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Self Reliance Review

Support and Wellbeing Team (SAW) Looking back over the last 12 months

A new team (SAW) was developed in order to provide a more customer focused, streamlined service that would be able to react to individual customers needs. To gather views from supporting people clients about the future structure and performance of the service and then consult on the redesigned service.

We ran the Awards for All Art Project with the help of a Big Lottery grant to improve mental wellbeing of customers through involvement in art sessions.

“We are planning to introduce Support and Wellbeing surgeries to ensure clients can deal with their bills once support is closed...”

How you were involved?We held a number of focus groups to review the current service provision and look at new services. The results were a customer approved restructure of Supporting People service and name change. Feedback received proved invaluable in designing a structure which would be more responsive to severity of need.

A core group of 6 led the consultation – all clients were offered the opportunity to be involved but only this group wanted to attend the meetings.

These group consultations led to the Supporting People service evolving into the Support & Wellbeing Service, with changes in processes to reflect feedback from clients and internal partners.

Additional benefit from consultation was increased confidence for clients (in themselves and in the service) and many of the group involved have continued involvement with an Art Project The Awards for All Art Project sessions resulted in some wonderful pieces of art and boosted participants confidence, increased customer engagement and decreased social isolation.

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Self Reliance Review

Our plans for 2014-2015To introduce some pilot projects that will extend our service provision, leading to increased likelihood of self sustainment of tenancy once support has been withdrawn (for example, we are planning to introduce Support and Wellbeing surgeries to ensure clients can deal with their bills once support is closed).

Cotswold House, our female homeless project,Looking back over the last 12 months We had a total of 38 residents in 2013-14 of which:

26 moved on during the year for the following reasons: • 8 reconnected with family • 6 moved in with friends • 5 into RSL tenancies • 3 moved into Private Tenancies • 2 moved into less supported accommodation • 1 eviction • 1 abandonment

In 2013-2014 we had 5 people that accessed our smoking cessation service. We also launched a sexual health service and have carried out 14 STD (sexually transmitted disease) screening tests. Three initiatives were run; a counselling service to provide a direct access counselling service for residents and ex residents, a resident led consultation event to produce a mission statement and the Wonder Women project, a resident led social enterprise to make products to sell at community events.

How were residents involved?The counselling service at Cotswold House offered 1:1 counselling for current and ex residents improving psychological and emotional wellbeing for those accessing the service. 20 residents were involved in writing the new mission statement and enough money has now been raised through Wonder Women to arrange a trip to Chester Zoo.

Remember if you’d like us to

post this strategy review to

you FREEPOST call us on

01606 813 351 or email

alexandra.myhill@wvht.co.uk.

Or pop into one of our offices

and pick up a copy.

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Plans for 2014-15• To develop a regular drop in every Tuesday at Cotswold House via Aufait Training - Incorporating interview skills, CV writing, Job Search and assistance with application forms.

• Train 2 staff to deliver the Recovery Toolkit - 12 week therapeutic programme for adults and separate delivery of an 8 week therapeutic programme for young people 6-16yrs. Course will be aimed at individuals who have experienced domestic abuse that are no longer living with perpetrator(s).

• Train 2 staff as Drug Ambassadors - able to deliver the insight awareness course endorsed by Cheshire Constabulary and Cheshire Drug Watch - Course will focus on prevention, raises awareness of current substances - can be delivered internally and externally to professionals and customers.

• Cotswold House will host a resident event in July 2014 to focus on profile raising through social media, the Wonder Women project is set to expand to involve more residents both current and previous and funding is being sought to provide a complimentary therapy room for the counselling sessions.

The Young Persons Bursary Looking back over the last yearThe bursary was established to make individual grants available for all young people aged 11-24 who live in a Weaver Vale Housing trust Property, to help them to achieve a goal.

How were you involved?A new panel of six young people who live in Trust property was created to approve applications to the Young Person’s Bursary, they received full training and held one meeting for applicants. There were 10 successful applications to the Bursary which have had positive outcomes including preventing financial struggle for families, increasing financial independence and increasing self confidence.

Plans for 2014-15Following the success of the Young Person’s Bursary, it will continue in 2014-2015.

Independent Living Team (ILT)Staff from the ILT delivered their service to 1964 properties where older people or those with a disability, live. They provided a response service outside of normal working hours and throughout the night to 495 of our customers that have access to the 24 hour Careline service.

All call outs were responded to within the target time of one hour and 475 of the calls were responded to within 45 minutes.

How you were involved?Customers took part in a survey sent out by Cheshire West & Chester council as part of a review of The Trust’s Older Persons Contract with them. 500 Customers across the borough who currently receive the Community Alarm Service were surveyed to establish their views on the value of the service. Their responses were as follows:

Overall, how would you rate your Community Alarm Service?438 Customers replied as follows Good = 329 : 75% Average = 77 : 18% Poor = 28 : 6% Not answered = 4 : 1%

Which of the following best describes the importance of the Wardens visit to you?438 Customers replied as follows Essential = 272 : 62% Not essential = 105 : 24% Not needed = 57 : 13% Not answered = 4 : 1%

Which of the following best describes the importance of the assistive technology to you?438 Customers replied as follows Essential = 317 : 73% Not essential = 71 : 16% Not needed = 41 : 9% Not answered = 9 : 2%

“Train 2 staff as Drug Ambassadors - able to deliver the insight awareness course endorsed by Cheshire Constabulary and Cheshire Drug Watch...”