Community Services
Our Community Services Team consists of our Neighbourhoods, Specialist Support and Independent Living Services Teams. They work together to support our communities with a range of issues from tenancy related matters, to mental health or older person’s support which you can read more about on this page.
The teams work on a patch basis, which means they focus on one area within North Devon. Our patches are Green which is the Barnstaple area, Orange which is the South Molton area and Purple which is the Ilfracombe area. The patch system is applied across the business to ensure that everyone has a team of people they can call on, who know their area and home, no matter what they are calling about.
Watch out for more of our team out and about in your community as we attend more customer events, clear up days and more!
Anti social behaviour
| Noise Nuisance | 126 |
| Verbal Abuse / Harassment | 66 |
| Drug Misuse / Dealing | 28 |
| Abandoned Property | 18 |
| Physical Violence | 11 |
| Nuisance Vehicle | 9 |
| Alcohol Related | 6 |
| Criminal Behaviour | 5 |
| Abandoned Items | 2 |
| Condition of Property | 1 |
Working together with our local Police
To help support our communities, we are working closer than ever with our local Police. Last year, some new recruits to the force came to shadow one of our team, to see for themselves the work that we do and how we can both benefit from sharing information. The approach is being continued and we look forward to developing more partnerships with local community officers.
Safeguarding
As a member of our community, we have an obligation to ensure the welfare and safeguarding of our customers. This year we have supported 62 people with safeguarding concerns by working closely with other partner organisations.
Specialist Support
Our Specialist Support Team was created to help support those customers who need long term support on specialist issues such as mental health, money and drug issues.
| Mental Health | 62 |
| Tenancy / Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) | 30 |
| Arrears | 12 |
| Hoarding | 10 |
| Physical Health | 6 |
| Addiction | 5 |
| Access | 1 |
| Care Leavers | 1 |
"What does this mean" - The chart above shows the different sort of themes each support case had. As you can see, mental health plays a part in almost all of the households supported in the year. Here are the definitions of the other types of issues:
ADDICTION is where we are supporting someone with an addiction. This could be substance related, or an addiction to gambling or gaming, for example.
HOARDING is a mental health condition usually linked to some kind of trauma, where the person is unable to let go of physical items and begins to hoard them in their home - potentially posing a health and safety risk to themselves and their neighbours.
ARREARS is where the customer is struggling to keep up with rent or other debts. We work closely with our Money Matters Team on these cases.
PHYSICAL HEALTH could be linked to an illness, or something such as a weight issue.
Where ACCESS might be an issue, we support our colleagues to gain access to carry out routine servicing checks such as for gas and fire safety.
CARE LEAVERS are young people who leave the childcare system, sometimes as young as sixteen, and who need support getting housing and wider support adjusting to adult life.
The support that our team is able to provide has been a huge cost saving to the business and, therefore, to our customers, as we work together. A report that has been carried out shows the savings, below:
£1 spent on support = £15.75 saved in legal and other costs
When you invest in support the savings are clear. Cheaper proactive support costs vs costly reactive expenditure is a cost saving and helps ensure our customers get the support they need to sustain their tenancies.
If you want to read the full report and see the case study examples for yourself, please keep reading below.
Independent Living Services
Support customers at the end of March 2023 = 214
“The service is very good, always helpful and caring” Customer
“Everything is brilliant, they are always ready to help quickly and professionally” Customer
CASE STUDY of an Independent Living Support Officer (ILSO)
A query was raised about a customer by a concerned near neighbour who had been trying to assist but felt overwhelmed and unable to cope with their increasing needs after the customer had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. The family of the customer weren’t involved and so were unable to support.
After being admitted to hospital the customer’s wife went into respite care and was also diagnosed with a form of dementia.
The initial job of our ILSO was to make a referral to social services for a care package, which was assessed and agreed with relevant partners. Next the officer reviewed all the customers correspondence and paperwork to help move things to Direct Debit. They also referred them to our own Money Matters Team to see where other support may be available around energy bills and additional benefits.
