Horsham District Council’s Southwater-based Neighbourhood Wardens recently provided immediate help to a local resident.
On their routine foot patrol our Southwater Wardens, Dominic and Bettina met with an older resident struggling with their shopping. They helped them home and found the resident could really benefit from a little more support.
A number of factors, which can be common such as living alone, managing medical conditions, reduced mobility, and being without transport can all make staying independent a real challenge. The Wardens were able to talk with the resident about their role in the community and the other agencies that would be able to provide help in their situation.
Our Wardens contacted West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and invited them to undertake a Safe and Well Visit at the resident’s home. This is a scheduled visit service providing advice on health and safety in the home as well as fitting smoke alarms or other specialist fire detection equipment, free of charge.
Dominic and Bettina also made a successful application to the Southwater Parish Council Chairman’s Discretionary Fund to purchase a wheeled shopping trolley.
They were able to connect the resident to local services including the Southwater Neighbour Network, a friendly volunteer group who provide the kind of help a good neighbour might offer such as local transport, help with shopping as well as arranging regular social outings to combat feelings of social isolation. And they equipped them with access to agencies such as Age UK and Citizens Advice, giving the resident a robust package of all round support leaving them safer at home and more confident out and about.
Commenting on the Wardens Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities Cllr Tricia Youtan said:
Our Wardens are uniquely placed in our communities. It can simply be a combination of small factors that erode a person’s independence. Stories like this show how a small interaction with our teams at just the right moment can be the key to unlocking the help needed to improve a resident’s quality of life immeasurably
Cllr Tricia Youtan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities
We have 7 Neighbourhood Wardens Schemes across the District and the wardens work alongside partner agencies to improve the quality of life for everyone. They undertake a number of activities from enforcement to community development, working with the elderly, vulnerable and young people. Wardens are CSAS (Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) accredited from Sussex Police enabling them to use some enforcement powers.
They are managed by Horsham District Council and are funded by the Parish Councils and Neighbourhood Councils Special Charge.
For more information, please visit the Neighbourhood wardens webpage.
For media queries please email press@horsham.gov.uk