I don't buy food

CHC hold training events at our head office and there's often leftover food at lunchtime. We’re informed about this in an email… Come and get it! What happens next? Yes, there's an almighty scramble to the kitchen for the chance of a free lunch or a nibble of a piece of cake. But, hold on, how many people need this? Those who haven't prepared lunch, the majority, will say they need this food. Others will say it will only go to waste, the cheese sarnies always do. But is this real need? The numbers taking advantage of this meal are increasing. Would you turn down a free lunch? Or would it be any different if someone told you that they’d do your weekly shopping today for free and deliver it to the end of your street for free? I for one can be honest enough to say I would never give up the chance of free food.

Foodbanks and food parcels have become an established part of communities across the UK. Many communities need them to survive the deep cuts to welfare, and some communities who run them are 'doing their bit for the poor as part of the Big Society'. But what experiences have tenants had with them? Is it a free meal, as Lord Freud describes it, or is there a real need? A tenant living in Blaenau Gwent told me about the food parcels that arrive at their local Community Centre every other week. 'It’s chaos, like a scene from Africa. Everyone runs out and opens up the packages, trying to get the best things. You know, sweets and stuff.' There's no assessment of need and the whole thing lives up to the free meal stereotype. Another tenant tells me of having to pray before receiving a parcel, as most foodbanks are run by religious organisations. Finally, a tenant asks me, ‘What would you do with 12 bottles of tomato ketchup with a hint of balsamic vinegar?’ Ideas on a postcard? Contrary to Zoe Williams' belief, food parcels do contain luxuries. Champagne is the most expensive product I’ve been told about.

The reasons for increasing use of foodbanks have been cited as a change in benefit, a sanction or a delay, or use of payday loans. However, these have all been around for several years now, therefore the recent welfare reforms are not the reason. The problem lies with benefit take up, application and processing. Payday loans are another problem altogether. Welfare reform is exacerbating these reasons for use, and this is set to get worse with possible 7 week delays for Universal Credit payments which will see the desperate Friday become a desperate week. Weekly or fortnightly payments often leave households in desperate financial situations in the last days between payments, and stories of parents not eating on a day or weekend prior to payment is common. However, when monthly UC payments start these days will accumulate into the 4th week, and there is a real danger of parents trying to go several days without food. Food parcels will therefore become an essential need for many.

One of the reasons UC is being rolled out is to increase personal responsibility of finances and to combat the 'I don't pay rent' belief. However, the ever increasing use of food parcels is creating the same problem. Last month, I heard the phrase ‘I don’t buy food, I get one of those voucher things’ for the first time when asking someone about their expenditure on food. What Lord Freud doesn't understand is that changes to welfare benefits are not recognised by claimants in the same way that policy makers see them. Advice agencies used to assist people in desperate need to claim a crisis loan or community care grant, but now they pass on a food voucher. Has the social fund been replaced by foodbanks? Claimants are beginning to believe so and are therefore seeing food as another entitlement. 'I don't buy food'.


Paul Langley
Senior Money Adviser

Is service integration the cure for an ailing NHS?

This year marks the 65^th anniversary of the NHS in Wales and, despite being a hallmark of ‘Great Britain’, it is possibly facing the most challenging time in its entire history. With increasing demand for services, higher expectations and pressure to cut spending, finances couldn’t be any tighter. Or could they?    

Unscheduled care, in particular, is under extreme pressure as more and more people present a t A and E and choose to bypass GP out of hours surgeries.  Hospitals are also struggling to meet existing targets and delayed transfers of care and waiting list times continue to rise.  

Reconfiguration is one solution that’s being offered; however, it’s not just secondary care which is under pressure.  Patients in Wales come into contact with the NHS some 20 million times each year, with 80% of contacts taking place outside of a hospital. On average, people visit their GP seven times a year and we expect this to rise rapidly as welfare reform impacts on wellbeing with more people suffering from depression.  

So, put simply, finances could be and are likely to get tighter!  The good news is that housing associations and Care & Repair agencies can help.  Housing associations and Care & Repair agencies already work closely with social care partners to deliver critical services that contribute to prevention and re-enablement. They are also key players in supporting better community health and staff can be a key contact for older people living alone.    

The Older Persons Commissioner is passionate about ‘Older people wanting to stay safe, healthy and secure’ and that the key requirement for those returning home form hospital is ‘food in the refrigerator, a warm home and continuity of care.’ Housing associations already fulfil this role and they can and want to do more.  

Some housing associations also have their own dementia and extra care homes and provide specialist care and support throughout Welsh communities.  Others employ staff in hospices to reduce pressure on A and E by providing support to homeless people who are often repeat presenters at A and E. Despite this work, the role of housing associations is barely recognised in the new Health, Social Care and Wellbeing bill.
 

