This document summarizes a program to make winters more comfortable and less costly for vulnerable people in the UK. Key points: - Over 24,000 vulnerable people died last year from cold-related illnesses. 2.5 million homes have excess cold issues. Poor energy efficiency costs £700 million per year. - The program mobilized quickly by partnering with organizations. It trained 401 staff to assess homes and identify issues. Assessments were done in 3,750 homes benefiting over 6,000 people. - The program helped connect people to services like repairs, health providers, and legal aid. Over 1,200 jobs were completed around peoples' homes. Evaluations found it improved health, well

1. Making Winters More Comfortable
and Less Costly…..
Foundations
Independent Living Trust

2. The blindingly obvious
…or is it?
24,000Office for National Statistics estimate that 24,000 vulnerable
people died from preventable, cold related illnesses last year.
2.5 million2.5million homes have excess cold (Occurrence of HHSRS
Category 1 hazards, English House Condition Survey 2006)
£700 million£700m per year - costs of medical treatment resulting from
poor energy efficiency (The Real Cost of Poor Housing, BRE 2012)

3. Under starters orders …
1.Mobilised quickly/partner flexibility with NEA
Training division
2. Up-skilled 401 casework staff across Home
Improvement Agency national network to
competently complete structured at-home
assessments
3. DH contracting provided sufficient confidence
to progress key actions concurrently given the
narrow window of opportunity

4. Find Your Local (HIA)
in a town near you!
• Easier than you think!
www.Foundations.uk.com
• 82% of English councils are covered
• Protecting and supporting vulnerable and
older homeowners. Accredited services
• Sustaining independence in the home
• Guiding completion of small and major
adaptations c£100m pa

5. Who else was invited?
Lots!!
• Partners
• Funders
• Complementary services
• Volunteers
• It seemed to capture the
imagination
• 55 HIA s participated
across 160 local
authority areas

6. Outputs – small measures, high
impact
• Assessments in 3,750 homes
• More than 6,000 beneficiaries
• 88% referred to handypersons /repairs
• 41% directed to health providers
(surprising)
• 40% referred to CAB (not surprised)
• 1,200 jobs around home completed
(thermo valves, boilers repairs, draught
proofing, holes filled, radiators bled

7. …And suppose all this
could be done in just a few
months, delivering real
practical work as well as
linking people in to other
services and support, at a
cost of less than £70 per
person?
Not bad when 12 minutes at
GP costs £32 or £549 for a
night in hospital or £519 for
12m treatment of respiratory
illness

8. Did they make a difference?
• Health and wellbeing impacts - physically
and mentally
• Better or reduced use of costly resources
• Reduced social isolation
• Improved use and/or control of heating
• Opportunity to direct to partner
specialists
• Strengthening of local partnership
working esp to Health and specifically GP
I think that’s a YES!

9. Don’t just take our
word for it
"When we visited we looked at a holistic view of that
person’s needs to continue living independently".
Lancaster HIA was designated SPOC for Health
professionals throughout the council area for affordable
warmth. PCT’s public health team led service promotion
An NHS partnership trust is seeing home-centric
interventions as means to deliver good health outcomes

10. Why did it work so well
• The way PH/DH Commissioned and
managed
• Simple Hub and spoke. Local delivery,
national framework.
• Light touch management but high on
accountability and results focus
• Campaign / time-bound activity
• Leveraging existing local relationships

11. What are we doing next
• Talking to anyone who’ll listen to us!
• Completing the Sheffield Hallam University
independent evaluation
• Disseminating Findings including PHE
• Completing the investment case to build on the
success of this year

12. Thank you for your
attention and thank you
Dept Health/Public Health
England
AndyC@Foundations.uk.
com
07540 122662