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If you'd like advice about homelessness, housing and/or benefits or would like to enquire about C.A.S.S. services you can "Ask online"
© 2011 CASS Cumbria. All Rights Reserved
If you'd like advice about homelessness, housing and/or benefits or would like to enquire about C.A.S.S. services you can "Ask online"
© 2011 CASS Cumbria. All Rights Reserved
Nuala Student Social Worker
NEW UPDATE
[Read more]Keith Wood, Committee Member
"My first contact and knowledge of C.A.S.S. was when I was appointed Financial Administrator on 1st August 1997. This grand title meant that I was in sole charge of C.A.S.S's. finances and general office administration.
At that time C.A.S.S. was only involved in tenancies with some floating support and two schemes – one of which was financed by the National Lottery plus a fledgling SMART Project. I retired from C.A.S.S. in May 2002 at which time the organisation had expanded slowly into fields in which its expertise was widely acknowledged.
Nevertheless it then had a staff of only twelve people and a turnover of just under £450,000. Six years later C.A.S.S. now has a dedicated staff of twenty-nine and a projected turnover in excess of £1 million. This rapid growth has not been at the expense of quality in delivery of service which now covers several projects.
[Read more]Sean Turner, Project Worker; C.A.S.S. North
"I started working for C.A.S.S. back in 1999, I came to the organisation with limited experience in this field but they gave me a chance and I am still here.
I was the first Project Worker in Eden and acted as the vanguard for C.A.S.S. in this area. We started small, sharing a desk in an office with two other agencies and then three moves later settled in at the Eden foyer. During that time we grew from just me to a full team of five!
The early days were spent developing our presence in Eden with other agencies and over the years we have built a fantastic reputation for quality support.
[Read more]We have gone from a dozen units of floating support to double that as well as managing five flats and delivering advice services within Probation and health services.
Lisa Anderson, Project Worker; C.A.S.S. North
"I began working on C.A.S.S's. SMART Project in July 2003. Before this time I'd worked for our partner organisation on the same project. The post entails working two days on the SMART Project and two days on the Floating Support Scheme. During my time with C.A.S.S. I have gained a lot of experience through working with service users and other agencies. Substance misuse, crime, homelessness and emotional rollercoasters are all in a days work and I do get a lot of satisfaction from being able to assist people to make changes in their lives especially when the time comes to move on to their own independent tenancies. The Floating Support Scheme involves visiting service users in their own tenancies, assisting them to maintain their homes, with other issues they may have such as sorting out benefits, debts and paying bills.
[Read more]Neil Waller, Project Director
"I have worked for C.A.S.S. as the Project Director since 1993. That’s a long time and the organisation has grown but it is important for me that we can still largely make our own decisions about how we work with people and that we have kept an ethos of treating everybody as individuals, trying to respond to their own particular needs. Why have I stayed so long?
[Read more]Rachel Holliday, Project Worker; C.A.S.S. West
"The best thing about working for C.A.S.S. is the dedicated team we work in. Everyone supports each other and each member has a wealth of experience and knowledge which enables me to learn how to be an effective support worker. Due to the team I am in working so well together I have never felt alone with any situation. There is always someone on hand to guide and advise along the way. I always feel cared for during work hours and also supported in my home life. I’ve learned the importance of C.A.S.S. as an organisation within our area. The support we offer can help to change not just the life of the person we are working directly with but can also impact positively on the lives of family members and in many cases the surrounding community. I have learned that a lot of negative stereotypes of the service users we support are exactly those and most of the time the people we support don't want to live a lives of crime and addiction.
[Read more]Jane Singleton, Team Leader; C.A.S.S. West
"I was the first Project Worker appointed to work for C.A.S.S. fifteen years ago and the fact that I am still here speaks volumes about the organisation itself! At that time we had only a few properties, kept very basic files, I did all the finance as well as support work (long before computers!), we shared a cold dingy office above a shop with one telephone, a filing cabinet, kettle and a poster of sheep breeds! However, the commitment to help disadvantaged people was as strong then as it is now. Tenancies, floating support and advice services were way off in the future and I am grateful to have been here to see all these services and the properties and staff team develop and grow. Becoming a Team Leader nearly five years ago gave me a fresh perspective and direction and I am proud of the team I have helped to recruit and train and the difference our services make to the people who come through our doors."
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