Section 4 looks at the following sets of project statistics: Project outputs; the total number of referrals and clients worked with. Source of referrals. Client Demographics. Assessment and financial Outcomes. Qualitative Outcomes Section 4.1: Project Outputs Dundee Falkirk and West Midlothian Percentage Total Number of Referrals Received 112 70 111 44 (57 people supported- includes carers) 337 Number of Referrals Received-ESA 46 24 40 8 118 35.0% Number of Referrals Received- PIP 66 46 71 36 219 65.0% Number of clients supported at assessment 53 43 74 25 195 59.5% Key Points: After slightly more than six months the projects have collectively received 337 referrals. The total project target was to reach 575 clients. At the current rate of referral, the project will reach around 640-650 clients, substantially exceeding its target. In terms of the individual projects: Dundee, after 6 ½ months, has worked with 112 referrals against a target for the year of 120. Falkirk, after 5 ½ months, has worked with 70 referrals against a target for the year of 180. Glasgow and West after 6 ½ months has worked with 111 referrals against a target for the year of 175. Lothian, after 6 ½ months has worked with 44 referrals and 57 people against a target of 100. Dundee and Glasgow will substantially surpass their targets, Falkirk looks set to fall a little short of its target, Lothian will about hit its target. Falkirk referrals have leapt in the last 2 months, as have Lothian referrals. Falkirk’s target of 180 was always ambitious if the volunteers they intended to recruit did not come through.
Annualised Income for clients placed in Work Related Activity Group £15,935.40 £0.00 £13,000 £5,311 £34,246.40 Annualised Income for clients placed in Support Group £67,087.80 £85,117.76 £39,627 £211,318.56 Key Points On the usual measure of success in advice projects, annualised income received by clients, the project has achieved substantial financial gains for clients claiming ESA. Not all of these client financial gains will be wholly additional, some clients would have received awards without support, or only with the support of advice or other support organisations, but the discussion in the foregoing section suggests that a substantial proportion of the £245,000 is money that the client would not have received without the support of the advocate. PIP Awards / Comparison to Predicted Awards Falkirk and West Total Total Numbers Total Number of clients supported through PIP assessment 39 25 51 21 136 Total number of clients in receipt of decision on PIP application 28 15 43 14 100 Total number of clients receiving Daily Living Component 27 15 30 12 79 84% At enhanced rate 11 11 20 7 47 47% At standard rate 16 4 10 5 32 32% No award 1 0 13 2 21 21% Total number of clients receiving Mobility Component 19 9 23 10 61 61% At enhanced rate 7 5 14 6 32 32% At standard rate 12 4 9 4 29 29% No award 9 6 20 4 39 39% Predictions Number of clients with accurate prediction 1 6 23 8 38 38%
‘We talked about absolutely everything, all the physical and mental health problems that I have’ (Nicola, 47, Glasgow) That in-depth exploration could still be quite an informal process: ‘We talked about all my past experiences and how my health conditions have been ignored. She was trying to get all my background information from me, but really it was just like sitting down with a cup of coffee and having a blether’ (William, 52, Midlothian) Being prepared to deliver this in client’s homes has been a key part of successful engagement: ‘The first time they met, Jane came out to see me. That was incredibly helpful, I don’t go out and about much to do things, it depends on the state of my body. It’s not always possible for me to go and see someone. I spent a couple of hours answering questions. I was scared, I have had a lot of experience of people who were meant to help not really helping. Jane made me feel better about the whole thing….. She talked about the assessment, and talked through my medical history and form. She made time to get to know me and my situation. She also met my husband and clarified that he could come too and that he could ask questions too’ (Nadia, 34, Midlothian) Preparation and Reassurance Talking through clients’ answers to key questions, advocates had focused on the need for them to give sufficiently detailed answers: ‘They talked things through openly and honestly. Ian went through the questions, explaining everything, explaining that I should say on how many days I felt like that, how often I felt like that’ (Lisa, 53, Falkirk) ‘He told me what not to say. He said that if you just said that you could do something, without explaining that it was difficult, you would fail straight away. He gave the example of making a pot of stew. I might say that I could do it, but could I do it every day, was it difficult for me? He made clear that I needed to tell them how it was’ (George, 60, Falkirk) The provision of reassurance was described over and again by clients as a central part of the support provided by their advocate: ‘We talked through the questions that would be in the assessment, and Ian told me not to panic about any of them. He would be there to make sure that I would answer right.’ (Gail, 60, Falkirk) Preparation not Coaching
The Extent of Stress or Discomfort That stress could have physical manifestations: ‘At the assessment I was really panicking. I just kept missing breaths. I felt I was in there to be judged’ (Parveen, 32, Dundee) ‘I was really nervous, I was scratching myself all the time. I was really upset, I didn’t feel confident, didn’t feel prepared, I didn’t know what I was getting into’ (Robert, 38, Dundee) Others reported a high degree of physical discomfort in the test, either for them or for their partner: ‘It was difficult for [her husband]. He had to get up and walk about a fair bit because of his back, he needs to stretch it a lot. He was physically really uncomfortable, it was a cramped wee room with hard chairs’ (Sandra, 49, Carer, Midlothian) Some clients remained angry at the experience of being in a face to face assessment: ‘I felt awful and couldn’t get out quick enough. What they are putting people through to get benefits is disgusting.’ (Lorraine, 58, Midlothian) One client had tablets to try to calm him before the assessment. This had ended up negatively impacting on its outcome: ‘I took a lot of tablets the first interview I went for [for ESA]. I was completely out of it, I don’t remember being there. Ian thinks it hit my chances…. The next time I didn’t take anything, but I couldn’t sleep at night, couldn’t even concentrate on the TV, nothing’ (George, 60, Falkirk) Mixed Experience Other clients reported a more mixed experience, suggesting in one breath that they had felt very stressed, whilst explaining earlier or later in their interview aspects of it that had gone well: ‘The assessment was nerve wracking…… I was able to say everything that I wanted to.’ (Joanne, 46, Glasgow). ‘I was mostly at ease in the assessment…… I wasn’t really able to say all that I wanted to, I didn’t get everything out. I did start to get emotional. You are sitting there and she is typing whilst she’s talking to you’ (Kirsty, 52, Dundee) ‘I can’t remember the assessment that well, it was a bit of a blur. But I think I got across everything I wanted to say…..