Who we work with

Service users and communities

Our Good Neighbours Schemes are based on an ethos of co-production and harness the strengths, ideas and passions that exist within communities. We encourage people who attend activities to get involved in running the groups and in deciding what activities the Good Neighbours Scheme should provide.

We hold a service user group every 3 months which is attended by people who use our Connect service and Good Neighbours Schemes. The group helps to ensure that our work is based on the needs and views of our users and also provides a way for local residents to have their say about other local services and issues.

If you use our services and are interested in attending our service user group please contact us.

We also have a range of other volunteering opportunities. If you would like to give us feedback on our services or tell us about the needs of your Islington community please email us.

Local organisations

Referral partners

Our Connect service has a network of 120 partner organisations who offer advice and support on a wide range of issues including family, welfare benefits, debt, housing and health. This referral partner network includes Islington Citizens Advice, Islington Law Centre, Islington People’s Rights and many other local organisations. We hold regular referral partner meetings to ensure that the network is kept up to date with on the support available to people in Islington.

“I have to say that your meetings are so informative in terms of learning what’s out there in the borough [of Islington] for our residents. I work in 7 London boroughs and there isn’t an example of this excellent outreach and support anywhere else.”

Keniston Housing Association

Our referral partner network help us to respond to the multiple and complex issues people talk to us about on their doorsteps, over the phone and in our community offices. Becoming a referral partner will mean that your service is reaching some of the most disadvantaged and isolated Islington residents. We will, in essence, be doing outreach for your organisation. But you are also very welcome to join us when we go out door knocking.

We have a secure online system for making referrals to our referral partners. When one of our Connect advisers identifies that a client could benefit from support or advice from one of our referral partners, they ask the client’s permission to contact the referral partner on their behalf. The referral partner will get an email telling them that a client needs their help and they then log into our online system to get the client’s details.

We undertook a survey with our partner organisations in August and September 2020 to find out about the benefits of our partner network and what we should focus on in the next six months. Read the partner network report.

If you work for an organisation that offers advice or support to people in Islington and would like us to know about your service and tell our clients about it then please email us.

Research, engagement and consultation

We collect a lot of information which tells us how needs are changing, the challenges that Islington residents are facing and where there are gaps in provision. Our ongoing contact with residents gives us insight into the effects that national and local government policies have on communities and how changes to services and support affect people. We use this knowledge to advocate for better policies and services when talking to representatives of the Local Authority, Councillors, health providers and local service organisations. We also use it to inform our own service development.

Our local knowledge and connections mean that we are well placed to undertake research and consultation with residents, many of whom are seldom heard. We enable residents to have a voice and provide a means for policy makers and service providers to engage in meaningful consultation. We have recently carried out research for Islington Giving and the Islington Clinical Commissioning Group.

Our community grounding also means that we can help organisations get local people involved in their initiatives. We are able to link residents up to activities and opportunities that will benefit them. For example, we have been involved in helping people get involved in the Expert Patients Programme at Whittington Hospital.

GP Practices

Our Social Prescribing Service is working with 18 GP Practices across the North and Central areas of Islington. Our Link Workers are able to help patients with things which cannot be fixed by medication alone. Working together they will help patients find what matters to them and improve their health and wellbeing.

Funders

We work with a range of funders including the London Borough of Islington, Cloudesley, Islington Giving, the Cripplegate Foundation and the Mercers’ Company. Alongside funding for our services we also administer grants for Cloudesley and the Cripplegate Foundation, through which local residents can access financial support for essential daily items and to make meaningful life changes.

If you would like to discuss opportunities for working together to support Islington residents and communities please email us or contact our Director, Ken Kanu.