Day 3 of Lockdown

The big news of day 3 of lockdown is the launch of the new enhanced Care Network for those self-isolating and in need of support. Other items today include:

Operation ‘Shield’ – a partnership approach to protecting those most at risk during the COVID-19 outbreak; what is happening in Colchester in support of this.
Anglian Water update.
Three YouTube video explainers about COVID-19, one musical (based on Bohemian Rhapsody), one mathematical and the other medical.

Launch of Enhanced Care Network for Pandemic

Great news today as we can now officially launch the scheme which aims to help those self-isolating or in need of a range of help from shopping to a chat. The well-known and established West Bergholt Care Network has joined forces with the Parish Council and can now take calls from any village resident in need of help during the COVID-19 emergency.

Over the coming days, posters will appear around the village and a leaflet drop will take place, providing the Care Network Help Line. These leaflets will contain:

Care Network Help Line number
A list of useful phone numbers which may be useful in the coming weeks
A red/green flag that you can cut out and put in your front window to let people know when they pass if you are okay or in need of assistance. Keep it handy.

Over 60 volunteers have so far contacted the Care Network to help residents in West Bergholt, which is absolutely fantastic and much appreciated. If you would still like to volunteer please call Mervyn Donnelly on 01206 241656, who has been coordinating this incredible response.

Any resident who needs help can now call the Care Network to get assistance with the following:

Shopping.
Collecting prescriptions.
Posting mail.
Dog walking.
Friendly phone call.
Emotional support.
Running general errands.
Anything else you need.

How it works

This is how the scheme will work for residents

Ring the Care Network on 0300 777 3100 and a friendly village-based volunteer will record your needs.
The volunteer will then relay your needs to a central coordinator
The coordinator will put the most appropriate volunteer in touch with you to try to help with your needs

Shopping

How will the collection and delivery of shopping work?

Online Shopping Deliveries – we would, of course, suggest this in the first instance, however they are not as easy to obtain as they used to be.
Click and Collect – those with accounts at both Sainsburys & ASDA can contact the Care Network volunteers and ask for them to pick up their shopping from the store (shopping would be left on the doorstep by the volunteer).
Never Tried Online Shopping – perhaps a friend or family member (no matter where they live in the country) can submit an order for you that a volunteer can collect if only click & collect available.
Support with Placing an Online Order – for those who need help setting up online shopping for the first time we also have volunteers who can offer technical support and can talk you through the steps.
No access to the Internet – for those with no access to the internet we hope shopping will take place on an instant reimbursement basis from volunteer to resident on supply of receipt. Although, we understand that some volunteers may not want to take this approach. We don’t have all the answers and want to keep everyone safe so will keep reviewing how this works as the days and weeks pass.

Prescription Collections

Great news is that, thanks to Nik and his team, the Pharmacy can now do at least two delivery runs per week. The current one on a Friday, and a second one which (at least initially), Mervyn Donnelly has volunteered to do in association with Nik. A real relief to all who cannot leave their homes.

This is not a substitute for NHS medical or social service arrangements you may have already. It is intended as practical help with day-to-day requirements such as shopping or picking up a prescription; perhaps help walking the dog or moving the bins etc.

We hope that this service in combination with many other national and local initiatives will be helpful and supportive.

You are not alone. Your welfare is important to us as communities seek to combine forces to support everyone in the village. Thank you again to all the volunteers who have registered so far and to all of you in the community already helping your friends and neighbours at this difficult time.

Operation ‘Shield’

The following has been provided by CBC’s Assistant Director for Communities leading the Colchester Coronavirus Community Response Team.

We all have an important role to play in stopping the spread of coronavirus and the Prime Minister has set out the next steps that we must take to ensure those who are at most risk are protected. Up to 1.5 million people in England are particularly vulnerable due to suffering from the most serious underlying health conditions: our collective actions will save thousands of lives.

Partnership

Operation ‘Shield’ is our partnership approach. Local and national agencies, along with business, voluntary sector and communities work to shield these vulnerable people, and by doing so protect them and our NHS services. The approach includes identifying those most at risk (through GP surgeries and Primary Care Networks) and contacting them all, urging them to stay at home for at least 12 weeks and for those who have no local support (through neighbours, friends or local community) mobilising any essential support they need.

As you can imagine an operation of this size is not quite that simple as it sounds when you write it down and there are a number of different strands of work. You can find more information about Shield on www.gov.uk.

