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Advice, support & counselling


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A daily duty service | Homelessness | Alcohol or drug problems
Disability | Residential or nursing home care 
Short breaks for service users and their carers
Vulnerable adults | Advocacy & help for carers in the City 
Continuing care | Financial assessments, help & advice 
Services for adults with HIV & their families & carers
Employment advice for people with special needs
Keeping warm in winter | Going into hospital | Hospice care
Transport for residential/nursing/day centres 

A daily duty service

We provide a daily duty service from 9.15am to 5pm (Monday to Friday) giving information and advice to callers, dealing with crisis and emergency situations and arranging for assessments for access to services.

To contact the duty social worker call 020 7332 1224.

Outside office hours (emergencies only) contact: City & Hackney Emergency Duty Team - 020 8356 2346.

Homelessness

The City of London works assertively and there is an expectation on rough sleepers in the City to take up the many services offered. The City of London commissions Broadway's City Outreach team to work in the square mile conducting a minimum of 12 shifts per week.

To contact the Outreach team, please call 020 7426 9610 (office hours 9.30am to 5.30pm). More information about Broadway can be found at http://www.broadwaylondon.org

People with alcohol or drug problems

The City of London Substance Misuse Partnership (SMP) can provide information, advice and support around drug and alcohol use on 020 7332 1228 or via e mail: citysmp@cityoflondon.gov.uk. You can find out more by going to  www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/smp

Advice on alcohol use is also available from the Grove Alcohol Recovery Centre (ARC) on 020 8985 3757.

For any urgent matters you can also contact Adult Social Care Services and ask to speak to the duty social worker.

For further information and advice on drugs and drug related issues visit www.talktofrank.com or call the FRANK helpline on 0800 77 66 00, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Disability

Our Occupational Therapists work with people with disabilities to help them live as independently as possible, and following an assessment they can provide equipment, adaptations, rehabilitation and advice.

You will normally receive a visit in your own home and you will have the opportunity to discuss your needs and disability issues within the home, at work or in the community.

Find out more on the City's accessibility webpage

Information about disabled parking is available on the Disabled Parking pages of our website.

Residential or nursing home care

Residential or nursing home care may be a necessary step for those people who can no longer live in their own homes.  We can advise you or your carers about how to arrange this and what sort of care may be appropriate. Financial assistance may be available through Adult Social Care Services and we can advise on eligibility.

For further information about registered residential and nursing homes in London and the UK, contact the relevant local borough's registration and inspection unit.  The Bettercaring website may also provide further information.

Short breaks for service users and their carers

Following assessment by a Social Worker, breaks can be arranged for a person with a disability, mental illness or learning disability or for their carers. These may be provided in the form of additional care at home, or at a special care facility.

Vulnerable Adults

Adult Social Care Services are committed to protecting vulnerable adults from abuse. Adult Social Care Services have comprehensive systems and procedures for identifying and reporting crime against vulnerable adults but also rely on the help and vigilance of friends, neighbours and relatives.

If you are worried or concerned about a neighbour, relative or friend you can call the duty social worker during office hours on 020 7332 1224 or outside office hours the City & Hackney Emergency Duty Team on 020 8356 2346.

Advocacy and help for carers in the City

Adult Social Care Services recognise the vital role of carers in providing support to our service users. To try and ease the pressure on carers we seek to provide information advice and support. If you are a carer, Adult Social Care Services can offer you:

If you are a carer living in the City and want to help and support call our duty social worker on 020 7332 1224 or email social.services@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

In addition to the services provided directly by the City of London, Adult Social Care Services partners City & Hackney Carers also offer City carers independent help, advice and support and can be contacted direct on 020 8985 1600 or email info@hackneycarers.org.uk, or alternatively via the Adult Social Care Services duty social worker.

Continuing care

Continuing care is care that is provided for people who have significant health needs and require significant health care services over a long period of time or are during the last stages of a terminal illness.

Continuing care can be provided in a hospital, but more often is provided in a nursing home. On occasions it can be provided in a person’s own home. Adult Social Care Services are committed to help maintain service users in their homes for as long as possible, and in association with our NHS partners, will endeavour to provide help, care and support. 

