Care & Repair helps older people and people with disabilities to stay in their own homes. They help with all types of work to repair, adapt or maintain a home, ranging from the very minor (even changing a light bulb!) through to major renovation or adaptation works such as a level access shower, roof repairs or an extension. Care & Repair staff provide advice and help with the entire process of deciding what work is required, how to finance it, finding a reliable builder, and seeing building works through to completion.
Mrs H knows all about Care & Repair, not only has she used the service several times, but she was one of Plymouth’s first clients! Her daughter worked for Barry council in Wales, when a leaflet arrived on her desk telling her about a new service called Care & Repair. She was so impressed, she called Plymouth council and asked them whether they offered the same service, and by coincidence they had just started to, so Mrs H joined straight away and was able to get help installing a stair lift. Since then she’s also had a bath lift fitted, handrails and steps which has enabled her to carry on enjoying living in the home she’s lived in for over 50 years.
It’s a beautiful home and Mrs H is keen to point out the work that the handy people have done. She is full of praise for how friendly and efficient the Care & Repair staff are, and how happy she is with the work. Without these adaptations, she wouldn’t have been able to stay in her house. “You don’t have to wait long,” she says, “and the fact that you know the people that are coming into your home and know that they will do a good job is wonderful.” The same applies to Mrs L who has also lived in her home for many years and had several jobs done by Care & Repair. And her appreciation and enthusiasm for the service, knows no bounds, “If I could walk, I would put a Care & Repair leaflet through every letter box in every house in Plymouth!”
She particularly appreciates the extra time and attention; when a handy person works in the garden they clean and sweep up after themselves, and when they work in the house, if something isn’t straightforward, they don’t give up or declare something broken. They do their absolute best until the problem is resolved.
Older people worry about having strangers in the house and being ripped off for work they have done. So it’s wonderful that both Mrs H and Mrs L have such a friendly, easy relationship with the handy people. They know they will be looked after, respected and that the job will be done right, which provides huge peace of mind. “I can’t say enough good things about Care & Repair,” says Mrs L, “they make my life easier and safer.” And as soon as Mrs L’s daughter turned 60, she became a Care & Repair client, too!
Both women have recommended the service to neighbours and friends and we want to encourage people to Share Care & Repair! Whether you need their services or not, make sure you share this information with someone you know. Whether it’s a family member, a friend or a neighbour, if you or they are over 60 and in receipt of benefits, or disabled and any age, you can join Care and Repair for free and benefit from friendly and professional staff and adaptations to your home helping you to feel safe and comfortable.
And thanks to funding from central government, Plymouth Care and Repair, owned by Plymouth City Council and managed by Devon and Cornwall Housing Association, is expanding the service. Two new handy people have been hired and new three new parts of the service are being launched: decorating basics, garden basics and garden partnerships. Garden partnerships is partnering willing gardeners with people unable or unwilling to look after their gardens. With allotment waiting lists in some areas as long as several years, this is the perfect way of making sure people are able to grow fruit and vegetables in their own neighbourhoods and share what they’ve grown with the owner of the garden – a great way to cut food miles and bring communities together!
This is scheme isn’t just about fixing a few things in your home. It’s also about respect and dignity. Sometimes client’s need a lot of work doing, other times all that’s needed is a hand rail up to the front door to make sure someone can get in and out safely. A caseworker will call at your house when it’s convenient to you and be able to talk through what they can arrange for you. All staff carry ID and you only have work done that you want to have done – no one will tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. For a lot of people their home is a very precious thing; people may have lived there for many years, brought up families and have happy memories, so the last thing they want to do, just because they get older, is leave. Nor should they have to. Call the numbers below if you think you could benefit from a little care and a few repairs.
Care & Repair is available in:
Plymouth: 01752 221 933
Devon (excluding Plymouth) –
Mid Devon team 01884 250 105
West Devon team 01822 613 638
North Devon team 01271 326 141
Exeter team 01392 822 650
South Hams team 01752 896 652
Torridge team 01237 424 240
Teignbridge team 01626 355 793
East Devon team 01395 514 790
Cornwall –
Carrick 01872 260 777
West Cornwall team 01736 367 535
Mid and west Cornwall handyperson service 0845 603 1676
