Providing small and practical interventions in the home at the right time is as important to helping people live independently as more mainstream services such as primary care.
Handyperson services have existed in many areas for more than 20 years. Recently significant funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Home Office was invested to increase their coverage and enhance the holistic services they provide to meet health, safety and crime reduction objectives.
This strategy emphasises the importance of investing in low unit cost preventative services to improve home safety and independence and included:
£33million investment in handyperson services to all local authorities in England to develop holistic handyperson services
Handypersons Financial Benefits Toolkit: demonstrates the local financial benefits of investing in handyperson services over one year.
DCLG has also funded three handyperson co-ordinators to act as a resource hub for handyperson services.
This £6million Home Office fund running until 31 March 2010 was part of the Securing Homes: Action against Burglary programme. The fund provided practical support to improve home security for vulnerable people in 90 priority areas. For example, fitting window locks, advising people on using security effectively, and signposting people to further support. The fund was targeted in areas with higher numbers of people at risk of burglary, and organisations carrying out this work should link to local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships. Safer Homes Fund projects can be viewed here.
