Social justice is at the heart of our work and central to our mission. From tackling poverty, homelessness and isolation, to supporting refugees, asylum seekers and prisoners, we turn concern into action.
Social Policy and campaigning
Our Social Policy team campaigns to make England and Wales a better place for all and free of social injustice. We work with people in a spirit of justice and campaign to identify and tackle the root causes of poverty through lobbying, community organising and campaigning. We identify areas where, on the evidence drawn from our practical work, we can speak out with authority and seek to influence policy makers and public opinion.
We apply the message of Catholic Social Teaching to our work and seek to empower people to become their own spokespeople and hold those in power accountable.
How do we do it?
We employ a bottom-up approach to identify our policy priorities and work closely with people who may feel powerless, left behind or not listened to. Through our extensive network of SVP groups, we carry out ongoing ‘listening’ to identify the issues people are facing in their communities. Visiting and befriending people who may be isolated, in need, or in prison, is core to our work and provides insight into the complex issues facing people every day, helping us to raise awareness about the things that really matter to them and identify solutions that can make a difference to their lives. We then work with them, not on behalf of them, to influence policy makers to make changes that have a real impact on people’s lives.
We work closely with other organisations to maximise our impact and strengthen our voice. Some of the organisations we work with include CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network), VIP (Vincentians in Partnership), PACT and CAP (Christians Against Poverty).
We also join forces with other organisations and faith groups to campaign on issues affecting the lives of the people we help. We are a signatory to the Keep the Lifeline campaign, calling on the government to make the £20 increase to Universal Credit permanent and to extend the increase to legacy benefits.