Our caseworkers provide vital support to women facing a range of different circumstances.
We work in a trauma-informed way, ensuring you have the autonomy to make decisions that are right for you.
New Changes at Nottingham Women’s Centre
Our New Changes project provides casework support for women in Nottingham city and across Nottinghamshire. We take your individual needs into account to make a tailored plan for you. We will work with you for up to six weeks to complete the agreed actions and tasks.
We are open, honest, realistic and approachable. We will always take the time to help you understand how we can support you, without judgement, and with your individual needs in mind.
We work with women who need help with:
- Housing issues
- Finances, benefits and debt
- Work and training
- Substance use and dependency
- Family and relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Lifestyle and purpose
- Social isolation
What we ask of you:
We ask you to attend appointments on time, be open and honest – to help us to help you, and to treat us with respect. We ask you to give us enough notice if you can’t make an appointment and, to provide feedback to let us know what you think.
90% of the women we’ve supported have reported an improvement in their needs
Referrals
The service is open to all women aged 18 or over. You can refer yourself to the service, or just get in touch to find more. We welcome all women regardless of race, disability, sexuality or religion. We are LGBTQIA+ inclusive. If we’re able to support you, you’ll either be assigned a caseworker or added to a waiting list. If you’d like to refer yourself into New Changes, please contact NWC Reception.
We also accept referrals for casework from other services in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire including domestic abuse agencies, family services, and job centres. If you are a worker in a separate service supporting a woman who has agreed to be referred to us, please read the info sheet for agencies and use the form below. Please contact NWC Reception for more information.
What if I decide it’s not for me?
If you decide that the support from New Changes isn’t right for you that’s totally fine – you are welcome to continue using other support and services at the Centre including our courses and activities.
Read Janet’s story:
❝ It’s nice to talk to someone and I’m not being judged. I’m getting somewhere.❞
Janet self-referred to our New Changes project. She was facing significant housing issues, namely dealing with mould and dampness throughout the house which had damaged her furniture and clothing, including her baby’s toys, clothing and her eldest child’s mattress.
She was also dealing with issues around training and employment, finances and social isolation as a single mother.
Janet’s New Changes caseworker worked with her to identify the support she needed, connecting her to services within and outside the Centre. This included referring her to the Furniture Project and ShareWear, through which Janet was supported to get a mattress and clothes which made a huge difference.
Her caseworker referred Janet to Home Start where she was able to get specialised and tailored support with her feelings of isolation as a single mother with young children. Janet was also connected to activities at the Centre so that she always felt welcomed and able to engage with wider services and events here.
Janet had also expressed a desire to upskill and find alternate employment, but could not afford the courses she wanted to do. Janet’s caseworker looked for the right opportunities for her that would meet her aspirations as well as give her the flexibility to fit education and training around looking after her children. She signposted Janet to accredited websites Alison.com and Open Learning to be able to access business related courses she could not otherwise attend. These courses were free and reputable, as well as flexible. She also found a regular job fair event for Janet to attend so that she could explore and meet employers.
By the end, Janet had built her confidence in managing her finances through conversations about budgeting. She had access to a wider range of options and networks, and was better connected to support available locally. Janet told us that she especially felt listened to and not judged about her circumstances, which had always made the Centre a place she felt comfortable coming to.
What sort of support isn’t offered?
We aren’t able to offer home visits, but we offer face-to-face support here at Nottingham Women’s Centre and at county locations. Please contact Reception for more information.
It’s also important to note that we’re not a specialist domestic abuse service (see Juno Women’s Aid); we’re not a sexual violence specialist service (see Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services); and we’re also not a specialist drug or alcohol dependency/recovery service (see Nottingham Recovery Network). If you’re a victim of crime you can reach out to Notts Victim Care.
The New Changes project is funded by the Ministry of Justice as part of a programme of support for women, aiming to prevent or reduce women’s involvement in the criminal justice system.