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Training Fund: Enhancing SeAscape's Capacity to Support Vulnerable Households

Training Fund: Enhancing SeAscape's Capacity to Support Vulnerable Households

Training Fund: Enhancing SeAscape's Capacity to Support Vulnerable Households

Thursday, November 28, 2024

 

SeAscape’s Pass It On project helps individuals transitioning into secure tenancies with essential home goods, thanks to local community donations. Beverly, who manages the project, highlighted how our Training Fund grant enabled her team to improve efficiency by gaining vital PAT testing certification. This has transformed their ability to quickly deliver safe, ready-to-use items to those in need, ensuring no one has to wait for crucial household essentials. 

SeAscape is an independent charity based in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The organisation provides support to people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness using a holistic approach, with “positive relationships and a sense of purpose and belonging”. They are contracted by South Ayrshire Council to provide housing and homelessness support to people aged over 26 and are grant-funded by the Scottish Government to deliver their homelessness prevention project. 

Beverly manages SeAscape’s Pass It On Project, which has been running for five years now. The project offers support for those transitioning from temporary accommodation to secure tenancy, so that everyone has the best possible start in their home. They collect donations of mostly ‘pre-loved’ items including furniture, white goods and soft furnishings from individuals and businesses in the local community. They then ensure items are clean, safe and fit for purpose, before passing them on to people setting up home. 

The Need

The Reuse Furniture Store, which is part of the Pass It On project, serves a dual purpose: generating essential funding for SeAscape’s work while also raising awareness of its mission. By promoting the benefits of reuse and sustainability, the store fosters a stronger connection with the local community and helps to challenge stereotypes around homelessness. 

“For the year July 2023 to end of June 2024, we made 457 deliveries to households in need, 321 deliveries to shop customers, carried out 735 collections and 353 people dropped items directly to our warehouse.”  

Due to the increased demand on their project, it became clear that having more fully trained staff able to carry out PAT testing would increase the efficiency and capacity of the team, ensuring a good supply of goods sitting ready to be delivered at a moment’s notice. 

“When we make emergency deliveries via the Pass It On Project, important items are included such as kettles, toasters, microwaves, air fryers, fridges and hoovers. All of these items are required to be fully checked for function and safety and part of that process is that they must be PAT tested.” 

Beverly explained that they were struggling at times to deliver items as quickly as they wanted to as they couldn’t keep up with the PAT testing. After identifying a PAT testing Competency Course, Beverly reached out to our Training Fund, which provided a grant for two of her team to attend. 

The Training 

John and Owen from the SeAscape team (pictured above) were able to attend the full day PAT testing Competency Course through PASS, held in person in Glasgow. At the end of the day, they were awarded a Certificate of Competence.  

“They received instruction from skilled and experienced trainers on a wide range of elements, both theoretical and practical, to ensure they become competent PAT testers.” 

The course covered areas such as the classification of appliances, as well as the legal requirements when carrying out PAT testing. Practical sessions allowed participants to develop hands-on skills in using a PAT tester, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to perform PAT testing effectively. 

The Impact 

“Having two trained PAT testers is having an enormously beneficial impact on our project. Before this we only had one person able to carry out testing and they weren’t always on site. We now have a constant supply of ready-to-go, safe goods that can be delivered immediately, safe in the knowledge that the best practice is being followed.” 

As a result of the training, SeAscape’s Pass It On team are now equipped to make emergency deliveries more efficiently, enabling quicker support for those in need. This improved process also allows the project to accept a higher volume of donations from the local community, maximising its impact and capacity to help. 

“The application process for this funding was straightforward and accessible. It can be very difficult to access funding successfully and to identify the best funders to approach.” 

“The Training Fund has allowed our team to increase their skills and has positively impacted on our ability to deliver and maintain the quality of service we are known for.” 

 

If you have, or your team has, a training need that you are struggling to pay for

APPLY TO OUR TRAINING FUND

and we will do all that we can to help.

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