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Welcome to our Support Services Page

Support Service's we can provide

GSA support services are here to help any members of our community (or those acting on their behalf with written consent) find support, advice, classes, and activities run by the local community and voluntary sector in Medway, This service we provide is a free service open to anyone in need of support no matter how trivial you may think it is.

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Help comes in many forms. Some people may feel isolated and want a chat; others might be determined to join an exercise class; or decide that this is the time to pick up a new skill or lose an old habit. Some may require specialist advice around finances or employment or may be concerned about domestic abuse or addiction. If you are in need of support please get in touch with our Support Lead Rio Huet via email: support@thestreet-angels.org Tel: 07895 126011

So if you need any of the following we're here to help.

  • Housing Advice

  • 16-25 Year-old Support Service

  • Crisis Support

  • Benefits Advice

  • Family Support

  • Employability Support

  • Mental Health Support

  • Debt Help Service​

Housing Advice

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Housing issues will always arise and therefore you need to know your rights and responsibilities. You could also find yourself threatened with eviction if you can't cope with your mortgage payments. We are here to help you find information about how to go about renting or buying a home or just finding somewhere to live and we can support you with filling in applications. We can also help with advice on handling problems with your landlord and help to avoid losing your home.

16-25-Year-old Support Service

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For 16-25-year-old young people. GSA Support service has an open door policy. It provides a safe, comfortable space in a relaxed environment. You can drop in for a chat, meet new people, access the computer suite/wifi, discuss GSA Support services that may be beneficial to you, or take part in informal education sessions. A member of staff is always available to meet and assist you if you need support.

Crisis Support

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Typical ‘crisis’ issues that a person in crisis present with include: relationship breakdowns, indebtedness, and financial struggles, domestic violence, exposure to traumatic events, workplace conflicts, bullying, general and mental health problems, housing, drug and alcohol use, gambling, and addictive behaviors, as well as general perceptions of aloneness and social exclusion. Suicidal presentations also pose a crisis in themselves, reflecting a level of desperation about the caller’s current life situation.

 

ALL of our work is integrated and contributes to our purpose of reducing with the intention's to end homelessness. The services we provide are carefully informed through our decades of combined 1st hand experience of not only working with homeless people but, having been through and experienced ourselves, homelessness, and addictions, with that in mind and combined with research and knowledge we've carried out over the years, we aim to give the best possible support backed by experience, knowledge, and care. 

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We endeavor to support people out of homelessness to the best of our ability and envisage it is for good. We do this through education, training, and support with housing, employment, and health. We offer one-to-one support, advice, and courses for homeless people in Medway towns and surrounding areas of Kent.

 

A mental health crisis is when you feel at breaking point, and you need urgent help. You might be:

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  • feeling extremely anxious and having panic attacks or flashbacks

  • feeling suicidal, or self-harming

  • having an episode of hypomania or mania, (feeling very high) or psychosis (maybe hearing voices, or feeling very paranoid). 

You might be dealing with bereavement, addiction, abuse, money problems, relationship breakdown, workplace stress, exam stress, or housing problems. You might be managing a mental health diagnosis. Or you might not know why you're feeling this way now.

Domestic Violence/Abuse Crisis

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Domestic violence or abuse can happen to anyone. Find out how to recognise the signs and where to get help.

If you're worried someone might see you have visited this page, the Women's Aid website tells you how to cover your tracks online.

Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse, includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.

Domestic violence can happen against anyone, and anybody can be an abuser.

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You do not have to wait for an emergency situation to find help, you can in strict confidence reach out to us at GSA support services, we will support and guide you to safety. If domestic abuse is happening to you, it's important to tell someone and remember you're not alone.

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Other ways to get support:

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You can also email for support. It is important that you specify when and if it is safe to respond and to which email address:

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The Survivor's Handbook from the charity Women's Aid is free and provides information for women on a wide range of issues, such as housing, money, helping your children, and your legal rights.

 

If you are worried that you are abusive, you can contact the free Respect helpline on 0808 802 4040.

 

Signs of domestic violence and abuse

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There are different kinds of abuse, but it's always about having power and control over you.

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you might be in an abusive relationship or experiencing domestic abuse.

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Emotional abuse

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Does your partner or someone you live with ever:

 

  • belittle you, or put you down?

