Household Support Grant
We need to thank Suffolk Community Foundation for their support in providing £13.5K of funding to enable us to support 35 households that had been adversely affected by two years of the covid pandemic. Once we opened this Pandora’s Box of heartache, it was a blessing to be able to say ‘Yes’ to people in some terrible situations. What we did scratched the surface of the need in our communities, but we were able to make a difference to 35 households, 63 people, 13 of which were carers, with 9 children within these households.
Case Study B:
This case has been one of the most complex and frustrating ones that I have come across throughout the pandemic.
Gentleman in his early 70’s living in a housing association property with his adult son that has ongoing mental health needs, was admitted to hospital and discharged back to his home, despite informing the hospital that his home was not safe. A referral in from the community nurse was our first point of contact. The property was in disarray, it was unclean and cluttered with rubbish (gentleman cannot bend to pick things up from the floor).
Had this home been assessed whilst the gentleman was hospitalised Lofty Heights would have provided an estimate for 3 days’ work, plus waste disposal and suggested a respite bed whilst this was done. However, upon discharge, he immediately dropped between the cracks of all services. He did not require care, even though he was at high risk of re-admission, his son was under the mental health team but was in a hiatus period and the condition of the property did not present a risk to him. The two of them could not get support, despite us raising safeguarding issues.
It took two months for the Independence and Wellbeing Practitioner to raise charity funding equal to a single day’s work, not through want of trying. This was when Lofty Heights were able to step in and provide a further day and some much needed waste disposal through the Household Support Grant. We also supplied replacement furniture items, sofa (modelled by the third family member below, chair, mattress. Not only did we make a huge difference, but we’ve received the news that our work has encouraged the family to carrying on sorting and cleaning, because it’s so much easier to do now.
Immediately after the work. ‘Looking around now I’m properly awake and feeling as if the guys have given me fresh will to live. Lots of big tidy piles of things I’d left lying around and now I’m keen to get going with sorting them. Thank you and them so much’
Three weeks later. ‘Won’t take much of your time, you must have lots of fresh cases to resolve. The flat is cleaner than when the guys left. They not only inspired me but [son’s name] is actively working on the place. Much appreciated again/still’
We at Lofty Heights are so grateful to Suffolk Community Foundation for the ability to step in and change the outcome here. We have not only changed the conditions in the property, but the people’s outlook, motivation and feelings of self-worth. That is a consistent, yet unexpected outcome for this effect of this grant |
