Salt Advocacy Services
Our advocacy services help people express their needs More effectively, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need through positive partnership working. We provide one to one support and help people by talking things through and getting to the root of any problems.
We help develop an action plan to overcome them whilst supporting people to understand and to access their rights. This includes advocating on behalf of the client, letter writing, completing forms and signposting to our partner organisations.Our partner organisations include Salford City Council, Connexions, Job Centre Plus, Skills and Work, Ordsall And Langworthy Health Improvement Team, Great Places Housing Group, Langworthy and Ordsall Neighbourhood Management Team, Salford City Council’s Environmental Services, Salford Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Age Concern, Salford NHS and GMP.
Our service supports residents to:
- Tackle their debt problems
- Manage their finances more effectively
- Access all of their benefit entitlement
- Sort out their housing issues or homelessness
- Access legal advice / support
- Get back into work or training
- Tackle concerns about their environment
- Access grants and initiatives
We also signpost people successfully to Shelter, Consumer Credit Counselling Service, Greater Manchester Money Line, Refugee action and other Voluntary and Community Organisations.Please call our advocacy team on 0161 737 9918 if you need our help or alternatively send an e-mail toadmin@sali.org.uk to make an appointment with one of our advocacy officers.
People we have helped:
Client A had worked at a local factory for more than 18 years. The factory decided to close and move its operations overseas. Irene had been suffering from a long term illness and had been off work sick. In the redundancy negotiations, the company tried to discriminate against her on the basis of her ill health and she was offered a reduced redundancy package compared to her well colleagues. The Trust championed her case and this resulted in her receiving a full redundancy settlement.
She said: “I cannot thank the SALT Trust staff enough. I now do not have to worry about my finances and I can now really concentrate on gaining my full health back.It is remarkable that this great service is on our doorstep and I recommend the service to all of my friends.”
Client B was made homeless due to family relationship breakdown. He needed accommodation quickly and the Trust managed to help him find suitable and safe accommodation very quickly. Lee was also out of work and through the trust, Lee has been supported to access training in community youth development work and is now working for BASSIC – the Brain and Spinal Injury Charity. Long term he hopes this will contribute for him to achieve his long term goal of being a social worker.
He said: “I was at a very low point when I first went into the SALT shop. I did not really know whether they could help me. I feel that I have really moved forward in my life and I do not think I would be where I am without their support. I am really enjoying my new job and I am now settled into my new flat. I feel as though my whole life has been turned around”.
