8 Exploring the difference made by Support at home findings conclusion Overall the research highlighted that the common What difference do we make? area of major impact of Support at home is the enhancement of service users’ quality of life. The Our findings showed that four service user support provided is characterised by a strong outcomes were significantly improved or increased sense of trust by service users in the Red Cross following receipt of Support at home: brand (and, therefore, in its staff and volunteers), 1. Improved wellbeing: We support people to feel alongside a compassionate, caring, non- in good spirits; we provide reassurance and judgemental, time-flexible and person-enabling alleviate worries. approach. Service users in the study attest to the impact of this approach on their own wellbeing. 2. Increased ability to manage daily activities: These are the Red Cross’ strengths and should be We support people to rebuild/regain their central in any national shaping and marketing of confidence and to get back on their feet again the Support at home service. after a stay in hospital. 3. Increase in leisure activities: We support people recommendations to build their social confidence, as well as the The findings from this research have led us to physical confidence to go out and they have develop seven recommendations to make to more things they enjoy doing with their time. the organisation, drawn from the impacts and challenges found in the study. 4. Improved coping skills: We support people to keep on top of things and make decisions on a 1. Champion our strengths: The Red Cross range of issues they are dealing with and help would benefit from carefully marketing its to reduce the struggles people face. offer by selling its strongest points – e.g. improving the wellbeing and quality of life Other positive changes were also reported related of the people it supports. to the wider benefits of the service beyond the service user outcomes alone: 2. Respond to the changing profile of our service 1. Enabling safe discharge: We provide users: The Red Cross would benefit from reassurance (to both service users and making a strategic decision about how we best referrers) that they will be checked up on, and support our service users, given the observed that there will be someone to turn to when shift in the profile of our service users (now they get home from hospital. including people with more complex needs). 2. Supporting carers: We alleviate some of the 3. Develop active partnerships to extend our stress, providing reassurance and giving reach and maximise impact: The Red Cross valuable information on local sources of would benefit from expanding and intensifying support. our partnerships in order to reach greater numbers of people in need. 3. Enabling patient advocacy – developing advocates for our service users: We support 4. Clarify the Red Cross’ position for people in service users to get help and ensure their needs need who fall outside of our commissioned are met. contracts: The Red Cross would benefit from devoting resources to understanding the experiences of frontline staff and acknowledge the reality of delivering Support at home as a contracted service in a humanitarian organisation. 5. Collect consistent and routine local and national data to inform service learning and development: The Red Cross would benefit from a better understanding of the profile of its service users, to develop more comprehensive knowledge of our service