As the NHS grapples with how best to simultaneously cut costs, meet demand and improve services, more Local Health Boards have been developing projects with housing associations to provide more integrated/holistic services focused on the needs of the individual. While this might not be a total cure, results so far show that it certainly drives improvement.

We will be celebrating some of these projects during Health & Housing week from 15-19 July and we’re inviting you to engage in this week. Tell us your story, either as a service provide or as a customer, about how integrated services across housing and health have helped you! 

Amanda Oliver
Head of Policy and Research, CHC 

Lessons learned from the Torfaen direct payment demonstration project

Bron Afon has been taking part in a national demonstration project to test a range of different payment triggers and levels of support for Housing Benefit claimants, ahead of the introduction of Universal Credit. Whilst the message from the Department for Work and Pensions is that the majority of claimants are managing their own rent, our experience is that debt amongst tenants on direct payment is significantly higher than amongst the general tenant population.

The Department for Work and Pensions agree that there needs to be protection for both tenants and landlords for when people build up debt and help needs to be targeted at those vulnerable people who should not be placed on direct payments.


In the Torfaen project area:

- 31% of Bron Afon tenants taking part thought they would cope poorly with direct payment and 36% felt they would need significant long term support.
- 1 in 4 of our cases have now been switched back, meaning we receive their housing benefit directly.

- The rent collection process demands considerably more effort for a lower rate of return.

- Contact levels with tenants are three times higher than was the case previously.

- Texting timely reminders to pay appear to be having a positive impact when backed up with next day intervention in cases of non-payment.

- Our rent collection rates in March 2013 showed that tenant payments stood at 94.6% of the overall rent charged.


What happens next?

The projects will be extended for a further six months until December 2013 to develop the support needed for tenants moving onto Universal Credit.

We are playing a vital role in influencing the future of Universal Credit. Bron Afon will continue to work with Charter Housing and Torfaen County Borough Council to feed the lessons we learn back into the design process.

Bron Afon’s project team – part of the Welfare Reform project – will be focusing on ensuring that tenants pay their rent, providing support for those who need it and testing a range of payment initiatives.

If you have any questions, please contact me on ian.simpson@bronafon.org.uk.


Ian Simpson
Director of Community Housing and Support, Bron Afon Community Housing

London to Paris 2013 - Cycling Challenge for Homeless International

I have given birth, run three London marathons, and won a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand (and not in that order), but I can honestly say that none of them compare to how I felt during and after my bike ride from London to Paris earlier this month.

I turned 40 last year and wanted a challenge to mark this occasion, and cycling to Paris sounded like “fun”. So myself and two colleagues signed up to raise funds for the great work that Homeless International do, whilst cycling 316 miles.

Being a novice cyclist, I had to conquer a number of challenges: buy a bike, get used to cycling on the road, not being too self conscious when wearing padded lycra shorts, learn how to change an inner tube, and learn some cycling routes. I trained really hard from January onwards, out in all weathers, and completed my first 100 mile race in Stratford Upon Avon a week and a half before I left for London. That was a significant milestone for me and gave me a big confidence boost as I waited at 6.30am with 79 other cyclists on Blackheath Common, London, the familiar start of the London Marathon.

I wore my Welsh shirt with pride on Day 1. We covered 87 miles from London to Dover and then onwards to our hotel in Calais. We faced torrential rain 10 miles prior to Dover and, fittingly enough, it continued as we got off the ferry from Calais. The hills were also another challenge on Day 1 which left my legs exhausted as I hit the bar in our Calais hotel that first evening. I heard Stella had healing powers! We’d been up from 5am and arrived at the hotel at 9.30pm that evening... a very long day.

Day 2 saw us travel from Calais to Arras – another 83 miles in the seat with the most awful weather conditions and hills. 30mph winds against us for the first 50 miles and torrential rain for the last 30 miles. Drowned rats doesn’t come anywhere near describing how we looked and felt after Day 2, but the sense of team spirit and unification bonded all the cyclists together.

Day 3 was described as one of the easiest days for us, but this is where I hit my wall or “bonk” in cycling terms. I felt every one of those 81 miles. Whilst the rain stayed away, we were followed all the way by 30 degree heat. During my 7 ½ hours in the saddle that day, I did doubt whether I would be able to make it. I was pulled through by my fellow cycling buddies and also by remembering the overwhelming support I had at home. I made it to Compeigne for a well deserved Stella or two.

Day 4 should have been the easiest day with only 65 miles, especially with the lure of finishing at the Eiffel Tower. However, I felt sick for the first 30 miles or so. Again, my team mates kept with me, enticing me with hugs, jelly babies, and lots of banter. So at 3pm, after cycling 316 miles, I fulfilled my turning 40 challenge by hoisting my bike over my head with the Eiffel Tower as my backdrop.

