hampshire’s hitting the cold spots report – july 2013...

Hampshire’s Hitting The Cold Spots Report – July 2013 1


Contents 1. Executive Summary

2. Section 1 : Project Structure

3. Section 2 : Hitting the Cold Spots offer

4. Section 3 : Operational

5. Section 4 : Project Delivery

6. Appendices

Appendix A: Glossary of acronyms Appendix B: Partner Organisations Appendix C: Content of HTCS support parcels Appendix D HTCS engagement events attended by HTCS Advisors Appendix E Organisations/groups represented at HTCS fuel poverty awareness

training sessions. Appendix F: Details of advice line signposting Appendix G: HTCS Advisor referrals and signposting Appendix H: HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme:

Application process Appendix I: HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme

beneficiaries: Health conditions as reported to HTCS Appendix J: HTCS questionnaire responses Appendix K: Distribution of HTCS support Appendix L: Hitting the Cold Spots Data Analysis – GIS Map Appendix M: Distribution of emergency grant funding


Hitting the Cold Spots Executive Summary The report provides an evaluation of the second phase of the Hitting the Cold Spots (HTCS) project, which ran from October 1st 2012- March 31st 2013. The Hitting the Cold Spots project was developed by Hampshire County Council (HCC) and partners. It was funded from the Department of Health Warm Homes Healthy People fund, to support local authorities (at county level) to reduce the level of deaths and illness due to vulnerable people living in cold housing and in fuel poverty, in line with the Cold Weather Plan for England 2012. The impact of cold weather on health, both directly and indirectly is predictable and mostly preventable. Those most at risk are the over 75 years of age, young children, those living in deprived circumstances, living rough and from marginalised groups. A cross section of sources of data were analysed to enable the resources of the project to be targeted as wisely as possible across the county. The HTCS offer for 2012/13 focused on older people, vulnerable families, individuals with long term health conditions and the street homeless. There were over 30 organisations formally signed up to the project but at any given time there were over 175 different organisations using their networks to circulate information and direct referrals of vulnerable individuals and families to the project for assistance. The success of the project rested on this partnership approach. The HTCS “Offer” concentrated on providing a free phone helpline to access immediate assistance or referral onto a HTCS advisor, who could provide “hand holding” support to those who required it. 56% of the funding this year was spent on practical help including hot water and heating repairs, access to emergency funding, and the provision of oil filled radiators. The key achievements of the project:-

759 residents accessed assistance through the phone line 295 individuals or families received ‘hand-holding’ support 60 heating/hot water repairs or replacements carried out with a further 19

households assisted through other funding sources. (see appendix I for the self-reported health conditions)

161 oil-filled radiators supplied to 90 homes without adequate heating 15,000 support parcels distributed face to face through partner networks 297 residents accessed emergency funding (78% between 20- 59 years of age) 80-100 street homeless were provided with practical day time support 96% who accessed the service found it satisfactory/very satisfactory. 58% would not have had work carried out without the support of HTCS Advisors 45% of the referrals to the HTCS Advisors were over 75 years of age


HTCS successfully provided comprehensive and well researched support to vulnerable residents from across the county. The practical help provided ensured individuals and families were no longer living in cold homes and improved their quality of life. The information, practical support and solutions provided, including training opportunities for community and professional organisations will further work towards reducing the effects of cold homes and fuel poverty in the longer term. The project has now gained momentum and brand recognition as a reliable way of accessing information and support on fuel poverty. It will be continuing until March 2014, whilst working to access further funding for winter 2013/14.


Hitting the Cold Spots Project Report

October 2012 – March 2013

Section One – Project Structure 1.1 Context Hitting the Cold Spots project was developed by Hampshire County Council and partners, in response to the guidelines and recommendations of the Cold Weather Plan for England 2012; to reduce the number of people who die from the effects of cold weather and fuel poverty during the winter months. It was funded from the Department of Health Warm Homes Healthy People fund. This was established to support local authorities (at county level) to reduce the level of deaths and illness in their local authority due to vulnerable people living in cold housing and in fuel poverty. The latest figures from Age UK’s 2012 report ‘The cost of cold: why we need to protect the health of older people in winter’ show that during the winter 2010-11 “there were almost 22,000 additional deaths among people over the age of 65 in England and Wales. For every additional winter death, there are also around 8 admissions to hospital, 32 visits to outpatient care and 30 social services calls.” It is acknowledged that the impact of cold weather on health is predictable and mostly preventable. The direct effects are an increase in the incidence of heart attack, stroke, respiratory disease, flu, falls and injuries and hypothermia. Indirect effects of the cold are on mental health illnesses such as depression, and carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly maintained or poorly ventilated boilers, cooking and heating appliances and heating. Those at greatest risk of the effects include the over 75 years of age (especially living alone), young children, those living in deprived circumstances, those living rough and from marginalised groups. In the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (SHIP) PCT cluster area between 2007-2011 there were 1706 additional emergency admissions in winter compared with the rest of the year. 1.2 Introduction This report provides an evaluation of the second Hitting the Cold Spots project, which ran from October 1st 2012 – March 31st 2013. The initial Hitting the Cold Spots project ran from January 2012 to March 31st 2012, with a limited service continuing until October 1st 2012. This report will provide details on the “HTCS offer” and the impact it has had on the physical and mental wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable residents of Hampshire.


The project, available across the Hampshire County Council administrative area, was supported by a broad range of both statutory and voluntary sector partners (see appendix B). There were over 30 organisations formally signed up to the project, with their own wide networks of contacts that enabled the project to reach into the community to the most vulnerable. For example there were, at one point this winter, over 175 different organisations distributing leaflets and support packs, including food banks, meals on wheels drivers, children’s centres and health and HCC community teams. All 11 district/borough councils were active partners in the project. Indeed the success of the project rested on this partnership approach. Although the breadth and range (and indeed the name) Hitting the Cold Spots was designed specifically for this project, the original idea came from a smaller pilot initiative called Safe Warm and Secure. This had been funded by Hampshire County Council and run as a pilot project in the New Forest, Test Valley and Eastleigh Borough Council areas from October 2010 to December 2011. The evaluation of this pilot project had shown the benefits of having dedicated, trained advisors to support vulnerable people to access the help required to improve their living conditions. It was this evidence that underpinned the development of the Hitting the Cold Spots initiative. 1.3 Aim To support local authorities, in partnership with the local community, voluntary & statutory sector to reduce levels of death and morbidity due to cold weather, and to reduce the effects of cold housing and fuel poverty, targeting the most vulnerable. 1. 4 Objectives Reduce levels of death and morbidity that are the result of vulnerable people

living in cold housing Target the most vulnerable including families Offer value for money, utilising complementary funding and support Build capacity through training 1.5 The Strategic Fit The Warm Homes Healthy People Fund, which funded Hitting the Cold Spots (HTCS) was established in support of the National Cold Weather Plan, which in turn is part of a wider suite of measures designed to protect individuals and communities from the impact of severe weather events. In addition, HTCS also addresses a number of priorities and indicators identified at both the national and local level as part of this wider work. Nationally, these priorities include the Marmot Review Team’s report on the ‘Health Impacts of Cold Homes and Fuel Poverty’ May 2011; the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA 1995); the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2016 Objective One, fuel poverty and Objective Four, excess winter deaths; and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO).


