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When you experience trauma, it can be difficult to engage in counselling or therapeutic support if you have immediate financial or practical concerns.
Following feedback from our staff we have recognised that unless these pressing issues are addressed they may serve as obstacles to successfully engaging in counselling or our other services.
Many clients were reluctant to use other advice centers due to issues around trust and wanted to use a service where they felt safe and didn’t have to constantly repeat information on the trauma they had experienced.
Our Welfare Advice Service helps clients to address urgent and pressing issues and in doing so complements our other services.
The aim of WAVE welfare service is twofold:
Providing free, impartial, confidential advice and information by an adviser who has knowledge and experience of the effects of trauma on a range of issues including:
- Social Security benefits;
- Benefit checks and calculations;
- Welfare reform
- Completion of benefit forms
- Housing
- Employment
- Health
- Family/legal issues
- VSS
- Community care
- Debt
We can help you to review or appeal social security decisions; help you to prepare your case and we may be able to represent you at an appeal hearing.
We also provide information on aspects of welfare reform/social security for clients.
Identifying social policy issues that may affect our client group and lobby for change.
We report on issues or changes which may have an effect on clients and lobby for change by:
- Raising issues with relevant government departments;
- Reporting issues to Advice NI;
- Providing feedback to relevant government consultations;
- Providing feedback to the Victims and Survivors Service as requested.
WAVE is a member of Advice NI and the Law Centre NI.
All of our advisers are experienced and have completed:
Accredited Adviser Training Programme with CAB or LAW Centre NI
Successfully completed Tribunal Representation Course
Accredited courses in the effects of trauma and loss
Additional courses in the field of Advocacy & Advice at Advice NI or other agencies
Your WAVE Journey
Three simple steps
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Registration by the Caseworker team
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Client/member is provided with a Caseworker
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Same Caseworker throughout your time at WAVE, be that weeks, months or years.
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