Providing emergency respite shelter. Supporting people into housing Providing emergency respite shelter. Supporting people into housing. Helping people rebuild their lives.
Who is C4WS? Community Churches Camden Cold Weather Shelter
What do we do?
Winter Night Shelter Holistic welfare support Jobs Club Mentoring & Befriending Friday Club English Classes Wellbeing Tuesday Home From Home hosting scheme
Mentoring and befriending
What is M&B? Support for people during transition to independent living Volunteer mentor meets with mentee once a week for six months Practical support: education, networks, tenancy management etc Emotional support
Why is M&B needed? First few months of independent living can be difficult Lack of capacity for small staff team to provide ongoing support Importance of weaning support to manage independently
Why is it important? Something meaningful and purposeful for people with low income and small / no networks Point of continuity when working with multiple agencies Having someone to talk to can improve English and be beneficial for mental health Alert staff to risks that can be managed and where necessary provide intervention Improve confidence
Recruiting and training mentors Previous experience of volunteering with C4WS Group training session Application form DBS check and two references
Setting up a mentoring relationship Matching mentor and mentee’s applications Introductory meeting Exchange details
Monitoring Logsheets Three month meeting Six month meeting Expenses
Thank – you Sam Forsdike Welfare Manager, C4WS sam@c4wshomelessproject.org