Local Initiatives

Borough, Town and Parish Councils along with local communities and the voluntary sector here in Colchester have a vital role to play and this work is already well underway. I’ve included below a summary of key things that are happening locally which I haven’t already told you about or where I have updates:

One Colchester continues to be the focal point for strategic partners to collaborate, plan and mobilise, supporting one another and ensuring all partners are briefed and working to shared goals and priorities.
Community360(C360) are working with 18 GP practices, receiving referrals to support patients. This means that a referral pathway is already in place to meet the government’s decision to contact 1.5 million at risk individuals, which is underway in Colchester.
Community Transport has 1200+ members registered and welfare calls are underway.
Volunteers have registered to help in their thousands, through ECC, C360 and within local communities.
A Community Response Pack will be available in the next few days, this will contain vital information and contacts in one location.
Isolation worries are being addressed through collaborative approaches with the voluntary, cultural, leisure and business sectors from, ‘dial a poem’ through to befriending schemes and virtual workouts.
Support packs of food items are being made up at Firstsite, and distribution is underway. This is funded by our local Health Alliance. A national programme of work is also underway working with food distributors and supermarkets to add to our local effort.
We are engaging with key partners across all services and areas, particularly the Food Bank with regards to distribution sites and the support packs. See attached in relation to Food Bank specifically.
Key Services and Activities are being mapped, there are now over 80 support groups within Communities for Covid19 and this information is being shared and kept up to date. See attached.
The One Colchester Hub in the town center is up and running as a Community Hub.
PPE equipment is getting through, some essential services now have a good supply and through the One partnership we are working together to distribute between us.
C360, through the transport resource are offering – Critical trips for members to access medical appointments, prescriptions pickups and shopping (making use of the vulnerable adult early opening at the supermarkets). Additional capacity to the hospital discharge team and pick up and delivery of prescriptions, as well as delivery of support packs.
Each Neighbourhood area has a dedicated CBC Community Response officer to support activities and the [email protected] is being well utilised. Attached is a map of the Neighbourhoods and CBC officers contact details but please note this is for COVID19 related issues.
Business Support – There is a dedicated area of the Council website for businesses which is being updated daily – https://www.colchester.gov.uk/coronavirus/businesses/
We are talking to and working with Parish and Town Councils, an update was sent out to them yesterday.
A new Meals on Wheels service was up and running in Greenstead from Monday with cashless payment in place and local student volunteers helping with delivery of food from the café.
Colchester Borough Homes are also undertaking welfare calls to hundreds of our vulnerable tenants in line with Shield objectives along with supporting residents of our 20 Sheltered Housing Schemes, many of whom also fall into the high risk categories. They are reporting increased issues around Homelessness and maintain the ongoing support for our small number of rough sleepers.
CBCs Digital Access Team can support residents who are self-isolating to get connected. Whether help is needed setting up online grocery shopping, accessing the NHS App or Skyping loved ones – they’re able to help. Email [email protected] or call 01206 282452.

This is a flavour of the work going on across the Borough linked to the Community Response to COVID19. You will know of so many more local examples, equally as important and impressive. A raft of communications and social media activity from all partners, including CBC is also taking place and we know many of you are also involved in those efforts daily.

Anglian Water Update

We know these are difficult and uncertain times. We want to reassure you we’re still here providing one of life’s essential services – keeping taps flowing, toilets flushing and drains draining.

We have a dedicated team of operational experts who will be continuing to work in your area over the coming weeks. They’ll be carrying out emergency and essential works, critical to keep our pipes, pumps and equipment running so we can all turn on the tap and flush the toilet without a second thought.

Our responsibility for such an essential service is something we take very seriously, as is the safety of our customers and our colleagues. Our teams will be following Public Health England advice on social distancing while at work, and they will be limiting direct contact with customers unless it’s an emergency.

If you’re shielding or self-isolating, our staff will take the necessary precautions if we do need to visit you. Our priority is always to keep both you and our colleagues safe.

How we can help

We’re doing lots more to adapt our ways of working and to help customers who might need extra support. If you’re in one of the high-risk groups with a medical condition that makes you especially vulnerable to Coronavirus, we’d urge you to sign up to our Priority Services Register ASAP so we can support you in the best way.

Also if you need extra help from us due to age, ill-health or disability, sign up for our Priority Services Register and we can adapt the services we offer you. If you need financial support at this difficult time, you’re not alone.

Day 3 of Lockdown – the Bohemian Rhapsody Edition