There are a lot of support services available to residents living in SW1, ranging from social services to advocacy and social clubs. We have tried to list the key services in this section, to ensure everyone can get the support they need. If you would like to add your local service to this site please contact us.
8 Godson Street, N1 9GZ
www.advocacyplus.org.uk
Email: info@advocacyplus.org.uk
Advocacy Plus (formerly WASSR - Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents) provides trained advocates to support older people in expressing choices about matters affecting their everyday lives. They have specialists in housing, mental health and dementia advocacy. If you, or someone you know aged over 60, needs support with a housing problem; with health services; with home care services; with making a complaint; with how to resolve problems arising from poor memory; Advocacy Plus can help with these and other issues.
To find out how they can help you, call them on 020 7837 6744. Their service is free, confidential and independent of all other service providers.
www.afmh.org.uk
73 St Charles Sq, W10 6EJ
Provides free, confidential and non-judgmental service for anyone who uses or wants to use local mental health services.
This is a befriending scheme for families under stress (providing support to families with at least one child under 14 years old in Westminster).
For more information please visit the Befriend a Family website
info@carers-network.co.uk
Office 8 Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, W10 4JL
Carers network offers advice, information and support for carers living in Westminster.
The Counselling Directory website is a free confidential service that will hopefully encourage those in distress to seek help. Search the directory to be connected with a professional counsellor or psychotherapist in Westminster. Every counsellor on the website has submitted their profile and has proved their qualifications or is registered with a professional body with recognised codes of ethics and practice which means you can be assured of their professionalism. The website also contains a number of sections on emotional disorders (types of distress section) and provides some useful statistics.
If you are experiencing domestic violence you can contact the national domestic violence 24 hour helpline on: 0808 2000 247
You can also contact The Woman’s Trust 24 hour Advocacy Service on 020 7034 0303 or 0774 708 0964 (out of hours)
Westminster Victim Support on 020 7828 4142
Or visit the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum website.
The GLAD (Greater London Action on Disability) Social Club meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at The Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BU. For more information, contact Katy McCoy on 077 8633 0412 or The Abbey Centre on 020 7222 0303.
www.phabengland.org.uk
Summit House
50 Wandle Rd
Croydon CR0 1DF
PHAB works in a very practical and active way to promote and encourage people with and without physical disability to come together on equal terms, to achieve complete integration within the wider community. PHAB achieves this in a variety of ways including the organisation of regional meetings and events, training programmes and holidays.
PHAB social club
The Central London PHAB group meets on a regular basis around central London and Westminster. Contact Kathy Bryan to find out more details. Tel: 020 7286 1101 Mob: 0795 064 7215
1st Floor, Community Centre, William Gibbs Court, Peabody Estate, Great Peter Street, SW1P 2LR
Self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities living in the SW1 area. It offers members the opportunity to gain confidence and skills through talking about themselves, news items/current affairs, health issues, education and employment.
Click here for more information.
37 Chapel Street, London, NW1 5DP
www.vawcvs.org
VAW exists to support strong and sustainable voluntary action in the City of Westminster. They provide information, support and networking opportunities to voluntary and community groups through their team of capacity builders, community networks, and through a growing body of publications. Visit www.vawcvs.org to find out more.
Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents (WASSR) has changed its name. They are now called ‘Advocacy Plus’. Click here for more information.
3rd Floor, Radstock House, 5 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LZ
www.westminstermind.org.uk
Westminster Mind provides information and support to people with mental health issues. They provide a variety of services including:
Westminster Women’s Aid (in partnership with Eaves housing for women) provides refuge accommodation, advice and support to women and their children seeking refuge from domestic violence. They manage five large properties across Westminster, with advice and support on issues such as future housing, welfare benefits, legal action and training.
If you are experiencing Domestic Violence you can also contact the national domestic violence 24 hour helpline on: 0808 2000 247
The Woman’s Trust 24 hour Advocacy Service on 020 7034 0303 or 077 4708 0964 (out of hours)
Or Westminster Victim Support on 020 7828 4142
Or visit the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum website
The team provides information, advice support and counselling for children under 18 with disabilities, their families and their carers. For more information, visit the Westminster City Council website.
