The Shelter Trust Jersey is the largest provider of services for homeless people in Jersey. The Trust offers accommodation, support, and a way forward for Jersey’s homeless community.
In May 2022, the Shelter Trust Jersey opened Venetia House, a site dedicated to the provision of the charity’s women-only service. John Hodge, Director at the Shelter Trust, says that opening women’s only accommodation has been a long-held ambition of the charity.
Homelessness for women requires a different kind of response. There is a pressing need for services for homeless women in Jersey, and we now have 21 bed spaces to help support them.
Previously, the Foundation provided funding to help open Venetia House. A further £90,000 was awarded to go towards the vulnerable women’s service.
The charity believes that the provision at Venetia House is a new way of doing things for socially isolated and excluded women. There are primary care clinics on site, as well as key workers and specialist workers to provide support. There is a particular focus on women separated from their children, with the aim of better coordinating services, improving access to support and having an advocate for women.
All the staff at Venetia House have undergone women specific homelessness training and trauma informed support training. The staff work with women through a negotiated process for assessment and measurement, helping them to understand where they are and how to improve various aspects of their lives, such as personal relationships and finances. Once they feel able to move back to mainstream accommodation, the door is left open for them to have a continued relationship with the charity.
“Women are judged more harshly than men when it comes to homelessness. This makes them among the most vulnerable members of our society. With the funding from Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, we can transform the lives of these women, for good.” – John Hodge, Director
