The Kindness Counts Programme is delivered  by whg and funded by the partnership as part of the successful NHS Charities funding bid. The aim of the programme is to use a targeted approach to help tackle the isolation and loneliness of some of its customers in order to improve their overall health and wellbeing. 

Research shows that people who live in social housing are much more at risk of health inequalities and have greater health and well-being needs. During lockdown whg rang 8,000 of its customers to check in on their welfare and around 2,500 reported feeling lonely and isolated. 

Loneliness and Isolation is a key public health issue and if not addressed can lead to people having poor physical and mental health illness such as heart disease, stroke, anxiety and depression. 

Aims
In order to deliver the programme we will:

  • Use a targeted approach to identify and engage with whg customers reporting social isolation and loneliness 
  • Use whg’s proven Expert by Lived Experience model to recruit a small team of Kindness Champions to work alongside and support identified customers
  • Use tried and tested engagement techniques in the customers preferred way such as incentivised hooks (Kindness Bags) gamification (online interaction methods) and person-centred contact.  This can include digital, telephone, face to face contact, online group activities, drop in sessions and activity challenges such as pass the parcel, step up for others, bake a kindness cake (all covid safe risk accessed) 
  • Support customers to complete a loneliness survey using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) 3 items of ‘Loneliness Framework’ and a fourth question from ONS4 Loneliness and Isolation measure 
  • Co-create  a programme of activities which are focussed upon achieving the PERMA happiness and wellbeing outcomes (Positive Emotions, Engagement in activities, the development of authentic Relationships, activities which demonstrate the Meaning to a person’s life and provide challenges  and activities which will assist customers to Achieve)
  • Work with the UK national Loneliness Campaign ‘Let’s Talk about Loneliness’
  • Promote the national NHS Every Mind Matters digital platform and support customers to develop the skills required to access and use this service
  • Work with Employment and Training to develop a whg volunteer befriending programme linking people, supporting contact with others and encouraging friendship
  • Explore the use of gaming to bring isolated young people together using a range of digital platforms
  • Identify the numbers of whg customers who are ‘carers’ and work alongside them to provide support which will help to keep them healthy and well

Objectives

  • 5 unemployed people with lived experience of wider determinants of health and disadvantage to gain employment as a Kindness Champion
  • 300 customers engaged each year within PERMA focussed programme
  • 250  participants  reduce their feelings of Loneliness and Isolation
  • 250 to achieve at least 3 out of 5  PERMA outcomes
  • 150 gain  a new skill and take part in new opportunities
  • 10 customers enrol within a befriending programme
  • 10 residents become Kindness Counts Volunteers