All together now

To make it easier for people to get the help they need, when they need it, Islington Council is opening three Access Islington Hubs: friendly, welcoming spaces where you can get a wide range of advice and support services – from the council, but also from local voluntary and community organisations. We spoke to Sarah Ali, one of the hub’s wellbeing coaches, and Jeanette Daly Mathias, CEO of Citizens Advice – one of the partner organisations based at the 222 Upper Street hub – to learn more about them

Sarah Ali, wellbeing coach

My job is to work with adults who are facing different challenges in their lives, who might need a bit of extra support to get back on track. I support them to set their own goals, after listening to what they want to achieve. That could be anything from picking up an old hobby, through to making new social connections or getting back into work. People often underestimate what they can do, so it’s part of my role to get them to think about the skills they have and to build their confidence to put those skills into practice.

There are lots of different reasons people might benefit from wellbeing coaching. It could be that they’re feeling socially isolated or suffering a decline in wellbeing for different reasons. For example, I’ve worked with a carer who, after a long time putting someone else first, wanted to find ways to look after themselves a bit more, while still providing care. I put them in touch with organisations that work with people going through similar things, which can be a big help for unpaid carers.

I like to start working with people as early as possible, so they can take steps to address issues before they reach a crisis point. It’s about empowering people to take steps towards making some positive changes in their lives.

The best part of being a wellbeing coach is working with people to achieve their goals and seeing the improvement in their wellbeing that comes with that. It’s really rewarding to see people re-discover parts of themselves they may have lost touch with, or develop new skills. Helping people be the best version of themselves is just brilliant.

Jeanette Daly Mathias, CEO of Citizens Advice Islington

Citizens Advice is a local and national service that provides family and civil advice, starting with triage via our freephone advice line. We can help with things like accessing Universal Credit and welfare benefits, as well as housing and employment, ensuring people get all they are entitled to. We are grateful to be a Cloudesley referral partner, which means we can provide people with grants – which are unfortunately much needed in this current crisis. We also provide debt advice with the help of the council, and are hoping to get a debt kiosk in each of the Access Islington Hubs.

Through the hubs, we hope to provide greater access to advice and will offer debt assessments, which are the first step to helping you get the debt advice you need. At the moment, we have limited capacity to deal with increasing demand: we must ensure that vulnerable residents can gain access to support locally, which is why our presence in the hubs will be so valuable. With the cost of living rising, it’s vital that we reach those who may have travelling costs, which will be really beneficial for so many Islington residents. Often people have multiple issues: the aim of the hubs is that these can be dealt with on the same day – they won’t necessarily all be resolved all at once, but advice is a process and having the ability to come back as many times as you need to the same place, and see the same faces, and get continued support is ideal. previously given up seeking advice, particularly people with disabilities. We already work with many of the partners in the Access Islington Hubs – it’s good to see the income maximisation team, (IMAX), RSS and the energy teams there, among others.

What’s on offer at the Access Islington Hubs?

Access Islington advisors can give advice to help you with your budget, finance and debt matters.

If you are struggling to access food, advisors can help put you in touch with organisations and food banks, provide food bank vouchers, and help you to get longer-term support through our community partner organisations.

Having a range of services that are accessible to all, under one roof, will save people time and

Your wellbeing can be affected by lots of things, including physical and mental health, social relationships, or work-life balance. The hubs can connect you to the right support through a range of local services.

The hubs can provide you with the support you need to get help and assistance with your housing queries, including rent and council tax payments, and connect you to any other services you might need, such as Housing Needs, Housing Repairs and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

We have been in Islington for nearly 12 years and it’s an honour to work with our partners in the voluntary sector – and all the other charity providers – who work tirelessly in the community to help people get the benefits they are entitled to.

Access Islington Hubs will be opening at Finsbury Library and 222 Upper Street in early April. A hub for north Islington will open later this year. To find out more, email heretohelp@islington.gov.uk or call 020 7527 8222

Get information and advice about childcare, activities and services for parents and carers, children and young people.

At our Access Islington Hubs, we can help you find information and connect to the right support if you’re affected by crime or antisocial behaviour.

Whether you’re looking for your first job or a new job, the hubs can help you to get the right one for you.