Care First, 1st floor, 215 Lisson Grove, NW8 8LF
For assessments of children at risk or in need, or if you have concerns about the abuse or neglect of a child, telephone: 020 7641 7560 also 020 7641 1687/7503 or 020 7641 6000 (out of hours).
The Westminster Drugs and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) commission’s services for those with substance misuse issues in Westminster. They can advise front-line staff and professionals on which services are on offer in Westminster and they can advise anyone wanting practical information and advice for treatment of substance misuse.
There is also a free 24 hour helpline in Westminster for drug users, their family, carers or friends. If you are worried about someone and need advice, or if you want to give up drugs or alcohol or if you simply want to chat to someone in confidence about a problem, you can call 0800 072 1772.
A service for people who are HIV symptomatic, or have concerns or issues about HIV. The team accepts self-referrals or referrals from a third party with the individual’s consent. Contact the team for general information about HIV or assessment which may lead to:
The Westminster Learning Disability Partnership is a joint health and social care partnership providing assessment and support to people with learning disabilities and their families.
The Westminster City Council website offers a user friendly portal to information for people with a learning disability and their carers about things that may be relevant to them. Click here for more information.
Hopkinson House Basement, 6 Osbert Street, SW1P 2QV
A service for people (under 65) with mental health problems, providing assessment, treatment and on-going support. Although most patients are referred through their GP, you can contact the team for information about out-patient clinics, group activities and individual support.
The Senior Passport service provides access to Westminster City Council’s Social Services Teams for Older People. For more information, visit the Westminster City Council website.
substancemisuse@westminster.gov.uk
The Substance Misuse Team can arrange counselling, rehabilitation and aftercare for people with alcohol and drug problems. The service is referral based and they only deal with clients who are abstinent. Clients must be Westminster based but this can also include homeless within the borough of Westminster.
If you need some help with a drink problem or want to talk to somebody about drugs, the following places may be able to help.
352-358 City Road, London, EC1V 2PY
www.cranstoun.org
City Roads Crisis Intervention offers supported accommodation for drug users in crisis. It is a registered Care Home with staff trained in care and treatment of alcohol, drugs and mental health. They offer a comprehensive programme of advice, health care and education (including detox) and recreational activities for all residents. There are compulsory individual support sessions and group work throughout the treatment programme and residents are offered onward referrals to longer term rehabilitation projects, including help with funding arrangements.
City Roads can accept self referrals or referrals from any London based agency. Initial contact and assessment is conducted by phone (24 hours a day). If appropriate, a face to face assessment is arranged when a bed becomes available and applicants are prioritised with regard to current crisis, risk and need. Phone the Crisis Helpline to talk with staff on 020 7278 8671 or visit their website.
32a Wardour Street, W1D 6QR
www.thehungerford.org
Telephone: Mon – Fri 10.00 am – 5.30 pm
Drop in: 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm
The Hungerford Drug Project provides advice, support, information and treatment for people who are experiencing problems with drug-use and for their families and friends.
For emergencies in South Westminster: please call 020 7534 6685 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)
During all other hours contact the Emergency Duty Social Worker. Tel 020 8237 2040
Free NHS smoking helpline: 0800 022 4332
7 days a week, 7am to 11pm.
Urdu: 0800 169 0881
Punjabi: 0800 169 0882
Hindi: 0800 169 0883
Gujarati: 0800 169 0884
Bengali: 0800 169 0885
4th Floor, Soho Centre for Health & Care
1 Frith Street, Soho Square, W1D 3HZ
Mon - Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm Drop-in: Mon - Fri: 9:30 - 12:00pm
Westminster Community Alcohol Service provides a health and advice service to clients and their families adversely affected by alcohol use. They provide a range of alcohol services for adults (no age restrictions) living in Westminster with an alcohol problem and their close relatives, including; walk- in for assessments, preparation and referral for residential alcohol detox, medical support, prescription of medication to reduce cravings and support abstinence, referrals to care managers and one-to-one counselling sessions.
Those wishing to access their services can be referred by professionals from the health, social care and other public sector organisations. They also welcome self-referrals every weekday morning Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 12pm.
Westminster CAS is a joint project of Foundation66 and the Central & North West London NHS Trust (CNWL). Please visit their website for more information.