At a local level, HTCS supported the delivery of HCC’s Emergency Resilience Plan; Winter planning for Clinical Commissioning Groups 2012/13; the Aging Well in Hampshire Older People’s Well-Being Strategy (2011-2014); the draft Hampshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy(2013-2018); local action under Home Energy Conservation Act ,1995 (HECA)and the delivery of the Insulate Hampshire programme. It informed the development of a chapter on fuel poverty and excess winter deaths in the refreshed Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) written by Public Health and HCC Economy, Transport and Environment team. 1.6 Identifying Priority Areas HTCS used the underlying data including Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) by Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs), Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Indices 2010(IDAOPI), Experian’s Mosaic public sector and children living in poverty data, to plan the publicity and targeting of the project. There were 746 excess winter deaths in Hampshire between 2007 and 2011. Public Health identified on average there were 1706 additional winter emergency admissions (EWEA Index) in the SHIP PCT cluster (Southampton, Hampshire, IOW and Portsmouth). These were particularly prevalent amongst the very young, very old and for those with respiratory illness. The Environment Centre’s (tEC) 2010 report, also helped identify the geographical areas with the highest prevalence of fuel poverty. This information was overlain with local Public Health profile data1 to further assist identification of vulnerable residents including marginalised groups. The latest Health Profiles (2012) identifies 9 district council areas with a higher ratio of excess winter deaths than the England average of 18.7, although none are statistically worse than the England ratio. Eastleigh, Fareham, Havant and Winchester are the districts that have a higher ratio of excess winter deaths than Hampshire (20.9). The Health Profile indicates that Havant is the only district council area that has a higher percentage of children living in poverty that is significantly worse than the England average of 21.9%. In addition to Havant, Gosport, Rushmoor and the New Forest have a higher percentage of children living in poverty compared to the Hampshire average of 13.1%. Most district council areas have wards that require targeted support and every attempt was made to ensure that a minimum level of information and awareness of HTCS provision was available in these areas, such as access to and distribution of support parcels and invitations for those working in the community to attend training. 1 http://www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?RID=49802

http://www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?RID=49802


Using the data available and the evaluation from the HTCS project in 2011/12 the steering group identified the following as priority areas for work in 2012/13: Promotion of HTCS offer to Children’s Centres and vulnerable families with

babies and young children Work with services supporting street homeless population in Hampshire Targeted work in areas of deprivation and higher levels of child poverty

including Havant, Gosport, Rushmoor & the New Forest Targeted work in areas with higher ratio of excess winter deaths: Eastleigh,

Fareham, Havant & Winchester Raising awareness with GP and primary care teams in order to refer vulnerable

patients to the project. Section 2 - The Hitting the Spots “offer” In the first year the project was primarily focused on older people. In 2012/13 this was extended to include vulnerable families, individuals with long term serious health issues and the street homeless. In the second year of the project greater emphasis was placed on offering practical support to the most vulnerable. More resources were made available for repairing and replacing heating/hot water systems for households who did not qualify for other sources of support. Resources were also invested to release alternative sources of funding. The project offered a comprehensive range of support including: A dedicated free-phone advice line (during office hours) run by the Environment

Centre’s qualified energy advisors County-wide HTCS Advisor home visits, for those in need of greater support Funding for repair or replacement of heating and hot water systems for those

who privately rent or own their homes Support with alternative heating measures (electric oil filled radiators) for those

without adequate heating. Access to small grant support to help cope with winter fuel emergencies Bespoke support for managing finances (including home visits) by CAB

caseworkers


Other services Free Home Safety visits including provision of a carbon monoxide monitor,

smoke detector and a fire safety plan. Access to free insulation (cavity wall, loft and solid wall). Assistance to switch energy provider or tariff to make savings on fuel bills. Assessment for eligibility to fund gas mains to be laid to the property and a

central heating system to be installed. Linking to other local and national schemes for support. Support parcels, including room thermometer, snood and information sheets. Fuel poverty awareness training for statutory and voluntary organisations

In recognition of the vulnerability of street homeless to the effects of the cold, funding was made available to four homeless charities to provide additional daytime practical help to rough sleepers, which included the supply of sleeping bags, thermos flasks and emergency clothing. Additional HTCS resources were utilised to provide extra Electric Blanket Safety Testing Days organised by HCC’s Trading Standards Service, in targeted areas of the county. Section 3 - Operational 3.1 Funding available The funding awarded for 2011/12 was £319,700 and for 2012/13 £279,126. The funding carried over from 2011/12, and the additional 2012/13 funding enabled the full “Hitting the Cold Spots offer” to be available until 31 March 2013. Of this 56% or £198,600 of the funding this year was allocated to practical support: boiler repair/replacements, emergency grant, and temporary heating provision. 3.2 Project Management

The project was administered from within the HCC Adult Services Older People’s Well-Being team. A Hitting the Cold Spots co-ordinator for one day a week and administrative support for two days a week were seconded onto the project from HCC Trading Standards for six months. The strategic and operational direction of the project was overseen by a steering group made up of representatives of the main partners – Hampshire County Council, NHS Public Health, the Environment Centre (tEC), CAB, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) and the Shaw Trust. They had been meeting regularly since January 2012.


A funding panel was established for the transparent allocation of HTCS funding for heating system repairs and replacements (see Section 2). The panel established a set of criteria to assess applicants. The Panel consisted of the HCC Older People's Well-Being Team, the Project Co-ordinator, The Environment Centre, a Gosport Borough Council representative and the HTCS Advisors. The panel met every two weeks. However urgent applications were discussed, and decisions made electronically and subsequently ratified at the next meeting. 3.3 Partner Arrangements The Hitting the Cold Spots offer for 2012/13 was more complex than the previous year and legal agreements were entered into with several voluntary organisations to ensure the programme of activities could be effectively provided. These were:

The Environment Centre – to provide the free information line and co-ordination

of the heating repairs, £153,000 allocated to heating repairs and oil filled radiators

Shaw Trust – management and provision of the Hitting the Cold Spots Advisors Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) – to provide two dedicated part time case

workers for home visits to advise on benefits and finance Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) - administration

of the emergency fund against agreed criteria - £40,000 allocated to small grants (usually £100, with £200 in exceptional cases)

Due to the high number of referrals, further arrangements were made with two new partners to be available, if required, to provide the initial home assessment visits, paid at a flat rate per visit. These were the two voluntary organisations; Community First New Forest and Rushmoor Healthy Living (RHL) in Farnborough. Also District Council HEEP officers offered to carry out initial home visits if required. During specific periods of the winter e.g. over the Christmas period and during extreme weather conditions, the HCC Emergency Planning team provided support to offer immediate help and distribute emergency heating.


Section Four – Project Delivery 4.1 Publicity and Marketing Through a wide and coordinated publicity campaign HTCS aimed to ensure awareness of the “offer” across the county, especially in areas where vulnerability to cold housing was highest. Only through comprehensive publicity combined with training to increase awareness of the effects of cold housing and fuel poverty could the objectives of the project be fulfilled. 4.1.1 Launch Event - 1st October 2012 Hitting the Cold Spots 2012/13 campaign was launched 1st October 2012 to coincide with International Older People’s Day 2012. Two half-day sessions were organised with key delivery partners presenting details about HTCS services. The event was attended by 136 operational staff from statutory and voluntary sector agencies and press coverage was obtained. This provided a well-informed network able to promote the scheme when they met face to face with patients, service users and members of the public. 4.1.2 Partner Networks The project harnessed the good will and communication channels of their partners to provide the wide community based coverage. For example HIWCF circulated details to all their 2,500 charity and community contacts, all the HCC libraries, fliers in food parcel in specific food banks, HCC Community Independence Teams (CIT), voluntary organisations and letters and publicity sent to all 147 GP practices by Public Health. 4.1.3 Hitting the Cold Spots Support Packs The HTCS Support packs were a vital means of raising awareness and promoting the project in 2012/13, as they had been the previous year. The parcels were packed and distributed by a company in response to requests received. In this way boxes of the packs were delivered directly to the recipients. For example meals on wheels volunteer drivers, Nepalese community groups in Rushmoor and Winchester, NHS specialist nurse, HCC Community Independence team, Village Agents and Children’s Centres. Over 15,000 HTCS support parcels were distributed through face to face contact via the extensive HTCS network of statutory, community and voluntary organisations (see Appendix C for content list). 4.1.4 Presentations by HTCS Advisors The HTCS Advisors attended over 50 meetings (summer and autumn 2012) with the statutory and voluntary sector across the County to publicise the project (see Appendix D).


