WARM HOMES HEALTHY PEOPLE FUND ANDY NAZER Community Wellbeing Health & Community Services, HCC

Warm Homes Healthy People In November 2011 The Warm Homes Healthy People Fund was announced. The DH asked for bids from top-tier authorities to put in place projects and initiatives that could help reduce the levels of excess winter deaths and morbidity due to the cold. Projects had to start in January and end by 31 st March, Bids had to show strong elements of partnership between their local community and voluntary sector and statutory organisations.

Ready?... Fire! Hertfordshire heard on December 18 that our bid was successful and we had been granted £503,000. …Aim! Bring together all of the agencies dealing with people in need and deprivation in a way that has never been done before Build upon the strong partnerships that exist in the county already and hold the support of the Health and Wellbeing Board Specifically aim at preventing excess winter deaths and morbidity Target vulnerable older people and homeless people Identify and help vulnerable families and others specified in the target groups Help vulnerable people in rural communities

Potential Beneficiaries / Target Groups  Over 75  Frail  Young children  Living in deprived circumstances  Elderly people living on their own  Homeless or people sleeping rough  Pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory illness and other chronic medical conditions  Severe mental illness  Dementia  Learning difficulties  Arthritis, limited mobility or otherwise at risk from falls  Living in homes with mould  Fuel poor (needing to spend 10% or more of household income on heating home)  Other marginalised groups

+ PROVIDERS IN THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR VOLUNTARY SECTOR PARTNERS HERTFORDSHIRE

KEY PARTNERS

Projects included… Funding extra working capacity amongst all CAB offices in Hertfordshire Provide home energy audits Fund extended opening hours in homeless shelters and new initiatives to alleviate homelessness Fund the Community Foundation to administer a small grant scheme to help people combat the cold Provide an ‘immediate response’ service – heat for those without, draught-proofing, warm packs, etc. Engage GPs and other health professionals over the impact of cold weather – and about this project Offer advice and promote awareness.

What we achieved… CAB gave 6223 clients energy saving advice, 1591 obtained debt advice, additional income generated through benefits gained and debts cleared purely as a result of this project totalled £322,241 HCM distributed 2000 warm packs and ‘standby’ meals and engaged clients about the cold, staff undertook awareness training Age UK Hertfordshire distributed 1800 warm packs to older people and promoted the project to every GP practice in Herts. Groundwork Hertfordshire undertook 379 home energy audits. Over 100 older people will receive an annual £120 rebate… Hertfordshire Community Foundation have given 327 emergency cash grants to vulnerable people – total granted £50,000 Homeless hostels stayed open for extended hours throughout Jan-Mar, long term projects have been established

…and locally CAB clients seen via this project: Three Rivers -798 Watford -573 Extra debt clients seen: Three Rivers - 92 Watford -143 Community Foundation Grants Three Rivers (22)-£ Watford (30)-£ Groundwork Home Energy Audits Three Rivers- 21 Watford- 46 YMCA – support for vulnerable

Outcomes We don’t know about excess winter deaths or morbidity yet We may not be able to compare year on year (it was warmer) We do have some activity levels and some tangible outcomes But, on the whole, we have to wait and see…

and the future? Our 11 th June seminar looked at what we could do in the future given a similar level of funding, limited funds or none at all. Evaluation is yet to be written-up but what did stand-out was a willingness to keep the network of organisations together, expand the network and to start planning now for the winter of with the expectation that there will be no – or very little funding available.

Thank you /