Curo News

The Pantry has permanently closed

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 11:47:58 Z

The Pantry, our food bank and support service in Midsomer Norton, has permanently closed.

Unfortunately, the building is no longer safe to use.

We know this will be disappointing for many customers, and we’re trying to find an alternative venue.

If you need any help with buying food or paying your bills, please get in touch with our Customer Accounts team on 01225 366000 or email customeraccountshelp@curo-group.co.uk

Making connections in North Somerset

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:00:58 Z

Over recent years we have expanded our award-winning independent lives services across the North Somerset area. Today, in North Somerset, Curo colleagues are:

delivering two social prescribing services through GPs,
working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children,
providing supported housing for people facing homelessness,
offering 'step-down' accommodation for people ready to leave hospital but unable to return home, and
working with numerous community groups and organisations through our Community Connect service.

All these services have one thing in common. They all support local people and communities by working with their strengths.

At a glance: North Somerset Independent Lives services

Social Prescribing:

A social prescription offers the kind of help that doesn’t come in a tube or a bottle. Our Link Workers support GPs and their teams in surgeries to offer non-medical options to re-connect patients with their communities, and to help build resilience and support by connecting people to the things they enjoy. Referrals into this service do not need to be Curo residents. Curo's team of Link Workers provide social prescribing services to just over 96,000 patients.

We work with Mendip Vale Primary Care Network through GP surgeries in Clevedon, Weston-Super-Mare, Yatton, Langford and Congresbury.

And Gordano Valley Primary Care Network through GP surgeries in Portishead, Pill and Clevedon.

Click here to read more about the role we play in making a difference to people like Karen who told us, 'the service has been fantastic, especially during these difficult times'.

Community Connect:

Our Community Connect team also provides social prescribing across North Somerset, however referrals to this service do not need to come from a GP. Like our GP-linked social prescribing, people do not have to be Curo residents to be referred. The team works with groups in communities to find out what is happening and to link people with the activities and support that helps them feel connected to where they live. Our work in community settings mean we will meet people in groups and activities to find out more about you and the things they are passionate about. Our Community Connect Wellbeing Workers support more than 1,000 people a year in this way.

Temporary Accommodation services:

At any one time, we work with 36 people across North Somerset, with that number set to grow in the coming months. We work with people facing homelessness who are looking to find independent accommodation and need support to help them reconnect with their communities and find their home.

Independent Living Service:

This award-winning service helps people remain independent in their homes by providing the additional support and services they need as life changes. This support is built around the things that are important to our Independent Living Service customers. We sometimes find that once a person has had support from either of our free-to-access social prescribing services, they decide they want longer term support from someone who will get to know and trust them. Our Independent Living Service offers this.

If you'd like to know more about our work in North Somerset, or want to discuss how we can work together, contact Curo Service Manager Jack Bailey on Twitter @Jack_Curo or by emailing jack.bailey@curo-group.co.uk.

Open air concerts on your doorstep

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 15:32:04 Z

Bringing socially-distanced live music to our sheltering sheltered housing residents

Over the last couple of weeks we were fortunate enough to have the extremely talented musicians, Lucy Hewson and Rebecca Prosser, perform at eight of our sheltered housing sites for our socially-isolated customers who were shielding due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of our customers had not been out for up to 15 weeks by this point and the entertainment was gratefully received. The weather held out and, after an initial fight with a gazebo in some drizzle, the sun came out just in time!

Customers joined in from their windows and doorsteps; some came out onto balconies and others brought their chairs outside and sat at a safe distance.

Lucy Hewson and Rebecca Prosser are classical musicians with a passion for sharing the music they love to perform.

We were lucky enough to experience a range of music from a rendition of Dolly Parton’s 9-5 to classical pieces from Handel and many genres in between. Our customers thoroughly enjoyed listening to and chatting with Lucy and Rebecca; a few even had a bit of a dance.

Rebecca is one of the UK’s top recorder players, has toured all over Europe and the Far East as a soloist and orchestral player and been featured on numerous soundtracks for film and TV. Multi-talented Rebecca also plays the violin and piano. Lucy is a violinist (and occasional viola player) who loves to explore all varieties of music: from classical to folk and rock to opera. Her job has taken her across the Atlantic on the QE2, into the recording studio with Robbie Williams and across America with a touring opera, as well as all over the UK playing with orchestras and chamber groups.

We made homemade cakes for our customers to enjoy whilst watching the concerts and it was wonderful to be able to interact with residents again in a more relaxed, yet socially distanced, way.

I cannot thank Lucy and Rebecca enough. They played four 40-minute concerts each day and were true professionals, even taking requests.

