence, Increase in confidence, Reduction in isolation, Work towards resolution of personal issues that have been limiting factors in their lives)
Representation - We want to make sure the views of women in Haringey are considered in the decisions that are taken locally about how services should be developed. We do this by holding consultation events and by talking to women and women's organisations that use our services.
Women's consultation events - We bring together people who are providing and receiving services in the Borough to talk together about service development and provide information for local women and women's organisations. This year saw the development of the Expert User Group. Women from across the Borough met regularly to look at services as they exist and discuss ways of improving them. Topics covered included policing, child protection, young people's counselling and housing.
Over 600 women helped us celebrate International Women's Day 2008 by joining us for the day at CONEL. Services offered by local organisations were showcased and women took part in workshops and heard others women's stories at the Unsung Women Awards.
Casework and advocacy - We work closely with women who access our services in assessing their priorities and helping them move forward in their lives.
(Key outcomes: Increase in self esteem, Reduction in isolation, Increase in access to appropriate support services leading to better quality of information and advice, Reduction in Domestic Violence incidents)
Volunteering - We support women who want to volunteer their services in the local community. We can provide training, advice and information about placement opportunities as well as providing a supportive environment within which women can develop their skills and make a real difference to women in and around Haringey.
In order to make sure we are targeting accurate information at women who need it we spent a lot of volunteer and staff time on the review of our database to ensure compliance with the current legislative framework including the Freedom of Information Act and Data Registration. We have reviewed the information we collect about our clients and now use an Initial Contact Form to provide a broader and more detailed range of information about those women who we do and don't reach.