4.1.5 Southern Gas Networks and Engineer cards Southern Gas Networks (SGN) donated 1,500 carbon monoxide detectors to the project (approximate value, £24,000) with arrangements put in places for these to be installed by the Blue Lamp Trust and the HTCS Advisors. SGN Engineers (who respond to emergency gas leak calls) are well placed to identify Hampshire residents that may benefit from HTCS support and were provided with information cards which they distributed to residents. 4.1.6 Electric Blanket Testing Days HTCS Advisors attended to discuss the help available and to hand out support parcels throughout the three week campaign (see Appendix D) 4.1.7 Newspaper Articles HTCS placed articles in Hampshire Now (Hampshire County Council’s resident magazine to 550,000 households), Borough and District Council Newspapers and Councils of Voluntary Service newsletters. Press releases were also issued to the media by HCC’s Corporate Communications. 4.2 Training and Raising Awareness 4.2.1 Fuel poverty awareness training sessions (4th and 31st March) Two training sessions were delivered to front line staff from statutory and voluntary organisations to raise awareness of fuel poverty, give an understanding of its causes and the effects of cold on the most vulnerable and highlight assistance available. 46 individuals attended the workshops from 28 organisations (see Appendix E). An estimated 480 additional colleagues were reached through the cascade of this knowledge. 4.2.2 Flu Clinics The HTCS Advisors attended on request a number of flu vaccination clinics across the County (see Appendix D). In addition, 2,000 small business-sized cards (with free-phone number and HTCS logo) were distributed to GP Locality Groups for onward circulation to primary care staff and patients. The response from GPs was disappointing and actions for engagement with primary care will need to be reviewed for 2013/14. 4.2.3 National Energy Action (NEA) Engagement Event An energy awareness session was organised on 4th March 2013 with NEA, Age Action Alliance and Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) as part of their national campaign to support older people’s organisations across England as part of the national Warmer Homes for Older People project. Hampshire’s Association of Older People’s forums led on this awareness raising event to which a further 22 organisations attended.


4.3 Outputs 1st October 2012 -31st March 2013 Summarised below are the key outputs of the 6 months project. Advice Over 3,330 hours of dedicated support for Hampshire residents resulting in:

759 residents assisted via advice line 295 individuals or families receiving ‘hand-holding’ support 456 referrals to HTCS services and complementary schemes 197 signposts to local and national organisations/agencies

Approximately 15,000 support parcels distributed across the county through the partner network. Practical Support Over £135,300 spent on 60 heating and hot water repair/replacements at an average cost per household of £2,255. An additional 19 households were assisted by accessing over £46,0002. 166 radiators purchased for £8,995, 161 of which were distributed to 90 households without adequate heating. £36,000 emergency grant funding provided to 297 of Hampshire’s most vulnerable residents. Over 700 carbon monoxide detectors installed. Customer Feedback 96% of those who accessed the service found it satisfactory or very satisfactory 58% of those who accessed services through the HTCS project wouldn’t have done so with the support of the HTCS Advisors.

2 Home energy efficiency measures: loft insulation, draught proofing, boiler repairs and replacements from various sources e.g. Warm Front, district authority home improvement loans, charitable grants, Gosport BC and HCC DECC Fuel Poverty fund 2012-13


More detail on the function and outputs of the key elements of the HTCS “offer” and how they contribute to the objectives of the project (see section 1.4) are provided below. 4.4 Advice line Operating Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm the advice line provided over 1,500 hours of dedicated support. Staffed by independent, professional and trusted advisors, the centre offered free advice, impartial guidance and practical support with direct referrals or by signposting customers to other sources of assistance. Direct referrals

206 referrals to HTCS Advisors and CAB Caseworkers 64 referrals to Blue Lamp Trust – Carbon monoxide detectors and home safety

and security visits 187 referrals to Insulate Hampshire/YES Projects/HCC DECC scheme

Additional finance accessed to support Hampshire residents keep warm

HCC secured finance (via DECC’S Fuel Poverty Fund) to help vulnerable residents access loft clearance and loft insulation ‘Clear and Install’ and boiler replacements ‘Gas Central Heating Scheme’. Over £28,600 of this funding was accessed on behalf of HTCS clients.

15 households referred by HTCS received over 990m2 of insulation. Three residents opted for storage platforms and six took advantage of the loft clearance service.

Seven Hampshire households successfully received support via the Gas Central Heating Scheme. Three were previously on electric storage heaters. These will make: savings of up to £980 per household per year* savings of 5.4 tonnes carbon per year per household* Four had old inefficient or malfunctioning boiler. These will make: savings of up to £635 per household per year* savings of 1.35 tonnes carbon per year per household* * Calculations based on Economy 7 or 10 tariffs


“Thank you so much for the help you have given me. You have done a great job… the ‘Hitting the Cold

Spots’ scheme is fantastic.”

As the single point of contact for the project, the advice line acted as a hub for residents, voluntary and statutory organisations, allowing for the comprehensive management of the customer’s journey, through call backs and progress updates. The advice line was also able to research complex cases providing verbal and written guidance. Having one point of access ensured the project directed people to other sources of support when appropriate, whilst at the same time being the main gate keeper to the HTCS advisors. In this way value for money and support for the most vulnerable as outlined in objective 2 and 3 was able to be achieved. The map below shows the distribution of calls received across the eleven boroughs. Every household received information on the project via the Hampshire Now magazine. However there does appear to be a correlation between calls received and areas of the county where more intensive promotion occurred. For example where the advisors presented at meetings, community and borough newsletters ran articles and where there was additional borough support i.e. in Gosport.


Map 1 – Distribution of calls to the Hitting the Cold Spots free Phone number

4.5 Hitting the Cold Spots (HTCS) Advisors

4.5.1 Two part time Hitting the Cold Spots Advisors were employed to provide “hands-on” practical support to those households identified as requiring additional assistance by advice line staff. The Advisors provided 45 hours of support a week (a total of 972 hours of dedicated support) and worked across the County to provide home visits to vulnerable households. 206 cases were referred to the Advisors, 175 via the advice line and 31 from other sources. The service that referred most clients was the HCC Community Independence team (CIT) with 11 in total. The majority of clients were over 75 years of age (see chart below), which the Cold Weather Plan identified as a key at risk group. In response to these referrals, the Advisors undertook a total of 194 home visits, resulting in 179.25 hours spent in the homes of individual clients and families. HTCS advisor support for clients ranged from less than a month to over 12 months (16 months in one case) with some clients requiring only one or two visits whereas the most complex cases required support for over seven months (see tables below).

Table 1 Duration of HTCS Advisor support

No of cases

Less than 1 month 108 1-3 months 82 4-6 months 11 7 months and over 5


58% (n.31) of customers would not have accessed help with heating repairs and assistance with debt,

benefits and fuel advice without the support of the HTCS advisors

In addition to the home visits, the HTCS Advisors acted as co-ordinators by liaising with other services (including HCC Adult Services, HCC Community Independence Team , local housing departments, national energy companies), agencies, contractors and family members (particularly for more vulnerable residents) in order to organise and secure appropriate support (see Appendix G).

