Many of HELP’s Westminster-based clients are moved from temporary accommodation to outside Westminster, often to East London. 
Vital Regeneration’s HELP team is working in partnership with Shelter to meet our clients in their East End offices.  The use of Shelter’s space allows HELP to take its service out to clients, rather than the other way round. 
HELP Adviser Emma Winter says, “Our partnership with Shelter makes good sense and helps us to stay firmly connected.  It’s much easier for me to travel to meet clients in Stratford than to expect clients to travel across London.”
HELP Project Manager, Judith McKee adds that Shelter has set up another project to minimise disruption to children when a family has to move.  “It can be challenging for families to connect with local services when they move to a new borough,” explains Judith.  “Children can sometimes be out of school for as long as eight months.  A Shelter team member will take the family to a local school and introduce them, to help ease this transition and find a school place quickly. 
Judith adds, “We know that disruption to a young child’s education has very negative consequences.  Getting into school and settling quickly also helps the family to integrate into their new community.”