The right connections

More than 1000 EC1 residents have been helped by a flagship door-to-door community outreach service, according to a new report.

EC1 Connect, which is funded by EC1 New Deal for Communities (NDC), contacts residents directly by door-knocking on all the social housing estates in the EC1 NDC area. Connect advisors talk with people about a range of needs including training, child care and housing issues, and then link them up with agencies that can help.

The report, Improving welfare services at the neighbourhood level: an evaluation of EC1 Connect, was prepared by EC1 NDC and shows that after just three years EC1 Connect has established relationships with more than 40 agencies and has made more than 1500 referrals. Significantly 70% of EC1 Connect clients were successfully linked up with the agency they were referred to, with many going on to find work, get into training or get help for disabilities.

Feedback from agencies and residents demonstrates how effective the service has been so far:

“It is massively more effective than leafleting because that does not engage people.” EC1 Connect partner

“Door knocking gets the long term unemployed, mainly women…those who have been out of the labour market for a long time.”
EC1 Connect partner

“I was unemployed for a while, and looking everywhere for a job. I was getting quite desperate so I was really pleased when this chance came along.”
Michael Adefila, who was referred to Hackney Community Transport for free bus driver training.

“I found them very helpful…If I’m in trouble I would go to EC1 Connect again because I know they would get things done.”
90-year-old Alice Predgen who was referred to Age Concern and received free gadgets to help around the house.

The report also reveals that EC1 Connect has been very effective at getting in touch with some of the hardest to reach members of the community; including pensioners, the long-term unemployed and single parents.

For more information about EC1 Connect and to read the full report click here.