The level of vulnerability of individuals and families, together with the complexities of the issues that they faced, was a consistent feature of the referrals passed across to the Advisors. The complexities of individual cases were influenced by the health needs of the householder(s), the general condition of the property and the availability of local and accessible family support. For many referrals, a number of different agencies or professionals were involved in a particular case which led to the need for high level co-ordination so that the right support could be provided in an effective way. In other cases, support from statutory services had to be accessed in the first instance as the Advisor was the first person involved in their situation (see 4.12. Case Studies). Although the individual referrals were in the majority of cases appropriate the distribution of clients in map 2 does not show a strong correlation between the identified geographical areas of need (see section 1.6). There are fewer than expected from Eastleigh, Havant or Rushmoor. Gosport has the highest number reflecting the additional support provided by the borough council. There are unexpected pockets in other boroughs. For example in Hart (the most affluent borough in the county) had three referrals all concentrated around one park home site. 4.5.2 Additional HTCS Advisor support Gosport Borough Council Energy Efficiency Officers were very keen to be involved in the HTCS project as their work in the borough had already highlighted residents and private tenants who needed help. Providing over 55 hours of support, their local knowledge led to 25 residents being helped with boiler/heating replacements or repairs. A high volume of referrals received in the north of the county did lead to the need for support from RHL. The RHL referrals predominantly focussed on support for vulnerable residents living in park homes, three of which lived in the same area, and Basingstoke and Deane borough council area The project also used their existing work with the Nepalese community in Rushmoor to promote the project and to distribute support packs.

60

43

93

10

Chart 1: Age of HTCS Advisor clients

Under 6465-75Over 75unknown


“I would like to thank Wendy…she introduced me to Mike from CAB

[Caseworker] and between them, [they] helped me get my life back on track.”

“[I] found the people I dealt with very friendly and helpful, especially the gentleman from Gosport Council.”

Map 2 Distribution of HTCS advisors clients by borough council area

4.6 CAB Caseworkers Two dedicated county-wide CAB Caseworkers provided advice on welfare benefits, financial management (including debt management) and tariff switching support to vulnerable Hampshire residents, as required in the objectives. Providing 37 hours of support per week the CAB Caseworkers dealt with 98 cases and promoted the project and their service to over 600 Hampshire contacts, as shown in table 2. The case workers were able to provide home visits and where appropriate jointly with the HTCS advisors. This was important as in several cases the level of debt had to be addressed, before considering what assistance to provide with heating repairs, which could result in increased fuel bills and

Table 2 CAB cases (by type)

Advice or service area

Tally

Benefits 26 Debt 29 Grants 10 Fuel poverty 20 Utilities 13

Total 98


so compound existing debt and financial issues. Being able to consider the client’s needs more holistically was an important addition to the project in 2012/13. The CAB caseworkers were also able to offer assistance to residents by clarifying alternative sources of funding assistance. For example, signposting individuals to established charities that offered support to people with specific employment histories (e.g. Royal Mail employees). They also became a source of knowledge for CAB offices across the county 4.7 Heating and hot water system repairs and (like for like) replacements 43% (£153,000) of the HTCS budget was made available to the most vulnerable households and those who were suffering from faulty or broken heating and hot water systems (including provision of temporary heating, oil filled radiators). It was only by offering practical funded support in 2012/13 that the project could work towards achieving its objectives of reducing the effects of cold homes and ultimately contribute to reducing levels of death and morbidity. The HTCS Panel established eligibility criteria for the scheme (see Appendix H for application process), prioritising many of the at-risk groups as identified in Appendix A of the Cold Weather Plan for England 2012 particularly older people, those on a low income with limited or no savings, those living with children under five and those with a pre-existing long term chronic health condition. This support was available to homeowners and those who privately rented and not to social housing tenants whose landlord would have responsibility for maintaining the heating and hot water systems in their homes. HTCS funding was used to wholly finance or part-finance (unlocking other support) repairs and replacements, a prerequisite of the objectives. Wherever possible, (see table 2 below) alternative financing options (local and national) were explored by the HTCS panel, thus maximising the number of households supported. The contractors used to carry out the work, were members of Hampshire’s Buy With Confidence scheme, thus ensuring that they were trust worthy. By only using local firms the project was able to contribute to the local economy.

In total, 79 households were assisted: (see map 3 for the distribution): 60 directly though HTCS funding at a cost of over £135,300 (average cost £2,255 per household) with a further 19 assisted through access to alternative financing (over £46,000). 51 of the 79 scheme beneficiaries were living with long-term and often complex health conditions (as defined as at-risk groups, in Cold Weather Plan 2012), see Appendix I. This again reflects their vulnerability and the

appropriateness of their referral.

Table 3: HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme funding sources

Source Tally HTCS only 56 HTCS and other (SAAFA or Warm Front) 4 Signposted/referred to Warm Front/ECO Warm Front /ECO + SSAFA Local authority loan Local authority loan and SSAFA GBC – DECC heating scheme HCC - DECC heating scheme and Assisted Connections

19

Total 79


“Thank you very much for the big project you’ve done for our family this winter. From getting the hot water back to having a new and more efficient boiler installed at our property; [it] means a lot

to us. We couldn’t be warm enough without your help. Now we’re five happy people.”

4.7.1 Warm Front The HTCS Panel supported seven Hampshire households who had previously benefitted from heating systems installed under Warm Front, the UK government’s grant scheme to make homes warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient (superseded by ECO, January 2013). These vulnerable households had experienced persistent problems with their heating systems. Many had failed multiple times, requiring several repairs. Poor reliability issues were a consistent theme observed with these boilers (see case study 1 below). The HTCS panel agreed to fund remedial works in these instances due to the urgency of the situation and their eligibility under the HTCS scheme. It is regrettable that HTCS funding has had to be used to replace or repair boilers that should not by any normal standards have needed repair within these timeframes.

Case Study 1 These older homeowners were on a low income and with no savings. They both experienced a number of health problems, including heart disease, shortness of breath, asbestosis, arthritis and high blood pressure. Their boiler was installed through Warm Front approximately 10 years ago. Since that time, they have experienced on-going problems with it and replacement parts have been needed on a frequent basis.

They contacted the HTCS project as their boiler broke down during the extremely cold period when it was snowing across the country in the middle of January 2013. This left them without access to mains heating and hot water. It was necessary for them to boil kettles to maintain their activities of daily living. They had a gas fire in their lounge which provided a source of heat in the main living space on the ground floor

An urgent visit was made by a HTCS advisor to supply them with electric oil-filled radiators to provide an immediate source of heat. Approval was provided by HTCS panel to fund the installation of a new boiler. A local Buy With Confidence registered contractor was contacted and a replacement boiler fitted, which is now working correctly.


Map 3 Distribution of heating and hot water system repairs and replacements .