When the customer returned home, the ability to cook for themselves was lost so the ILSO was able to support in sorting frozen meal deliveries each fortnight. They also discovered missed medical appointments so linked them up with volunteer transport to ensure the customer met future appointments.
Now, our ILSO helps to oversee everything arranged in regard to medical appointments, food, paperwork support, care provision arrangements, and ensuring the customers feel safe in the home.
The positives of this support work mean the couple can remain in their home together safely, with the right care package supporting them.
Personal Emergency Alarms
As an additional service, we can provide either a hardwired or personal emergency alarm to our customers so they can access support in an emergency. This normally consists of a pendant alarm with fall detection, for example. As we are a charity, the income from this service goes straight back into providing more services for our NDH customers. This is our progress on the service in the last year:
"VfM" -
£194,704 raised from alarm services
195 new alarm customers
We are also undergoing an upgrade to our hardwired alarms, as the infrastructure in our communities switches from analogue to digital. So far, we have upgraded:
206 properties at 4 independent living communities
Digital switchover – how it affects customers
In the UK, the analogue telephone system that we have used for many years is being gradually replaced with a modern digital system. This is called a digital upgrade. This is because the UK needs a modern telephone system which can handle how people want to communicate by using their mobile phones, laptops, tablets or other electronic devices.
The digital upgrade is planned to be completed by the end of 2025 and phone companies are already encouraging people to upgrade their phone systems. This will involve your phone provider arranging for a telephone engineer to come to your home to install the new system.
The impact of the digital switch over will require us to upgrade all our emergency alarms and we will be in contact with all customers who receive our alarm service in the coming months to discuss what this means for you.
In most cases, we will be required to visit your home to replace your existing alarm for a new digital ready alarm. This will not change or affect the service you receive or how you use your alarm.
Helping families into homes
As well as supporting customer tenancies, we also support customers moving in, moving out, and moving from and to our homes.
193 people and families have been given a home to live in
192 households have been supported with moving out
58 households have been supported with a mutual exchange
Furniture donations
To help some of our customers, we run a furniture donation project where we help match customers who have something to give with customers who are in need. If you have something in good condition that you would like to donate, please email [email protected].
Funding award for our communities!
We were pleased to be awarded £17,123 from the S106 grant funding. This money will be arriving with us this year and will be used to fund new playground safety surface at Hart Manor.
"What does this mean" - S106 is a pot of funding from the Council for local community projects. The money comes from local developers who need to contribute a certain amount per development to the local area.
Improving our green spaces
Our Estates Team has been busy working to improve the green spaces in our communities. Just take a look at some of these before and after photos
We also took part in 6 clear up days in communities last year! Take a look!
CASE STUDY - Forches litter-pick
Last year we saw a massive effort by the team and local residents who were clearing some of our areas in Forches. They cleared 55 bin bags of litter as well as 26 shopping trolleys and 5 loads of dumped items!
"Customer Voice" - The Fresh Ideas Group worked with the Community Services Team on a number of policies and gave feedback/recommendations. All of our policies are available to read on our website.
Scrutiny have also carried out a deep dive into the estate services and commissioned a paper survey to all customers who pay a service charge. The Panel reviewed and has produced communal garden principles (with the help of Fresh ideas group) and this has been implemented and displayed on communal notice boards. The Panel agreed that bringing the service in-house has been successful and recommended that customers are better informed of estate responsibilities and what they do and recommendation of a future enhanced service if they need gardens cut. The survey results did show that a high level of information relates to areas not owned by NDH. Customer Board Partnership approved the communal spaces and standards co-designed by Scrutiny and Fresh Ideas. These principles will make it fair for everyone to use and enjoy communal gardens.
Supporting our customers with the great outdoors
Since January 2022, NDH support customers have had access to a well-being project called the Straw Patch, near Ilfracombe. Visitors to the Straw Patch project enjoy high quality open spaces in a scenic environment, have access to friendly animals (including alpacas, goats and pigs) participate in growing food and share refreshments in a cosy café space with a kitchen and log burner. Experienced staff have helped to create a conducive group atmosphere at the sessions.
