Information about Portsmouth’s
“Keep Warm and Carry On!” programme, which is being supported by the
Department of Health’s Warm Homes Healthy People fund.
The Aim of this
fund is:-
To support local
authorities in partnership with their local community and voluntary sector and
statutory organisations to reduce the levels of deaths and morbidity in their
local authority that are due to vulnerable people living in cold housing in the
coming winter.
Keeping
warm in winter is a major issue; as many as 200 people die every day in the UK
in the winter months as a result of cold weather. The problem is at its
worst in cold homes and in Portsmouth 26.5% of the housing stock does not meet
the decent homes standard due to 'insufficient thermal comfort'. Help is
out there and it's important to support people to access that help.
A summit is planned for voluntary
and community sector organisations who work very closely with
individuals in communities most at risk from the effects of the cold weather
and its implications for their health.
This
will be held on Tuesday 31st January in the Lord Mayors
banqueting room, Portsmouth Guildhall, from 9.30am – 3.30pm.
The
key-note speaker will be Carl Petrokofsky, Specialist in Public Health for the
Department of Health in the South East. Carl has worked across the South East
of England for some 30 years and has extensive experience in public health,
policy development and implementation of strategic change, in particular on
developments and initiatives to improve the health of older people.
Recent areas of responsibility have focussed on working with other government
departments, older persons groups, the NHS and Local Authorities to address
underlying causes of ill-health and disease, especially on preventing falls and
fractures and housing and the built environment. Carl is now leading work for
the DH on Heatwaves and Cold Weather plans.
The
summit will also include presentations from PCC Directors Margaret Geary
and Paul Edmondson-Jones.
The summit will bring
together statutory and voluntary agencies that support the most vulnerable
residents and will provide opportunities to share information about current and
new resources.
A workers
information pack will be developed, in stages over the next few weeks, to build
up a resource of information to ensure that vulnerable residents and those
supporting them are aware of the support available and how to access it. The
information pack will be also available on line and regularly updated for use
in future winters. Stage 1 of the pack will be available at the summit to
share current information and stage 2 will be developed
following the workshop activities at the summit and the findings from further
audit activities.
If your work includes
addressing issues of winter warmth or fuel poverty, or you work with vulnerable
people and you would like to attend the summit please contact Rosie
Penlington on 023 9268 8938 or email voluntary.sector@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
by Monday 23rd January to reserve a place. Numbers are limited
and early booking is advisable. Once your booking is confirmed an agenda will
be sent to you. They would also like to include information about services
available in the information pack so if you have information or promotional
material that will be useful for the pack get in touch and let them know.
As well as the
Voluntary Sector Summit Keep Warm & Carry On! has a number of other
elements which will help provide support during the cold weather. More
information will be available on the day for delegates but briefly these are:
A small grants
programme,
led by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Community
Foundation,
which Voluntary and statutory organisations will be able to refer vulnerable
individuals into. The programme will provide small
grants of up to £125 to local vulnerable people who are struggling to keep
warm.
Emergency repairs programme, which builds on the
current programme providing remedial repairs prior to major work being
undertaken. This will include the private rented sector where engagement is a
particular challenge.
Mobile phone
application.
This is currently being developed to provide stand alone information on energy
reduction and fuel poverty. The app will be made available to external web
sites for all local organisations that provide information to vulnerable
people.
A Citizens Advice
Bureau Fuel Poverty Advisor, who will be available to provide advice for the three
months of the project,
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