4.8 Emergency/temporary heating provision The provision of temporary heating (oil filled electric radiators) was deemed essential in situations where the most vulnerable households were without adequate heating, especially during periods of persistent or severe cold weather. The HTCS Steering Group established arrangements with HCC’s Emergency Planning Team to provide access to this resource during periods of severe cold weather3, and when HTCS advisors were unable to undertake home visits, for example Christmas holidays and week ends. 166 radiators were purchased at a cost of £8,995, 161 of which were distributed to 90 households (see map 4). Vulnerable households were provided with temporary heating (at a cost of £1 per radiator) when there were no other means to meet that need. Where appropriate, households were provided with temporary heating whilst their circumstances were considered by the HTCS Panel for financial support with repairing or replacing the heating system. Hence the correlation between oil filled radiator and boiler/heating repairs distribution maps 3 and 4. This practical help again contributed to the overall objectives of the project by reducing the immediate vulnerability of families and individuals to the effects of cold housing. 3 linked to MET office cold weather alert system and in-line with the Cold Weather Plan for England 2012


Map 4 Distribution of Oil -filled radiators

. 4.9 Emergency grant funding Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HWICF) managed a small emergency grant on behalf of the project. The grant was established to provide immediate financial relief to those struggling to meet the costs of winter. Grants of £100 or £200 (in exceptional circumstances) were made available to Hampshire residents aged 18 and over and of all tenure types. This was determined by vulnerability and need:

Damp housing and/or fuel poverty Emergency DIY repairs related

to heating Vulnerable, disadvantaged and

deprived circumstances

Low income Health condition and/or disability,

mental illness Short term crisis


The scheme was delivered by a limited number of trusted partners (see Appendix M), resulting in £36,000 grant funding distributed to 297 Hampshire residents. 78% of grants were provided to the 20 -59 year old age group and the majority were for food and to pay for fuel, in most cases payment of fuel meters and cards. HIWCF worked with its 12 partners across the County to distribute the funds with the majority of applications being processed and completed within 24 hours. The CAB supported 56% of the grants paid, through existing clients or other organisations, for example food banks referring people to them. Thus again supporting the objectives of targeting and supporting the most vulnerable.

Reason Grant was given People supported Not noted 8 Emergency - Food & Fuel 205 Emergency - Health Condition 70 Emergency - Repairs 6 Emergency - Other 8 Total 297

25

231

2613

Chart 2: Age of HTCS emergency grant recipients

Not noted

20-59

60+

70+


Map 5 – Distribution of Emergency Grant funding

4.10 Street Homeless The Cold Weather Plan identified street homeless as one of the vulnerable groups. A small amount of funding (£1,400 each) was provided to the four homeless charities in Hampshire who work with their local authority on Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP). The funds were to equip and support the homeless during the daytime and away from the night shelters. The money was spent on blankets, flasks, (which could then be filled with hot soup) sleeping bags, coats, gloves, thermals. Others were supported to relocate back to their local area via bus /train and attend appointments. Approximately 80 -100 truly vulnerable people were helped in this way.


4.11 Geographical Coverage of the HTCS offer Map 6 and table 3 brings all the data together from the five previous ones and provides an overview of the distribution of the various elements of the HTCS “offer” and areas of correlation. The free HTCS helpline received 759 telephone enquiries with the highest enquiries were received from the New Forest (n=117) and Basingstoke (n=114). The least number of enquiries came from Hart (31), Rushmoor (46) and Test Valley (47). It is difficult to make comparisons across the district councils with the number presented because of a number of factors including varying population size. It must be noted that the publicity campaign to promote HTCS was successful ensuring that telephone enquiries to the advice line were received from across the county. After filtering through the advice line the HTCS advisors, received 206 referrals from residents living in Hampshire. 33 (16%) were from Gosport, 30 (15%) from Basingstoke and 25 (12%) from Winchester. The areas with the least number of referrals were Test Valley (7), Rushmoor (10) and East Hants (13) and Hart (13). The areas where most of the additional support occurred were Gosport, Basingstoke, Fareham & New Forest. The map showing the HTCS referrals to an advisor illustrates the concentration of the referrals received from the South East of Hampshire, namely Fareham, Gosport and Havant. Using the Excess Winter Death ratios and Children Living in Poverty and Indices of Multiple Deprivation the majority of additional support provided by HTCS Advisors was undertaken in areas of greatest need namely Gosport, Havant, New Forest, and Fareham & Basingstoke. However there are gaps, for example in Rushmoor & Eastleigh that would need to be better understood in order to improve the offer in 2013/14.


Map 6 Geographical Coverage of the total HTCS “offer”

Table 3 Distribution of HTCS support by District Council in 2012-2013


Case Study 2 An 82 year old gentleman living alone on a low income with a state pension income and few savings referred himself to the project for support. He had a heart condition, arthritis, limited mobility and high blood pressure. His 25 year old boiler had broken down and water was leaking onto the pilot light. A local contractor provided a temporary fix but recommended an urgent replacement of the system. A referral was made from the advice line to a HTCS Advisor and a CAB Caseworker who subsequently visited. One oil filled radiator was provided as immediate assistance and shortly afterwards approval was granted for assistance through the HTCS boiler repair scheme (20th December 2012). A local BWC contractor was engaged and work was completed within two weeks. He said “it was done very efficiently and very quickly. All is working perfectly. I received excellent support.”

4.12 Case Studies

Case Study 3 These were home owners in their 40s with responsibility for three children under the age of 8. The youngest of the children had health complications, including asthma and lung problems requiring regular visits to the local hospital. One of the homeowner’s worked full-time but their income was modest and they had extensive financial commitments. The house was very cold. The heating had never worked properly with half the radiators failing to warm. The advisor supplied two oil-filled radiators as an interim measure. The advisor referred the case to the panel that approved funding of a new boiler which was installed within a month of the original visit. The advisor also referred the client to the Wheatsheaf Trust for loft insulation work.


Case study 4 An older gentleman living alone in a privately rented property on a low income referred himself to the project. He had a heart condition, asthma and dementia. A referral was made from the advice line to a HTCS Advisor and a joint home visit took place with a CAB caseworker. Two electric oil filled radiators were installed to provide a safer heating source and to improve the adequacy of the heating within the home. CAB staff secured financial (including budgeting) support to assist with clearing some of the fuel debt that had been accrued. Applications to the emergency grant fund and SSAFA for financial assistance led to the purchase of a replacement cooker and fridge freezer to facilitate safe food storage and cooking. Additional needs were identified, and with his permission a referral was made to HCC’s Community Independence Team (CIT) for a full assessment, which included assistance with paper work organisation and support for house clearance to clear space for a heating system to be installed. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service also visited and undertook a home fire safety check and installed smoke detectors within the property. Through consultation with the landlord, a referral was also made to Warm Front and a new gas central heating system was installed. Arrangements have also been made to disconnect the gas fires within the property.


4.13 Feedback from clients 148 HTCS questionnaires were posted to clients on completion of their repairs, to be returned via a free post address. Satisfaction with HTCS was high with 96% of respondents being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the service. Furthermore, 94% of respondents would use the service again in the future. 58% of respondents acknowledged they wouldn’t have had the work carried out without the specific support of the HTCS Advisor compared to 26% of respondents who would have. This was encouraging as the project’s objectives were to support the more vulnerable residents of the county (see Appendix J).

HTCS client quotes

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you have done for us. We are so grateful to you and everyone... at last we will have a warm home ... you have been my angel, you’ve made my year!” ‘Everything that could have be done was done with excellence, very good all round. I can't thank you enough’ ‘I cannot think of anything - you were most helpful - and I appreciate it very much. I think it is a wonderful service.’ ‘I was truly satisfied with all that you did for me and my children, you are just wonderful. Thank you so much for all you did.’

40

10

01

2

Q1. How satsified are you with the service we

provided?

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Not satisfied

Very dissatisfied

No entry

14

31

1 7

Q4. Would you have had the work done without the help of the advisor?

Yes

No

Don'tknow


4.13 Feedback from Partners

Partner support has been crucial to the success of this project. Below are comments from the key partners who have provided their organisations time and expertise.