People attending the sessions report experiencing positive benefits from going along. Typical benefits experienced by attendees include:
- Increased fitness and mobility
- Increased confidence
- Improved mood
- Greater sociability and improved support networks
- Improved engagement with statutory / 3rd sector services
- Improved engagement with NDH
All the above supports the ability of attendees to live well and independently. The activity also improves the relationship with the landlord, by providing a safe space which breaks down the barriers which can accompany the landlord-tenant relationship and allows a different kind of interaction and conversation. Housing management issues have been efficiently and co-operatively resolved, away from what can be a more complex environment in the home. We have agreed sessions for the rest of this financial year and are looking to use this year to learn more and explore opportunities to recreate these benefits elsewhere in our neighbourhoods.
A day in the life of a Support Officer
- 9am. Arrive at the office and, prior to entering, I receive two separate verbal complaints about anti-social behaviour over the weekend and fly-tipping on a colleague’s site. I listened and gave the correct procedure for reporting ASB and took a walk to where the fly-tipping had occurred, so that I could report it for my colleague accurately and TORT if necessary.
- 9.20am. Enter office, check and respond to any cases, emails, text messages and voicemails.
- 10.30am. Call the hospital social worker regarding a customer who had been taken into hospital over the weekend, update their support plan.
- 11am. Support visit for a customer who has age-related mental health issues, alcoholism, and poor mobility. Whilst in light conversation, I am checking the property is safe - for example, no fire hazards etc. I complete a PCFRA (Person Centred Fire Risk Assessment) while I am there which then turns into a PEEP (Personal Escape and Evacuation Plan). I put a fire safety referral into the Fire Service. I then go through post that had arrived since my last visit. Action anything required and remind them of upcoming appointments.
- 12.30pm. Support visit for another customer who is on palliative care. I discuss any concerns they have that week and listen. I note a conversation I could have with the Macmillan nurses that may help with anxiety. I then go through paperwork, call the care agency to ask if they need any assistance with the customer’s affairs.
- 1.30pm. Arrive back to the office to make scheduled phone calls and update records accordingly.
- 3pm. Respond to a concern about the health of a customer’s cat. Went to the location and found the owner, had a long chat with what led up to not being able to cope with the needs of his pet. Signed up a new support customer.
- 4.30pm. Dropped the cat off at the vets who would, in turn, pass it onto North Devon Animal Ambulance Welfare Clinic when it reopened the following morning.
- 5pm Check diary and ensure all in order for the 9.15am support visit the following morning.
Reviewing our Support Service for value for money
After having our Support Service in place for over a year, we carried out a review to show the value for money and business savings of offering a specialist support service. Here’s an example of how money has been saved by our team.
Mrs F suffers from chronic addiction and has struggled to maintain her tenancy since it began. She initially took a lot of the Neighbourhood Team’s resource to manage her acute issues. Mrs F is well-known to partner agencies and struggles to maintain professional relationships with key workers due to her mistrust of authority.
Mrs F’s tenancy had been at extreme risk had support not been implemented. This potentially would have meant eviction and the associated void costs. Especially as the issues involved in her case would have meant the need for a full property clearance.
Specialist support started for Mrs F in March last year. The team made six visits and communicated with her via 24 hour calls and e-mails which added up to 40 hours of case work. Mrs F’s relationship with her support workers is strong and she has consistently engaged with their support which has been tailored to suit Mrs F’s challenging circumstances.
The Specialist Support costs since March:
Support time - 40 hours x £15 per hour = £600
Fuel Costs - 6 visits x 11 miles = £26.40
Total = £626.40
Potential eviction and legal costs:
Eviction and legal costs - £6,000
Void costs - £3,370
Rent loss - £380
Cleaning - £1380
Total= £11,130
Potential cost savings to the business are £10,503.60. Or, for every £1 spent on support, you would be saving £15.75 in legal and voids costs.
These calculations don’t take into account savings on avoided ASB cases or missed contractor appointments, which had been commonplace before support started. Of course, they also don’t show the impact that the support has had on the customer’s life.
