Agenda item

The Service Manager presented the report to the Committee to provide Members with an update on the Community Outreach Service delivered by the Environmental Health Team.

The Community Outreach Service (the ‘Service’) was a well-established, longstanding service delivered by the Council.

The Service was ultimately aiming to assist residents to live or remain in a safe and healthy home, and to assist their overall health and wellbeing.  The Service delivered support across the District to some of the Council’s most vulnerable residents.

The Service delivery focussed on the following themes:

·       Support to ensure residents were receiving any financial help available;

·       Help with budgeting to reflect residents’ individual circumstances;

·       Referral to debt advice agencies;

·       Support in tackling food and fuel poverty;

·       Help to deal with letters and forms;

·       Referral to specialist agencies to meet the resident’s needs;

·       Help with improving physical, mental and emotional wellbeing;

·       Close working with partner agencies to support families in need of additional support; and,

·       Interventions.

Whilst the Service was flexible to the needs of residents in need of help and support, the demand for the Service had predominantly been around advice and support for financial assistance.

It was intended to provide a friendly, approachable Service focussing on individual assistance.  While telephone assistance could be provided, the aim was to provide face-to-face, in person connections via outreach or home visits.

Mobile phone numbers were used rather than customers accessing the Service through the Council’s telephonic services – to avoid wary customers being deterred from making contact and accessing the help they might need.

The Service received a substantial number of service requests.  In the 2024/25 financial year, the number of service requests equated to approximately 13 cases per week, between 2 FTEs.  The table below demonstrated how the number of cases had risen significantly since the COVID-19 Global Pandemic (and also perhaps as a result of the Cost of Living crisis).

Due to the increased demand for the Service over recent years, the Council had to make minor changes to the Service to accommodate current needs.  However, during the busiest times, it was likely that customers could wait up to two weeks for an appointment.  This did depend on priority and risk though, with the most urgent cases being brought forward.

Customers were generally satisfied with the appointment times being offered – to date, the Council had never received a complaint about the Service.

For each case received, there were a wide range of interventions that might be delivered.  Cases could often result in more than one visit due to their complexity.  Interventions such as assisting in the completion of forms for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) meant a visit could take approximately 2 hours.

Therefore, of the 13 cases received on average per week, there would be cases that were ongoing with multiple interventions and could range from those completed within an hour or two, to those requiring multiple hours of input.

The most frequently recorded actions during 2024/25 were inevitably ‘visit’ and

‘telephone call’.  However, when considering the types of interventions made, most frequent interventions included:

·       Benefit checks;

·       Discretionary Housing Payment applications;

·       Council Tax;

·       Financial advice referral;

·       Housing applications;

·       Payment Plans;

·       Pension Credit;

·       PIP & Disability Living Allowance;

·       Housing Benefit & Universal Credit;

·       Housing issues; and,

·       Assisting customers completing forms.

These intervention types demonstrated how the demand for the Service was predominantly around customers’ finances.

The Service was very well integrated with the range of other services provided by the Council, as well as from external organisations.  These strong links meant that cases were easily cross referred, ensuring that customers received a wide suite of intervention and support, as opposed to a narrow, focussed intervention which dealt with only finite matters.

These strong links were evidenced by the source of the Service requests, summarised in the table further below.  As the Service was so well established (and despite limited publicity), approximately one third of all cases in 2024/25 were self-referrals and the customer directly requesting support.

Almost one quarter of cases were referred by external professionals.  These were mainly from Derbyshire County Council (DCC) Adult Care and Children’s Services.  It was also notable that approximately 20% of all cases handled were referred from the Housing Department and were the Council’s social tenants.  This was a disproportionate figure when considering the housing tenures across the District.  However, it did demonstrate how well the Service was integrated and received.

Almost all service requests resulted in a visit to the home or a meeting place in the community.  This face-to-face support provided officers insight into customers’ circumstances, allowing them to identify interventions over and above those initially requested by the customer.

Unlike some other services which were often simple referral schemes, the Service aimed to deliver direct support by being present with the customer.  This direct support could include assisting in completing forms, handling telephone calls, and helping customers better equip themselves to handle their affairs.  The case studies attached in Appendix 1 showed the breadth and detail behind the Service.

It was accepted that promotion of the Service could be an area of development moving forward.  However, this had to be finely balanced with the level of resources available so as not to create a backlog of referrals and mismanage customer expectations.

A Member thanked the Community Outreach Service Team for their excellent work.  Noting that while it was important to not promote the Service too much (and demand outstretch resources), the Member asked if outreach could take place additionally at one location in Shirebrook.  The Service Manager agreed to investigate outreach at the indicated site.

To a question from the Chair on the Service collaborating with similar external service providers, the Service Manager informed the Service did make referrals to these organisations and vice versa – if one service was struggling with enquiries, they could refer to ensure customers were assisted / advised in appropriate time.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Anne Clarke

RESOLVED that the Committee note the report.

The Service Manager left the meeting at 14:32 hours.