We strengthen people by uncovering their talents and passions. Then we use these to create natural networks of community support. Networks that strengthen, bring opportunity and help them take charge of their lives.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more on our work strengthening people.
Click this link to launch an easy read Cost of Living leaflet about support available in Coventry.
Follow this link to visit Coventry City Council’s Cost of Living and Wellbeing Support advice pages.
Help and Connect
Help and Connect is for autistic and learning disabled people in Coventry to make a plan, get connections, get work, stay healthy and stay safe.
We help with the most pressing needs first then equip people with skills, knowledge, support networks and readiness for self-management and onward opportunity.
Below are five stories that help illustrate our work on this project. Each is person-centred and tailored to individual assets and dreams – but we work in many more ways!
- Jay’s story – safer through Safeside.
- Katy’s story – life is getting better for me.
- Arun’s journey – motivating others.
- James’ story – going it alone.
- Suzie’s journey – from isolation to connection.
Contact helpandconnect@grapevinecovandwarks.org to refer yourself or someone you know to the project.
Settle and Thrive
Funded by Coventry City Council, this is a new project for 2024 helping newly-housed, former homeless people and rough sleepers to settle and thrive in Coventry.
The project draws on Grapevine’s #StrengtheningPeople ethos of uncovering people’s passions and talents to help create natural networks of community support.
Settle and Thrive aims to help people go beyond simply surviving – becoming happier as a human being with the joy, purpose, agency and optimism to retain their new tenancy and go on to thrive.
Advocacy in Coventry
Funded by the Henry Smith Charity, this service is designed for autistic and learning disabled people who are aged 17 or over and ineligible for statutory advocacy due to their circumstances (not currently being treated under the Mental Health Act, for example).
Non-statutory advocacy supports people to have their voice heard across a wide range of issues and events in their life. Our fresh approach offers a one-to-one service within a rich ecosystem of other support that is proven to change people’s lives for good.
Many of our advocacy clients move onto our Help and Connect project (see above) for a further six-months of person-centred support to help them take charge of their life. You may like to explore this information first to ensure it is our advocacy service that you need.
Our advocacy service supports the individual to identify clear goals that we can work towards together. In partnership, we build self-advocacy skills, resilience and hope, giving them all the relevant information to make their own decisions.
A few examples:
- People prevented from applying for an autism or ADHD referral because they are working with the community mental health team or vice versa
- People who have been refused a treatment that is open to other people
- Support for people with no current GP in accessing health care – including making a connection with a surgery and going along with them
- Support to manage their own money or benefits if they are not happy with how someone else is managing this
- Housing issues such as risk to tenancy, landlord dispute, conflict with neighbours, adaptations to homes, notice to leave and people who are financially able to rent their own property.
But we are always coming across new things – this link opens our leaflet all about Advocacy in Coventry.
Please email advocacy@grapevinecovandwarks.org to refer yourself or someone you know. However, please note we currently are working to full capacity and will respond as soon as we can with available options.
Teenvine Plus
Teenvine Plus is an intensive development programme for teens with autism or learning disabilities in Coventry. We help learning disabled youngsters to get the friendships, confidence and skills they need in order to mature into independent young adults able to achieve their ambitions.
“The kids make friends between themselves, that never happens. Normally they’re only ever brought together when the services want to give them the same treatment, like anger management or something. You don’t make friends like that.” (Parent of a young person with a learning disability)
To refer a child aged 13-18 to our Teenvine Plus programme, we ask for a completed online referral form. This can be found here.
Please note there may be a waiting list – more details of this can be found at the top of the form.
Contact the team at teenvine@grapevinecovandwarks.org.
Teenvine Plus Next Steps
Teenvine Plus Next Steps is an extension of the Teenvine Plus project, focusing on young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are among some of the most disadvantaged by the pandemic.
This project gives them access to the creative freedom to express their identity and make a plan for the future – boosted by new support networks, experiences and ambitions that grow and change as they do.
To refer a child aged 13-18 to our Next Steps programme, we ask for a completed online referral form. This can be found here.
Please note there may be a waiting list – more details of this can be found at the top of the form.
