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Hotspots – a team approach |
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An innovative new scheme aimed at helping some of the most vulnerable people in the community has been launched by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. “Many different organisations visit people in their homes for a variety of reasons; it may be to offer free fire safety advice or to provide health care. Many of these people have complex needs,” explained CFO Phil Toase. “By simply working together we can all offer a far more comprehensive service. Hotspots is based on a straightforward referral system. Any partner agency visiting a household can quickly and easily refer necessary details to another: it may be the fire brigade, Pensions Services or the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. It’s one-stop service without the need for repeated cold-calling and form-filling.”
Health workers, local authority officers and other frontline agency staff will also carry referral cards. So, a single fire safety visit, for example, could lead to the householder claiming extra benefits and having a properly insulated home. Since April 2007 there have been over 1,500 homes helped through Hotspots.
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