• Responding to the Recession

• Andrew Church

• Cambridge Housing

Society

Our challenges• Rural area – 4000 m2

• Low skills

• Low income

• Engagement

• Recession

• Variable impact

• Long term impact – public funding cliff

Helps with form filling

Improves skills

(literacy, numeracy,

and ICT)

Maximizes incomeEasy to use,

easy to access

Improves job prospects

Builds confidence

and

resilience

Improves connectivity

Raises

aspirations

New Horizons

• Income maximisation, debt advice, financial capability, access to user-friendly financial products – To build people’s financial security to

support daily living and the ability to plan for the future

• Laptop loan scheme, Skills for Life, Skills for Jobs, Careers advice– To provide people with opportunities to

realise their potential • Delivery through outreach

Responding to recession: key changes

Switched focus from digital inclusion to supporting people into work• ICT tutor now has smaller number of clients, wider remit

Targeted people and areas hardest hit• Recruited Personal Finance Coach for young people• Creating jobs for young people via Future Jobs Fund• Fenland and Huntingdonshire – digital inclusion services• Financial health checks – older people and people with

disabilities, starting in Fenland• Supporting Migrant Workers to improve employment

position

Responding to recession: key changes

Increased resources to support access to lifelong learning • Hosting a trainee Skills Coach• Developing relationship with Adult Education Service

to increase provision of Skills for Life

Improved partnership working• Delivering money advice service on behalf of one RSL• Started negotiations with another about efficiency

savings through sharing Money Advice services • Started Financial Capability Forum for Cambridgeshire

and Peterborough

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09Indicators to show demand for services

1 Customers with a positive financial outcome from Money Matters Service 49 58 622 New debt cases 17 17 153 New Horizons Loan Accounts opened 13 17 134 New Horizons Saving Accounts opened 18 17 155 No. of people trained in 'Money Matters' 22 119 1506 New home contents insurance policies opened via 'My Home' 9 197 Energy switches to Ebico 5 62 628 New customers to our Careers Advice service 171 204 276

Indicators to show what difference we have made9 Customers achieving a Skills for Life qualification i.e. literacy or numeracy 53 50 6010 Amount of additional money through welfare benefits, tax credits and charity grants 170000 180000 135000

11No. of customers more satisfied with CHS as a result of using our Money Matters Service 21 28

12 Customers completing our 'Make the Computer work for you' (ICT) course 134 14113 Customers started work, either part-time or full-time after completing our ICT course 1614 Customers started voluntary work after completing our ICT course 18

15Customers who improved their home access to ICT after completing our ICT course e.g. bought a pc or internet connection or upgraded pc

25 50

16 Customers using ICT more as a result of our support 5417 Customers entering education or training 43

Cost to CHS 71000 81000 64000

Digital Hero

• CHS tenant who was previous user of our digital inclusion service

• Trained over 200 people in last 2 years

• ECDL, PTTLLS

• Now shortlisted for a Regional Talk Talk Award

• Go to front page of our website to get link to vote for her!

Contact details

• Cambridge Housing Society• Endurance House• Chivers Way• Histon• Cambridge• CB24 9ZR

• Tel: 01223 713 555• Fax: 01223 713 799• www.cambridgehs.org.uk

• andrew.church@cambridgehs.org.uk