More help for vulnerable people

The two organisations are working together to identify residents who may need more help with day-to-day activities and particularly in times of need such as severe weather, flooding or power cuts.

During a pilot project earlier this year when heavy snow and ice were causing disruption Help Direct and Rossendale Council were able to work together to help special care nurses get to a woman who was snowed in, help a man get to hospital for kidney dialysis from his remote farm house and arrange for food packages to be delivered to elderly residents who couldn't get out in the snow.

Staff from Help Direct and Rossendale Council will be contacting residents throughout April and May by letter, telephone or a personal visit to see if they are happy with the support they are getting, check on their wellbeing and offer further help if needed. 

As part of this process vulnerable residents may receive help with a wide range of things, including organising fire safety checks, helping out with home heating grants, arranging home assessments for disability aids or even recommending trades people for things like fixing burst pipes.

Fiona Meechan, Rossendale Council's Director of Customers and Communities said:

"This project will allow us to offer even more help and support to those people who need it most.  We tried it out during the bad weather in December and it worked well so we are keen to build on this so that we can reach even more people in times of need.

It is important that public sector organisations work together to help residents and don't let bureaucracy get in the way.

"I would strongly encourage anyone who feels they need extra support, or knows anyone who does, to contact Toni Hacking from Help Direct on 01706 252572 or Janette Jackson from Rossendale Council on 01706 252430 and we will do all we can to assist."