Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report represented by the Homes, Health & Wellbeing Team Manager, detailing proposals for a pilot scheme to support people to live independently, to stay connected and have greater choice in where and how they live. It was explained that, following consultation and engagement across the county, gaps in availability of services had been highlighted, with several themes set out within the project as follows:

·         Keeping warm and improving energy efficiency of properties

·         Access to trusted tradespeople

·         Opportunity to access financial solutions

·         Support when trying to commission work

·         Providing advice on all options available to people in relation to their homes

·         A healthy homes assessment - which would tap in to professionals who are already visiting homes to help to identify any housing related issues.

·         Other practical support that might be needed to overcome barriers to completing work within their homes

The project then went on to design how a full Good Homes Alliance would respond to all these identified themes with a two phase approach. Phase 1 was the information and signposting phase and would look to ensure all relevant information was available and accessible for all, whilst also including progress with the healthy homes assessment form which would then see people signposted to relevant services.

Phase 2 was the advice and support pilot and was the basis of the requirement for approval of funding being considered by the Committee. It was highlighted that the pilot service would bring together all the different elements of the identified project themes and would deliver the following:

·      Provide triage for those completing the healthy home assessment;

·      Provide advice and support to residents to help them to maintain and improve their homes;

·      Liaise with relevant organisations to resolve housing condition issues for residents;

·      Help residents to access any available funding; and

·      Co-ordinate an holistic response to issues facing residents, helping them to access a range of other services.

It was estimated a pilot with three caseworkers would provide advice to between 1,000 - 1,500 households a year across the whole of Lincolnshire. It would also deliver “hubs” throughout the areas where people would be able to drop in to access advice and support about their homes.

Members were asked to consider approval of £43,933 of funding from the Health and Wellbeing reserve to undertake this pilot, the amount having been determined using existing funding formulas in use across the county.

Members heard that the Centre for Ageing Better would be undertaking an analysis of the project successes in order to determine whether the objectives of the project were being delivered, to then consider opportunities to continue the pilot, including how that might be funded.

The Chairman invited comments from the Committee. Councillor T. Smith declared a non-pecuniary interest as he was a member of the advisory committee assisting veterans with difficulties such as those detailed in the report.

Members were supportive of the pilot scheme, although assurance was sought regarding the monitoring of the scheme and whether it would be realistic to assess the successes if the only action taken had been to signpost an individual to a different service. It was explained that there was a robust matrix in place to ensure points of contact were followed up and offered further support if necessary or to confirm resolution of the reason for having made contact with the service. Members were advised that there would be progress updates shared and Member input, for example identifying the need for an area hub or making a referral, was welcomed and encouraged.

Concerns were raised regarding the size of the geographical area to be covered and whether the scheme could prove successful when travel time and cross-county requirements were taken into consideration. It was highlighted that there would be area hubs in different locations, there were already Officers across the county who travelled and visited homes, and a large portion of the success of the pilot scheme would be based on expanding and strengthening new and existing pathways and networks. As the pilot progressed and results were monitored, changes could be incorporated to continue improvements.

Further questions from the Committee included whether there was online support, such as zoom calls, and whether residents in social housing would be able to access the scheme. Both were confirmed to be the case.

The Vice-Chairman voiced his support for the scheme and echoed previous comments regarding the need to monitor the benefits and successes, or challenges, as the scheme progressed. To this end, he proposed an additional recommendation for consideration. That being:

“An interim report on the impact of the Good Homes Alliance in the West Lindsey area be presented to the Prosperous Communities Committee after 12 months of data has been collected.”

The addition of the recommendation was duly seconded and voted upon and it was

RESOLVED that there be an additional recommendation, as detailed above, for consideration by the Committee.

With no further comments or questions, the recommendations as detailed within the report, to also include the additional recommendation as voted upon, were proposed and seconded en bloc.

The Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that

a)    the delivery of the Good Homes Alliance across Lincolnshire be supported; and

b)    £43,933 of funding be allocated from the Health and Wellbeing reserve to fund the Good Homes Lincs pilot project; and

c)    an interim report on the impact of the Good Homes Alliance in the West Lindsey area be presented to the Prosperous Communities Committee after 12 months of data has been collected.

Note:              Councillor T. Smith left the Chamber at 7.23pm and returned at 7.25pm