CARA is recruiting an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) to join their team. ISVAs provide vital emotional and practical support, as well as impartial information, to victims and survivors of sexual violence. This includes individuals who have reported to the police and those who are considering reporting.
The role of an ISVA includes:
Ensuring the voices of victims and survivors are heard
Supporting individuals to make choices that feel right for them
Accompanying clients to key appointments and court proceedings
Providing ongoing support after the legal process concludes, regardless of the outcome
For victims and survivors who are considering reporting to the police, ISVAs also:
Provide impartial information to support informed decision-making
Offer an overview of police processes and what to expect
Support individuals with their next steps
CARA provides an ISVA service to adults, young people and children who have experienced sexual violence across mid and North Essex, including Uttlesford.
Further information
To view the job description and person specification, please click here
Healthwatch Essex is delighted to be starting 2026 with an exciting opportunity to join their award-winning Carers Voices team.
They are currently recruiting a Carers Voices Officer to join the Information and Guidance Team.
This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about ensuring unpaid carers are heard and supported. The successful candidate will play a key role in reaching out to carers, engaging with them, and listening to their experiences to help shape and improve services.
You can find full details about the role and how to apply below:
Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with your networks and including it in any relevant circulars. The webpage can be accessed here: ๐ https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/get-involved
Essex County Council & Connect Futures is promoting a series of free online workshops designed to help people feel safer, more confident, and better informed when navigating online information.
Weโre asking partners to help spread the word through newsletters, networks and community channels โ and please do encourage onward sharing.
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ง Workshops for Parents
Misinformation, Community and Online Safety
These sessions support parents to better understand:
What misinformation and disinformation are, and where theyโre most commonly encountered
How to recognise symbols of hate and misleading online narratives
What is legal and illegal online in relation to hate and harmful content
Practical ways to talk to children about what theyโre seeing online
The workshops are welcoming, interactive and delivered by trained facilitators, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. ๐ Multiple dates available | โฑ 90 minutes | ๐ป Online | Free to attend
Spot common tricks used in misleading posts, viral rumours and emotionally charged content
Understand how images, headlines and algorithms influence reactions
Recognise how scams, fraud and misinformation often overlap
Use simple tools to check whether information is trustworthy before sharing
No technical skills are needed โ just curiosity. Sessions are friendly, jargon-free and focused on staying safe online. ๐ Multiple dates available | โฑ 90 minutes | ๐ป Online | Free to attend
There will also be train-the-trainer sessions (one for each workshop). If you know practitioners or community leaders who may be interested, please get in touch to receive full details. They are also very welcome to attend a standard session first to see how itโs delivered.
Essex Family Forum has launched its 2025 Family Impact Surveyand is inviting SEND parents and carers across Essex to take part. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete and covers key areas including Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), mental health, social care, therapies and diagnosis.
Feedback from families is vital in helping shape and influence positive changes to SEND services in Essex. SEND parents and carers are encouraged to complete the survey, and professionals are asked to share the link across their networks to reach as many families as possible.
Mind in West Essex has moved to a new base in Harlow. After more than 14 years at the Bush Fair hub, all Harlow services and staff are now based at the new site, Mind Sanctuary (the former Osler House GP surgery), located at Prentice Place, Potter Street, Harlow, CM17 9BG.
The move marks an exciting new chapter for the charity, providing a refreshed and welcoming space for their services, staff, and the local community. While the offices remain closed to the public over the Christmas and New Year period, the crisis alternatives continue to operate as usual during the evenings to ensure ongoing support.
Later in 2026, they will be celebrating the new Harlow home with a community open day for local residents and businesses, followed by a formal opening event.
To stay up to date with these plans and other news from Mind in West Essex,
Key datesย for the move to the new siteย andย ourย Christmas opening hours:
Christmas Eve (Wednesday): At 1pm, we close our doors at Bush Fair for the last time.
Christmas Day (Thursday) to Sunday, December 28:ย Our offices areย closedย to the public (however our crisis alternatives will remain open every evening as usual).
From Monday, December 29: All Harlow services and staff based at Mind Sanctuary.
Thursday, January 1: Officesย closed for New Years Day bank holiday (except crisis alternatives).
