Our Services
Changing lives for the better
Financial Grants
When you need a little help.
It’s not easy surviving on a low income and living in London.
To help ease money worries we offer Children’s grants to help with the likes of school uniforms or funding a school event. Or we can help with the cost of buying essential household items.
Or if you’re thinking of training for a new job, or attending further education, we can also help with the costs.
These are just some of the grants that are available to help you get on with
After experiencing antisocial behaviour from a neighbour, Dilan contacted our Advocacy support team. Hear more about how the charity were able to assist her. View Dilan’s story here.
Advocacy
Get your voice heard.
Our Advocates are there to ensure your voice is heard, your wishes are respected, and your opinion is taken seriously. They can help you take action to secure your rights on a particular issue.
We can support you:
- At meetings, such as assessments, appeals and reviews.
- At appointments with agencies, including the NHS, social services, home care agencies and housing.
- If you want to make a formal complaint.
- Gaining access to services which may improve your standard of life.
The main principles of Independent Advocacy at ScotsCare are:
- We put you first.
- It’s not about giving advice – it’s about helping you access information.
- The service is a partnership between you and ScotsCare.
ScotsCare’s Advocacy service is confidential and has no vested interest with any statutory body.
For Advocacy applications, contact our Senior Advocate, Gearóid, either via email or by calling 0800 652 2989 for free, to talk about your options, rather than filling in an application form online.
After experiencing antisocial behaviour from a neighbour, Dilan contacted our Advocacy support team. Hear more about how the charity were able to assist her. View Dilan’s story here.
Having experiencing a number of life setbacks, Erin engaged with the charity’s counselling service. View Erin’s story here.
Having experiencing a number of life setbacks, Erin engaged with the charity’s counselling service. View Erin’s story here.
Mental Health
One in four of us will experience one form of mental illness in our lifetime.
We can refer adults and children to a counselling therapy service to offer you and your family need quickly.
Our therapy for children up to the age of 21, is delivered through our partnership with the Brent Centre for Young People.
For more information, please contact our office on 0800 652 2989 or email us
Alongside various family grants, ScotsCare provided Linda with training grant, allowing her to retrain as a mental health nurse. View Linda’s story here.
Employment Support and Student Grants
Our job is to help you find a new career.
We might be able to help with costs to retrain for a new type of job. Or further-education fees.
We’ve can also refer you to a service to help you get back into employment or training, which looks at practical areas such as CV writing, making applications and interview skills.
We offer student grants, to those that have lived in London for 2 or more years prior to the start of the course, to help with the fees of higher education (undergraduate courses only) or training.
Whatever your age, if you want to find a new career, then we can help. Call it our own job satisfaction.
Alongside various family grants, ScotsCare provided Linda with training grant, allowing her to retrain as a mental health nurse. View Linda’s story here.
Sheltered Housing
We can put a roof over your head.
We have 96 flats over three different locations, offering safe, supported living for over 55’s or over 50’s living with a disability.
Allocations are made on a priority system ensuring those most in need receive the housing they require.
Homelessness
ScotsCare is the only charity that specifically helps homeless and insecurely housed Scots in London.
We know it’s not just about somewhere to stay
So we provide a personalised support package that strives to meaningfully engage clients to address their respective support needs, and addresses the root causes of their homelessness, which can include:
- Mental health support
- Financial grants
- Drug & alcohol misuse
- Psychotherapy service
- Access to independent advocacy
- Referral to specialist support
- Birth certificate for identity purposes
- Clothing grants
- Reconnecting Scots with networks in Scotland
If you’re homeless or think you may become homeless and would like our help, call ScotsCare’s free helpline 0800 652 2989. You can speak confidentially to one of our team at our offices on 22 City Road, London EC1Y 2AJ.
We stick together. It might simply be meeting with other Scots for a wee chat at our Over 50s Lunch or singing together in our choir.
Over 50s events
We offer free events for Over50s including a monthly lunch in London and one in Luton; a summer seaside outing; and Christmas and Burns Lunches.
Family events
For families with children, we offer three free outings each year, including Winter Wonderland, Thames river boat trip and a train trip to the seaside.
The ScotsCare Choir
Our newest project is the ScotsCare Choir – free and open to clients and volunteers of all ages. No experience necessary and no auditions required. It’s a great way to build confidence and make friends – after just two terms the choir has sung for Princess Anne and taken part in a promotional video.
Blether Buddies
Our befriending service where one of our volunteers can visit you at home, accompany you on outings in your community or chat with you over the phone once a week.
All our volunteers are carefully selected and police checked.
As a ScotsCare client you will receive information about upcoming events. If you are not a client, please apply here to become one to be eligible to attend our events, or email for more information.
Families
It’s never easy bringing up kids. Especially if you’re on a low income and living in London.
That’s where we come in. As well as school grants, we also help with things like fun activities for your children. We organise adventure trips away, where the kids can build their confidence and self-esteem.
Clothing grant
Our children’s clothing grants can help with the expense of school uniforms and other children’s clothing.
Children’s activity grants
Our children activity grants grant enables you to let the child take part in a sport or extracurricular activity of their choice. Popular activities include swimming, football, rugby, drama lessons and learning to play an instrument – e.g. piano and flute. In some circumstances, this grant can go towards supporting the cost of a school trip.
Please call us on 0800 652 2989 to start the process of applying for a children’s activity grant.
Managing Money
Money too tight to mention?
Then talk to us. We can offer practical advice on how to manage debts, as well as help with money management and sensible borrowing to avoid future financial problems.
Visit StepChange for advice on finding the right solution for you.
Substance Misuse
Drugs and alcohol tear families apart. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
We offer support and direction to help put you back on the road to recovery.
For more information, please contact our office on 0800 652 2989 or email us
Soldiers
The St Andrew’s Scottish Soldiers Club.
The St Andrew’s Scottish Soldiers Club gives individual grants to serving and former Military personnel and their families and dependents to relieve need, hardship or distress.
Applications must be by referral from charities such as the Royal British Legion, the Earl Haig Fund, the Benevolent Funds of many military units and particularly from SSAFA.
To find out if you qualify for these funds, please read the criteria below:
- The fund is for Army personnel only (not navy or RAF).
- The applicant or at least one parent must have been born in Scotland. May be male or female.
- Service in a Scottish regiment does not of itself constitute eligibility.
- Applicants can be from anywhere in the UK.
- Applicants can be homeowners.
The St Andrews Scottish Soldiers Club is run as a separate charity by the Royal Scottish Corporation.
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