MHA launches report to highlight value of community grants, as Hampshire County Council considers cuts

Download Communities that Care: Demonstrating the impact of older people’s services here

To add your views to the consultation, please visit the Hampshire County Council website 

MHA has launched a new report, Communities that Care: Demonstrating the impact of older people’s services, which showcases the benefits that services and activities for older people can have on health and wellbeing, reducing loneliness and reducing the financial burden on the public purse.

The report, which is based on research conducted in Hampshire, comes as Hampshire County Council is considering plans to cut Community Grants, which currently provides support for thousands of older people across the county.

The public consultation, which is open until 21st March 2022, is reviewing proposals to save £680,000 from HCC’s Adult Social Care budget, with an aim to help tackle HCC’s budget shortfall of £80 million by April 2023.

However, if this funding is removed, it will end £320,000 of financial support that currently enables organisations like MHA to provide a range of activities which help to prevent older people from requiring extended adult social care services too soon; keeping each person connected to their communities and independent living within their homes for longer.

The report shows that, from the £240,000 that MHA receives via HCC Community Grants, they are able to save the public purse at least £312,418 every year – at least £72,000 per year more than they receive in the grants.

The report also highlights key findings from surveys of older people who access MHA’s services and activities in Hampshire that are funded by the Community Grants. Key findings include:

• 57% felt that activities and services that they engaged with that are funded by the Community Grants helped to reduce their feelings of isolation and loneliness.
• 86% who took part in exercise classes (such as strength and balance groups, cheerleading and tai chi) felt that the services improved their physical fitness.
• 16% service users (325 of 2,300) said that accessing services and activities provided by the Community Grants delayed them needing to access social care services in 2021
• One in ten (244 of 2,300) service users told us that these services reduced their need to access health services as a result of ill health.

Sam Monaghan, CEO of MHA, explained that the services for older people provide more than just social activities for those in need:

“Our new report shows that the services and activities we provide older people are critical in helping to improve the mental, physical, and social wellbeing of older people across Hampshire.  

“We know that our services are vital for the people that they support. Over the past year, our community services in Hampshire helped over 2,300 local people – through befriending services, exercise groups and food deliveries. The potential loss of this funding and support could be detrimental to thousands of older people across the county." 

“We are urging Hampshire County Council to reconsider its plans to cut this critical funding to the Community Grants, and to work with charity providers like MHA to continue to provide services that benefit older people across the county, and reduce the likelihood of – or delay the time at which – old people need to access social care services.”

To read the report in full download it here

To add your views to the consultation, please visit the Hampshire County Council website