Kevan has been contacted by Karbon Homes who have provided him with the following update on the support they are offering to their customers:
Good morning
I would like to update you on how we, at Karbon Homes, are supporting our customers and local communities during the coronavirus pandemic, and how we can support local authority and community group efforts.
Working with Local Authorities to Identify and Contact Vulnerable Customers
We are segmenting our customers by their level and type of vulnerability, and are sharing this information, where possible, with local authorities, to add to their data.
We are contacting our most vulnerable customers by phone to check on their situation and find out what type of support they need. We are already contacting more than 1,000 residents in our extra care and retirement living schemes daily and have begun to call a further 3,200 residents, aged over 70, living in individual homes. And following on from this will be contacting around 3,000 residents under 70 with specific vulnerabilities.
Expansion of Karbon Services to Support Older and Vulnerable Customers
We are expanding our own services to more customers and signposting to local authority hubs and community support where it is available in their area.
We have recruited more volunteers to our Silver Talk service, providing a regular, friendly phone call to Karbon customers, reducing their social isolation at this time. We are also supporting more customers through our Money Matters team, providing advice on finances, benefits and money.
We have invited customers and colleagues with children to write to our older residents who may be feeling lonely at this time. They can write the letters to us and we pass them on. Already, we have received a good response including a poem from 14-year-old Chloe.
Volunteering and Financial Support
Many of our Karbon colleagues have volunteered to support with our services and are also willing and keen to Local Authority initiatives.
We are also providing funding to community groups, that are providing vital support to local communities during the coronavirus crisis.
If you know of any community groups looking for funding to boost their efforts during this time, please signpost them to www.karbonhomes.co.uk/support where they can apply for our support.
We are already beginning to give out grants to local groups and we recently donated baskets of fruit to a Durham charity, PACT House, to be included in crisis food packs to the most vulnerable in Stanley. We have given grants to a number of other food banks operating in our area.
Additional Bespoke Crisis Support for Local Authorities
And we are helping local authorities, where we can, by providing additional services including helping to accelerate hospital admissions, or finding permanent homes for homeless people. In Durham, for example, we have rehoused three homeless people while Durham County Council provided them with furniture.
Contact Number for Karbon Related Queries
If you receive enquiries from any Karbon customers looking for further support, for example, because they are socially isolated or they are struggling with their rent payments, please ask them to call our main telephone number – 0808 164 0111 – where we will put them in touch with the most appropriate team.
Kind regards
Paul
Paul Fiddaman
Group Chief Executive
Karbon Homes