Financial assessments, help & advice

If a service user has less than £2 in savings or capital a financial assessment will be conducted in order to get information on their income and expenses. This information is used to work out the contribution they will pay towards the cost of the services they receive. The financial assessment is conducted by Adult Social Care Services.

Toynbee Hall

The City of London has formed a new partnership with Toynbee Hall (just to the east of the City) to offer information and advice to residents as of 1 April 2011. This new service replaced the advice and information service provided by the City of London Citizens Advice Bureau.

Toynbee Hall was founded in 1884 as a centre for social reform by Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, and was named in memory of the Oxford historian and fellow reformer, Arnold Toynbee. Today, it works with over 5,000 people each year, bringing a range of expertise to its local communities.

The new service for City of London residents is split into three strands – the Community Service, the City Information and Advice Line and the Specialist AdviceService.

The City Information and Advice Line will provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for help with basic information, such as and help with filling-in forms and advising on access to City services.

The Community Service will provide information and advice on issues such as family, housing and debt at clinics at libraries, community centres, schools and on estates. Sessions will be available from early morning through to early evening on weekdays and Saturdays.

Lastly, the Specialist Advice Service will support longer-term cases – these can be related to issues such as employment, family problems, debt and domestic violence.

  • Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street E1 6LS
  • The City Advice Line number is 020 7392 2919
  • The City Advice Text enquiry number is 07432 658 083
  • The email enquiry address is city.advice@toynbeehall.org.uk

City Advice Line opening hours

Download the City Advice Christmas opening hours (PDF, 296kb)

Monday  8am – 1pm
Tuesday  12.00 noon – 5pm
Wednesday 12.00 noon – 5pm
Thursday 11am – 4pm
Friday 10am – 1pm
Saturday 11am – 1pm

Outreach and Drop-In Services venues, date and times to follow, will formally commence on 11 April.

Download further details about Toynbee Hall service provision here (PDF, 190kb)

Services for adults with HIV and their families and carers

Adult Social Care Services provide a full range of services for children, families an adults with symptomatic HIV infection. These include advice and referral to specialist HIV and AIDS organisations, practical services in the home and help with personal care, help with travel, occupational therapy, day care and services to allow those who care for you to have short breaks from their caring.

The City of London Adult Social Care Services work in partnership and are developing services with the Positive East to provide for those people affected by HIV, these services can either be accessed through our care managers or directly from the Positive East.

Positive East
159 Mile End Road
London
E1 4AQ
Tel 020 7791 2855
Fax 020 7780 9551
Range of contact email addresses

Positive East also operates a telephone helpline called ‘Signpost’ providing confidential information on sexual health and community safety for men who have sex with men. Signpost operates every Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, on 020 7790 5795.

Employment advice for people with special needs

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face, particularly within the workplace. It is illegal to discriminate unfairly against someone when you are:

  • choosing someone for a job
  • considering people for promotion, dismissal or redundancy.

If you are looking for advice and help on finding full or part time employment you should contact your local Job Centre Plus.  Here you will be able to speak to a Disability Employment advisor or an Access to Work advisor.

You can also visit the Disability Rights Commission web site which has a whole section devoted to employment issues surrounding people with disabilities.

Keeping warm in winter

During the winter months the NHS Winter Warmth Advice Line provides help and support for people particularly vulnerable to the cold

Winter Warmth Advice Line Freephone 0800 085 7000 (8.00am to 8.00pm Monday – Friday)
 
Toynbee Hall offer help and advice concerning debt and paying bills and ensuing that you access all the benefits you are entitled to.

Other helpful links:
Winter wrapped up 
Pension Service: Winter Fuel payments

Going into hospital

Pet care

If you have to go into hospital Adult Social Care Services will assist in finding help for looking after your pets. This is done on an individual basis depending on the circumstances and the pet.

Housing benefit

See the housing benefit FAQ pages for information on happens to housing benefit if in hospital.

Hospice care

There are currently no hospices located within the City of London.  If the need arises Adult Social Care, with the help of the health authority, will assist in finding suitable support.

Transport for residential/nursing/day centres

Adult Social Care Services can provide transport to and from nursing, residential and day care centres.


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Last modified: 9 September 2011 | Author: Gabriel Harriss
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