Castle Point, Rayleigh and Rochford Partners

Employ-Ability is a specialist employment support charity working with people with physical and mental health conditions. Our purpose is to support people to secure and retain employment. We promote employment as it is both a normal aspiration and because it is a proven method of supporting recovery. It is a completely free service and we are in partnership with the NHS to help people in local communities across Essex. Our employment services follow a delivery model known as Individual Placement Support (IPS) This model is used across the globe to help people find paid, sustainable work, working with the individual's job preferences.

We provide Essex residents (excluding Southend-On-Sea and Thurrock) with access to health checks; stop smoking services; weight management courses; and emotional health and wellbeing support. All of our services are free.

Home-Start Essex aims to give families with at least one child aged under 5 the best possible start in life by supporting parents and caregivers to feel less isolated, to build their confidence in themselves and their parenting and to find ways to manage the challenges they face. We build trusting, helpful relationships with families and deliver a range of flexible support to meet their individual needs, including volunteer-led home visiting, family groups, wellbeing services, school-readiness, and behaviour support programmes.

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 Megacentre Rayleigh is a Christian charity who welcomes everyone – of any faith or no faith.  We exist to bring Joy, Hope and Life to our community.  We do this through our charity team which includes family, youth and community workers offering a range of free, confidential services for families, children, young people and the wider community. 

We offer support around all sorts of topics, including Special Educational Needs, mental health worries in adults, children and young people, family life in general and, through our Community Resilience Hub, information, support and advice from us and our community partners.

Please do get in touch with any worries or concerns.  We want to strengthen our community, build resilience, reduce isolation and support each other.