Diversity Living Services

•We provide legal advice in a range of issues from on Immigration and Asylum , welfare benefits, housing, health, education, community care, and training,

Employment

•We provide advice and guidance, information and practical help so that our service users can access opportunities they are entitled to.

•We organise training and other community learning opportunities that provide new skills, increase confidence and motivation.

•We support our service users to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training.

•We provide support for young people with their education, training, confidence building, employment and social needs.

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Independent - we always act in the interests of our clients, without outside influence.

Impartial – Our service is open to everybody, without prejudice.

Confidential - we will not pass on anything a client tells us, or even the fact that they have visited us without their prior permission.

Our advice is delivered in several languages to ensure the main ethnic communities in the borough are welcomed.

If you require an interpreter, please let us know in advance.

How to get help

There are lots of ways to access the general advice service.

Drop-in:

You can get advice in person at our drop-in service held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30am until 4.30pm. No appointments are required. First-come, first-served basis only. Fridays is for appointments only.

By Telephone:

You can contact our telephone advice line on 0088036161 or on 07907505544

Online Advice:

Remember, you can access lots of information and advice from our website at: www.afsi.org.uk, or you can email us on advice@ afsi.org.uk

Access for disabled clients: Full wheel chair access. Lift. Home visits to people unable to attend the office.

Please contact us at:

Edmonton Shopping Centre,

1st Floor,

36 The Market Square,

London

N9 0TZ

Website: http://www.afsi.org.uk

Email: info@afsi.org.uk

Telephone: 02088036161

How to reach us:

By car: 5 minutes from the North Circular Road (A406), Great Cambridge Road (A10) or Mollison Avenue (A5005)

By bus: Numbers 149, 191, 192, 259, 279, 359, 491, W6, W8. Bus 279, 349, 259 is available from Seven Sisters to Edmonton Green Shopping Centre.

By train: Edmonton Green station, only 20-25 minutes from Liverpool Street, Cheshunt or Enfield Town ‘National Express’ mainline stations.

By tube: Victoria Line to Seven Sisters, then take ‘National Express’ train service which runs every 10-15 minutes from Seven Sisters mainline station to Edmonton Green.

Our Vision and Services

Our vision is of a society where no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health.

Mental health problems are extremely common across society, with one in four of us experiencing them in any year. Despite being so common, people from all communities will still experience discriminatory attitudes and behaviours that can prevent people from speaking out, seeking support and playing full and active roles in our communities. The impact of mental health stigma and discrimination will vary between communities as mental health has a cultural context that affects the way communities talk about the subject and engage with people who have mental health problems. In some cultures depression, for example, doesn't exist and in others an experience of a mental health problem can be attached to a sense of shame.

For the African and Caribbean communities a key issue is the overrepresentation of young African and Caribbean men in mental health services. Misconceptions and stereotypes have led to a perception that this group is more likely to pose a risk of violent behaviour and, as a result, they are more likely to be treated as inpatients and sectioned when compared to other groups. It is well documented that this has led to a fear of talking about mental health issues more openly and a fear of using mental health services. Research by the Race Equality Foundation (2011) also highlighted fears that discrimination against Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and migrant service users will increase in the austerity climate and whilst commissioning arrangements change.

Our Services

· Provide information, advice, advocacy

· Represent diversity communities in Health Care services, policies and strategies

· Organise training in health and social care in collaboration with local colleges

· Provide human resources ( including interpreters) who are suitable to the diversity communities especially to break language and cultural barriers

· Provides domiciliary care and support

· Provide services such specialised support for people with mental health needs, including people who suffer from short-term memory problems, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

· Provide visits to elderly people and help them with outings and home services

· Participate in local authority and NHS consultations , research events and programmes to voice the needs of diversity communities.

· Increase access to services and rights for disadvantaged people and the most vulnerable of our society

· Help and support unemployed people to look for work, including training and job preparation

· Provide legal advice in a range of issues from on Immigration and Asylum , welfare benefits, housing, health, education, community care, and training, employment, etc.

· Provide advice and guidance, information and practical help so that our service users can access opportunities they are entitled to

· Organise training and other community learning opportunities that provide new skills, increase confidence and motivation

· Support our service users to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training

· Provide support for young people with their education, training, confidence building, employment and social needs.

Objectives of our Diversity Living Programme:

· To promote the inclusion and participation of diversity communities* in integrated care.

· To inform policy, locally and nationally, and assisting in the formulation of effective policies, strategies and good practices in integrated care in order to contribute to improved health outcomes for the people from the diversity communities (e.g. Black and minority ethnic communities) and to ensure health services are able to meet their specific needs.

· To improve the quality of life for diversity people with disability, mental health problems and their families and carers through integrated care by providing inclusive advocacy and information.

· To provide service that enable diversity groups and individuals with disability /elderly and their carers to make the right choice for themselves and have an influence on decisions made about their future.

· To promote the rights of diversity people with disability, their families and carers and make sure their rights are safe and protected.

· To promoting access to information regarding healthcare issues and to raise awareness of the needs of diversity disabled children, young people, older people and their families.

· To promote the rights of older and disabled diversity people, helping them overcome and enable them to participate in decisions about their future

· To provide support and information to those suffering the isolation and loneliness that can be associated with disability and old age

· To fight against mental health stigma in refugee, black and minority ethnic communities and ensure no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health or disability.

*Diversity communities are older people, disabled people, Black, Asian, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities.

Pages

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Guides for Refugees and asylum seekers

Advice Guides

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Our Legal Advice Services

Blog Archive

Useful Links

Our Vision and Services

Objectives of our Diversity Living Programme: