Ground breaking stop and chat initiative helps vulnerable people in Devon
A new initiative adopted by a Devon food delivery is having a huge and positive impact on the communities it serves.
Social enterprise Devon Farm Kitchen delivers handmade frozen food direct to the doors of homes across south Devon. Its stop and chat service is proving invaluable to vulnerable and isolated customers, as well as providing reassurance to their families.
Most door step delivery companies have a ‘knock and drop’ regime, but part of Devon Farm Kitchen’s job description for its drivers is to stop and chat with its customers to help ensure their health and well-being.
It was established by Rowcroft Hospice for the core purpose of generating much-needed income to enable the hospice to continue to deliver outstanding specialist palliative and end-of-life care, free of charge. Since it was set up last year, it has delivered 26,000 meals to customers across the region.
Adrian Clune, a driver with Devon Farm Kitchen, explained: “It’s a crucial part of our service that we have the time to chat with our customers, and ensure they are ok. It’s also about building familiarity with our customers as it makes it easier to help them if needed.”
He added: “A lot of the time, we need to go into the house, to put the food away at the customer’s request, and when you say hello and ask them how they are, you can gauge how long you need to spend with them.”
Devon Farm Kitchen covers 500 square miles in South Devon, from Okehampton in the north, to Dartmouth in the south, the outskirts of Plymouth in the west and Exeter in the east. The meals are handmade in small batches using the finest produce sourced directly from Devon’s farmers, fishing communities and other local communities. They are also delivered ready to heat on ceramic plates and bowls which are then washed and return to the driver on the next delivery. There’s no plastic involved, and the cardboard packaging is 100 per cent carbon neutral, recyclable and fully compostable.
Mr Clunes said: “Some customers prefer us to deliver their food at the door, but we have many who really look forward to seeing us, and that interaction is very valuable. Having someone they can offload to for a few minutes can make the world of difference. On the odd occasion, there will be a safe guarding issue and we will feed this back to the authorities, letting them know we might have a vulnerable person. We try and reassure people and encourage them to ask for help if they need it. It’s not a judgement, but we can escalate a situation if we need to, and that has been very reassuring for families of our customers who might not live near enough to see them on a regular basis.”
General Manager Joe Bradshaw said: “Spending five minutes day with our customers is such a simple thing to do, but it really is making a difference in helping to alleviate the problems of isolation and vulnerability in our communities. It takes the pressure off people who are caring for their family, and it makes life easier for those who live alone.”
Rowcroft cares for more than 2000 patients and their families every year and every single penny of Devon Farm Kitchen profit supports the hospice.
To find out more visit www.devonfarmkitchen.co.uk
