the cornwall and isles of scilly winter wellness project

Warm Homes for Health:Building Fuel Poverty and Health partnerships

16/7/2013

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Winter Wellness project

Fuel Poverty and Public Health – Securing Warm Homes Healthy People Funding

“One of the most significant, yet least recognised factors causing death and Illness…”

•Health : •40,000 long term

health issues •9,000 social care,

secondary care & VCS•2,400 emergency

hospital admissions•300 extra deaths•Preventable

Homes – Mainland and Islands

• Higher energy costs and lowest incomes :• 6 in 10 homes hard

to keep warm & dry• 53% of homes off

mains gas, dual fuels – Cornwall• 100% off gas grid –

Isles of Scilly•More dependent on

expensive warmth – oil, LPG, coal

Fuel Poverty – 100,000

Fuel Poverty is bad for health

• Long term unemployment – bad for health;

• Low income is bad for health;

• Poor housing is bad for health.

Winter Wellness is good for health

• Warm, damp and mould free homes

• Health improves

• Cornwall Works support – progress to work

Economy & Poverty•23,000 long term worklessness•16,000 children in poverty•High cost of living•Lower than average incomes

Winter Wellness help0800 954 1956Guides & Postcards

Emergency Fund: – Heaters, Coal, Oil,

Electric Blankets – Key meter top ups– Boiler repairs – Debt payment– Keep Warm Boxes

Quick fixes – and…

Winter Wellness help

Longer term solutions:• Insulation (benefits are significant)• New and repaired heating systems• Tariffs renegotiated• Income improved• Referrals : meals on wheels, independent

living advice, loft clearance• Move back into work (Inclusion Cornwall)

Managing the programme• 30 organisations• Who are Community

Energy Plus? • How do we know if

we’re delivering?• Maximising number of

households supported? • Hard to reach or hardly

reached?• Value for money?• Deliver long term

solutions?

Managing the programme

• Getting access to clients – many already supported by various groups

• Launch event – all partners showcasing• Freephone number – if someone’s in need,

call it!• £15/referral to CEP (freephone no. or

postcard)

Main approach

• Big partnership – helpful in gaining access to those in need

• Central point of contact (CEP) for anyone in need, regardless of reason

• Referral fee of £15 / referral• Paying CEP & CAB for home visits• Emergency support conditional on home

visit

2011/12 – 2012/13 comparisonService 2011-12 2012-13

Number helped through freephone no.

380 894 (1500 total)

Emergency Fund payments 143 328

Referrals to CEP helpline 97 510

Referrals from CEP helpline to other partners

89 402 (1015 total)

Home visits 48 432

Costs of frontline support excluding home visits, CCF funding & freephone no.)

£13,000 (originally £29,000)

£13,500(including full-time worker 3mths)

Increased activity 2012/13

Why?• Referral fee £15?• Better established – now in 2nd yr?• Launch event to raise awareness?• Full-time worker for 3 months?

Interesting facts…

• 50% of referrals dealt with by more than one organisation

• Only 3% of those that received emergency support in 2011/12 received support again in 2012/13

• We are delivering long term solutions.

Joined up Funding • Warm Homes, Healthy People

£222k• Cornwall Works 50+ (European

Social Fund) £30k• Cornwall Council £10k• NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

£10k• DECC Local Authority Funds

£331k• Foundations Warm Homes

Funding £5k• Cornwall Community

Foundation £8k• Total of £616k to spend by 31st

March 2013 !

Fuel Poverty, Health &Work Outcomes 150 homes insulated & improved heating for

next Winter + signposting ECO funding for next winter

126 long term workless families with Children – signed up for Cornwall Works support and to begin progress to work

1500 households stayed warm and able to cook/eat to help their health

HomelessBlock booking of bed nights at homeless shelter

enabling groups to work with the homeless (drug & alcohol support, etc)

2011/12 • 97 people helped• 43 people put into permanent accommodation

2012/13• 41 people helped• 20 now in accommodation

Heating, Eating and Work

• mental and physical well being improved • better start in life for children• warmer homes for families & older

people• Improved the health and wealth of

our communities

Improving Well beingUnique:• linked health

and work• Inclusion

Cornwall Hub and European Social Fund

• Cornwall Together – idea conceived by Eden

Winter Wellness is about the 3Q’s– Improving the Quantity and Quality of life– Closing the IneQualities gap

Happiness

“Its great news that we can get some help …. As I have been getting really stressed about the size of the bill..”

“My dog and I have had the best nights sleep in years, thank you so much”

the timely intervention of “Winter Wellness” “saved my life”…”I don’t winter well”.

“The family feel healthy and optimistic about the future and …. do not know how they would have got through the winter without Winter Wellness help”.

Long term sustainability or sticking plaster ?

• Community Energy Plus - use less energy and more efficient homes

• Cornwall Together

• Cornwall Works – increase income through work

• Better health, improved well being

ConclusionsTackling poverty• Fuel costs critical – and something we can help• Tackling fuel poverty gives access to people with

range of needs• One contact number for all referrals• Join up funding streams and partners to provide

comprehensive service• Small interventions – Big outcomes• Result - Improved wider quality of life issues

ContactsNicola McCheyneCommunity Energy Plusnicola@cep.org.uk

Anthony BallTackling Inequalities CoordinatorAnthony.ball@ciospct.cornwall.nhs.uk

Anthony WeightSustainable Development Officeraweight@cornwall.gov.uk