Advice
Housing
Wellbeing
read more
Advice
In April 2020 as the UK went into its first lockdown, at Praxis we moved our advice services at full capacity online and over the phone. Expert advisers worked closely with individuals remotely, supporting them to understand their options, delivering casework, advocating on their behalf and ensuring access to the immigration, housing, benefits, healthcare and family advice.
With emergency response funding from The Coronavirus Community Fund and Respond and Adapt, we launched The Covid Inclusion Project making 1,160 welfare calls to those most at risk, conducting triage needs assessments to ensure that they had access to the guidance, support and information they needed to live safely.
In September we launched a new destitution service , providing hardship grants and referrals into complementary services. We dedicated resources to monitoring and evaluating our response, analysing emerging trends and consulting services users to ensure that our work is rooted in their changing needs. Throughout we supported people to understand their rights and entitlements and advocate for themselves.
“My immigration matter was solved within three months… before [I came to] Praxis [there was] Covid and no one, nobody helped me and my children, I was totally helpless.”
Housing
In 2020 our award-winning housing project continued to be a lifeline for women and children at risk. This year 29 adults and 29 children stayed in Praxis accommodation, with access to specialist advice, casework and support to enable them to find sustainable pathways out of destitution. As a result of our intervention, 13 families and three single women were able to leave the project with secure immigration status and access to statutory support.
“When I go in the Praxis house I feel peaceful, one by one everything is solved”
Wellbeing
This year at Praxis we delivered four groups: Brighter Futures, a group for 16 – 24 year olds delivered with Kazzum Arts; WINGS, a group of mothers and their children; GIANTS a space for migrant men who are fighting isolation and poor mental health; and Language of Wellbeing, a group for women to build social connections through yoga practice and English learning, delivered with Globe Foundation.
In response to Covid-19 we moved our group work online, doubling the number of sessions delivered to meet increased need. With support from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Children in Need and the Coronavirus Commmunity Fund, we delivered 59 tablets and smartphones to members to reduce digital exclusion, ensuring that families could access the groups online and children could keep up with school work and people who had previously been excluding from accessing technology had support to connect online.
Throughout the pandemic, we provided additional 1:1 calls to members to ensure they had access to the support and advice they needed to live safely. In 2020 we provided 92 care packages including hygiene essentials, wellbeing products for parents and education activities such as books, games, and pens and colouring pencils for children. At Christmas our volunteers delivered 88 boxes of Christmas presents to children eagerly waiting at windows for Santa. For many, it was the only gifts that they received.
“Praxis has been incredible to make sure that the connection is still there… group work is there for us, and it’s something to look forward to… That’s such an incredible thing.”