Home visits work in Doncaster

Energy advisors in South Yorkshire have teamed up with another charity to provide ongoing support to people living with mental health problems.

 The team at Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough have partnered with People Focused Group (PFG) as part of their work to ensure people feel able to tackle challenges they come up against.

 Since early summer 2025, the team have seen more than a hundred people with lived experience of mental health issues across Doncaster through a series of home visits with PFG.

Experts visit six to eight homes each week, checking in with people in the city to take them food, make sure they’re okay and offer support when needed. Citizens Advice advisors are on hand to support with any energy issues people are facing at the same time.

The partnership came about after Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough Chief Executive James Woods chatted to his PFG counterpart to see if his team could join them on their rounds.

 James said: “There are people who have multiple needs challenges and even straightforward things like turning down the radiators in warmer months might be a challenge for them.

“We can help with the real practical stuff – from giving warm packs out with things like radiator foils and draught excluders that make a little bit of difference to energy bills to helping people read and understand their energy bills. Bills can be very complicated for people as people don’t necessarily understand all the Kilowatts and things like that. We’ve also had a few people ask us about how smart meters work too.

“But by going in and giving energy advice, it also opens doors to our other support too – things like budgeting, debt and digital inclusion. Because of their relationship with PGF, we’ve been able to be seen as a trusted face.

“It’s almost like we’re reaching a hidden audience. Many people wouldn’t have engaged with us before because they’re housebound or have complex needs. But this way, we’re able to sit and have a cup of tea with them and talk about energy.”

 The team have been able to support people like Stephen* – a young man living with autism who didn’t know how to turn his heating off completely in the summer months, leading to his house being unnecessarily hot and his energy bills being much larger than they should have been. The Citizens Advice advisor was able to spend time with Stephen to show him the practicalities of running his heating system – something nobody had ever showed him how to do.

People like Stephen will benefit from the long-term support on offer to residents. Rather than being a one-time visit, the project will likely see experts return to see people again, particularly in the run-up to the winter period when the colder weather sets in and heating habits may need to change.

 James added: “We’ve visited most of the houses now, but we’re planning to go back at the end of September or early October when the weather starts to change. There was a general consensus that people we speak to were worried about the winter. But the idea that our advisors will be there for people when the closer weather arrives has been welcomed.”

*name changed to protect identity.

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