This challenge was not only physically tough, but also mentally tough. I found demons in my head playing tricks with me. Starting out at 7am and trying not to count down the miles. Being away from my 12 year old son was also hard. However, the sense of achievement and accomplishment and the knowledge that I’d raised £4,200 for Homeless International made it all worthwhile.

Things I’ve learnt from the challenge? Stella does not have healing powers. Lycra padded shorts are a godsend. If you ever get your cycling shoes wet, put newspaper in them and they will dry overnight.

The luckiest thing that happened to me on the whole ride was that I didn’t get a puncture. 316 miles, puncture free, until I put my bike in the garage when I got home and noticed my front tyre was flat. How lucky was that?

My next challenge will be walking the Three National Peaks in July with a group of work colleagues to raise funds for Diabetes UK and then the Cardiff Half Marathon in October. And now that I have the cycling bug, I’m sure I will be entering a few races between now and December.

The hardest challenge I think I face is… not having a challenge!


Phillipa Knowles
Director of Central Services

You can still sponsor Phillipa and Homeless International here.

Think differently, do differently!

We love our quotes in CHC. My quote of the moment is from Albert Einstein: 'A sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'

In CHC, we’re taking this on board. We’re embarking on our first European funded project, Building Enterprise, which sees us leading on a project that will provide support for our members and other social enterprises with the ambition of ensuring that more services and products for the sector are delivered and supplied from social enterprises.

This project was a long time coming, but it’s come at a good time. When we consulted with our members last year, doing more to support the wider regeneration activities our members are embarking on was top of the agenda, along with continuing our lobbying activities. Since hearing that message, we’ve made many changes. We’ve created a Housing-led Regeneration Network supported by a newly created Regeneration Officer post which integrates the programme of work between CHC and CREW. We’re also leading on a project which will provide individual support but will also ensure that the sector can engage, share and learn. So when you’re thinking about what CHC does and that we’re moving into new territory, just remember that we’re thinking differently and doing differently which ensures that we’re well equipped to support the sector which is doing the same.

We're currently recruiting members for the Building Enterprise project steering group - please click here for further information.


Sioned Hughes
Director of Policy and Regeneration, CHC

'Don't panic, Mr Mannering!'

How often have we laughed at that phrase on ‘Dad’s Army’ and the craze of mugs and tea towels which echoes the war-time ‘Keep calm and carry on’?

But if you fall, how easy it is to panic! A slip or trip can send you to the ground so unexpectedly and hurt so much that we panic and try to rush to our feet. If we can’t and are really hurt, this can destroy our self confidence, take away our liberty and make us lose our independence in our own homes when we are at an age where we should enjoy our surroundings.

We curse the fact that we did not get those hand rails and supports put into place… and why? Because we thought it would never happen to us. However, here we are on the floor, the Care-Line still on the bedside cabinet and no phone in reach! Only now do we realise that it’s not silly to admit that we’re older, by realising that these aids are out there to help anyone who needs that little extra reassurance when walking indoors or outdoors which rails and other services provide.

It’s best not to fall at any age, but when you’re that bit older it’s never a good idea! Trips and slips rob so many of their self-confidence and independence. Do you want to be one of those, or will you take advantage of ‘Falls Awareness Week’ and seek a little extra help?

Care & Repair is here to help. Any delay might change your life, so stay safe and give us a call!

To contact your local Care & Repair Agency, simply call 0300 111 3333


Lynda Colwell
Agency Manger, Denbighshire Care & Repair

Falls Awareness Week - We need to look after our feet

It’s Falls Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is Best Foot Forward which will look at how healthy feet can help older people to keep their balance and independence.

None of us like or want to fall. Falling can leave older people shaken and bruised, often with broken bones, and half of all over 80s and a third of over 65s are at risk of a potentially serious fall this year.

Falling and the fear of falling can also affect older people’s confidence which stops them getting out and about in their communities, leaving them feeling isolated and cut off from society.

Many of us do not actually realise that there are foot-related health conditions which can affect our balance and increase our risk of falling.

Top tips for looking after your feet:

· Always report any problems with your feet, such as pain or reduced sensation, to your GP or practice nurse
· Wear shoes that fit well. High-sided shoes with low heels and thin soles with a good grip can help if you feel unsteady. Make sure they’re firmly secured with laces or Velcro
· Avoid wearing sandals and shoes with high heels
· Wear slippers that have a good grip and that fasten and stay on properly. Make sure they aren’t loose or worn out, as this may cause you to trip
· Make sure that your trousers or skirts don’t trail on the ground
· Always wear shoes or slippers, and don’t walk indoors in bare feet, socks or tights

So, put your best foot forward and help us to spread the word. Healthy feet can prevent trips, slips and falls so look after yours.

For general information about falls and a link to information about Falls Awareness Week events in your area, please visit www.agecymru.org.uk/fallsweek


Rosalyn Williams
Health Initiative Officer, Age Cymru