BHT and Sussex Oakleaf merger

All of our current services are remaining in place and the day to day delivery of support will be unaffected by the merger. The support you receive now will stay the same. You will still see the same staff you are used to and be able to contact us using the same phone numbers and websites.

Coming together as one organisation means that in time, we will be able to expand our reach and influence and will be able to provide more support to more people.

While there will be no changes in the day to day running of our services and the support that you receive, we understand that mergers can appear confusing and change can be challenging for many of our clients.

We have been working hard over many months to try and make this transition as smooth as possible. We have spoken to many of our clients to try and understand what their concerns might be and have considered these while developing our integration plans.

If you are worried and feeling anxious then we want you to feel comfortable talking to us. You can speak to your regular support workers if you have one, or to any of our staff and volunteers who will be only too to help.

You can also contact us using all of our usual phone numbers and email addresses.

For the time being all of the services which were previously delivered by Sussex Oakleaf will continue to use the Sussex Oakleaf name, colours and website. Likewise, the same is true for BHT services.

While both brands are staying in place right now, we are exploring ideas for a new identity for both organisations. That could mean a new name, logo and colour scheme.

However, the identity of an organisation is much more than just its name, or the colour used on its leaflets and website. It is about our values and our ethos. In that respect, BHT and Sussex Oakleaf are already very similar, and it is our intention that these strengths remain and become the core of any new identity.

From 1 April 2020 Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) became the legal entity in which both organisations services operate. As such, all data on Sussex Oakleaf clients and residents will be transferred to Brighton Housing Trust.

BHT has a designated Data Protection Lead who is tasked with upholding the rights of everyone we collect information about, and ensuring we meet our responsibilities to keep your information safe and use it appropriately.

If you would like to ask questions about how your information is used or raise a concern you can email enquiries@bht.org.uk or write to Sunil Desai, Data Protection Lead, BHT, 144 London Road, Brighton BN1 4PH.

All new job vacancies will be advertised on the BHT webpage and you will be re-directed to this page from the Sussex Oakleaf jobs webpage. It doesn’t matter whether the job advertised is in a BHT or a Sussex Oakleaf service, you will find them all on the one site. Guidance and support on the application process will be available on the Work for us and Current Vacancies webpages.

From 1 April 2020 all Sussex Oakleaf staff were TUPED over to BHT and all new employees will become employees of BHT even if they are working within Sussex Oakleaf branded services.

In recognition of their commitment to their staff, BHT has been awarded accreditation from Investors in People, Disability Confident and Time to Change. We offer a wide range of benefits and a rewarding work environment.

You can find out more about BHT here

We rely on donations to provide many of BHT/Sussex Oakleaf’s services, and every contribution makes a difference. There are many ways you can help:

• Make a one off donation
• Set up a regular gift to safeguard the future of our services
• Volunteer your time

If you would like your donation to go towards a specific BHT or Sussex Oakleaf project then let us know. Email fundraising@bht.org.uk and our team will be in touch to find out more.The generosity of our supporters is what makes us so successful in transforming the lives of our clients, so thank you for your support.