From Monday, January 5:ย We welcome back our community activity groups, based at Mind Sanctuary for the first time.
Looking for a calm and culture-filled way to spend your Saturday afternoons? Screentime Free Film Club invites you to step away from everyday distractions and enjoy a thoughtfully curated film screening each week at Harlow Central Library.
Taking place every Saturday from 2.00 โ 4.00 pm, the club offers free film screenings in a welcoming, friendly environment. Thereโs no need to bookโjust turn up, take a seat, and enjoy. Refreshments are available at a small charge, making it the perfect excuse to settle in and unwind.
The programme showcases a diverse range of classic, international, and independent films, offering something a little different from mainstream cinema and a great opportunity to discover hidden gems from around the world. Whether youโre a seasoned film lover or simply curious to try something new, youโll find a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.
So why not make it part of your weekend routine? Drop in, switch off your screens, and let the film take you somewhere new.
Saturday 3 January โ Lured (1947): A gripping film noir set in London, starring Lucille Ball as a dancer helping Scotland Yard track a serial killer.
Saturday 10 January โ Donโt Ever Open That Door (1952): A dark Argentinian noir featuring two tense crime stories, shown with English subtitles.
Saturday 17 January โ The Long Farewell (1971): A haunting, dreamlike Russian drama exploring the fractured bond between a mother and son.
Saturday 24 January โ Stella Dallas (1937): A classic Hollywood melodrama about love, sacrifice, and motherhood.
Saturday 31 January โ The Southerner (1945): Jean Renoirโs moving portrait of a Texas family striving for independence against the odds.
Saturday 7 February โ The Creatures (1966): An imaginative French film by Agnรจs Varda, blending reality and science fiction.
Saturday 14 February โ A Game Without Rules (1967): A gritty Czechoslovak crime drama full of intrigue and moral ambiguity.
Saturday 21 February โ Titanic Waltz (1964): A sharp Romanian comedy satirising politics, family life, and ambition.
Author: Emily Smith
Posted:
Categories: Events, News
The Essex Alliance is pleased to support Mind in West Essex with the recruitment of two paid positions.
Mind in West Essex is a local, independent mental health charity, affiliated to Mind, (the National Association for Mental Health) a charity with which we share common values and principles.
Our vision is for West Essex to be a place where people talk openly and positively about mental health, and where everyone gets the support and respect needed to live well. Mind in West Essex welcomes applications from people with their own personal experience of mental ill health.
โข Volunteer Support Officerย
Reporting to: Volunteer Coordinator
Location: Based in Uttlesford with occasional travel across the district and to Harlow
Hours: 12 Hours
Pay:ย ยฃ12.21 per hour
โข Cleaner
Reporting to: Premises Coordinator
Normal Place of Work: The Mind Sanctuary, Potter Street, Harlow
Hours:ย 6 Hours Per Week
Term: Permanent
Pay: ยฃ12.21 per hour
These roles play an important part in supporting mental health services across West Essex.
On behalf of Rocket Science, Essex Alliance members are being invited to contribute to research commissioned by Travel Essex, on behalf of Essex County Council, alongside Integrated Transport Planning. The research will work with older people and people with disabilities to understand why bus use is currently lower and what could be done to improve it.
Due to short project timescales, a planning session will take place on 8 January 2026, from 1.30โ3.30pm, at Essex County Council, and representation from the Essex Alliance would be greatly valued. Ideally, this would be someone with knowledge of organisations supporting older people and/or people with disabilities.
The session will focus on:
The most effective ways to engage older people and people with disabilities in the research
Insights into potential barriers to, and opportunities for, bus use that could help shape the survey
Why this work matters
Improving bus use among older people and people with disabilities is important for several reasons:
Buses help people stay connected to friends and family. Lower use can increase the risk of social isolation, negatively affecting mental health and wellbeing, and placing additional pressure on adult social care services as people become less mobile.
Buses enable access to health and care services. Reduced mobility can lead to higher costs for health and social care providers needing to reach people in their homes.
Buses support access to high streets and retail centres, with lower patronage potentially impacting local economic development.
Funding from concessionary bus passes is vital for the commercial viability of bus services. A reduction in trips risks the sustainability of routes across the network, affecting communities across Essex.
