Partnering for a fairer future

As attention turns to COP26 and the climate crisis, we continue to support those struggling with fuel poverty and working with our partners to help ensure a just transition to net zero. By working together, we can identify and assist the people who need our help the most no matter where they live.

Get inspired

Here are some examples of existing partnerships that we’re particularly proud of. And, if you’re interested in working with us, we’d love to hear from you – just drop us an email.

Support unpaid carers

Dochas Carers’ Centre is an independent charity which provides help to unpaid carers by supporting them with information and guidance which can make life better. There are many carers who live a long way from services and access can prove difficult or impossible.

There are a team of dedicated outreach workers who provide support to carers throughout Mid- Argyll, Kintyre and the Isles. Recently our Argyll and Bute based partnership officer delivered a presentation to outreach workers to promote the services of Home Energy Scotland as well as providing information on Warmer Homes Scotland. The outreach staff were positive about the training and said they expect to be in contact with clients who can access funded support.

New referral pathways

NHS Lanarkshire have launched a new Community Link Worker service with the two local authorities in North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships. Their remit is to work in GP surgeries offering a referral pathway for patients who need support with a broad range of non-medical issues. The project lead for the South Lanarkshire team knew Home Energy Scotland through engaging with us in a previous role and contacted our partnership team to discuss setting up a referral route for both teams to access Home Energy Scotland support for their patients. Our partnership officer met with both project leads and following this delivered training on Home Energy Scotland and our referral portal.

Specialist Support

Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) are delivering a new programme to provide energy advice to those diagnosed with Huntingdon’s. The effects of the condition mean that sufferers have very specific support needs that require specialist support. We have worked closely with SHA, setting them up on the referral portal. They also provided training to our Energycarers on understanding the needs of Huntington’s sufferers and ensuring that Energycarers work closely with the referring SHA advisor to best support the householders.

Spreading the word

Our partnership team in south east of Scotland have created a new leaflet which encourages people to take action now to get ready for winter. We sent 2000 copies to groups such as Edinburgh Community Food, Café Inc. in Fife and Pilmeny Development Project. A further 500 went to low-income families across Edinburgh through the Discover! Programme. We hope that this leaflet will encourage people to get in touch now, rather than waiting until the colder weather arrives.