1. Working in Partnerships to help families vulnerable to Fuel Poverty
Rory McManus

2. Agenda Introduction to Bryson Energy Children and Fuel Poverty Context
New Health Routes Project
What is a Partnership Working?
Stakeholder Partnerships activity
Outputs and Outcomes
Learning’s, Challenges and Opportunities

3. Bryson Energy Regional Energy Agency for Northern Ireland
Deliver advice and practical support to households to help them reduce their energy consumption.
Independent and not for profit.
Recognised as one of the key organisations working in the area of energy efficiency and fuel poverty for 20 years in Northern Ireland.

4. Children and Fuel Poverty
Increasing recognition of the impacts cold, damp homes have on children’s health
More incidences of respiratory illness
Poor weight gain in babies
Higher hospital admission rates
More time off school
Impacts on mental health and emotional well being
Traditional focus on the impact of fuel poverty on the elderly. Less attention on the impacts of children
Given the impact of cold homes on children health and impact on the health service health professionals would seem well placed to identify opportunities for fuel poverty interventions

5. New Health Routes Project Supporting Young families at risk of Fuel Poverty
Objectives:-
To provide better access to energy efficiency schemes and income maximisation advice for families.
Focus on children under 5yrs old and older children with underlying health conditions.
To empower professionals across health and children’s organisations to identify and refer vulnerable families
3 year project delivered in partnership with the University of Ulster and funded by the OAK Foundation

6. What is a Partnership Working?
Partnerships can be formed between individuals, agencies or organisations with a shared interest.
There is usually an overarching purpose.
Specific objectives.
A lot is written about the theory of partnership working. However, translating theory into practice is a different matter

7. NHR Partnership Process
Children’s Health Professionals and organisations
Bryson Energy “Hub”
Energy Efficiency and Income Maximisation Schemes
All available regional schemes
Single Point of contact
Awareness campaign & Call to Action
Stakeholders and Partnerships involved– Health professionals and Children’s organisations and the scheme managers
Raising awareness of the fuel poverty issues and impacts amongst professionals
Empowering them to signpost or preferably refer families
Grants change but we would have knowledge of what was available and

8. “Call to Action” Bryson Energy Advice Line
Number or
Supporting campaign materials
Material developed to target families directly but also provide the necessary information to the health professionals and family support workers.
Free and independent advice – Available to any household in NI
Energy Saving Advice - Fuel Budgeting – Payment and tariff awareness advice - referrals and signposting to schemes
These leaflets formed part of information packs that were delivered to as party of awareness raising meetings and engaging Health Professionals

9. Scoping Potential Partnerships
May not be needed
Visually highlights range of activity and engagement

10. Children’s Professionals
Children’s Health
Visitors
Community
Mid Wives
CYPSP Network
including
Family Support Hubs
Gateway
Social Workers
Sure Start Family Support Workers
GP Practice’s
Children’s Health Visitors
Targeted all 5 Health Trusts
Awareness training events at team meetings with supporting packs
376 Health Visitors engaged
Gateway Social Workers
Targeted Social Services Regionally
Awareness raising training events at team meetings with supporting packs
87 Social Workers engaged
Targeted all Sure Start teams in NI
Awareness raising training of Family Support Teams/supporting packs
99 Family Support Workers Trained
Advice and information stands
Community Mid Wives
5 Health Trusts
5000 Leaflets/Pregnancy folders
40 Mid Wives took part in training and awareness events
CYPSP and Family Support Hubs
Network of children organisations
Existing referral networks & membership
Awareness raising training and supporting packs
96 family workers trained
GP Practices
All 298 registered practices invited to take part in the project
40 Practice managers engaged

11. Defined Area Partnerships Colin Neighbourhood Belfast
University GIS Mapping – 2200 households
Direct Mailing
Door to Door Canvassing
3 local pharmacies
Colin Sure Start
Colin Neighbourhood Partnership activity
information stands at local events
Schools
Health Visitors
Church Newsletters
local GP Practice

12. Schemes and Incentives
Tenure Supported
Warm Homes Scheme
Owner Occupied & Private Tenants
NI Sustainable Energy Programme
NI Housing Executive Boiler Replacement Scheme & Gas Supplier incentives
Owner Occupiers
Heatsmart
NI Housing Executive Tenants
Energy Saving Packs
Bryson Energy Retrofit Scheme
Energy Supplier Switching
All tenures
Community Oil Buying Clubs
All Tenures

13. Media Platforms

14. Outputs and Outcomes
Over 750 children’s professionals have received awareness training
101 Information stands at family events, Sure Start venues, clinical settings
Over 1,100 referrals to Energy Efficiency Schemes and Incentives
550 families with children have benefited from at least one energy saving measure installed in the home
125 families who availed of the Bryson Energy Warm Homes Scheme had an average SAP improvement of 23% in their properties
Benefit Maximisation Checks identified additional benefit income for 129 families (average £44.46/week)

16. Learning’s & Challenges
Converting good engagement and enthusiasm into referrals?
Directly targeting families successful
GP’s difficult to access
Single agency as point of contact
Changing schemes limiting partnership referral potential
Children’s Health Sector referrals limited
Reported staff leaving and not been replaced
Not viewed as a core service
GP’s difficult to access so very
Integrating fuel poverty into existing practice and systems!!!
Competing priorities - poverty, obesity, smoking cessation
Examples of CFSP

17. Opportunities
NICE Guidelines NG6
Social Prescription Pilots

18. Rory McManus Bryson Energy rmcmanus@brysonenergy.org 02890 734 275