One Place on Wheels

The ‘One Place’ multi-agency information, advice and support service based in centres located in Burnham and Southminster, is now available across the Maldon District.

One Place managed by the Dengie Project Trust, in partnership with Essex Police, have identified the need to ensure the comprehensive range of services offered from partner agencies at the One Place Centres are also made available in all villages throughout the District.

‘One Place on Wheels’ visits 24 rural parishes across the Maldon District in the Mobile Police Vehicle on a monthly basis. The Mobile vehicle will be manned by representatives of both Essex Police and the trained One Place Team. On occasions they will be joined by other partner organisations. Maldon District Council has lent its full support to the initiative.

Together they will offer a broad range of information and advice. The themes will include:

• Policing
• Tourist & Community Information
• Social care
• Healthy Living
• Benefits and Housing advice
• Volunteering opportunities and access to IT and training.

Embracing the concept of ‘One Place, One World, One Vision’, the mobile information service will enable a comprehensive range of services to be widely accessible to all members of the community living in rural villages. This reflects the fact that individual agencies recognise that by working together in a joined up way, services can be more effectively and creatively provided.

The aim of ‘One Place on Wheels’ is to enable greater access to advice and services offered by One Place. The majority of enquiries will be dealt with immediately as the service on offer is not just one that signposts or refers on to other agencies.

Vikkie Massey, speaking on behalf of One Place and the Dengie Project Trust, said, ‘Living in rural villages can pose particular difficulties for individuals in accessing information and services. This is particularly true when public transport is limited. The vision of this innovative mobile service is to bring a broad range of information and advice to those rural areas. Dengie Project Trust are pleased to be working in partnership with Essex Police for the benefits of those living in the Maldon District’ Chief Inspector Nick Lee said, “This offers great opportunity to take the success of ‘One Place’ to the rest of the Maldon District. Due to the rural nature of the District it is sometimes hard for communities to access local services. This will be another step in the right direction to better working between the Police and Community”.