Posting here for traffic - vulnerable friend

[GimmeBiscuits]

Friend of mine is living in supported accommodation in Colchester. Says their 'landlord'/property manager is Genesis Housing. I can't find any organisation that meets the description in the area.
Friend's accommodation is very cold (7 deg in their bedroom). They can't afford to put the heating on. They have a heart condition. They've fallen whilst on the phone to me because too cold to move properly.
Won't have me call an ambulance. Won't have a welfare check (can tell me all this).
I want to contact their housing people to ask them to intervene with heating (the other stuff is a whole other issue) or at least go and inspect and do something.

I cannot go to their house this evening. I've been on the phone to them 2 hours and now their phone has died.

Feeling frustrated as they wont' have help. We've offered to pay for heating, to take heaters and we're being told no.

They don't have any other friends and family in their area.

So, does anyone know who the mythical Genesis housing people might be? I am happy to phone them in the morning, and get involved/advocate on that front, but I just cannot find them.

www.essexmap.co.uk/listings/genesis-housing-association/

Could it be this

emmaus.org.uk/colchester/about-us/our-history/

If they are in a supported setting, the building should have a responsible person manning it, if you could get through to them?

Have you considered adult social services to get help?

link

Intervene how in heating? Tell them to turn it on/pay for them to turn it on? Are they elderly or have mobility issues with the fall? You may be better with contacting social work?

Do an Adult Safeguarding referral. It’s unlikely the housing association will pay for her heating.

They are autistic and on a variety of meds, which I don't know if they are taking.
No in-house person as it is independent living.
Can't find the company friend says is the landlord/manager online
They told me repeatedly to fuck off when I suggested getting medical help, and when I offered to pay their heating bill because they ate stubborn as.
I thought that there should be some sort of minimum temperature at which people could occupy property at.

As it stands we are almost snowed in. Friend would not accept any offer of help. During out last phone call the line cut out.
They have likely gone to bed.

Last time something like this happened they had walked out of A&E with a serious head injury. Ended up getting a police safety check (they turned up and kicked the door in, which resulted in friend having a panic attack. Now they have a heart condition so I would rather not take that option.

I think whatever I do is going to be wrong 😒

Thanks, will try them in the morning. This sounds like a support venture for potentially homeless people. However they may know who I need.

Iit sounds like it's your friends refusal to put the heating on that's the issue, not that heating the property is physically impossible. Landlords are certainly responsible for installing and maintaining a heating supply, but not enforcing that it's actually used.

Definitely give the office a ring and SS if that doesn't get you any further.

Are they in receipt of any benefits? Have they received any of the low income cost of living payments or anything?

If its allowed to say I think I remember a previous post about this friend @GimmeBiscuits (re the police and hospital) that had you anxious and stressed too. You are a very good friend to them, but if I was your friend, I would be telling you to look after yourself as l'd be worried you're being caught up in a lot of their drama but they don't actually want the help?

If they are refusing offers of help there isn't much you can do except contact social services.

Let them deal with it

New boots, I don't know what benefits they get.
They have had the heating on, but it isn't warming their flat. Apparently before they turned the radiator on it was 12 degrees in their lounge. It got up to 15 but that was after having it on for 2 hours. The bedroom temperature was after the heating had been on
Ad far as I know its running from a fairly newly installed system, but I could be wrong, certainly something was fitted recently.

And yes, Michelle, I have posted about them before. But they literally have nobody else. We have been friends for a decade but since their brain injury they have got more stubborn, more anxious/paranoid, and developed heart and chest conditions.

I've been out this evening as I had some family stuff to do, and seen that friend did ring whilst I was out, so will contact them in the morning. I'm too tired to take any more tonight.

It will take hours to reach a decent temperature if you're starting from 12° - it does sound like whatever is supposed to be heating the bedroom isn't doing anything though. The unheated parts of my building are usually about 11°.
It took 3+ hours to get my bedroom from 14 to 18 the other day.

If there's new stuff installed, their landlord or whoever the landlord contracts out to should be able to explain how it works if necessary and what settings things should be on etc.

Other things that might be useful :

www.warmwelcome.uk have a database of warm spaces; lots of councils are opening up libraries etc as "warm hibs" as well.

Stuff like heated throws are brilliant, as are electric underblankets in bed. They're relatively cheap to run if they can add afford the outlay

Their energy supplier may be able to offer support.

Their housing association should be able to signpost them towards any available grants etc, or suggest someone more appropriate.

People on low income benefits will get £900 cost of living support next year from the Govt; they may also be eligible for the warm home discount of £150 a year. If they aren't claiming any benefits at the moment, it may be worth them doing a benefits check with Welfare Rights etc.

• warm hubs, not warm hibs!

Thanks for the updates and suggestions from recent posters.
To pick up on earlier things, friend is not elderly, but has many health issues, physical and mental.
The warm hub is an excellent idea but not sure how easy it is for them to get to one, or whether theyd be able to cope with the lights and people. Will mention it when I ring them later.

Ideally I would like to find how to contact the property manager/housing association and query with them what they consider acceptable indoor temperatures. I'm happy to try to advocate for my friend, and thought that would be a starting point.
Ultimately though, if they keep refusing help, there isn't much I can do.
Strongly suspect they have been drinking/smoking something recently as an attempt to 'top up' pain relief and take the edge off hunger and cold.

The first reply to your opening post gave you the details of the housing association you need, if you want to contact them.

Thanks TwoRock somehow I completely missed that - thanks for the link Deadly - will contact them and enquire.

Have now heard from friend who is sore & bruised, but otherwise okay (or as okay as possible).

Different settings on radiators mean they will only heat the room they're in to x°.

Rough guide to settings and equivalent temperatures:

0 = Off

• = 7°C 1 = 10°C 2 = 15°C 3 = 20°C 4 = 25°C 5 = 30° C

The bedroom not getting above 7° has made me wonder - have they left the bedroom one on the "frost" setting (usually looks like a snowflake or star on the dial)?

Again, there should be someone who can come out and check it's all working properly - hope you've been able to get hold of Genesis.

Thanks - this is a possibility, particularly if the radiators were changed. I have left a message with Genesis, so hopefully can make some headway.