“We were pleased to be included in the HTCS project and for the CAB network in Hampshire to give out the largest number of grants to individuals in need across the county. The caseworkers accommodated in Winchester and Gosport worked across the county and alongside the HTCS advisers provided an invaluable finance and benefits support to them and to the clients.” Jenny Meadows Chief Executive Winchester District Citizens Advice Bureau "Insulate Hampshire was very pleased to be working so closely with Hitting the Cold Spots (HTCS) and reaching out to the more vulnerable members of the Hampshire public. The service that HTCS has delivered has been remarkable and of real benefit to residents." Insulate Hampshire team “The Partnership working, based on collaboration between many diverse partners from across the County, has proved to be one of the value adds to this successful programme” Toni Shaw CEO Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation The Hitting the Cold Spots project is a shining example of what can be achieved through effective multi-agency partnership working. We are delighted to have been involved and firmly believe that this project had made a real difference to the health and well-being of Hampshire residents. Adam Goulden, the Environment Centre (tEC) Gosport Borough Council are always keen to promote improvements to the health and wellbeing of our residents and assist with eliminating fuel poverty as Gosport has a large number of IMD areas. HCC have twice been successful in achieving funding through the DofH and this year has been extremely good with offering practical help, advice and a coordinated approach to other services. There has been excellent communication and ‘joined up thinking’ within HCC, LA’s, charitable organisations, Adult Services and the NHS. There has been clarity and forward decision making to alleviate fuel poverty for all of Hampshire and the home visits from the energy advisors have been of help to all they have visited, whether it has been with practical help, information or solutions.

Carol White, Gosport Borough Council


4.14 Conclusion

Hitting the Cold Spots 2012-13 is an excellent example of an effective multi-agency partnership providing practical advice and support to Hampshire’s most vulnerable residents. This is no small part due to the extent and reach of the partnership’s networks but also the comprehensive nature of the offer available. Although the geographical distribution of phone calls and clients does show the project’s reach was county wide, there were still some districts with identified needs (for example Rushmoor and Eastleigh) where fewer than expected referrals were received. Other areas with higher numbers of phone calls to the helpline resulted in a lower number of referrals passed across to the HTCS Advisors. This might suggest lower levels of vulnerability experienced, and therefore these individuals could act upon the advice received without further assistance. This demonstrates the benefit of having a triage telephone service, ensuring the most vulnerable residents receive the more intensive support. Many of those assisted through the project were “below the radar”, not linked into services, either statutory or voluntary. They benefited from the holistic nature of the support provided by the Advisors, CAB and the opportunity to receive other sources of help, for example from the HCC Community Independence Team (CIT). It is too early to provide any direct correlations between the outputs from this project and a reduction in excess winter deaths. However due to the vulnerability of those helped through the variety of practical solutions it can be presumed it has made a difference to the quality of life and health of those living in cold homes and in fuel poverty. Fuel poverty and specifically the Hitting the Cold Spots project features in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Hampshire 2013 -2018 and an Excess Winter Deaths Assessment is also being undertaken as part of the on going Joint Strategic Needs Assessment process. A sustainable collaborative partnership has now been established in Hampshire to lead fuel poverty work in the future and to support those most at risk.

However it must be recognised the provision of this level of support was due to the substantial funding from the Department of Health Warm Homes Healthy People fund. Without this the future scope of the project will be shaped by the need to target its limited resources wisely in order to provide a level of practical assistance as well as information and sign posting, to the most vulnerable individuals and communities.


4.15 Learning Points Being able to run the project (if in a limited way) continuously over a year

consolidated the brand and built on the success of the first campaign winter 2012/13; people had confidence in the project - both residents and professionals. Hitting the Cold Spots became synonymous with fuel poverty support

Clients requiring hot water and heating repairs tended to have multiple issues requiring extensive support and input from many agencies.

There is a need to find a more effective way of engaging with primary care and GPs in particular in order for them to refer their vulnerable patients to the project.

Many of the people helped by the project had been in fuel poverty for some time, some without any form of heating for years, as they did not qualify for or know how to access other types of support.

Poor reliability issues were a consistent theme observed with boilers installed under the Warm Front scheme and will need to be feedback to DECC

Specific problems related to providing adequate heating and insulation in park homes

4.16 Next Steps The HTCS service is continuing until 31st March 2014 with another winter launch scheduled for October 2013. This continuation has been made possible with residual funding from the 2012-13 WHHP grant and additional financial support from HCC Adult Services and HCC Public Health. HTCS will look to strengthen and build upon the existing multi-agency partnership with particular attention on health care professionals and community and voluntary organisations. The project steering group will be developing the HTCS service for 2013-14 over the next three months (July – September), however a number of key elements have been agreed upon: Resource audit to refine priority areas and groups for promoting HTCS support.

This includes HTCS GIS Mapping 2013, identifying priority GP surgeries (at risk groups identified within CWP 2012), Energy Company Obligation (ECO) priority areas including low income, rural areas and hard to treat properties

Use the evidence from the Excess Winter Deaths Needs Assessment to inform the HTCS delivery in 2013/14

Continued publicity and promotion to maintain recognition of the brand, at universal and targeted level, including visiting key meetings and groups.

Continuation of the free phone advice line and hand-holding support for the most vulnerable (HTCS Advisors). This includes support in accessing grants and loans to improve the energy efficiency of homes (ECO and Green Deal)

Training of a network of fuel poverty ambassadors, from within local communities, to raise awareness and to sign post those who need more help to HTCS.


Furthermore, the Steering Group will continue to explore further funding opportunities, for Hitting the Cold Spots in order to maintain an effective and sustainable level of work in the county. 4.17 Report Authors were from:- HCC Older People’s Well-Being Team- Alex Burn HCC Trading Standards –Helen Woods HCC Energy & Environment Futures – Vicky Beechey HCC Public Health –Kate Donohoe the Environment Centre (tEC) – Helen Farley Gosport Borough Council – Carol White HTCS Advisors – Sheryll Mondey and Wendy Shone July 2013.

Appendices Appendix A: Glossary of acronyms Appendix B: Partner Organisations Appendix C: Content of HTCS support parcels Appendix D HTCS engagement events attended by HTCS Advisors Appendix E: Organisations/groups represented at HTCS fuel poverty

awareness training Sessions Appendix F: Details of advice line signposting Appendix G: HTCS Advisor referrals and signposting Appendix H: HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme:

Application process Appendix I: HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme

beneficiaries: Health conditions as reported to HTCS Appendix J: HTCS questionnaire responses Appendix K: Distribution of HTCS support Appendix L: HTCS Data Analysis – GIS maps Appendix M: Distribution of emergency grant funding


Appendix A Glossary of Acronyms (arranged alphabetically) AA Attendance Allowance HHCRO Home Heating Cost Reduction

Obligation (funding stream avail. under ECO)

Aftaid Charity providing direct financial help for the Elderly

HIWCF Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation

BDBC Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council

HTCS IDAOPI

Hitting the Cold Spots (project name Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Indices 2010,

BWC Buy With Confidence IH Insulate Hampshire (Hampshire-wide free insulation scheme)

CAB Citizens Advice Bureau IMD Indices of Multiple Deprivation CCG Clinical Commissioning Group IOW Isle of Wight CO Carbon Monoxide JSNA Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

(requirement under Public Health) COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary

Disease LA Local Authority

CTB Council Tax Benefit LSOA Lower Strategic Output Area DECC Department of Energy and

Climate Change NEA National Energy Action

DH Department of Health NFDC New Forest District Council DLA Disability Living Allowance RBC

