Anglia Care Trust provides a range of services including housing, housing support, money advice, mentoring, advocacy and mediation. Those supported come from a broad range of backgrounds, most will have experienced some form of trauma and now be seeking to rebuild their lives.
A grant was awarded from the Suffolk Police & Crime Commissioner’s Fund towards the Money Advice Service, specifically for victims of abuse. The service helps victims to improve their financial capacity and reduces repeat victimisation, therefore supporting them to rebuild their lives. It is delivered on an outreach basis within domestic abuse refuges and other places of safety e.g. safe houses, or by working with professionals to incorporate it into other victim support programmes, such as the Freedom Programme.
We cannot thank Suffolk Community Foundation and the Police and Crime Commissioner enough for the funding we received towards IT costs and the provision of a Money Adviser. It has been invaluable in helping us to continue to support victims of domestic abuse with financial issues. We have continued this work, despite the challenges of not being able to meet people face to face and the difficulty some victims have, with regards to being able to reach out for support, when locked down with perpetrators.
With improved IT, our Money Advisers have been able to already support over 40 victims of domestic abuse to either flee a dangerous situation or resolve financial issues that have prevented them from moving on with their lives. As part of this work we have effectively managed over £170,000 of debt. Because of the PCC funding, ACT’s Money Advice service has had a strong beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing of these victims of domestic abuse.