Connecting support through trusted partnerships

Mandy Wright from Home Energy Scotland shares how partnerships positively impact their work.

Across Scotland, many people are facing rising costs, cold homes in the winter months and increasing pressure on household budgets. Whilst support is available, it’s only effective if people can access it.

For many individuals, especially those facing complex or long-term challenges, reaching out to a national or regional service is not always straightforward. Trust, confidence and timing all play a part.  Services cannot rely on people finding them. They must be built around how people already seek help.

This is where partnerships with trusted community organisations make a real difference.

Meeting people where they already are

Community groups, charities and local organisations are often the first places people go for help. Rooted in their communities, they understand local needs and have built trust over time.

By working with these trusted intermediaries, Home Energy Scotland can connect with people in a way that feels more accessible and relevant. Whether through co-delivering events, running advice sessions in community spaces or creating simple referral routes between organisations, these partnerships help introduce support through familiar settings where strong community relationships already exist. This makes it easier for people to access help when they need it.

This approach helps to:

• reach people earlier, before issues escalate
• support those who may not engage with traditional services; and
• create a more joined-up experience across different types of support.

It also helps ensure advice is responsive to people’s circumstances, including the wider challenges they may be facing beyond their energy use.

Working with ALLIANCE members

We are already working with a range of organisations across the ALLIANCE network such as Citizen Advice Bureau, Macmillan Cancer Support, Age Scotland, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living – to name a few. These partnerships reflect the strength and diversity of the third sector, and the important role that trusted organisations play in supporting people’s health, wellbeing and daily lives.

To support this partnership approach, we have developed a secure referral portal that enables organisations to safely connect the people they support with Home Energy Scotland. Designed to be quick and easy to use, the portal helps frontline staff make referrals at the right moment without adding to their workload, creating a clear and consistent pathway into our service.

This is helping to integrate energy advice alongside other types of support. Whether that is through advice services, community projects or targeted outreach, these connections – alongside accessible referral routes – help ensure that people can access the right help in a way that works for them.

We will continue to build on these relationships, and we look forward to working with more ALLIANCE members over time.

Looking ahead

Supporting people most affected by high energy costs means putting partnership working at the heart of service delivery.

This requires continued investment in relationships, support for community organisations and accessible ways to connect people with help.

Small actions, such as sharing information, making referrals or hosting local sessions, can make a meaningful difference and help reach people who might otherwise be missed.

By working together, we can make it easier for people to access Home Energy Scotland for support with energy bills, home improvements and wider energy-related challenges. If you are part of a community organisation or support service, we encourage you to explore how working in partnership with Home Energy Scotland could strengthen the support you offer. You can contact the Partnerships team directly by emailing HES_Partnerships@est.org.uk

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