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In the last year we have:

  • Managed £1.9M of debt on behalf of 697 Service Users.
  • Maintained the AQA Advice Standard
  • Supported 92 Looked After Children to get their voices heard where they have had a complaint or an issue to resolve about their care.
  • Completed 33 Return to Care interviews
  • Provided 41 young people with an Independent Visitor
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Money Advice

Our money advice service works on 3 levels:

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  • Delivery of high level case work, directly supporting individuals and families with significant money advice/debt concerns
  • Raising awareness of money/debt issues and their impact and enabling people to take positive action
  • Building on the guidance given and offering mentoring support to help people embed financial learning in their own home.

With funding from Comic Relief, we work alongside our Domestic Abuse Outreach Team to provide an outreach Money Advice Service for victims of financial abuse.

Our Earn It Don’t Burn It project, working in partnership with We Are Digital, helps clients to maximize their income through the use of technology and social media.

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Employment Advice

This service provides assistance to individuals wanting to gain paid employment. We support individuals in the following areas:

  • Developing confidence and self esteem
  • Building CVs and job applications
  • The appropriate disclosure of offences
  • Liaising with and referring to learning and training providers.

Opportunity Suffolk is a programme managed by TCHC and Anglia Care Trust is one of a group of partner organisations who deliver this contract.

We have dedicated staff to help give people the support and tools they need to get on in life and move closer towards or into work. The programme supports people aged over 24 and living in Suffolk who have not worked for more than two years. Whatever barriers they face, we run tailored programmes putting the individual at the heart of this flexible programme.

This programme is funded as part of Building Better Opportunities by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.

For more information, please contact us on 01473 622888 or [email protected]

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Appropriate Adult Scheme

The role of the Appropriate Adult was implemented under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). It was introduced to strengthen fairness and reliability of confessional evidence; particularly for those identified as vulnerable – juveniles (under the age of 18) and adults believed to be suffering from mental health issues or a learning disability.

The purpose of the Appropriate Adult is to:

  • Advise detainees of their rights and ensure those rights are being upheld
  • Observe the interview to ensure it is being conducted fairly – intervening if necessary
  • Facilitate good communication between all parties
  • Ensure welfare needs are being met and that detainees are safeguarded whilst in police custody.

We’ve held the contract to provide the AA service in Suffolk for 18 years and earlier this year were awarded the contract to deliver the service in Norfolk by Norfolk County Council. The new contract “went live” on the 1st October 2018 and we are getting to know all our new AAs and Norfolk Constabulary colleagues.

The role of the AA is supported by our volunteer workforce who attend interviews at the Police Investigation Centres in Ipswich, Gorleston, Bury St Edmunds, Aylesham, Wymondham and King’s Lynn.

. We also attend Benefit Fraud Investigation interviews throughout Norfolk and Suffolk by arrangement.

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Mentoring

Offering one to one mentoring support, the service offers vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, the opportunity to have a mentor to support and guide them aiming to:

  • Reduce  offending and/or anti-social behaviour through involvement in positive activities
  • Raise awareness to the consequences of risk taking behaviours
  • Build the resilience of and provide support to vulnerable individuals (reducing the risk of exposure to abusive situations and improving life chances)
  • Reduce the gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers by funding sustainable activities
  • Support individuals to develop positive relationships.

We are funded by a series of small grants, often coming via Suffolk Community Foundation. It costs approximately £500 to provide a 20 week mentoring arrangement for a young person incorporating meaningful activities.

The mentoring support is delivered by trained volunteers and can range from a set period of visits for a young person, to an open ended arrangement for a family. Volunteers also support the resettlement of offenders when they leave prison by helping them to find accommodation and set up in their new home.

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Mediation

Mediation is an impartial, confidential and solution based service offered by ACT and delivered by fully trained staff and volunteers (accredited by Mediation UK) who can provide this service throughout the county.

The service is open to anyone and aims to improve relationships for individuals, families and communities experiencing conflict – for example, a neighbourhood dispute. We offer mediation in locations that meet the needs of the beneficiaries with the proviso that all parties feel safe and comfortable at the venue. Each party has one individual session with the mediator and then a joint session is held if all parties agree. When an agreement is reached, this is put in writing and signed by all parties. Mediation is a chargeable service costing £225 total for the outlined provision, where there are two parties involved. Please contact us if conflict involves multiple parties for a revised service charge.

To make a referral to the service, please complete the following referral form:

download referral form
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SEND Advice and Guidance, Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Services

The Children and Families Act 2014 changed the way special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision is delivered. Children and young people with special educational needs and disability from birth to age 25 are subject to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans from 1st April 2015 which replaced Statements of SEND and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDA).

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIASS) commissioned ACT to provide a free and impartial service to offer SEND Mediation or Disagreement Resolution and advice and guidance associated with this.

This service is completely free of charge and confidential and you can call the ACT Helpline on 01473 618675 to access this SEND Mediation or Disagreement Resolution advice and guidance or for more information.

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Independent Visiting Service

Independent Visiting is on offer to any young person in care and is designed to provide positive time out of the placement setting. It can be described as ‘someone you can talk to whilst having fun’.

Our Independent Visitors primarily take time to listen to and understand the young people, their interests and what they like to do. Visits are usually monthly although this can be varied to meet the needs of the young person.

The majority of Independent Visitors are trained volunteers who want to work with young people.

To make a referral to the service, please complete the following referral form

download referral form
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Advocacy Service

Our Advocacy service will work with  young people to understand their wishes and feelings and then either help them to represent those views or in some cases speak on their behalf, but it’s is not the role of an Advocate to instruct or direct the service user.

Communications are confidential unless safeguarding concerns are identified and all young people are made aware of this.

Whilst many advocacy referrals are made by social workers, any professional working with a young person can, with the young person’s permission, contact ACT and request an Advocate by the completion of a referral form.

The service is available to those:

  • Aged up to 18 who can understand and use an Advocate or
  • Aged up to 19 if they have a disability or
  • Aged up to 24 if a care leaver engaged in higher education (Children Act 1989)
  • Children in CareSubject to child protection arrangements
  • Designated as children in need
  • Care leavers
  • Those aged 16/17 who are homeless or have been allocated a social worker
  • Those who have a statutory right to have the support of an Independent Advocate

To make a referral to the service, please complete the following referral form:

download referral form
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