Angela Mawle Chief Executive

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Angela MawleChief Executive

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Purpose of Health Sub-Group and how its linked
to fuel poverty

• To engage those within the Health sector to the
  importance of relieving fuel poverty and to
  promote energy efficiency as an area of priority.
• To engage the health sector in energy efficiency
  and fuel poverty at a practical level.
• The group commissioned Strategic Reviews of the
  Health Sectors in England, Scotland, Wales and
  Northern Ireland over the course of 2003/4 The
  aim was to Identify opportunities for raising
  awareness across the health sector of fuel
  poverty as a health issue and for generating
  systematic referral networks.
• The Reviews recommended that the most effective
  way to achieve widespread and cross-sectoral
  action on fuel poverty and health would be to
  create a uk-wide forum on Housing Health and Fuel
  Poverty.

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Health Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum
Participants at Launch March 2nd 2005
ENERGY Power companies EAGA NGOs with energy
efficiency focus Energy advice centres
HEALTH PCTs accident prevention, housing and
health strategists, health improvement,
specialist nurses, health promotion
Interactive Developmental event to inform the
work of the forum.
HEALTH LOCAL AUTHORITIES Environmental Health,
energy officers
NGOs with focus on vulnerable groups
GOVERN-MENT DEFRA DTI DoHGOSEHAD HPA GLALHC
RESEARCH Universities
HOUSING LAs private housing services, home
improvement agencies NGOs Care and Repair
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Health Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum
Purpose of Launch
ENERGY Power companies EAGA NGOs with energy
efficiency focus Energy advice centres
HEALTH PCTs accident prevention, housing and
health strategists, health improvement,
specialist nurses, health promotion
IDENTIFYING OVERCOMING BARRIERS
HEALTH LOCAL AUTHORITIES Environmental Health,
energy officers
NGOs with focus on vulnerable groups
RESEARCH Universities
HOUSING LAs private housing services, home
improvement agencies NGOs Care and Repair
GOVERN-MENT
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Health Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• Achievements of Launch

SET UP CORE GROUP OF KEY STRATEGIC PLAYERS -
meet 4 x year - action-oriented
DIALOGUE - identified barriers - set
priorities for core group
SET UP NETWORK OF PLAYERS ON THE GROUND - web
contact - conference March 06
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Health Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum
Achievements of Launch (contd)

• Powerful role of the Media
• Media coverage following the event
• 10 radio interviews across England
• Reached an audience of 2.5 million
• Key facts which engaged the media and attracted
  wide public interest
• Current figures suggest over 40,0002 more people
  die in winter (December to march) than would be
  expected at other times of the year a level
  which is not seen in much colder countries, such
  as Siberia or Finland.
• The survey showed that people living on lower
  incomes (social grade DE) would feel least
  comfortable (just over a half, at 57) asking for
  financial help whereas people from the more
  affluent AB class claimed they would not have a
  problem asking for assistance if necessary (70).
• A quarter of people (24) from the DE social
  class said they did not think they were eligible
  for any financial help in heating their homes.
  This figure was most marked among young people
  aged 18-24. Regardless of their situation (e.g.
  income, illness, pregnancy) over a third (38)
  said they were not aware of the availability of
  cheaper heating during the colder months.
• Almost 2/3 (60) of people questioned said they
  were not aware of the scale of the problem of
  winter deaths in the UK.
• The generation gap was reflected by older people
  (65) being least comfortable asking for
  financial assistance (39 compared with 29 of
  people aged 35-44).

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Health Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• The Forums purpose is to
• Optimise the contribution which the health and
  housing sectors make to the delivery of energy
  improvements to vulnerable households.

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• Whos in the Core Group?
• President, Royal College of Physicians
• President of the Faculty of Public Health (chair
  of group)
• Chair, Chartered Institute of Environmental
  Health
• Chief Executive UKPHA
• Chief Executive, National Energy Action
• Director, National Care and Repair
• Chief Executive, EAGA
• Chair, Fuel Poverty Advisory Group
• Chief Executive, Energy Retail Association
• Head of Primary Care, Royal College of Nursing
• Head of Public Affairs, Help the Aged
• DH National Lead on Winter and Summer Excess
  Deaths
• Head of Energy Efficiency Programmes, DEFRA
• UKPHA Trustee, GP and Chair of the Homelessness
  implementation strategy Nottingham.

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Health, Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• Core Group Key Tasks
• To consider the strategic and practical issues
  which prevent maximum uptake of grant aid by
  those living in cold damp homes
• To focus particularly on engaging the health
  sector in addressing these issues
• To identify key members within the group who will
  champion and progress specific areas of concern
• To identify key action points to be taken forward
  by the public, voluntary and business sector at
  the national regional and local level, including
  housing agencies
• To advise and encourage government and all
  relevant agencies and organisations to implement
  these action points
• To evaluate progress in March 2006 with the wider
  networked Forum and to consider the value of the
  contribution made by the Core Group

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Health, Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• Core Group - Action so far
• Setting up a single one-stop telephone help /
  information point.
• Energy Retail Association initiative - plan to
  provide advice from experts to individuals on
  energy efficiency grants, information on tariffs
  and other casework help.
• Core group members contributing to process of
  development.
• Pressure to ensure that fuel poverty is included
  as standard in the Single Assessment Process.
• The National Service Framework for Older People
  in 2001 proposed that there should be one
  assessment for older people on their first point
  of contact with health or social services. Core
  Group promote questions to indicate risk from
  cold, damp homes.

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Health, Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• Core Group - Next priorities
• Seek out players whose priorities connect to fuel
  poverty.

Voluntary agencies working with specific client
groups (eg elderly, families, people with
disabilities etc.).
Older people / people with children/ living in
damp cold homes
Community Health (District Nurses, health
visitors, Community Matrons. Occupational
Therapists etc)
Grant providers (Warm Front, EAGA)
Hospital Discharge Teams Fall Prevention Teams
Home Improvement Agencies
Voluntary agencies concerned with energy issues
eg Energy Advice Centres, National Energy Action,
Energy Savings Trust
Welfare rights / advice agencies
Commercial energy suppliers
Public Health agencies concerned with preventing
ill health
Social workers involved in home visits/
assessments
Government Departments responsible for health,
energy policy, finance etc.
Universities etc undertaking research
Private landlords
Building contractors, suppliers of insulation
materials etc
Local authority Housing and Environmental Health
Departments
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Core Group - Next priorities

• Build a shared language achieve a common aim

General nursing assessment Wound care
assessment Continence assessment Waterlow
score GP targets
Warm Front Grants Hard to treat
properties Fuel Poverty
Health Practitioner
Energy Efficiency Advisor
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Core Group - Next priorities

• Health risks of cold damp homes build awareness
  into new roles
• Core Group Member, National Energy Action, is
  working with North Stoke PCT.
• New role of Community Matron includes being
  Energy Champion.
• Forum to promote this more widely through health
  network.
• Communicate simple messages
• Warmer Houses, Healthier Homes website to
  provide information on fuel poverty
• In format useful to busy front line health
  professionals.
• Promote television Programme
• Discuss with TV contacts programme in which UK
  residents visit other countries and compare the
  responses to winter climates.

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Health, Housing and Fuel Poverty Forum

• How is the Forum supported?
• The Forum is brought together and supported by
  UK Public Health Association (UKPHA).
• Funding for its first years work is from DEFRA,
  administered by the Energy Efficiency Partnership
  for Homes (EEPfH)

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Angela MawleChief Executive