Being Warm Being Happy is a collaborative project to find out if people with learning disabilities are able to keep themselves warm at home.
It might go without saying that being warm at home is important. If you can keep your house warm then it can help keep you well and happy.
We are able to carry out this research thanks to funding by EAGA Charitable Trust
This project will be split into 3 parts
In part 1 we’ll be working with up to 10 adults with a learning disability. We will measure the temperature in their home’s and talk to them to learn more about how they keep their homes warm.
We’ll ask what makes them feel warm or cold at home, how much gas or electricity they use and how they pay for their energy. We’ll also find out who they contact to get help if they need it.
Next we’ll look at the findings from two large surveys conducted in England:
- The English National Housing Survey
- The Understanding Society Survey
In these surveys we’ll be focusing on:
- Homes where an adult with a learning disability lives
- Homes where people with other disabilities live
- Home where people without a disability live
We will compare both of these and see whether people with a learning disability are more at risk of being cold at home, or struggling to keep a warm house.
At this stage we will hold workshops to share what we have found in the parts 1 & 2.
We’ll invite adults with learning disabilities as well as those who working in housing, health, social care and energy. Together we can develop ideas to help them keep their houses warm through the year and get support when they need it.