Partner Organisations.
Through the work carried out via the Salford City Council Citywide contract we have developed and established several partnerships that have enabled Helping Hands to increase its services to the elderly and vulnerable people of Salford. We have also made great strides in acting as a hub for other services enabling a one stop shop contact for our client group.
In addition we have worked hard to scope out the network of agencies whose needs and services are in harmony with the Citywide Handypersons Contract and have sought to enter into meaningful partnerships and contracts within these agencies on behalf of Salford City Council, while fulfilling the business requirements and social enterprise principles of Helping Hands.
Our current core partners are as follows:
Occupational Therapy
- We hold regular meetings and have regular contact with Salford’s Occupational Therapists management. They regularly refer clients to us for disabled adaptations. All clients referred within 2006/07 were visited and the work carried out within 7 working days.
Home Improvement Agency
- We hold regular meetings and have regular contact with Salford’s Home Improvement Agency. In January 2007 Helping Hands, Occupational Therapy and the Home Improvement Agency designed and agreed cross referral policies and procedures, this enables tracking of referrals and works carried out. This is an improved service to all Salford residents.
Sure Start
- Sure Start is a Government programme which aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by:
- Increasing the availability of childcare for all children
- Improving health and emotional development for all children.
- They aim to achieve their aims by:
- Helping services development disadvantaged areas alongside financial help for parents to afford childcare rolling out the principles driving the Sure Start approach to all services for children and parents.
- Within 2006/07 Helping Hands have fitted a childcare safety package for Sure Start, the package included fitting Safety Gates, Fire Guards, Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Sensory Advisory Team
- We hold regular meetings and have regular contact with Salford’s Sensory Advisory Team. They regularly refer patients to us for faulty equipment and replacement bulbs. These referrals come through as urgent and in some cases require an immediate response. All work has been completed within 2 days of referral. Urgent referrals have been completed between 1 and 4 hours.
Age Concern/Help The Aged/Victim Support/Citizens Advice Bureau
- We regularly receive referrals from these agencies and they have our leaflets to distribute to vulnerable people. We also attend any open days that the agencies arrange to promote our service.
Greater Manchester Fire Service
The fire service supply Helping Hands with smoke alarms (10 year lifespan), these are fitted in Salford residents homes on the request of the clients.
Helping Hands in partnership with Salford City council and the Fire Service are now trying to identify if possible funding streams are available through the Innovation Partnership Funding. This funding could be used to recruit additional staff to fit smoke detectors on behalf of the fire service. We hope that this can be agreed late 2007, early 2008.
Salford Community Committees
We work with and have received funding in the past from Swinton, Eccles Irlam and Claremont Weaste Community Committees to purchase and fund short term vehicle hire.
We continue to support the work of the Community Committees and seek to ensure clients needs are fully met.
A4E Action For Employment
We have offered placement opportunities to long term unemployed people of Salford. To date we have had a total of 3 females and 6 males on placement, one of which was offered a full time post.
Salford Construction Partnership
We continue to work with and be active members of the Salford Construction Partnership and hope to support the partnership to widen the participation on construction employment and training of economically inactive people who are at risk of social and financial exclusion.
Through this partnership we have now recruited a female handyperson who successfully completed the 8 weeks European Social Fund construction course at Salford College.
We also have partnerships with:
RoSPAOccupational Therapy
Victim Support
Salford City Council
Police
Salford PCT/NHS
Housing Choices
Affordable Warmth
AWARM
- Changing Light Bulbs
- Fitting Curtain Rails
- Joinery
- DIY Jobs
- Gutter Clearing
- Decorating
- Gardening
