Our Services
| Individual Help and Support Professional Help and Advice We offer Information and advice on welfare benefits, debt, employment, housing and all aspects of living with HIV. We hold the Community Legal Services quality mark for General Help in relation to advice on benefits, housing and debt. Buddies Buddies are trained volunteers who can provide individual help and support in your home or in the community. Buddy volunteers can provide:
Buddies may occasionally help around the house or with daily chores especially when someone is unwell but it is important to remember that Buddies are volunteers and not a “home help”. Transport We can offer a volunteer based transport service to help you get to essential appointments if you cannot manage by yourself. This service is available to people with insufficient income to afford public transport or to those unable to use public transport due to health problems. If you are fit enough to use public transport but have insufficient income we may be able to give you a bus pass. If you are unfamiliar with public transport we can arrange for a volunteer to accompany you on your journey. If your main need is related to health problems and/or limited mobility we may be able to offer a volunteer driver. Condoms and Lubricants A range of condoms are available free to clients at our Hanley and Lichfield Centres. Condoms can also be sent by post to people living with HIV who are unable to travel to our centres.
Complementary Therapies A range of complementary therapies are offered by qualified professional therapists to relieve stress and improve health and wellbeing. Clients undergo an initial assessment and are allocated a set number of sessions after which effectiveness of the therapy is reviewed. Complementary therapies are currently available at the drop-in services at both our Hanley and Lichfield Centres and also during our outreach sessions at Burton-on-Trent Genitourinary Medicine Clinic. If you are too unwell to travel therapists may be able to make a home visit. The therapies currently on offer include:
Emergency Fund The Staffordshire Buddies Emergency Fund can make small grants to people living with HIV in times of exceptional financial need. Crisis payments can also be made at short notice these typically pay for food and daily living expenses for clients on low/no income. Applications have to be in writing and are decided against a set of qualifying criteria. Contact us to apply. |
Eligibility All the services described in these pages are for people living with or directly affected by HIV in Staffordshire. Where are we? The Staffordshire Buddies main centre for HIV Services is based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. We also have a centre in Lichfield. To help ensure confidentiality for people who use our services we do not publicise the addresses of our two centres. To access any of the services on this page please contact our main office and ask to speak to a member of the HIV services Team. Our telephone number is: Tel: 01782 201251 |
We recognise that people living with HIV are a diverse group of individuals living in very different circumstances. Our experienced staff will undertake an individual assessment with you to determine which of our services can best meet your needs. Where appropriate we can refer you to other specialist agencies for help.
