Not only has the cost of living crisis seen the number of people that need our support increase, but the number of issues that individuals are facing have increased too, with the crisis having wide ranging impacts on customers’ mental and physical health as well as their ability to pay their bills.
In response, our Better Days programme helps customers manage their finances, maximise their income and reduce the pressure of cost-of-living increases.
Through our partnership with Citizens Advice Mid Mercia (CAMM) we offer customers free money management and energy advice.
CAMM supports customers by providing debt and budgeting advice and supporting people to claim relevant grants and benefits that they are entitled to. The service also offers impartial energy advice including switching providers to save money and applications for the Warm Home Discount.
In partnership with Health Assured we offer a mental health support service which not only offers customers 24/7 support via telephone or live chat but also access to cognitive behavioural therapy either online, over the phone or in 1:1 sessions in person.
We’re also investing in our local infrastructure including new community hubs that will help bring on-the-ground, face to face mental health services to communities.
We work directly with customers who require further support in order to maintain a successful tenancy to identify their financial, wellbeing, digital and employment concerns and offer a tailored package of support to enable them to make the changes in their life that will secure their future.
This could include support through the Better Days programme, support from a specialist external organisation or a referral to one of our Community Coaches.
Coaching sessions help customers truly identify, resolve and overcome barriers, and help empower customers to provide themselves with a better future and improve the chances of managing and sustaining their tenancy.
Working with Family Fund Business Services we provide support grants to Orbit customers in need.
The grant fund scheme offers customers facing financial hardship access to funding for essential items such as food, energy bills, clothing, school uniform, white goods, beds and carpets. The scheme also helps tackle barriers to employment by offering grants to support with issues such as digital inclusion and the costs of travelling to work.
Family Fund Business Services is an award-winning social enterprise with 100% of its profits gifted to its parent charity, Family Fund-directly supporting and sustaining the essential grants and services the charity provides to families on a low income raising disabled and seriously ill children.
In our Independent Living Schemes, we commission projects to bring multiple generations together to improve sharing, learning, and understanding, as well as providing dementia support and services to increase mobility and digital inclusion. We also offer in-scheme activities ranging from coffee mornings and befriending services to arts and crafts, bingo, and ‘knit and natter’ to reduce social isolation.
Supported housing accommodation is provided to people with a learning disability, physical disability or mental health need, alongside other support or supervision, to help people live as independently as possible. Our Supported Housing team really understand customers’ needs and how to provide them with the best quality, tailored service, working with a range of specialist managing agents and support providers.
Watch the video to hear about Kieran’s story of rehabilitation in one of our Supported Living schemes.