Author: Laura

By Debra Gill, Tenant Involvement Innovation Officer

Ann had previously had support from volunteers in her digital journey but felt that she needed more confidence to be able to put into practice what she had previously learned. Ann was paired with David, who has worked wonders for Ann’s confidence and skills.

Together they have worked on the areas where Ann felt she needed more confidence, and they have gone above and beyond what they first envisaged. Initially Ann wanted to feel more relaxed with emails and with her ultimate goal of joining online meetings, she is now doing this with confidence and even opting to fill in online forms herself, a task she would have never undertaken previously.

With Ann’s confidence level so improved, David has been working through the learn my way course with Ann and she is now feeling more confident with the things that she never expected to be learning. Ann says, ‘David has the patience of a saint’, and that nothing has been too much trouble for him.

By Janet Malsch and Lee Lazenby, the Open Arms team

Joanne, a retired lady, recently visited the Open Arms Project, she was welcomed warmly by our team with coffee, biscuits, and a friendly atmosphere before meeting with one of our Citizens Advice advisers.

During the consultation, Joanne shared that she had been facing significant personal challenges, including a brain haemorrhage, which had taken a toll on her. Despite her struggles, Joanne was unaware that she might be eligible for additional financial support.

Thanks to a thorough benefits check, it was discovered that Joanne was entitled to Pension Credit—a crucial financial aid for her. Not only did our adviser help her apply for this benefit, but they were also able to backdate the claim to the end of June. This resulted in a substantial payout, providing Joanne with a much-needed financial boost as the colder months approach.

Joanne expressed her gratitude to the team for their support and guidance. She is now in a much better financial position, allowing her to feel more secure and prepared for winter. Her experience highlights the importance of the Open Arms Project and the difference we can make in people’s lives by offering personalized support and advice.

This success story is a reminder of the positive impact we can have on those in need, especially during challenging times.

By Rob Gooding and Rachel Cole, the Tenant Involvement team

Following on from the highly successful Tenant Connectors Pool event in July, this month RotherFed staff hosted a taster session for the interested tenants to join the HIP (Housing Involvement Panel) and Scrutiny panels on a watching brief to see if the panels were suited to them and gain a better understanding of what the panels do.

The first of these were the Scrutiny panel held at Springwell Gardens, this saw four excited new tenants join the panel for the first time, supported by RotherFed staff these tenants sat an observed the meeting until they felt comfortable enough to join in the session, this gave the cohort of new tenants a valuable insight into what the panels do at their monthly meetings, after the watching brief three of those tenants said they would like to join the panel on a more permanent basis not adding more tenants voices to the diverse mix of tenants already attending the panel.

The second event was a watching brief for the HIP meeting, this was held at Springwell gardens over teams, so the four new tenants could be supported by RotherFed staff and ask questions that they might not have asked in the more formal settings of Riverside House, the tenants were all excited to see how these meetings run and what information they find out in them. At the end of the meeting, I’m happy to say that all four of them would like to join the panel moving forward, these tenants have now been paired with a tenant mentor to support them in future meetings.

Moving forward to build on the success of these sessions we would like to host more of these events to open this offer up to as many tenants of Rotherham as we can.

By Dan Barron and Sam Dixon, The Heat of the Community Project

A local community group has been making a significant impact on the lives of residents in Canklow, thanks to generous funding. The group, based at the Canklow Pavilion, has successfully launched a variety of free activities, providing essential support, social connection, and opportunities for personal growth.

One of the group’s most popular offerings is their Zumba sessions, which have proven to be a fantastic way for residents to exercise, improve their well-being, and have fun. The sessions have been so successful that they often reach capacity, demonstrating the strong demand for such activities.

In addition to Zumba, the group also hosts crafting sessions, coffee mornings, and allotment sessions. These activities provide a welcoming and inclusive space for residents to socialize, learn new skills, and connect with nature.

The funding received has been instrumental in enabling the group to offer these valuable programs. It has allowed them to rent the Canklow Pavilion, a vital community space, and has helped to cover the costs of running the activities.

As a result of the group’s efforts, over 139 people have benefited from their programs, including those who were previously isolated or struggling with their mental and physical health. The group has also been successful in signposting residents to other support services, ensuring they have access to the resources they need.

Looking ahead, the group is committed to expanding their reach and impact. They are actively seeking additional funding to support their activities, and they are exploring partnerships with other organisations to ensure the sustainability of their programs.

By Debra Gill, Tenant Involvement Innovation Officer

I recently met a lady in a neighbourhood centre during a group session, who told me that she uses her iPad for her hobbies such as crafting, but she was finding it increasingly difficult, due to her having Parkinsons Disease. I told her about the built in accessibility features on iPads, and we arranged to meet in the library the following week, where it would be quieter.

We spent two sessions going through the built in touch accommodations on the ladies iPad and phone. Customising her devices to recognise her personal tap which is not quite concise or on-target as a single tap.

Resources were produced with instructions on how change the settings to ignore repeat taps in case she wants to change more of the accessibility features going forward.

We also worked on Using Pages on iPad, to create documents and importing graphics. We worked on changing font colours and sizes, and the different templates available.

By setting the accessibility features on this lady’s device, she is now able to continue with her hobbies and has found it much easier to be able to use.

By Janet Malsch and Lee Lazenby, Open Arms Team

James approached the Open Arms team seeking advice for a difficult family situation. His brother, who suffers from dementia, was at risk of losing his care home space due to the financial misconduct of his life partner. Evidence suggested that his partner was exploiting him financially, which left James deeply concerned about his brother’s future care and support as his condition worsened.

