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Reports &
Accounts
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In order to read
our most recent Annual Report for 2006-2007, including accounts,
please click here.
The previous Annual Report for
2005-2006 is available
here.
We also carry the report for 2004-2005 at
this link. Please note the above annual reports
are
in .pdf format and you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader™ which you can download for free in order to view
it.
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Where we operate
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Haringey Borough has over 6,000 homeless
families, according to Haringey
Housing Prevention & Options briefing 2006.
Large proportions are asylum seekers and refugees.
The
effects that poor housing and homelessness have on the community as a
whole, the costs to the economy, to the health services, to crime and
social cohesion are underestimated. CARIS will endeavour to expand our
practical advice and support services to achieve long-term answers for
people in housing need. We will also continue to raise awareness of the
effects of homelessness and poor housing on people concerned and the
wider community.
In the
year under review CARIS has delivered on its core aims and objectives.
Families continue to be at the heart of the initiatives undertaken by
the organisation and central to the CARIS ethos of community engagement.
We are often the first port of call for homeless families, including
those moving into London Borough of Haringey from elsewhere in the
country and also newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers. CARIS
continues to support and help their integration into the community.
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What we do
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CARIS Haringey has been
providing an holistic range of services for families in temporary
accommodation since 1990. We are the only organization in the London
Borough of Haringey that exists solely to work with and for homeless
families. Our services are open to everyone in temporary accommodation in
the London Borough of Haringey, and our service-users include a high
proportion of refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of domestic violence, and
those with mental health issues.
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Who we are
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CARIS comprises four paid staff
(including one full-time Director). Additional contracted staff are
employed for various CARIS activities, e.g. for the summer playscheme
there are seven additional contractual staff). There are 20 regular
volunteers, complemented by additional volunteers for specific events
& activities. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, reflecting
the diverse population of Haringey. Collectively they speak a number
of the many languages spoken in the Borough. Staff and volunteers
have attended attended comprehensive training courses from accredited
training providers on subjects relevant to their work and expertise, such
as welfare rights, immigration and children-related issues.
In addition, our affairs are contolled by Board
of Trustees who meet monthly.
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Our vision & mission
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to empower homeless families in
Haringey to improve their welfare and enhance the quality of life
for homeless families in Haringey;
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to reduce the isolation of homeless
families;
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to improve policies and practices
affecting homeless;
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to improve the well-being of homeless
families.
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Our
plans for the coming year |
As well as continuing our core activities,
CARIS will focus on the following:
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the effects of poor
housing and homelessness on families and children in Haringey - in
particular on health, education and life chances;
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work to ensure the
engagement of male carers;
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work with service
users, partners, staff, Trustees and volunteers to increase the
profile of CARIS.
These objectives will enable CARIS to
fulfil our pledge: “working to make a difference” to
support homeless families, including families with little or no recourse
to public funds such as asylum seekers and refugees. We recognise the
challenges ahead such as changes to funding streams and grant funding
priorities etc.
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Our Partners
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CARIS Haringey is committed to
partnership, working with statutory, voluntary, community and faith sector
organizations across Haringey. CARIS is currently involved in the
following partnerships:
- SureStart:
we are represented on four Local Programme Partnership Boards, and as
an active member of the Haringey Early Years Development and Childcare
Partnership, CARIS is also closely involved with the development of
Children's Centres in Haringey. CARIS benefits from working with
SureStart's work with the under-5s, while SureStart benefits from
CARIS's experience with the homeless and those in temporary
accommodation.
- Haringey
Voluntary Sector Council: Our Development Manager sits on
HAVCO's Management Board, and represents HAVCO on Haringey's Health
and Social Services Scrutiny Panel. We are also well represented on
the Health and Social Care Forum. Once again this partnership is
mutually beneficial with CARIS's involvement benefiting the wider
Haringey community, in that staff members are able to share with other
voluntary organizations information relevant to supporting homeless
families in temporary accommodation, refugees and
asylum-seekers.
- Haringey
Community Legal Services Partnership: We are presented on the
board of HCLSP, and the Advice Providers Network. These bodies
have sent a group response tot he National Occupational Standards for
Legal Advice, on the introduction of Quality Standards and
qualifications for advice workers. This association benefits
both CARIS and the community by the raising of standards of advice
given throughout the Borough.
- Haringey
Compact: This body works to formulate a new relationship
between voluntary and statutory organizations in Haringey.
- We also work closely with:
- The Haringey Refugee Action Group;
- The Church of England's Edmonton Area
Social Justice Committee;
- Haringey Mental Health Multi-disciplinary
Working Group;
- Training Primary Care Trust.
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St Ann's Church
CARIS is based in St Ann’s
Church hall premises in Tottenham, but this is just one aspect of our
partnership. By sharing our respective visions and insights, both
organisations are better able to meet community needs and aspirations.
The Church helps us run the Toy Library run in East Haringey, sharing
their mini-bus, volunteers and staff on a fortnightly basis. We also
continue to work closely with them in the organisation of our Summer
Playscheme, receiving assistance with volunteering, accommodation,
publicity and other resources. Most significantly, CARIS and St. Ann’s
staff teams try to meet weekly on a Friday morning for a short time of
prayer, news sharing and mutual support. We are trying to move beyond a
tenancy relationship to a strong, mutually beneficial partnership.
(CARIS Haringey is not responsible
for the content of any external website.) |
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