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Epping Community Hub

Epping Community Hub

The new Civic Offices is much more than just a place to access your district council services.

The Epping Community Hub is a one-stop shop for residents to access a wide range of services for help and advice.

How it works

There will be set times and days when each organisation will be based at the Epping Community Hub. This is to ensure a range of services is available, there is space for private interviews and to observe social distancing.

For most services in the hub, you will need to book an appointment with the service you require. All contact details are below.

Services at the Epping Community Hub

Citizens Advice Epping Forest District

Citizens Advice offers free, impartial, confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person. The issues they cover include housing, immigration, work, benefits, debt and money, family and consumer. They have specialist advisers covering employment, benefits and debt problems and can refer to other specialist services if they are unable to advise on the presenting problem.

Citizens Advice will be offering initial conversations with people who come to the Hub. An appointment would be scheduled if further help is required.

At the hub

  • Tuesday 9.30 am to 3 pm
  • Thursday 9.30 am to 3 pm

For general advice call 0808 278 7855

Visit the Citizens Advice website for more information.

Changing Pathways

Changing Pathways provides advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse.

At the hub

  • Wednesday 10 am to 4 pm

For advice call 0330 3337 444 (open from 8 am to 8 pm weekdays and 8 am – 1 pm weekends)

Visit the Changing Pathways website for further information

For referrals  visit the Essex Compass website or email enquiries@essexcompass.org.uk

CHESS Homeless

CHESS works to ensure that people who find themselves homeless in Essex are supported in ways that enable them to move forward purposefully and in good health. They provide accommodation, support and sign-posting services to homeless adults.

At the hub

  • Tuesday 9.30 am to 4pm
  • Friday 1pm to 4pm

To contact CHESS Homeless head office

  • Call 01245 281104

For more information, visit the CHESS website

The Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy.

At the hub

  • Tuesday 9.30 am to 4 pm
  • Thursday 9.30 am to 4 pm

To contact DWP

Call: 07776 619020

Email: loughtonjobcentre.jcploughtonjobcentreeppinghub@dwp.gov.uk

Visit the GOV.UK website for more information

EFDC Services

All Epping Forest District Council services will be available from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm however, some services will have an enhanced presence at the hub throughout the week. Our Welcome Hub officers will be available to support customers access our services online.

At the hub

Community, Culture and Wellbeing services – including community grant support

  • Monday 2 pm to 5.15 pm
  • Wednesday 2 pm to 5.15pm
  • Thursday 2 pm to 5.15 pm

Homelessness triage and support officer – providing support, direction and shelter to those faced with homelessness

  • Monday to Friday 9 am to 5.15 pm

Neighbourhoods services – general housing advice, anti-social behaviour information

  • Wednesday 9 am to 5.15 pm

Revenue and Benefits – get advice and support with claiming housing benefit, Council Tax support, disabled relief, single person’s discounts, issuing of foodbank vouchers.

  • Thursday 9 am to 5 pm

Contact us

Epping Forest Food Bank

Epping Forest Food Bank provides emergency food parcels to people who live in or near the Epping Forest district who have been referred to them by Frontline care.

At the hub

  • Monday 3.30 pm to 5 pm

Contact Epping Forest Food Bank

Visit the Epping Forest Food Bank website for more information

Epping Forest ReUSE

Epping Forest ReUSE is a local charity that helps relieve poverty by providing good quality furniture and household appliances for people in need. Furniture is sold at low prices or at a discount to people on income-related benefits. Some items are free of charge to people in exceptional need, referred by agencies.

At the hub

  • Friday 9am to 5pm

Contact Epping Forest ReUSE

Visit the Epping Forest ReUSE website for more details

Essex County Council – Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care is a system of support designed to maintain and promote the independence and wellbeing of disabled people, older people, and informal carers.

Prevention and early intervention are at the heart of the system. If an individual has needs that are not eligible, their local authority will support them by signposting or connecting them with voluntary or local community organisations that can support their needs.

Assessments are carried out by professional social workers or other council adult social care staff.

At the hub

  • Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm

There is no need to book an appointment with Adult Social Care, just turn up on the day to speak to someone.

For more information or advice

  • Call 0345 603 7630
  • Textphone 0345 758 5592

(Monday to Thursday, 8.45 am to 5 pm, Friday, 8.45 am to 4.30 pm)

Essex County Council – Family Solutions

Family Solutions is a service in Essex working with disadvantaged families, with multiple difficulties, enabling them to make significant changes and improvements to their lives.

Family Solutions works with families who have 2 or more of the following difficulties:

  • no family member in work
  • significant non-school attendance (for whatever reason)
  • members involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
  • affected by domestic violence
  • living with drug and alcohol misuse
  • with children in need and were open to social care
  • with children who exhibit significant behavioural difficulties
  • facing eviction or with significant rent arrears or neighbour disputes
  • with 1 or more member of the household with (tier 2) mental health needs

At the hub

  • Tuesday 10 am to 2 pm
  • Wednesday 10 am to 2 pm

All referral needs to go through the Essex Family Operations Hub; all walk-in customers will be able to receive information advice and guidance only.

  • Call 0345 603 7627

Visit the Essex County Council website for further information

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT)

EPUT is providing 2 different services at the hub.

  1. Community mental health services will provide triage, assessment and treatment for individuals with mental health needs in the community.
  2. As part of the Rough Sleeper Initiative, an officer will be based at the hub to help those who are homeless or rough sleeping get access to the services such as mental health input, social care input, or engagement with partner agencies. They will be working closely with CHESS and the EFDC homelessness team.

At the hub

Community mental health

  • Friday 10 am to 4 pm

For the Community mental health service contact

For the Rough Sleeper Initiative contact Craig Capener

For more information about both services, visit the EPUT website

Nacro

Nacro is a national social justice charity with over 50 years’ experience of changing lives, building stronger communities and reducing crime. It houses, educates, supports, advises, and speaks out for and with disadvantaged young people and adults.

At the hub

  • Monday 10 am to 3 pm

For more information or advice

For further information, visit the Nacro website

Peabody Outreach Support

Essex Outreach Support offers a short-term support service to people over the age of 16 years, living within Essex who are experiencing a range of problems that are impacting their health, financial and housing wellbeing.

At the hub

  • Friday 10 am to 4 pm

For further information or advice

Phoenix Futures

Phoenix Futures is a signposting/advocacy service for offenders with complex and additional needs. It offers support to anyone within the criminal justice system to access services to assist them with needs that are not currently being met.

At the hub

  • Monday 9 am to 4 pm
  • Thursday 9 am to 4 pm

You must book an appointment with Phoenix Futures.

To book an appointment, contact Anne Hunnable, Team Manager

Visit the Phoenix Futures website for more information

Voluntary Action Epping Forest

Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF) is an independent charity whose core work is aimed at helping other local charities and community groups to achieve their full potential.

VAEF develops new initiatives to meet the community’s needs, such as:

  • Ace Activities for people with learning difficulties
  • Benefits advice for housebound residents
  • Befriending for older people who live on their own or in isolation
  • Gardening and handyman services, providing help from trusted workers to people who need it.

The charity also provides a comprehensive volunteer service to help local people become involved in volunteering.

At the hub

  • Monday 11.15 am to 4.30 pm
  • Wednesday 10 am to 1.30 pm

To contact VAEF

For more information, visit the VAEF website

More information

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