Judith Cosaitis from London Fire Brigade was named a Heat Hero at a special awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament last week.
Judith works as a Community Safety Advisor as part of the Fire, Safe and Well project currently being piloted by the London Fire Brigade in five London Boroughs. As a Community Safety Advisor, Judith visits vulnerable residents in their homes to identify issues which impact on their safety and wellbeing.
Some of the people Judith visits are isolated, not known to other agencies and at risk of falling between the cracks of statutory support services. Due to the synergies with fire risk, a key priority for Judith and other Community Safety Advisors, is to identify and address the signs of fuel poverty and also understand the impact fuel poverty is having upon residents from both a mental health as well as a health and safety aspect.
Held in partnership between Vaillant and the charity National Energy Action, this year there were some very strong candidates, and the judges selected 17 worthy winners from across the UK.
Not-for-profit organisations including local authorities, health and social care agencies, voluntary and statutory agencies and community groups were encouraged to nominate staff and volunteers for the award.
