Health Scrutiny Panel: Health Through Warmth Review

1. Health Scrutiny Panel: Health Through Warmth Review Mandy Findlay Project Officer Energy Efficiency Wolverhampton City Council Helen Marshall Midlands Project Coordinator npower Health Through Warmth

2. What is Health Scrutiny? • Undertaken by the council, it’s about influencing change in areas of public concern. • Holds to account those in power • Complete review of chosen project • Develops new ideas • Monitors the performance of the project • Involves the public, press and partners

3. Wolverhampton Has… • 710 Excess Winter Deaths • 12% of children live in homes without central • heating • 85% of older people have central heating • Almost 24% of households too expensive to heat • 20% of the population suffer from varying degrees • of fuel poverty

4. Scrutiny Question: • How effective has the Health Through Warmth initiative been in providing energy efficiency measures that reduce health inequalities in Wolverhampton? • Aim: • To scrutinise the Health Through Warmth initiative • Produce a report that made recommendations for the development of the initiative

5. What is Health Through Warmth? • The largest element of Wolverhampton’s Affordable Warmth Strategy • Partnership between npower, local and Central Government, the NHS and NEA • Trains Key workers • Referral scheme • Criteria is ill health due to living in a cold/damp home • Central referral point identifies the most appropriate solution

6. History of HTW • Set up by npower in 2000 in Midlands • Wolverhampton one of first pilot areas commencing 2001 • Good relationship with all partners • Concerns in early 2003 regarding sustainability • Autumn 2003, scrutiny undertaken • May 2004, report received

7. Health Scrutiny Process • Review Group received evidence from HTW partners and clients • Sent questionnaires to get views of referrers, clients and voluntary organisations • Gathered information from other authorities and experts in this field • HTW training delivered to members of the scrutiny review group

8. Conclusions…… • Health Through Warmth has resulted in health benefits for clients • The NHS has benefited financially • Training needs to be targeted • Clients need to be targeted • Link with new funding opportunities • It was recognised that the programme works within the constraints of other grant schemes • As a result Review Group made 8 recommendations

9. Recommendation 1 • The City Council, Primary Care Trust and Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust work jointly to ensure that the 1.5 posts supporting Health Through Warmth continue after December 2004. • NHS organisations nominate an ‘Affordable Warmth Champion’ who will be responsible for this work within their organisation and linking with the Affordable Warmth Action Group.

10. Recommendation 3 • Health Through Warmth referrals are mainstreamed through existing assessment procedures including hospital admission/ discharge, the PCT review of care services and the older person’s single assessment process.

11. Recommendation 5 • Links are further developed with voluntary and community organisations through the Voluntary Sector Council and Community Empowerment Network

12. The future…… • HTW becoming sustainable with funding and commitment from all partners • Regular monitoring • Increase referrals therefore increase number of people experiencing health benefits • Increased financial benefit to PCT

13. Questions?

14. For more information contact Mandy Findlay 01902 551346 mandy.findlay@wolverhampton.gov.uk www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/government_democracy/council/ decision_making/scrutiny/policy_reviews/completed/ impact_housing_health.htm Helen Marshall 01905 332437 helen.marshall@npower.com www.npower.com/Health_Through_Warmth/index.html