RHL Rushmoor Borough Council Rushmoor Healthy Living

EBC Eastleigh Borough Council SGN Southern Gas Networks ECO Energy Company Obligation SSAFA National Armed Forces Charity EHDC East Hampshire District Council tEC the Environment Centre FBC Fareham Borough Council TVBC Test Valley Borough Council GBC Gosport Borough Council WCC Winchester City Council HBC Havant Borough Council WF Warm Front (Central Government

programme) HCC Hampshire County Council WHD Warm Homes Discount HDC HEEP

Hart District Council Hampshire Energy Efficiency Partnership

WHHP Warm Homes Healthy People project (DH funded project)

HECA Home Energy Conservation Act, 1995

YES Yorkshire Energy Services CIC (IH Managing Agent)


Appendix B Partner organisations Age Concern Hampshire Age UK Blue Lamp Trust Borough/district councils –HEEP officers British Red Cross CAB Fareham CAB Gosport Carers Together Citizen’s Advice Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Groups Community Action Hampshire(County wide CVS support body & Rural Community Council) Community Police DWP Good Neighbours Support Service Groundwork Solent Hampshire Trading Standards and Accredited Community Support Officers Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation Hampshire Association of local councils (parish councils) Hampshire Fire and Rescue Hampshire Food Banks Hampshire Voluntary Sector Children and Young People’s Alliance (100 vol org, community associations, Surestart, Homestart, Family Support Groups) Harbour Cancer Support HCC Community Independence Teams and Supporting People Services (>GPs &

Supporting Older People’s Floating Support Service, Homeless services) HCC library services, volunteer home library services, library clubs Health Champion for the Nepalese Community in Rushmoor Home Improvement Agency /handyperson service Insulate Hampshire Partnership with all Hampshire Local Authorities Joint Older People’s Well-Being steering group Neighbourhood Watch Network of Community Centres NHS Hampshire –Public Health and lead for Hampshire Resilience Plan Princess Royal Trust for Carers Rushmoor Healthy Living (social enterprise) Shaw Trust (social enterprise) Soldiers Sailors Air Force Families Association (SSAFA) South Central Ambulance Service Southern Gas Networks Southern Health NHS Foundation Includes: Health Visitors, specialist /chronic long term

condition Nurses, Community Nurses teams (district nurses etc) The Environment Centre (tEC) RVS


Appendix C Content of HTCS support parcels

1.1 Covering Letter from Councillor Ken Thornber 1.2 Warm Home Discount Scheme Leaflet 1.3 HTCS Leaflet (confirming end of project in March 2013) 1.4 Gas-Safe Leaflet 1.5 Cardboard room Thermometer 1.6 Fridge Magnet 1.7 Snood 1.8 Different Ways to Wear a Snood/Making your own draught excluder

leaflet 1.9 Buy With Confidence Directory 1.10 No Cold Calling Sticker 1.11 Better Balance for Life leaflet 1.12 Warm Front leaflet 1.13 The Flu vaccination winter 2012/2013 booklet 1.14 Hitting the Cold Spots Activity Book


Appendix D HTCS engagement events attended by HTCS Advisors

July 2012 – March 2013

Group/Event/Meeting Date

Aldershot 1. Senior Citizens Forum

16 July 2012

Andover 2. Older Persons Forum

19 July 2012

Basingstoke 3. Over 50s Forum 4. Age Concern Information Day

15 August 2012

12 September 2012 Eastleigh 5. Older Persons Forum/Network

Meetings 6. TOP Group, Bishopstoke 7. Baptist Church Luncheon Club 8. Fair Oak Welcome Club 9. West End Lunch Club 10. Asian Welfare and Cultural Association

24 February, 24 April and 22 June 2012

12 March 2012 15 March 2012 20 March 2012 26 March 2012

13 February 2012

Fareham 11. Leg Ulcer Clinic at Fareham College 12. Open Sight Group 13. Stand at Porchester Precinct

15 June and 12 July 2012

7 September 2012 6 March 2012

East Hampshire 14. Liphook Elderly Care Forum

11 September 2012

Farnborough 15. Senior Citizens Forum

16 July 2012

Gosport 16. Summer Fayre

8 September 2012

Hart 17. Hart Voluntary Sector Forum 18. Older Persons Wellbeing Group 19. Yateley Open Sight Club

14 May 2012

3 August 2012 4 September 2012

Havant 20. BILL Event focused on “Staying Safe

and Keeping Warm” Over 50s Forum

20 September 2012 4 September 2012

New Forest 21. Older People’s Forum

11 July 2012

Romsey 22. Southern Test Older Independent

Campaigners (STOIC)

25 May 2012

Rushmoor 23. Voluntary Sector Forum

26 September 2012


Group/Event/Meeting Date

Winchester 24. Age Concern Luncheon Clubs 25. Live at Home Scheme Luncheon Club 26. Over 55s Forum 27. Winchester District Health and

Wellbeing Partnership Board Engagement Event

30 January, 27 February, 6 March, 7 March, 22 March and 23 March 2012

3 February 2012 10 July and 17 October 2012

25 October 2012

Hampshire-Wide Fora/Networks 28. Hampshire Advice Network – Alton 29. HEEP (Home Energy Efficiency

Partnership) 30. Community Development Workers

Network Meeting 31. HCC Children’s Services Staff Team

Meeting (Communication with Children’s Centres) at HCC

32. HCC Children’s Services Staff Event 33. HCC CIT Event 34. HTCS re-launch event in Winchester

3 July 2012

25 April, 25 July and 24 October 2012 9 July 2012

20 July 2012

7 September 2012 30 August 2012 1 October 2012

NHS Networks/Events/Meetings 35. West Hampshire CCG

Communications Sub-Group Meeting 36. Flu Jab Day – Nightingale Surgery,

Romsey 37. Flu Jab Day – Giffard Drive Surgery,

Farnborough 38. Flu Jab Day – Wilson Surgery, Alton 39. Eastleigh and Test Valley South

Locality Meeting 40. Winchester/Andover Locality Meeting 41. Eastleigh Southern Parishes

Stakeholder Meeting 42. Totton and Waterside Stakeholder

Meeting

18 July 2012

28 September 2012 29 September 2012

6 October 2012

16 October 2012

23 October 2012 28 November 2012

29 November 2012

Electric Blanket Testing Events 43. Alton Fire Station 44. Gosport Fire Station 45. Eastleigh Fire Station 46. Fareham Fire Station 47. Waterlooville Fire Station 48. Farnborough Fire Station 49. New Milton Fire Station 50. Hayling Island Fire Station 51. Lymington Fire Station

3 October 2012 4 October 2012 5 October 2012 8 October 2012 9 October 2012

12 October 2012 17 October 2012 29 October 2012 30 October 2012


Appendix E Organisations/groups represented at HTCS fuel poverty awareness training sessions Adult Services (HCC), Sensory Team Age Concern Hampshire Age Concern Havant Andover Mind Ark Eastleigh (basics bank) Bridge Advice Service (the Bridge Church) Broughton ‘Good Neighbour’ Community Independence Team, Basingstoke Department for Work and Pensions East Hants District Council (inc. Advocacy Service for older people, Community

Team) Fareham Borough Council (Sheltered Housing Officer) Gosport Borough Council Hampshire County Council (inc. Adult Services, CIT) Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service Havant Borough Council Radian Richmond Fellowship Trading Standards Romsey CAB Sanctuary Housing Sentinel Housing St Vincent de Paul society (Christian VO dedicated to tackling poverty and

disadvantage) Southern Electric - Fuel Poverty and EE Officer Sovereign Housing Association Village Agent for Church Crookham Winchester City Council (Cabinet Member for Housing) Winchester District Citizens Advice Bureau Yew Trust (first point)


Appendix F Details of advice line signposting Service/Advice/Work area Agencies Tally Benefits advice Benefit Enquiries 1 Charitable funding AFTAID, Turn 2 Us 7 Energy efficiency grants/loans Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS) Warm Front,

