Care and Repair East Cambridgeshire was set up to meet an identified need.

The Agency has evolved to meet the challenges of a changing environment in order to help vulnerable people in the community to stay at home in safety.

The Agency continues to promote independence, dignity and an improved quality of life for its target groups.

Care and Repair East Cambridgeshire is ‘not for profit’ and registered as an Industrial and Provident Society with charitable status

Objectives

1. To work with partners in the statutory, health and voluntary sectors to best achieve the above vision and to provide a channel for these partner organisations to direct finite resources to those most in need.

2. To provide a client centred service that is confidential and takes account of individual needs.

3. To give support to clients through the process of carrying out repairs, improvements, and adaptations to their homes, and so promote independence, prevent accidents, and provide a safer, healthier living environment.

4. To help clients, where circumstances allow, to access resources, which can be used to help maintain their independence and quality of life.

5. To provide information to target groups on effective action to promote affordable warmth and save energy and to provide support to individual clients to carry out such actions.

Management

The Agency is managed by a committee that meets at least 4 times a year. Membership covers interested sections of the community. The chairman and treasurer are available for decision making between meetings.

There is a finance and personnel sub group for more detailed discussions and confidential matters.

A steering group represents the main funders and provides feedback back to their organisations.

Service Provision

The service provided consists of

• General Advice and Information including likely entitlement to benefits
• Discussion on Housing Options
• Signposting to other organisations
• Major Adaptations
• Minor adaptations
• Repairs And Improvements
• Providing Affordable Warmth through insulation, efficient heating
• Handyperson Service
• Raising funding for the work, including Test of Resources for Grants

Clients

The clients we can help are

• Those living in East Cambridgeshire (though not exclusively)
• Those over 60
• Those who are disabled and their carers
• Those who are on low income

And we take referrals from

• Clients or their relatives and friends
• Other professionals including Occupational therapists, Councillors, Builders, Social Services, Doctors

If referring on behalf of a client, then those referring should ensure that the person concerned has given their permission first.

We provide a confidential service and only pass on information to others with the clients permission.

Availability and Prioritisation

The office is open from 8.45 to 5.00 (4.30 on Fridays). Access is available by telephone, fax, letter, in person or e-mail.

Advice can be given at this stage. Those requiring more assistance will be visited in their own homes by a caseworker. The caseworker will contact the client as soon as possible to assess how urgent the case is. They will arrange to visit within 3 weeks (unless circumstances do not allow) and as soon as possible if urgent.

To date the Agency has had sufficient resources to meet enquiries made. This has been possible by staff taking on flexible roles including casework. If prioritisation becomes necessary this will be based on the urgency because of dangers to the safety of the client.

Assessment is guided by an assessment form and includes information on the works required, income, mobility and disability and personnel details. Data Protection coverers the storage and use of information collected.

The caseworker discusses and advises the client on the options open to them and agrees a plan for what should happen next. A written summary of the visit and the proposed plan are sent to the client.

Referrals

The caseworker may agree with the client the following:

• If information should be referred outside the Agency for help. There is a network of contacts that can be asked for assistance eg on benefit applications.

• If the caseworker should discuss the case directly with outside contacts eg the District Council on the availability of a grant.

• If the client should contact another organisation directly eg the occupational therapy service to ask for an assessment.

• If the proposed work should be forwarded to our technical officer

Technical Services

These may be provided in house or by an outside technician.

The service includes
• Technical advice on repairs, improvements and adaptations
• Obtaining specialist advice such as that from a structural engineer
• Drawing up plans and schedules
• Obtaining permissions such as planning and building control
• Advice on contractors
• Obtaining quotations
• Monitoring work on site
• Final Inspections

Technical officers work with other staff from within the Agency and also outside the Agency, for example Occupational Therapists and the District Council grants officer to produce the best scheme for the needs of the client.

Empowerment

Empowerment of our clients is important and necessary for the actions of the Agency to produce the best results for our clients and the best use of resources for the community. For example, an expensive adaptation that does not meet the needs of a disabled person, because their views were not taken into account.

How we Empower clients.

The Agency visits clients in their own homes. We listen and discuss the difficulties they have and consider the options available with them.

Caseworkers and technical officer listen, consult and then incorporate the views of the client into plans for building work and referrals to other organisations. Staff act as advocate on behalf of our clients. This policy is incorporated in caseworker and technical procedures and in staff training.

Other organisations have restrictions on the availability of help such as

• Limited resources
• Legal restrictions
• Central and Local Government Policy

The Agency is able to negotiate by

• Listening to the concerns of the client about their needs and those of their family and taking these back to the occupational therapist for discussion eg Health ad Safety of others in the home
• Suggesting compromises that meet the needs of both sides eg a bath lift rather than a bathroom adaptation or a reorganised layout.
• Putting together a package that supplements the availability of help from one organisation eg client money spent on additional tiling, charity money for extra equipment.
• Incorporating requests that do not cost extra money eg colour of decoration

The Agency takes the lead and participates in discussions on complex cases, either taking the views of the client to the meeting or inviting the client to be present at the meeting. Eg organising meeting at the client’s home for all concerned parties.

Influencing Policy

The Agency can participate in consultations on policies putting forward the interests of our client group. Eg Consultation on the Housing Strategy

Monitoring and Reporting

Information collected at the assessment stage and through out the case is collected on a database and used to report to our committee and funders.

We produce an Annual Report presented to the Annual General Meeting and performance indicators are sent to our umbrella organisation Foundations.

Our accounts are kept in house on SAGE software. We produce annual Accounts and have an external Audit by a local Accountant, Whiting and Partners.

An Internal Audit has been planned and is to be carried out by members of the Management Committee.

Ancillary Services

We have a handyperson service carrying out small repairs. The handyperson works 3 days a week and the administrator 20 hours a week.

Other services are being discussed with our partners.

Information and Publicity