Braintree Partners

We’re here to help!

Our service is free, confidential and open to everyone in the community.  We can help with many issues, including:

• Benefits
• Debt problems
• Employment
• Housing
• Family and relationship issues
• Neighbourhood disputes
• Education and healthcare
• Consumer rights

We will give you the facts and possible outcomes.  That way you can make the decision that’s right for you.  If needed, we can also offer practical support such as help with form filling, writing letters or negotiating with third parties. Sometimes we might direct you to a different organisation that is better placed to help.

We're here for everyone.

Domestic abuse support

COMPASS are here to make sure you get the right support at the right time and this single point of access is designed to increase accessibility to domestic abuse services already provided in Essex by Safe Steps, Changing Pathways and The Next Chapter with whom we work in partnership.

If you are experiencing, or at risk of domestic abuse and need information advice and guidance please contact us.

You will speak with a trained practitioner who will complete an assessment and ensure contact is made with the most appropriate service.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 999

Kooth.com is commissioned to provide an online wellbeing platform which along with text based counselling also includes helpful articles, forums, activity centre, daily journal and messaging. We provide British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited services and Kooth is available to young people aged 11-18 in Essex. 

The service provides a free and non-judgemental place for children and young people to connect with others and know they are not alone. They have instant access to self-help materials, fully moderated discussion forums and tools such as online journals and goal trackers. They can also contribute written pieces of work reflecting their own experiences, as well as accessing drop-in or booked text-based counselling sessions with professional counsellors.

These are online services that offer anonymised support via online counsellors, available 365 days a year, 12pm -10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm on weekends. 

We provide free and confidential services to support people who are currently experiencing, or have previously experienced domestic abuse.

We are passionate about ensuring that every person has the opportunity to live their life free from domestic abuse.

Our staff and volunteers are trained to provide support at the highest possible standard, informed by the trauma the individual has experienced and led by their needs.  We provide immediate support and advice to promote safety and reduction in risk of harm and longer term support to promote emotional recovery and practical support wherever it is needed to enable planning for a safer future.

Community Support
We support people who are experiencing domestic abuse and don't feel able to or need to leave their home.  We are able to work with individuals in a community setting and can provide access to the same emotional and practical advice and support to promote safety and recovery for a safe and happy future.  We currently are able to offer services to individuals living in the local authority areas of Colchester, Tendring, Braintree, Chelmsford, Maldon and Uttlesford.

Refuge Accommodation
Our purpose-built accommodation provides a temporary home for up to 12 women and children who have reached crisis point. The flatlets are modern and well equipped.  Each new resident receives a practical “starter pack” when she arrives.  A key worker will support her and her family right from the beginning of their journey. When she leaves, we support her to begin her life’s next chapter.

Domestic abuse is rarely a single issue and many residents arrive needing specialist support to deal with substance misuse (drugs and alcohol). In our residential house, with nine flatlets, we provide professional, specialist support focused on the identified needs of women who are battling with this type of addiction to help them with their recovery journey.

Children & Young Persons Service
Children and young people are affected by domestic abuse too.  Our Children’s and Young People’s Team include Pre-school Practitioners, Creative Therapist and Children’s Support Workers.  We can provide a range of services including emotional support for children and young people, parenting support, family work, pre-school education, school holiday activities.  We also undertake some work in the community in partnership with local schools and other agencies.

Raising awareness of domestic abuse is a very important part of our work. In primary and secondary schools as well as in higher education, we talk to young people about healthy relationships and how to recognise the signs of abuse.

The core aim of the Change Project is to promote personal wellbeing through enabling people to have healthy relationships in families, between individuals, and in the community.

Trusted was established to alleviate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on the community by bringing together individuals and guest professionals.

Using a structured programme it leads individuals through different aspects of money and recognising their attitudes towards it and impacts of their decisions.

Rather than giving advice, we actually share knowledge through our programme and that is achieved by listening and learning from the individuals that attend over the six week period.

Key to the success of Trusted is its belief that community have the solutions and by bringing people together we can all benefit.

This method of building knowledge and confidence has meant that, on average, wellbeing improves by around 70-80% per programme. It has proved to be massively beneficial to a wide range of individuals, whether or not they initially come along with wellbeing issues.

It has delivered programmes resulting in individuals improving their annual financial position by an average of £2,500 per person. All in just 12 hours spread over 6 weeks.

A recent participant said “I’ve grown in confidence during this programme, due to the support in a friendly, non-judgemental way. You feel that you belong and it’s so good to be able to talk openly”

That’s a very quick summary – please do get in touch for a more rounded view of Trusted – it’s not teaching and it’s not preaching – it’s all about taking ownership as an individual – with community support.

Through the Wilderness Foundation education and therapy programmes we help young people and adults reconnect to society and themselves through outdoor facilitation adventures, therapy and mentoring. Our programmes highlight the positive impact of wild nature on personal and social wellbeing, whilst developing stewardship for nature and wild places alongside volunteering opportunities.