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The project is designed to work alongside the established Home & Well partnership in Hampshire, providing proactive and preventative support services and will bring together a large network of local community partners to proactively support people in Hampshire.
The approach will be through tailored support services to tackle fuel poverty and introduce energy safeguards to help those most vulnerable maintain or create a safe and warm home.
Our plan is to deliver tailored energy safeguarding support to participants via a dedicated team of energy and engagement facilitators who alongside trained Good Neighbours Volunteers aim to :
- Create welcoming spaces for the vulnerable residents of Hampshire where they can comfortably access tailored energy safeguarding support within the community, with the aim to tackle the underlying causes of fuel poverty, and enable access to key utility services designed for customers in vulnerable circumstances;
- Provide tailored information packs that help to explain fuel poverty and energy safeguards which will be accompanied by solution based hands-on support, so it’s not just another leaflet, but something tangible;
- Generate broader social impact with the intention to alleviate pressures on the NHS, avoiding the need to use hospital services and where needed, transitioning to in-home services;
- Ensure that the provision of energy related support services includes energy efficiency advice, energy efficiency home audits, energy bill advocacy, carbon monoxide safety conversations, locking cooker valve referral, and access to the Priority Services Register;
- Refer anyone who needs further support to their local Citizens Advice, who will give the full wrap around support to assist clients with any other underlying issues.
The shared ambition is to reduce the potential impact on the NHS service and prevent hospitalisation for people who are at high risk as a result of living in a cold and unhealthy home.
The project will also increase the health and wellbeing of the clients by addressing the financial costs of essential services including utilities, rent, food, and social isolation, through linking people to the appropriate wellbeing services.
It is the intention that the partnership project will be linked across Hampshire in all 120 local groups run by Good Neighbours Network volunteers. The initiative will be led by dedicated project facilitators who will train up volunteers across Hampshire to help deliver CO awareness and basic energy saving tips either face-to-face or via e-learning with support from the NEA and other partners.
GNN volunteers are practised in providing practical help and have successfully delivered pilot network campaigns ranging from social prescribing to combating loneliness through transport initiatives.
