Warm Start Plus

The project will support 2,750 families with dependent children in vulnerable situations in Essex, Southend and Thurrock. The team of advisers will work with key providers of children's services and emerging voluntary sector partnerships responding to the cost-of-living crisis and through a network of warm spaces being developed across the region to support families in the greatest need. Partnerships recently established will be utilised to increase referrals. Home visits will be undertaken to provide behavioural change support and to better identify opportunities for referrals to retrofit programmes. Families will be helped to stabilise and maximise income, deal with fuel and other debts, resolve disputes with energy companies and ensure priority services registration.