GPSJ WINTER 2023 2024 LATEST - Flipbook - Page 13
NHS & HEALTHCARE
GPSJ
Reducing the stress of financial hardship
on the most vulnerable.
Charis client services director Jonathan Hunt outlines the impact the Charis Shop platform is having
on organisations working directly with the most vulnerable in their care.
Supporting vulnerable people
in their homes is a fundamental
aspect of community care,
whether they are recovering after
a stay in hospital, struggling with
mental health issues, or are simply
becoming overwhelmed by the
additional financial burden imposed
on them by higher energy bills,
inflation and general increases in the
cost of living.
One of the biggest stumbling
blocks is simply ensuring that
their homes are fit for purpose.
Discharging an elderly patient
who has no family support into a
cold, empty house with an empty
fridge is not an option. Housing
a single mum in a home which is
inadequately furnished with carpets,
beds and kitchen appliances will
simply add to the overall sense of
anxiety. The time and resources that
are needed by vulnerability teams
involved in finding solutions do not
represent the most cost-effective
use of a hardship fund.
Charis is working increasingly with
NHS Trusts and local authorities
responsible for supporting those
in the community who struggle
with independent living. The rapid
and secure distribution of a broad
range of products and vouchers
through its Charis Shop platform,
can generate significant time and
money savings on the allocation of
the funding.
Energy and food vouchers make
up the fundamentals of financial
support, ensuring that at the very
least individuals can keep warm
and have a plate of hot food.
Beyond this, the Charis Shop can
be used to access the supply of
clothes and soft furnishings (such
as carpets, curtains, and bedding),
furniture, small and large electrical
appliances as well as emergency
Winter Warmth and Heat the Home
bundles containing everything you
need to retain heat both personally
and within the home.
Products are carefully selected
to provide an immediate relief to
the intense discomfort of living in
poverty. Energy efficiency is also a
key consideration. We have recently
added air fryers to the Shop, which
can cook at 20% of the cost of
traditional ovens. The more we can
help vulnerability teams to set their
clients up to be as energy efficient
as possible, the better the use of
allocated resources in the long
term.
One of our local authority partners
recently explained how the Shop
has become an essential tool in
helping residents navigate the cost
of living.
“We work with vulnerability teams
across the council and voluntary
sector. The Charis Shop enables
these teams to offer food and or
fuel vouchers as part of a more
holistic approach to money advice
and support. Because specific
criteria are built into the front end
of the system, the teams can
make fast and accurate eligibility
assessments, which allow them to
quickly meet the immediate needs
of residents”.
Something we have been
increasingly conscious of recently is
the issue of digital exclusion – both
among elderly residents who have
not had reason to incorporate smart
technology into their lives, and for
whom the cost of a device and
internet access is prohibitive. Too
often people miss out on financial
support simply because they
cannot access online applications.
As one of our NHS partners recently
commented: “With the recent
addition of digital products to the
Charis Shop, we have been able to
help individuals with access to vital
services, including DWP, the Home
Office and mental health support”.
Improving the physical comfort of
vulnerable people has a massive
impact on their emotional wellbeing
too. NHS teams understand how
the stress of returning to cold,
ill-equipped homes can impede
recovery and the Charis Shop
enables them to efficiently establish
the right environment into which
patients are discharged. One of our
NHS partners recently sent us the
following comment:
“I am the Clinical Matron for the
Discharge Coordinator Team within
my local Mental Health Trust. We
are increasingly using the Charis
Shop and it’s rapidly becoming
an invaluable resource. With new
products frequently becoming
available, we are better able to
plan discharges, reduce length of
admission, and minimise delays
where practicable, which in turn
leads to a better patient experience.
Some of our patients are unable
to manage independent living and,
as part of their discharge plans, we
arrange various levels of supported
accommodation for them. This
often comes without basic
amenities such as cookers, beds
and furniture. Many of our patients
are not in a financial position to
purchase these items at once, so
to be able to support them via the
Charis Shop is hugely beneficial.
“We have been able to clearly
demonstrate the benefits of the
Charis Shop, and this has led to
all three of our Integrated Care
Board putting funding in place.
This allows patients from across
the county to access this resource
and experience the positive impact
it can have on them moving
forward, whilst reducing the stress
of financial hardship”.
Over the last year 48 local
authorities have put £2.6 million
through the Charis Shop platform,
issuing vouchers for food, energy
and other essential items, and
equipping homes with quality
furniture, soft furnishings and energy
efficient electrical appliances.
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2023/2024
13