  • blame you for the abuse or arguments?

  • deny that abuse is happening, or downplay it?

  • isolate you from your family and friends?

  • stop you going to college or work?

  • make unreasonable demands for your attention?

  • accuse you of flirting or having affairs?

  • tell you what to wear, whom to see, where to go, and what to think?

  • control your money, or not give you enough to buy food or other essential things?

  • monitor your social media profiles, share photos or videos of you without your consent or use GPS locators to know where you are?

 

Threats and intimidation

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Does your partner or someone you live with ever:

 

  • threaten to hurt or kill you?

  • destroy things that belong to you?

  • stand over you, invade your personal space?

  • threaten to kill themselves or the children?

  • read your emails, texts, or letters?

  • harass or follow you?

 

Physical abuse

 

 

The person abusing you may hurt you in a number of ways.

 

Does your partner or someone you live with ever:

  • slap, hit, or punch you?

  • push or shove you?

  • bite or kick you?

  • burn you?

  • choke you or hold you down?

  • throw things?

 

Sexual abuse

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Sexual abuse can happen to anyone.

 

Does your partner or someone you live with ever:

  • touch you in a way you do not want to be touched?

  • make unwanted sexual demands?

  • hurt you during sex?

  • pressure you to have unsafe sex – for example, not using a condom?

  • pressure you to have sex?

 

If anyone has sex with you when you do not want to, this is rape. It is still rape if that person is your partner.

Have you ever felt afraid of your partner?

Have you ever changed your behavior because you're afraid of what your partner might do?

 

If you think you may be in an abusive relationship, there are lots of people who can help you.

1 in 3 cases of domestic violence and abuse against women starts during pregnancy. If the relationship is already abusive, it can get worse.

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If you decide to leave

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The first step in escaping an abusive situation is realising that you're not alone and it's not your fault.

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If you're considering leaving, be careful whom you tell. It's important the person abusing you does not know where you're going.

Women's Aid has useful information about making a safety plan that applies to both women and men, including advice if you decide to leave.

 

Helping a friend if they're being abused

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If you're worried a friend is being abused, let them know you've noticed something is wrong.

They might not be ready to talk, but try to find quiet times when they can talk if they choose to.

If someone confides in you that they're suffering domestic abuse:

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  • listen, and take care not to blame them

  • acknowledge it takes strength to talk to someone about experiencing abuse

  • give them time to talk, but do not push them to talk if they do not want to

  • acknowledge they're in a frightening and difficult situation

  • tell them nobody deserves to be threatened or beaten, despite what the abuser has said

  • support them as a friend, encourage them to express their feelings, and allow them to make their own decisions

  • do not tell them to leave the relationship or leave home if they're not ready – that's their decision

  • ask if they have suffered physical harm and if they have, offer to go with them to a hospital or GP

  • help them report the assault to the police if they choose to

  • be ready to provide information about organisations that offer help for people experiencing domestic abuse

Benefits Advice

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It's important to make sure that you get all the help that you're entitled to. We can give you information on benefits and tax credits if you are working or unemployed, sick or disabled, a parent, a young person, an older person, or a veteran. We can also provide support and advice with council tax and housing costs, national insurance, payment of benefits, and problems with benefits.

 

Family Support

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A strong, stable, and loving family network provides a foundation for all family members to flourish and fulfill their potential.

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However, many families will face difficulties at some time and some have multiple complex needs.

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We know that these families often have poor outcomes in health, social interaction and educational attainment. The multiple needs are often accompanied by greater involvement of costly state interventions such as child protection, children in care, educational support and NHS mental health support.

Employability Support

 

Having a job is an essential part of most people's lives. When you are in work, you can be faced with many difficult issues, so it is essential to know what your rights are. We are here to help you find out more about those rights and how to solve problems.

Mental Health Support

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If your mental health problems are severe or long-lasting, or the treatment your doctor has offered you isn't working, they can refer you to specialist mental health services we are here to help guide you in the right direction and provide support for your journey ahead.

 

Debt Help Service

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Dealing with money issues can sometimes be off-putting, but if you don't understand how things like credit or mortgages work, you could end up losing out financially or getting yourself deep in debt. We are here to guide you in making the right choices, including helping to deal with your debt problems, how to avoid losing your home, and how to get your finances back into shape.

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