Useful Links Directory

Refuge

Refuge opened the world’s first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence in Chiswick, West London, in 1971. Women and children flocked to our doors because, for the first time, someone was saying it was wrong to beat your partner. Back then, domestic violence was seen as a “private matter”, to be dealt with “behind closed doors”. Society turned a blind eye. Since 1971, Refuge has led the campaign against domestic violence. We have grown to become the country’s largest single provider of specialist domestic violence services. On any given day we support over 2,000 women and children. What we believe Refuge is committed to a world where domestic violence is not tolerated and where women and children can live in safety. We aim to empower women and children to rebuild their lives, free from violence and fear. We provide a range of life-saving and life-saving services, and a voice for the voiceless.

Refugee Childrens Consortium

The Refugee Children's Consortium (RCC) is a group of NGOs working collaboratively to ensure that the rights and needs of refugee children are promoted, respected and met in accordance with the relevant domestic, regional and international standards.

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) is the independent health and social care regulatory body for Northern Ireland, and forms an integral part of the new health and social care structures.  In its work RQIA encourages continuous improvement in the quality of these services through a programme of inspections and reviews.

Release

Resettlement Service Finder

Resettlement Service Finder is a FREE online directory of resettlement services in England and Wales. It lists over 10,000 housing, education, substance misuse and other services, which are constantly updated. It aims to help ex-offenders, youth offenders, people at risk of offending, vulnerable people and the agencies that work with them. Advice covers a range of resettlement issues including housing, education, training, employment and budgeting.

Respond

We aim to make a real difference to people with learning disabilities by providing effective and flexible support to help them to improve their lives. Respond works with children and adults with learning disabilities who have experienced abuse or trauma, as well as those who have abused others, through psychotherapy, advocacy, campaigning and other support. Respond also aims to prevent abuse by providing training, consultancy and research.

Rethink

This charity provides a fact sheet on ‘dual diagnosis’ with clear information and resource/contact list

Royal College of Nursing

The RCN represents nurses and nursing, promotes excellence in practice and shapes health policies.

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for training and examining paediatricians in the UK. The College has over 13,500 members in the UK and abroad and sets standards for professional and postgraduate medical education.

Royal College of Psychiatrists

A detailed report 'Our Invisible Addicts'. London: RCP

Runnymede Trust

Runnymede is the UK’s leading independent race equality thinktank. We generate intelligence for a multi-ethnic Britain through research, network building, leading debate, and policy engagement

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

Do you work with vulnerable adults? Would you like training to help you develop your safeguarding policy, procedures and good practice? This certified programme is delivered over a day and a half and will raise awareness of vulnerability in adulthood, reporting procedures, how to assess and manage risk, code of behaviour and good practice in recruitment and management of staff and volunteers. The course also highlights the eight minimum standards of practice contained in Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults - A Shared Responsibility and supports organisations in developing or reviewing their safeguarding policy.

Save the Children

Save the Children works in 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential.

Sense

Sense is a national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind. Deafblindness refers to a combination of sight and hearing impairment which causes difficulties in a range of areas including communication, access to information and mobility. At Sense we offer high-quality, flexible services across the UK, using skilled staff and a dedicated network of volunteers. We work with a wide range of deafblind and multi-sensory impaired people, as well as those who have a single-sensory impairment with additional needs. We take pride in offering specialist services built around the wishes of each person we support and enabling them to be as independent as possible. We work with children, young people, adults and older people with a progressive sight and hearing loss, offering a range of housing, educational and leisure opportunities.

Shaping Our Lives

Shaping Our Lives National User Network’s vision is of a society which is equal and fair where all people have the same opportunities, choices, rights and responsibilities – a society where people have choice and control over the way they live and the support services they use.

Skills for Care & Development

Skills for Care and Development is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for people working in early years, children and young people’s services, and those working in social work and social care for children and adults in the UK

Skills for Health

Skills for Health is the Sector Skills Council for health. We help the whole UK health sector develop a more skilled and flexible workforce. Our proven solutions help improve not just productivity but also the quality of health and healthcare.

Social Care Association

SCA is a UK organisation of individuals and corporate organisations involved in social care. This means all service user groups, children and adults. This means all job roles – Supporting Caring and Assisting people to live the kind of life they want with choice and independence.

Social Care Code of Practice for International Recruitment

The social care workforce in England numbers around one million workers and 95,000 were born outside the UK. The sector will continue to rely on recruitment of overseas workers to make sure that social care services can continue to provide essential support for children and adults in need throughout England.

Social Care Institute for Excellence

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) improves the lives of people who use care services by sharing knowledge about what works. We are an independent charity working with adults, families and children's social care and social work services across the UK. We also work closely with related services such as health care and housing.