Sova Orbit Mentoring
Are you having problems with your tenancy? Do you need advice about disputes with neighbours?
Our Sova Orbit Mentoring project provides Orbit Housing Association residents with a comprehensive service that can answer your questions and is tailored to your needs. Our staff and volunteer mentors are here to help you in many ways with:
• Tenancy Support
• Mentoring support
• Tenancy Training Programme
• A drop-in service
• Community Mediation
Funded by Orbit South Housing Association since 2012 our aim is to provide you with practical advice and emotional support to help you find ways to tackle problems, build confidence and sustain your tenancy. We can support you with:
• Understanding your tenancy agreement
• Advice and guidance on benefits and making claims
• Help managing your money and rent payments
• Setting up and paying utility bills
• Support and advice on how to deal with antisocial behaviour
• Signposting to other services for additional or specialist support
• Community mentoring support
• Changes in your benefits or income
• Advice if you are affected by the bedroom tax
Our drop in centres, based in Erith, offer appointments for you to come in to talk about any short term support that you may need. If you feel that you need longer term support, our volunteer mentors are on hand to help you. Together with our project staff, our fully trained volunteers can provide you with one to one support, on a weekly basis, for up to 9 months.
Are you in your first tenancy and unsure about what to do?
Our excellent Preparing for Tenancy Programme (delivered in a group or one to one setting) will cover topics such as:
• Benefits, budgeting, managing utility bills
• Maintaining your home
• Yours and your landlord’s responsibilities
• Dealing with anti-social behaviour
• Eating well on a budget and keeping healthy
Are you having problems with neighbours?
Disputes between neighbours can arise at any time over issues such as noise, shared spaces, parking - even pets. Our volunteer mediators are non-judgmental, understanding and will offer you an impartial mediation service that will focus on working with everyone involved to find agreeable solutions. Joining the service is completely voluntary, and if after joining you change your mind, you can withdraw at any time.
How to access our services
You can self-refer by:
• Requesting a referral form from your Orbit South housing officer
• Emailing the project directly at [email protected]
• Calling Natasha Elliott on 07825 976 136
• Following this link and completing a short self-referral form:
• Emailing the project directly at [email protected]
• Calling Natasha Elliott on 07825 976 136
• Following this link and completing a short self-referral form:
Orbit Mentoring Referral Form
Letting us know what you think
If you are currently involved with a Sova project you can also join your local Sova SPACE group. SPACE brings people together from all of our projects; it’s a great chance to meet other people and let us know what you think about your experience with Sova. We really want to know what we can improve on and how we can be better at what we do. If you want to know more, then please contact a member of Sova staff.
Interested in becoming a Sova volunteer?
If you’re interested in becoming a Sova volunteer and you would like to support residents to sustain their tenancies, or you would like to find out more about this project please contact us on [email protected].
Alternatively, you can contact us via the 'Become a Sova volunteer' link at the bottom of this page.
Become a Sova volunteer
Job title: Volunteer Mentor – SOM – BexleyTime commitment: 1-4 hours per week
Job title: Volunteer Mentor – SOM – Greenwich
Time commitment: 1-4 hours per week
Job title: Volunteer Mentor – SOM – Dartford
Time commitment: 1-4 hours per week
Job title: Role Title: Volunteer Mentor – SOM – Bromley
Time commitment: 1-4 hours per week