Magic Boiler Scheme 12

Energy efficiency products SUS-IT 4 Financial and consumer guidance

Buy With Confidence, Citizens Advice Bureau 91

Home safety and security Hampshire Fire & Rescue 1 Help with fuel bills Home Heat Helpline, Uswitch, Warm Home

Discount Helpline, Winter Fuel Payment Helpline 50

Home support Home Improvement Agency, In-Touch Handy Person, Community First New Forest - Handy Person

23

Total 197


Appendix G HTCS Advisor signposting and referrals

Service/Advice/Work area Agencies Tally Charitable funding AFTAID, British Legion, SSAFA 7 Energy efficiency grants/loans Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS) Warm Front,

Insulate Hampshire, District Councils (Home Improvement Loans), SGN

26

Energy efficiency advice and products

Buy With Confidence contractors (heating and hot water system repairs/replacements) , Wheatsheaf Trust (loft insulation)

49

Financial and consumer guidance

Citizens Advice Bureau (inc. benefits advice), CAB Caseworkers, Trading Standards

12

Home safety and security Blue Lamp Trust (CO detectors), Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service

29

Help with fuel bills Energy providers (Warm Home Discount , energy tariffs)

8

Home support In-Touch Handy Person, Community First New Forest - Handy Person, OT Direct, Rushmoor CVS

7

Independence and wellbeing support

HCC Community Independence Team (CIT), 5

Other STH (gardening leaflet), HCC (Blue Badge application)

5

Total 148


Appendix H HTCS heating and hot water repair and replacement scheme: Application process

1. Initial contact made (advice line or HTCS advisor) 2. Preliminary assessment against criteria or extenuating circumstances 3. Applicants/clients offered a home visit (by HTCS Advisor) for further assessment 4. Case brought to HTCS panel. If approved, client or HTCS advisor contacts Buy

With Confidence contractors to arrange a visit to assess and quote for work Contractor/supplier confirmed and commissioned to undertake work

5. Work completed and invoice sent to tEC (acting on behalf of panel) 6. Client contacted by HTCS Advisor to confirmed satisfactory completion of work 7. Invoice paid


Appendix I Boiler and heating repairs scheme beneficiaries

Health conditions as reported to the HTCS on their assessment form

Asthma Asthma Child under 5 with asthma child (premature birth) with lung

problems and asthma COPD heart surgery (heart valve

replacement) cardiomyopathy heart condition heart disease (medical history

include 3 heart attacks) heart condition Mental health issues (Schizophrenia) mental health issues (unspecified) short term memory Depression Dementia long term history of depression Arthritis and severe mobility issues limited mobility (7 beneficiaries) Limited mobility (due to back pain) Osteoarthritis (2 hip replacements),

severe depression, and on-going degeneration caused by osteoarthritis to back and lower limbs

serious health issues (Cancer) cancer (currently in remission) diabetes child aged 4 suffering epilepsy macular degeneration Parkinson’s disease and

emphysema child health issues (necessitate

exceptional bathing and laundry needs)

fibro myalgia, collagen deficiency and blood clotting issues

heart murmur, arthritis, high blood pressure, mobility difficulties

asthma and depression

reoccurring blood clots, diabetes, epilepsy, Fluid on the brain (Hydrocephalus), housebound

COPD, prostate cancer, macular degeneration

vascular dementia, emphysema Heart problems, breathlessness,

asbestos in the lungs. Mrs - high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arthritis

complex medical history inc. stroke, damaged spine (limited mobility)

kidney transplant, fistula, stoma, blind in 1 eye, heart stroke, stroke, shortness of breath - limited mobility

4 year old, severely disabled blind child with complex medical needs

triple bi-pass, heart disease, asthma, mobility issues

COPD, hip problems (severely disabled)

mild diabetes, arterial fibrillation asthma, diabetes, lower leg amputee housebound awaiting knee

replacement kidney failure, suspected cancer

sufferer mobility problems (awaiting knee

replacement at point of referral), asthma, heart condition

Heart condition (medical history includes a heart attack) and asthma. Mobility difficulties


Appendix J HTCS Evaluation Questionnaire Responses 148 HTCS evaluation forms were posted to HTCS customers and 53 forms were returned via a freepost address (35.8%). Satisfaction with the HTCS service was high with 96% of respondents rating it as very satisfied (41) or satisfied (10). 96% of respondents (51) found the advisors very helpful (44) or helpful (7) and would use the service again.

31 respondents would not have had work done without the support of an HTCS advisor (58%) Whilst a further 14 (26%) would have had work done without help from HTCS. The main reasons for not acting unless having received help from a HTCS advisor were those of finance (20 respondents) and not being confident in how to make the necessary arrangements (7 respondents).

Reponses to the final question - Tell us if there is anything more we could have done for you: ‘Everything that could have be done was done with excellence, very good all round. I can't thank you enough’ ‘First class assistance from Sheryll and installer of heating’ ‘I cannot think of anything - you were most helpful - and I appreciate it very much. I think it is a wonderful service.’ ‘I was truly satisfied with all that you did for me and my children, you are just wonderful. Thank you so much for all you did.’ Raw questionnaire data

Q1. How satisfied are you with the service we provided? Tally

Q3. Would you use the service again in the future?

Tally

Very satisfied 40 Yes 50 Satisfied 10 Maybe 1 Not satisfied 0 No 0 Very dissatisfied 1 No entry 2 No entry 2 Total 53

Total 53 Q2. How helpful did you find your advisor? Tally

Q4. Would you have had the work done without the help of the advisor? Tally

Very helpful 44 Yes 14 Helpful 7 No 31 Not helpful 0 Don't know 1 Unhelpful 0 No entry 7 No entry 2 Total 53

Total 53


Appendix K

30

1315

20

33

1317

23

107

25

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

HTCS Advisor referrals

12

4 4

7

13

3

6

43

2 2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

HTCS heating & hot water scheme recipients

22

12 13

24

29

5

14

23

74

8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Oil filled radiators distributed

114

55 5270

4931

65

117

46 47

89

24

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

HTCS enquiries

HTCS Support 2012-13


HTCS Support 2012-13


Appendix L


Appendix M The grants were distributed by a limited number of trusted partners:

Partners Funds People supported

Citizens Advice Hampshire £20,750 169 Environment Centre £2,350 20 Age Concern Hampshire £200 1 Bordon & Liphook £1,000 10 Princess Carers Trust £900 5 First Wessex Aldershot £1,500 13 First Wessex Eastleigh £1,500 15 First Wessex Gosport £500 3 Radian £1,000 5 Aster Living Group £1,000 6 Sentinal £1,000 9 Gosport Borough Council via HIWCF £4,559 39

SSAFA £300 2 Totals 36,559 297

Grants were used for a variety of reasons including:

Fuel Bills or Debts Emergency Food

Heating Systems Repairs Warm Clothing/ Bedding

Microwaves or Cookers Short term crisis Damp Housing Health conditions

Distribution across Hampshire

People supported

Area not noted 5 Basingstoke 60 East Hants 17 Eastleigh 23 Fareham 13 Gosport 60 Hart 8 Havant 35 New Forest 19 Rushmoor 29 Test Valley 15 Winchester 13 Total 297

Distribution across age group

People supported

Not noted 27 20-59 231 60+ 26 70+ 13 Total 297

Reason Grant was given People supported Not noted 8 Emergency - Food & Fuel 205 Emergency - Health Condition 70 Emergency - Repairs 6 Emergency - Other 8 Total 297

hampshire’s hitting the cold spots report – july 2013...

Documents