Empty homes
Our Neighbourhoods Team deals with a wide range of different issues, one of which is empty or abandoned homes, or properties where the customer may be living elsewhere and not using it as their main and only home.
We recently took possession of a vitally needed five-bedroom home, which wasn’t being lived in by the customer. We had to go through a long process to prove this to the courts, providing lots of evidence to help us successfully get possession. This home has now been relet through Devon Home Choice to a family in need who were in temporary accommodation. If you are going to be away from your home for more 28 days, or your job means that you will be away for long periods, you will need to discuss this with us so that we know that you have not abandoned your home.
If you plan to leave your home permanently, you need to give North Devon Homes four weeks’ notice. Details of how to do this, and the ending your tenancy form, can be found on our website or by calling our Customer Care Team. If you know of an empty home, please do let us know by emailing [email protected]. Key signs of a property being unlived in are: the garden being unusually overgrown; you haven’t seen anyone going in and out of a property for a few weeks; or you see different people suddenly living at the address.
Customer Scrutiny Panel Independent Living Services Review
The Scrutiny Panel worked in partnership with the Independent Living team and created a fantastic review which has made an impact to all customers living in our sheltered homes.
The findings of the review (based on feedback from surveys and consultation events) was to display timetables when staff will be available at all schemes and list of contacts. Customers were invited to attend an Independent Living consultation meeting to find out what matters to them and to give them an update on the new structure. This included the Specialist Support team. The Panel commissioned Fresh Ideas to work with Independent Living Manager to produce a detailed letter of these changes. During these consultation events customers recommended producing a handbook for each scheme with useful information which is in the process of being produced. Key messages that came out of consultations in lounges was customers wanted to know when Independent Living Officers and staff were available. The new team patch approach along with advising customers that staff are available by contacting us at 01271 312500 was also explained.
Part of this review was to advise customers who live out in our communities and Fresh Ideas will assist with this.
Recommendations from the review was an agreement that Independent Living Support Officers will be available 2 set days a week on each scheme and the Panel also suggested changing the name of sheltered schemes to Independent Living Communities. All recommendations were approved at Customer Board Partnership and has been implemented.
Joint partnership working
Our aim in working with other agencies in North Devon is to improve our communities, their safety and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. We are doing this by working with the community, our partners and the business and voluntary sectors to develop sustainable solutions to local issues.
One example of the partnership working is the North Devon and Torridge Community Safety Partnership, which is the joint crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP), also known as the community safety partnership (CSP) for both North Devon and Torridge districts. The agencies that make up North Devon and Torridge Community Safety Partnership include:
- North Devon Council
- Devon and Cornwall Police
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- Devon County Council
- Torridge District Council
- Dorset, Devon and Cornwall Community Rehabilitation Company
- NDADA / Fear less
- Together
North Devon and Torridge Community Safety Partnership have daily partnership meetings where issues of anti-social behaviour are discussed, along with any alcohol related crime and domestic abuse. This approach allows us to offer timely and effective solutions to issues. This ensures that partners work closely together, rather than in isolation.
We also meet regularly and work closely to consider wider issues such as crime prevention and how together we can respond to local issues and improve quality of life for residents.
A success story
‘A’ and their family have struggled with maintaining their property for many years. There have been issues with hoarding, property condition and anti-social behaviour. Our Neighbourhoods Team had been routinely involved and this matter has taken up considerable resource - both financially and in terms of staff capacity.
A specialist support referral was made in December and, since then, support workers have worked closely with members of the family to improve both their personal circumstances and the condition of the property. They have seen an increase in their income with the help of our staff assisting them to claim care benefits. A clearing of items at the property was arranged and, due to the customer’s improved income, they were able to meet the costs of this themselves. The family had a fire safety check carried out as well as appointments arranged to assist with issues of hearing and mobility. Cross-team working with other North Devon Homes teams has been successful with a survey being carried out and planned repairs to the property now ready to proceed.
Contents
Click on a button below to read more in our Annual Report.
Customer Involvement and Governance
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Repairs and Planned Maintenance
