Project Details :
Funded by the Asda Foundation, our Safety Net Service helps meet urgent local needs and reduce barriers to wellbeing. This project is made possible through their commitment to supporting community-led solutions that tackle real challenges at a local level.
The project provides food and hygiene packs, travel support, and practical supplies, enabling access to essentials, employment, healthcare, and community services. It offers timely assistance to people in hardship, helping to reduce isolation and improve health and wellbeing.
Providing Essentials with Dignity
Enabling Access and Opportunity
Strengthening Community Wellbeing
What We Did :
Supporting Communities with Care and Essentials
Through the Asda Foundation’s Grant, our Safety Net Service provides practical help when it matters most through provision of :
- Emergency Food Parcel
- Hygiene Pack
- Travel Support - Community Events / Services/
- Utility Top-Up
Final Results :
Safety Net Support Programme Report
QALYCOM Health CIC – Program Report
Programme Name: Safety Net Crisis & Immediate Support Service
Date / Duration: November 2025 – December 2025
Location: Rochdale Borough (Central & Heywood )
Programme Overview
Objective:
To provide immediate crisis support to vulnerable adults experiencing financial hardship, housing issues, mental distress, or urgent wellbeing needs, and to connect them to appropriate statutory and community services.
Target Population:
Adults from African, Caribbean, South Asian, and wider BAME communities experiencing:
• Financial crisis
• Housing instability
• Food insecurity
• Mental health distress
• Domestic or social vulnerability
• Barriers engaging with services
Expected Outcomes:
- Immediate stabilisation of crisis situations
• Reduced risk of harm or escalation
• Improved access to urgent support and safeguarding pathways
• Increased confidence navigating services
• Increased safety, wellbeing, and social connection
Baseline Data
Metric | Baseline (Avg) | Participants | Notes |
Crisis Level | High | 64 | Housing, financial, or mental distress |
Awareness of Support Services | Low | 64 | Limited understanding of local pathways |
Safety and Stability | Low | 64 | Many at high risk |
Mental Wellbeing | Low | 64 | Reported stress, isolation, fear |
Access to Food/Essentials | Inconsistent | 64 | Some experiencing acute poverty |
Programme Activities
- One-to-one crisis assessment and safety planning
• Emergency referrals to housing, safeguarding, and mental health services
• Food, essentials, and signposting support
• Advocacy with VCFSE partners
• Emotional support and wellbeing checks
• Language support through interpreters
• Follow-up check-ins over 2–8 weeks
Attendance: 100% received direct one-to-one support
Urgent referrals: 30+ made to statutory and community agencies
Outcomes & Impact
Quantitative Results
Metric | Follow-up | Change |
Crisis Status | Stabilised | 100% received immediate crisis response |
Access to Support | High | ↑70% |
Mental Wellbeing | Improved | ↓ stress and uncertainty |
Housing Pathways | Activated | ↑60% obtaining support |
Food & Essentials | Secured | ↑100% received short-term help |
QALYs Generated: —
Explanation: QALYs are not calculated for crisis intervention programmes because they provide immediate stabilisation, not long-term health-utility change. Their impact is social, safeguarding, and wellbeing-related, not clinical.
Qualitative Feedback
- “I didn’t know where to go. They listened and supported me the same day.”
• “Without this help, I don’t know what would have happened.”
• “They helped me with my housing situation and connected me to the right people.”
Case Study — “David” (Safety Net Support)
“I was in a bad place with housing and money. I didn’t know where to go. The Safety Net team helped me find support straight away. I felt heard for the first time in months. That support kept me going.”
Lessons Learned
Successes:
- Immediate response prevented escalation of hardship
• Strong relationships with local agencies improved referrals
• Cultural and language understanding increased trust
Challenges:
- High demand for crisis support
• Limited resources for long-term follow-up
• Some participants required repeated interventions
Recommendations:
- Establish a dedicated crisis support officer
• Expand partnerships with housing and mental health services
• Introduce a rapid-response volunteer system
• Provide emergency resource packs (food, toiletries, energy advice)
Alignment With Council Goals
- Supports vulnerable adults in crisis
• Reduces pressure on statutory services
• Prevents escalation into homelessness, safeguarding, or emergency care
• Addresses inequalities among communities facing hardship
• Strengthens community safety and wellbeing pathways
Sign-Off
Prepared by: QALYCOM HEALTH CIC
Date: December 2025
