Cash boost for Sheffield charity’s older person covid support

27th May 2020

A Sheffield charity on the frontline of helping older people through the pandemic has been awarded £7,000 in emergency covid funding.

The cash injection, from Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) will boost Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care’s (SCCCC) help for older people returning home from hospital.

The charity’s renowned ‘Hospital to Home’ scheme is expected to be in high-demand, with bosses forecasting a five-fold increase in referrals as a result of the pandemic.

Mark Storey, CEO at SCCCC, said:

“Our hospital to home service is already seeing a significant increase in referrals as hospitals clear beds to make way for Covid-19 patients.

“We anticipate an unprecedented five hundred per cent increase in referrals, which will put immense pressure on our eight part-time staff members, and require an increase in working hours to support these patients.

“This funding will enable us to assist an additional 300 service users, bringing the total to 1,500 over a 12 week period. These are older and vulnerable people who have spent a prolonged period of time in hospital, many of whom may have complex medical needs and require extra support on discharge.”

SCCCC’s Hospital to Home scheme supports the NHS and health professionals to transport older people home upon discharge.

The scheme operates at the Northern General Hospital, the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and Weston Park Hospital, and provides significant input into community settings, taking referrals from hospital staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and discharge teams.

The team also provides a wide range of practical help and support free of charge and is able to respond on the day of referral. Many people benefit from the scheme; older people who may be frail, socially isolated, have no relatives and are living alone, as well as other vulnerable individuals.

CAF, a charity, bank and champion for better giving, launched the rapid response fund in April to help smaller charitable organisations in the UK affected by the impact of Covid-19.

Monica Brown, CAF's Head of Charity Advisory and Programmes, said:

"The Charities Aid Foundation's Coronavirus Emergency Fund was set up to help small charities, non-profits and social enterprises that were struggling amid the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We were very pleased and proud to be able to offer assistance to Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care as they deliver much-needed help to older people in the local community."

For more information about SCCCC, or to donate, visit www.scccc.co.uk/donate