Partnerships and Networks
Our chair is a former chair of ACT who occupy space in the same building and provide us free use of their conference room for our meetings. We have discussed partnership working options and subsequently had lined them up for a joint venture with East of England Probation Service (see below)
We liaise on helping clients who do not fit into their catchment group e.g. people who are not from the sub-continent. They will also provide help should we need a translator. We continue exploring further cross-fertilisation to benefit our respective clients.
Centre of Networking
This informal gathering of local business people (attendance 20-40) is organised by the Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre where it comes together bimonthly. It is a useful opportunity to get the DAS name out amongst businesses from various points of view and we gave a presentation in June 2023 on being a DAS Trustee.
Citizens Advice
We liaise with them on referrals both ways
Deanery Synod (Aldeburgh, Leiston and Saxmundham)
We have presented to this gathering which "consists of representatives, and clergy, from twenty-two Church of England churches across our area which stretches from Glemham across to Aldeburgh, up to Dunwich and across to Peasenhall” and anticipate working with them on communications and referrals.
We have friendly relations and worked together in navigating the change of SCC department controlling our grant from Adult Care Services to Public Health. Similar to ACT, we had them lined up for the Probation Service project (see below). We also brought them into our project working with the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (see below).
East of England Probation Service
In 2023, we ran a successful pilot of our full outreach service at its Ipswich centre for 8mths. This helped ex-offenders (70% of whom have at least two mental health diagnoses) to navigate the welfare systems with a view to improving their financial standing and reducing the likelihood of reoffending. The feedback from EEPS was very positive, however, the project was overtaken by a national initiative in “community services”. Relations remain friendly and we continue to deal with referrals in the normal way.
We participated in their “Ease The Squeeze” initiative for instance feeding in information on what more could be done for people in rural communities. In Q3 2023, we represented "the voice of the disabled" giving a presentation to an internal EDI workshop attended by 40 staff. This focused on what the everyday experiences are of disabled workers. We are co-organising a Spring Event with the Suffolk Coastal Disability Forum facilitated by the ESC Disability Lead.
We were successful in being selected to join 18 other charities in this joint initiative between the clinical commissioning groups from East Suffolk & Ipswich and West Suffolk NHS trusts. We are one of only two advice agencies to participate in the community of organisations created to work with the NHS in our area providing support to patients with Severe Mental Ill-health.
We have an ongoing working relationship with this Ipswich-based organisation which make deliveries of food parcels to our clients who are in more remote, hard to reach rural areas. Many of these clients do not have transport, or the money for public transport even where this is exists, and so are unable to attend a foodbank in person. However, our efforts to encourage FIND to pass on our flyers and/or make referrals have been without success.