Peace of Mind Project
| Description | Visits households in Peterborough, identifies needs in accident safety, energy efficiency and crime reduction, and installs safety measures. |
|---|---|
| Setting | Homes |
| Populationting | All households in deprived areas of Peterborough. |
| Intervention summary | Installation of safety measures such as grab rails, stair rails, half steps, securing loose carpet edges and smoke alarms. |
| Outcome Summary | We have helped 240 people so far. |
| Startup Cost | Less than £5000 |
| Running Cost | Between £30 000-40 000 per annum |
| Funding | Since April 2003, 50% of the project has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (URBAN 2) and 50% by a mixture of funding sources including Peterborough City Council, Peterborough Primary Care Trust, Cross Keys Homes, clients’ own contributions and Government insulation grants. |
| Started | July 1998 |
| Ended | March 2007 |
| Location | Peterborough, England |
| Contact |
|
Background
We visit households in Peterborough and identify needs in accident safety, energy efficiency and crime reduction, and install safety measures.
We have worked in 10 out of the 12 most deprived areas of Peterborough, according to National Indices of Deprivation: parts of Orton Goldhay, Orton Malborne, Westwood, West Town, Gladstone, Dogsthorpe, New England, Eastgate, Eastfield, Paston.
What is the problem you are trying to solve?
We are trying to identify potential accident risks and install safety measures to prevent accidents.
What local organisations are involved?
The project receives support from Peterborough City Council, Peterborough Primary Care Trust and Cross Keys Homes.
How many people are running this project and who are they?
James Hopgood, manager, supported by a steering group: Roger Davis (chair), Michael Burton (mayor), Peter Clements (Age Concern trustee), John Davis (ex-Energy Advice Centre), John Field (trustee), Pat Strachan (Age Concern chief executive), Diana Lee (Age Concern finance manager), Chris Newcomb (Age Concern office manager), Ashley Martin (City Council/NHS Health Promotion) and Jo Oldfield (Cambridgeshire Police).
What local population are you targeting?
All households in the 10 out of the 12 most deprived areas of Peterborough.
How many people are you targeting?
On average, we target 450 households a year with an average 2.5 people per dwelling.
Interventions
What interventions are you using to address the problem?
We visit every household that invites us in, go round the house and garden with the householder, and identify needs in accident safety, energy efficiency and crime reduction. We then get contractors in to install relevant improvements.
Is the project design based on evidence? If so, please state reference.
No.
Outcome
What outcomes or planned outcomes are you measuring?
We are measuring client satisfaction such as feeling warmer and safer in their own home. When we visit clients at the outset, we ask them three questions:
- How secure do you feel in your home?
- How warm and comfortable do you feel in the winter?
- How safe do you feel at home regarding accidents?
These are scored from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very). When we complete the work, we contact as many clients as we can, ask them the same questions, and record the answers.
Do you have any outcomes or results yet? If so, what are they?
We have helped 240 people so far, installing items such as smoke alarms, window restrictors, cupboard locks and grab rails on the bath/WC.
Is your project relevant to a government target or guideline?
No.
Feedback
What obstacles did you have to overcome to set up this project?
None
What have you learned about the project so far?
We have learned how to run a project like this simply and effectively with minimal paperwork and form filling.
What would you do differently?
We wouldn’t do anything differently. The administrative process is cost effective and simple, employing an administrator would have eaten into our grants, and online forms would not have worked (when you’re visiting people in their homes, a simple paper form is much easier to use than a handheld computer).