During his initial visit, our Citizen Adviser discussed the next steps with James, providing clear and actionable advice. They recommended that James report the situation to the police to address the financial abuse. Additionally, they guided him on how to apply for a court of protection to safeguard his brother’s interests and provided tips on collaborating with the social care team to review and update his brother’s care plan.

Two weeks later, James returned to the Open Arms session to express his gratitude for the support he received. He shared that being able to talk with our team and receiving clear direction gave him the confidence to take necessary actions. With our guidance, he had reported the situation to the police, initiated the court of protection process, and engaged with the social care team to ensure his brother would receive the proper care.

James’ dedication, care, and love for his brother were evident. The distress he initially showed had transformed into a renewed sense of confidence and positivity when we saw him again. He thanked our team for the support, emphasizing how crucial it was in helping him navigate this challenging situation. He also mentioned that he would keep us updated on his brother’s situation.

James is a testament to the power of support and the positive impact that timely advice can have. His determination to protect his brother’s well-being and his proactive approach in seeking help reflect the core values of community and compassion that we strive to uphold at Open Arms. We are proud to have been a part of his journey and remain committed to supporting individuals facing similar challenges.

Bt Debra Gill, Tenant Engagement Innovation Officer, Tenant Involvement Team

Individual Digital Support Session

We are receiving individual support session requests from council departments. The first sessions taking place in the libraries across the borough.

Our Digital volunteers have been helping Ann with her emails, as well as showing her some of the benefits of being on the internet for entertainment. As well as practicing sending and receiving emails, our volunteers have been showing Ann how to search YouTube for her favourite artists, and how to subscribe to channels.

Anns goal is to be able to join meetings online. Resources have been produced to support this, and our volunteers will continue to support her learning, to be able to achieve this goal.

Group Sessions

Our Digital Volunteer David will now be attending the Open Arm Session in Greasbrough Library every two weeks. The sessions will be advertised and hopefully we can start directing anyone looking for support in the area to him.

Deb visited a coffee morning at Rawmarsh Library for a wellbeing group. The group of 15 people were very welcoming and happy to talk about digital safety, which lead onto lots of other discussions such as receiving the internet speeds that you are paying for. Advice was given as to how you can check this, and a lady was given advice on how to complete an online form.

Deb and Rob visited Aston TARA for a digital support session on the 17th of July. The coffee morning was well attended with 17 people at the session. We spoke about safety online as most people said this was a concern for them. Individual support took place in the shape of showing a lady how to copy and paste, and how to complete an online form.

By Sharon Smith, Lynn Clarkson and Madiya Shokat, Energy Know How Team

Whilst completing paperwork following attendance at a lunch event, a client had asked a question to one of the staff regarding the gas connection at her property. The staff member was not able to answer the question and asked me to speak with client.

She lived with her elderly parents in their home, and which is owned by them. Her father was a miner before he retired. He still gets a fuel allowance which provides them with smokeless fuel on a regular basis free of charge as part of his retirement benefits. They have a fire and back boiler (parkray) which is heated by the smokeless coal and provides the heating and hot water for the property. They have an electric cooker and appliances.

As they were not using any gas the clients’ father requested the energy company to remove the gas supply at the property to prevent a daily standing charge for a service that they did not need and would not use. The service was disconnected at the property boundary many years ago.

The clients’ parents are now quite elderly, and she is thinking about how she would manage when they are no longer around. One of the issues that is worrying her is the gas connection as the fuel allowance would end.

I explained that all gas services are maintained by the gas grid network, and it would be relatively easy to reconnect the gas although it is unlikely to be instant and she may have to wait a little while for the process to be arranged. The process would be arranged by the supplier she chose to go with however there could be a charge for reconnection/testing of the supply. The process would involve digging up the area where it was disconnected to re-connect the pipe and after testing, reinstate the path/driveway that had been disturbed.

This information put her mind at rest, and she is aware that this can be sorted when the time arrives.

She is aware to contact an energy supplier (it does not have to be the one that supplies her electricity although it may be more straightforward if she does) for the process to be arranged.

I gave the client our contact details and explained that when she needs to arrange for her service to be re-connected Rotherfed may not have an energy project in place however, they would be able to signpost her to further support services should she need them.

She was very appreciative of the information and time taken to answer her concerns.

By Sharon Smith and Madiya Shokat

Mrs W attended a Multiply engagement session run. At the session all the attendees were offered the opportunity to have an energy call from one of the team and Mrs W accepted this offer.

A call was made, and she explained her circumstances briefly. She lives with her grown up granddaughter in a privately rented property that has 2 bedrooms. Mrs W has issues with her heart and has breathing difficulties, she also suffers from asthma which is worse when it is cold and damp.

She uses smart prepayment meters provided by Utilita; she mainly tops up online but does have cards to enable her to top up at a local shop should her internet be unavailable. She has a small amount of arrears on her meters (@ £50) which has accumulated by using the ‘power up’ system offered by this company. This scheme allows you to request top up when running low and the cost is added to the meter and collected in weekly instalments from future top ups.

Mrs W said she does worry about her energy bills and struggles on occasion to keep up with her top ups.

We discussed ways to be more energy efficient including closing doors to rooms that are not used, drying washing whenever possible outside etc.

Mrs W was informed about the energy crisis grants currently being offered by Rotherham council and encouraged to apply as soon as possible as we are unsure how long the scheme will remain available.

We also offered to refer her to for some free top-up vouchers, she was made aware this requires her to provide photo or download of a recent bank statement showing her name and address, opening and closing balance which she confirmed she was happy to provide to me.

Mrs W was also offered a visit from the greendoctor scheme to look at minor draught proofing work in her property, installation of radiator foils and led lightbulbs where possible. She was very happy to accept this offer as it will help to make her home more efficient and help her top-ups to last a little longer.

Mrs W was very appreciative of the information and referrals that we had discussed.