Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund 2011/12: a mixed methods evaluation

To assess how the Warm Homes Healthy People Fund 2011/12 was used by English local authorities and their partners to tackle excess winter mortality.

Mixed-methods evaluation.

Three sources of data were used: an online survey to local authority leads, document analysis of local evaluation reports and telephone interviews of local leads. These were analysed to provide numerical estimates, key themes and case studies.

There was universal approval of the fund, with all survey respondents requesting the fund to continue. An estimated 130,000 to 200,000 people in England (62% of them elderly) received a wide range of interventions, including structural interventions (such as loft insulation), provision of warm goods and income maximization. Raising awareness was another component, with all survey respondents launching a local media campaign. Strong local partnerships helped to facilitate the implementation of projects. The speed of delivery may have resulted in less strategic targeting of the most vulnerable residents.

The Fund was popular and achieved much in winter 2011/2012, although its impact on cold-related morbidity and mortality is unknown.