Winter Warmth
Service Name Winter Warmth Advice Line (WWAL)
Client Central Office of Information (COI)
Department of Health (DOH)
With the coldest winter in decades being forecast this year, and over many deaths consequently expected, there is a strong need for access to our Winter Warmth Advice Line (WWAL).
The service is provided as an important part of the Government's Keep Warm Keep Well campaign which aims to reduce excess deaths in winter in the UK. The campaign is intended to provide an effective and co-ordinated service with the provision of information on energy insulation, efficiency, grants and benefits, which is linked to the overall health benefits of keeping warm in winter and practising healthy behaviour.
The Winter Warmth Advice Line was introduced to support this campaign and has been supplied by The essentiagroup since August 1998.
It is staffed by trained advice workers who answer queries and give clear advice relating to specific topic areas covered, such as:
- General advice about keeping warm in winter (diet, exercise, clothing, health, home heating);
- Home improvements to improve energy efficiency;
- General information on the availability of grants through the Warm Front Scheme;
- Other grants from local authorities and home improvement agencies;
- General benefits advice, including cold weather payments and winter fuel payments;
- Income management, paying for heating and;
- Avoiding disconnection, fuel debt.
Advisors use a comprehensive database consisting of helpscreens, containing up-to-date, relevant information on the above topics, as well as a referral database, which contains a list of over 1,100 related agencies to refer callers onto. In addition to providing information over the telephone, advisors can send relevant literature out to callers.
Evaluation
The WWAL was subject to qualitative research commissioned by The Department of Health earlier this year, the findings of which were published in April 2005. This demonstrated extremely positive results in relation to quality of service provision and caller satisfaction with service and outcomes provided.
All respondents stated that they would recommend WWAL to others and many already had.
Respondents identified the following key benefits:
- Accessibility - direct access to a real person who listens and offers appropriate help was viewed as a key benefit;
- Service Provision - this was noted as professional, friendly, helpful and supportive;
- Quality of Advisors - were categorised as knowledgeable and trustworthy;
- Quality of information - was noted as relevant, clear, thorough and pitched at the right level
- Overall WWAL was recorded as providing callers with achievable, practical ways of staying warm, equipping them with the knowledge they required and considerable confidence to approach other relevant agencies for help.
The following include some quotes from research respondents:
"It has really set the ball rolling...I think without the line (WWAL) a lot of people would be affected, you don't get told what is happening for some reason, my dad had given up, he was lucky I was able to step in."
"I couldn't fault the person I just explained the situation, they took the particulars and told me to leave it to them."
