19.03.11
£706,309 funding for care project
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is set to receive up to £706,309 over the next three years to test and develop new approaches to improve health and wellbeing, care services minister Paul Burstow has announced.
The Department of Health is distributing a total of £6.8m among third sector organisations to improve care for vulnerable people in their homes. RoSPA has been awarded £239,669 for 2012-13 and will provisionally receive the remainder for the following two years.
The funding will go towards the Safer Homes Project, which begins in April, to raise the standard of home accident prevention and reduce the incidence of injury for those most at risk. Falls and other accidents at home are a common cause of a loss of independence for elderly people, which can have large knock-on effects on other NHS and social care services.
RoSPA will provide a consultancy, training and intervention service on key areas of home safety across England.
Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: “Great strides forward have been taken in accident prevention, most notably in road and occupational safety. However, home safety has not fared so well and the number of people dying as a result of home accidents in England and Wales has actually been increasing in recent years.
“That is why we are absolutely delighted to have received this funding, which will go a long way towards making homes safer for those most vulnerable to accidents - children under five years and older people, particularly those living in disadvantaged areas.”
Errol Taylor, RoSPA’s deputy chief executive, said: “We look forward to working with local partners across the country to facilitate home safety interventions that respond to the needs of their populations and to have these activities embedded in public health plans.”
Paul Burstow said: “This new funding will improve the lives of thousands of people across England, helping them to lead healthier and more independent lives. It is crucial that we continue to champion our voluntary organisations, because their expertise allows them to design and develop innovative solutions to the big challenges we face in health, public health and social care.”
The money comes from the Department’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development (IESD) fund
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