Useful Services for Families
Financial support
Universal credits application: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit
How to apply for a financial advance before receiving universal credit: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/get-advance-payment/
Advice on applying for hardship benefit: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/jobseekers-allowance-jsa/jsa-appeals/applying-for-a-jsa-hardship-payment/
Advice on how to receive contribution based benefits: https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/contribution-based-benefits
How to claim working tax credits: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Working-Tax-Credit/How-do-I-claim-Working-Tax-Credit
How to claim child tax credits: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Child-Tax-Credit/How-do-I-claim-Child-Tax-Credit
How to claim housing benefits: https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/how-to-claim
Local support payments (furniture, white goods for families in crisis) https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/benefits/benefits-provided-council/local-support-payments
Turn2us benefits calculator: https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou
How to apply for the 30 free hours nursery offer: https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare
Campden Charities (support applying for bankruptcy, grants): https://www.campdencharities.org.uk/what-we-do-and-how-we-can-help-youhttps://www.campdencharities.org.uk/
Help with childcare costs:
https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Food and other practical support
Fareshare https://fareshare.org.uk/ : redistribute surplus food to charities, including schools; a membership scheme gives access to a weekly supply of food that can be used for all children and/or families
School Home Support https://www.schoolhomesupport.org.uk/ : provides grants to families unable to buy essential items for their school-age children plus other services to support families
Food banks:
https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/kensington-chelsea-foodbank/
https://www.dalgarnotrust.org.uk/our-programmes/foodbank/
Food and other support: Al-Manaar Muslim and Cultural Centre https://almanaar.org.uk/
Support with finding employment, CV writing, secondary transfers, truancy, housing, money management:
FACES https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/families-and-communities-employment-service-faces :
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/employment/referral-form
Smart Works https://smartworks.org.uk/: help for women with personalised clothing for job interviews and work and interview coaching
Suited and Booted https://www.suitedbootedcentre.org.uk/ : help for men with personalised clothing for job interviews and work placements and interview coaching
Legal information and advice
North Kensington Law Centre https://nklc.org.uk/ information and advice on housing, welfare benefits, employment, immigration and asylum, criminal defence
Shelter https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/local_services/london: advice on housing issues, including homelessness, eviction, private renting, repairs, benefits, repossession and council housing
Citizens Advice Kensington & Chelsea: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/kensington-chelsea/ : information and advice on a wide range of legal issues; also offer volunteer training and opportunities
Project 17: https://www.project17.org.uk/ : provides frontline advice for migrants with no recourse to public funds, a telephone advice line for advisers, training sessions for advisers working directly with migrants with no recourse to public funds and funding for short term stays in emergency accommodation for families left street homeless by a refusal of local authority support
Z2K: https://www.z2k.org/ : homelessness prevention and one to one support and advocacy for people to access the benefits they are entitled to, benefit appeals, a Private Rented Sector Access Scheme brokering tenancies between landlords and single homeless people and wrap around – additional support to help clients address broader challenges, such as access to addiction services and mental health support
Volunteering opportunities and training:
Homestart http://www.homestartwestminster.org.uk/ Supporting vulnerable families
Westway Trust https://www.westway.org/our-work/learning/ : a range of free courses for RBKC residents and volunteering courses.
Nova: https://www.novanew.org.uk/ : education and training, employment advice and support and family activities
Early help, family support (some self-refer) and family information
Family Information Services: information on wide range of services available to families and their children:
RBKC Family Information Service: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/kb5/rbkc/fis/home.page
Westminster Family Information Service - https://fisd.westminster.gov.uk/kb5/westminster/fis/home.page
Brent Children and Families Information Service (CFIS): https://www.brent.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families
RBKC Early Help- https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/early-help-families : provide support to families with children aged 0-19; referral form: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/documents/Early%20Help%20referral%20form.pdf
Brent Early Help - https://www.brent.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/support-for-parents-and-families/early-help-service#whatistheearlyhelpservice ADD referral form to website
Troubled Families : Contact details of Troubled Family workers if you are not in education or employment, are receiving benefits, there is a member of your family with SEND, you are vulnerable or disabled and/or if there is truancy within the family.:
Bridget Hinds JCP WESTMINSTER (BRIDGET.HINDS@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK) Troubled families advisor Westminster
Kie De-Courci JCP WESTMINSTER KIERON-.DE-COURCI@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK Troubled families advisor Westminster
Elaine Lai DWP ST MARYLEBONE ELAINE.LAI@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK Troubled families advisor RBKC
Grenfell Support: NHS Grenfell response: https://grenfellwellbeing.cnwl.nhs.uk/
Mentoring services
Family friends: https://www.familyfriends.uk.com/ : parent befriending and child mentoring; have a special Grenfell project
Future men: https://futuremen.org/ : support men and boys through various programmes, including fatherhood programmes, outreach and youth hubs
Victims of domestic and other forms of abuse support
Hestia: https://www.hestia.org/kensington-chelsea : refuge and family support for victims of domestic abuse and outreach service those experiencing modern slavery; also provide support to people suffering mental health issues and offer volunteering opportunities.
Advance: Service which provides home protection systems to vulnerable families and victims of domestic abuse: http://advancecharity.org.uk/
Childline https://www.childline.org.uk/ : a free, private and confidential service with trained counsellors for anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.
Mental health support
Single point of access: https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk/our-services/adult/mental-health-services/single-point-access#:~:text=The%20Mental%20Health%20Single%20Point,our%20trained%20mental%20health%20advisors.
Kooth-: https://www.kooth.com/ Free online counselling service,part of XenZone (https://xenzone.com), an online counselling service; gives children and young people easy access to an online community of peers and a team of experienced counsellors
Kensington and Chelsea Mind https://www.kcmind.org.uk/ : information and support for people experiencing mental health issues, including information on responding to a crisis, and well-being, education and training support
MIND in Westminster and Brent have merged with Westminster MIND https://www.bwwmind.org.uk/ : supported housing, employment related services and befriending
Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ : emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide
Xenzon https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/organisation/xenzone/
Grief and mourning support:
Grief encounter:https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/ : bereavement support for children, young people and adults
