Supporting people in the community

Free support in the community

We provide free one-to-one support, information and advice to Londoners in certain areas.

We help with a range issues, including managing your tenancy, getting out of debt and finding work.

This service is available in regions where the local authority has agreed to fund it. It’s currently available to people living in:

• Essex
• Havering
• Thurrock
• Tower Hamlets.

If you live in another area but would like to access the service, please contact your local council and ask them to commission it where you live.

Our services

Maybe you’re having trouble with rent arrears or finding it difficult to get around your home. Or perhaps you need some help with applying for benefits. Whatever support you need, our skilled support workers can help.

We can support you with a variety of issues, including:

• Dealing with difficult housing issues, including evictions.
• Managing letters and forms.
• Applying for welfare benefits and grants.
• Getting services from specialist agencies, such as health or social services.
• Dealing with bills, rent arrears and debts.
• Connecting with social, religious and cultural opportunities.
• Settling into a new home.
• Dealing with emotional or mental health issues, or alcohol and drug issues.
• Improving your confidence around budgeting, cooking and managing at home.
• Getting into work, training or education

We work closely with you to help you feel safe, secure, confident and more able to manage at home. We always listen and aim to help you achieve your personal goals at your own pace.

We’re not able to provide you with accommodation, but we can connect you with local housing services if needed.

Find out more about people who have been helped by our outreach services.

How to get support

We can accept referrals directly from you or from someone you know. Once we receive your referral, we’ll get in touch to ask you what’s important to you and what help you need. Then, we’ll decide together what kind of support you should receive. This could be:

• Information and advice: guidance that will help you access support, either by email, over the phone or at one of our drop-in sessions.
• Short-term support: if your issue is likely to take longer to resolve, we’ll provide additional short-term support for between four to six weeks.
• Longer-term support: if your issue is expected to take longer to resolve, we’ll provide ongoing support for between six months and two years.

One of our support workers will help you make a plan and set out the steps you can take to achieve your goals. These support sessions can be in your home or at a community centre.

Once you’ve finished all the steps in your action plan and are feeling more confident, your support will come to an end. You can always get back in touch with us if you need more help in the future.

Customer spotlights

"Their support has been outstanding. When I went in, I was a wreck, I didn't know where to turn and felt suicidal. Jody got straight on with dealing with my problems, listened to me and took the pressure off. Now I feel stable and I'm in a happy place again. I can't praise her enough." - Lauren, Havering Here to Help

We’d love to hear how our service has helped you. If someone on our team has gone the extra mile, you can nominate them for a WOW award. 

Contact our services

We accept referrals from people who live in areas where our outreach services are commissioned: Essex, Havering, Thurrock and Tower Hamlets.

• Essex outreach
  Email: efsco-ordinator@peabody.org.uk
  Tel: 0800 2888883
  To refer someone for our Essex community support service, please complete this form and send it to efsco-ordinator@peabody.org.uk.
• Havering floating support
  Email: Haveringfloatingsupport@peabody.org.uk
  Tel: 01708 776770
• Thurrock floating support
  Email: thurrockfloatingsupport@peabody.org.uk
  Tel: 01268 498542
• Tower Hamlets
  Email: towerhamletsfs@peabody.org.uk
  Tel: 0203 8284916