I also need to give a big thanks to my Curo colleagues: it was a true team effort and our customers truly appreciated it. Here are a just a few of the many comments we received from our customers:

“You always put on so much and try so hard thank you it was a lovely surprise and the macaroons were out of this world. My only complaint is my diet is now ruined!”
Jill, Hillcrest in Peasedown St John.

“We all had a great afternoon. You are all great – a big thank you.”
Kath, Chichester Place in Radstock

“It’s amazing to see all the effort you’re putting in to getting the site back to how it was. The music was brilliant and lovely to see so many interacting for once.”
Margaret, Hillcrest in Peasedown St John.

Find out more about our Livewell Hubs here.

A stay at the Wellbeing House: Michael's story

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:00:00 Z

Michael, pictured, is one of many people who have stayed at our Wellbeing House since it opened in 2015. The Wellbeing House is a spacious Victorian property in Bath, offering a place for people to stay if they’re experiencing mental or emotional distress.

Michael has Myalgic Encephalopathy, or ME, a debilitating illness that affects around 250,000 people in Britain. Michael also suffered from anxiety and depression and was being supported by his local Mental Health Team who referred Michael to the Wellbeing House.

When Michael came to the Wellbeing House he was living in shared accommodation and was having problems with other tenants causing noise. Michael had lost his job because of the effects of ME and was finding it difficult to get enough rest. At an already difficult time, this unpleasant and noisy home environment heightened Michael’s anxiety and depression.

By coming into the Wellbeing House Michael was able to get the peace and quiet he needed. He stayed at the house on three different occasions and we were able to signpost him to other agencies who could help him further.

Today Michael says he feels on the road to recovery – he’s also moved out of his shared house and now has his own Curo property.

Find out more about the Wellbeing House.

Independence service wins prestigious award

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:04:14 Z

Curo’s Independent Living Service (ILS), which supports local people to live independently in their own home, has won the overall prize at the National Housing Federation’s South West Community Impact Awards.

The ILS, commissioned by Bath & North East Somerset Council and delivered by Curo, not only won the Better Health category, but also took home the accolade of overall winner for the South West. The service now goes forward to the national awards – which will be announced in March 2013.

Bath & North East Somerset Council commissioned Curo to deliver the ILS in 2011, which supports people who need a little extra help to remain independent and living in their own home. In just 18 months the ILS has supported 497 people, aged from 23 to 103, to remain independent in their own homes, with many referrals made through important partners such as the Village Agents.

The ILS offers flexible services, tailored to individual needs, which can make the difference between someone staying in their own home and having to leave to go into residential care.

Norma Jenkins (pictured), who lives in Keynsham, was one of the ILS’s first customers and collected the award in person at the presentation ceremony on 31 October 2012. Norma said: “The service is like an answer to a prayer. I have no worries and my daughter has no worries. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Harriet Bosnell, Head of Care & Support at Curo, said: “We were very honoured to be announced overall winner for the South West region. We are really proud of the difference that our Independent Living Service makes to the lives of people from such diverse backgrounds across the whole of our community.

"Feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive and making a difference for people like Norma is what we believe in at Curo. We are grateful for the support from our partners in helping us to achieve this success. We hope that winning these highly-respected awards will help to further raise the profile of this great service, so that we can make a difference for even more people like Norma.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council commissioned Curo to deliver the Independent Living Service following recommendations made through the Council’s older people’s housing and support strategy.

Councillor Simon Allen, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said: “We’re delighted that this service has been recognised as part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s commitment to promoting independence and positive lives for everyone. We’re keen to ensure that the people most in need are supported to live full active lives – and in particular that older people receive our help so they may live independently. Congratulations to everyone for their well-deserved regional awards, and best of luck for the national ceremony in January.”

National Housing Federation South West Lead Manager Jenny Allen said: “Huge congratulations go to Curo and to the three other winners. We had 19 high quality entries from the South West for our awards this year and I know our judges found it tough choosing just four winners.

“These projects are a clear demonstration of how housing associations in the South West really do provide the whole package to help nurture healthy and happy neighbourhoods.”

The ILS services include 24-hour alarms, daily well-being calls, emotional support for people who are depressed or anxious, help with benefits, income maximisation, accessing health and memory assessments and help arranging repairs and adaptations.

Although the service is run by Curo it is available to anyone eligible in Bath and North East Somerset, including home-owners, people renting privately as well as housing association residents.

Curo is offering free consultations to anyone interested in the service for themselves or for a relative or neighbour. Call 01225 366196, email independentlivingservice@curo-group.co.uk or visit our care and support pages for further information.