Update from the Reassurance Hub

It’s positive to see restrictions being eased so that we can have more contact with friends and family. However, as some people make a desperate dash to the beach or the park it is important that we try to remind people to ease out of lockdown in an appropriate and careful manner. Many people may only just be thinking about taking their first tentative steps outside, and so it’s clear that ongoing community support remains essential. Below are some of the key dates to look out for in the coming weeks.

Easing the lockdown in England

 From July 4^th

• Two metre social distancing replaced with ‘1 metre plus’
• Indoor gatherings of two households allowed, with social distancing
• Places of worship, libraries, pubs, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, museums, galleries, bingo halls, hair salons & barbers can re-open
• Outdoor gyms can re-open but indoor gyms remain closed
• Hotels, B&Bs, holiday homes, campsites & caravan parks can re-open if Covid-secure
• Theatres and concert halls can re-open but cannot stage live performances

 From July 6^th people who are shielded can:

• Meet up to six other people outside, with social distancing
• Create a ‘support bubble’ with one other household

From August 1^st Shielding to come to an end. People who have been affected can visit shops, travel, and return to Covid-secure workplaces

As these dates approach quickly, here’s a quick reminder of some of the options that the council and its partners have in place to support your work. Talk to us at any time about how we can best help you support local people.

Covid-19 Helpline and on-line information

For non-medical support and enquires call direct Covid-19 Helpline 0345 6789028  or email [email protected]. On the Shropshire Council website, there is a wide range of information available to help you support people. Find the full range of information here: https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/information-for-the-public/. This includes the three directories on: food provision, community support and community social networks. Please check that your support group’s details are correctly recorded on the relevant directories. Please email me as soon as possible if you would like changes to be made.

Test and Trace – outbreak update

You may have seen information in the press relating to Covid cases at the ABP plant in the north of Shropshire – https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2020/06/coronavirus-apb-food/

I want to assure you that the cases referred to in the north of Shropshire are mainly historical, meaning that they have happened since the start of the pandemic, and are not active cases. Shropshire Council are working closely with Public Health England and current close contacts will be notified through track and trace programme, to ensure that all measures to stop the community spread of Covid 19 are in place.  We ask people to continue to adhere to government guidance on social distancing and hand hygiene. Please see the poster attached which has been developed to promote these key messages. Please let me know if you have any comments on this resource and if you require it in any adapted formats e.g. easy read or other languages.

BAME Community Support

CRT is keen to engage with you and other community members about the spread of Covid 19, and how we can support you and your community. You may have heard about various Covid 19 outbreaks in Shropshire, and there are some actions we can take in our communities to reduce further spread of Covid 19, as well as to help keep all our communities stay as safe.

Some parts of our communities are more at risk than others. For example, those who are over 70, BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities, and those with underlying health conditions, are at much greater risk from Covid 19, and we want to work together to keep everyone safe. Changing government guidance has meant that consistent messaging to local areas has been difficult, however, we are keen now to send you good, local information; making the information available in a range of formats, and available to all of our communities and settings. I would be grateful if you can please contact me if you are aware of anything in your community which has been set up to support and who you feel would benefit from receiving resources.

Getting involved with Shropshire’s Social Prescribing Service

Social Prescribing is a non-medical programme that supports people to improve their health and wellbeing with community support.

A Social Prescribing Advisor helps clients to understand their health and wellbeing needs and supports them in setting realistic goals and developing an action plan to achieve these. They enable people to access support and services in their own community by signposting or direct referral to local groups and activities, they are then able to monitor progress.

Social Prescribing is for people aged 18 years and over and is for anyone who would benefit from additional support to help and motivate them to take action to improve their health and wellbeing. People it can support, maybe:

• Feeling worried or anxious
• Feeling lonely or socially isolated
• Living with a long-term condition
• Wanting to make changes to their lifestyle
• Caring for someone

At the moment, we are also keen to support people who would benefit from regular and on-going support to cope with their stress, concerns or anxieties caused by social isolation and Covid-19 or who may require more time and support from a Social Prescribing Advisor to work out how their practical needs will be met during social distancing.

Social Prescribing is a priority work programme for Shropshire and nationally a key component of Universal Personalised Care and the NHS Long Term Plan.

Your organisation or group can get involved too

• Become listed in a Local Directory used by the Social Prescribing Advisors so they can signpost clients to your group and activities.  This Directory is hosted by Qube and available on their website, so it is accessible to all.
• Sign-up to become a Social Prescribing intervention, that Social Prescribing clients can be referred to.  This involves providing details of your activities and completing a Quality Assurance checklist and working more closely with us.
• Join one of the Community Connector networks across the county to network and share with other groups and organisations.

Information and support on getting involved in Social Prescribing is available from members of the Social Prescribing team.  Please get in touch with Tracy Donovan (Tel 01743 254403 [email protected] ) who will link you to the appropriate member of the team for your area.

Shropshire Libraries offer so much for old and young

• Shropshire Libraries Youtube Channel – for Empathy Day Storytimes for children, Books Aloud, Memory Corner (for those living with Dementia)
• Shropshire Summer Reads Escape into a good read with Shropshire Libraries this summer and support Shropshire’s fabulous indie bookshops at the same time! Simply sign up here and read and rate 4 books of your choice. Until libraries reopen, you can choose from our e-library or feel free to make your own choices
• Shropshire Libraries – Silly Squad Summer Reading Challenge 2020 (ages 4-11 yrs) The Summer Reading Challenge for youngsters is moving online this year!

To sign up, children should go to summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/. They will need the email address and permission of a parent or carer to sign up. They then set their own reading goal and get reading! (including e-audio, graphic novels and non-fiction). Activities and rewards are unlocked each time a book is finished. Once a child reaches their reading goal they can download and print a certificate.

Keep an eye out for virtual library events and activities on our Youtube Channel or twitter feed @ShropLibraries such as lego clubs, craft sessions and online story times.

• Arts Award with Shropshire Libraries For children aged 5-11. Get a qualification over the summer. Simply complete an online portfolio from home and earn a certificate from Trinity College London. We are excited to offer Arts Award at both Discover and Explore levels. For more information email us: [email protected]  

What Summer activities for kids have you got planned this year?

Here’s a call out to local groups to let us know about summer activity for kids. Have you got plans for the children in your community? Let us know and we can help publicise.

Coronavirus diaries – from despair to pleasant surprise

And finally, I’d like to finish with a positive observation from Ric, one of our Community Reassurance Team (CRT). Ric is a theatre technician who was redeployed within the Council, as his area of work was closed as per Government regulations. He joined the CRT and has been working in his local community. His comment below is one small salute to the efforts of everyone in local communities throughout Shropshire. He said: “Working with the CRT has allowed me to move from a despairing start to the lockdown, through building a new set of skills to being pleasantly surprised by how resilient our communities are. I started the year flying a magic carpet and dancing in an elephant costume, and yesterday completed a course in psychological first aid – adapt and survive, keep bouncing forward!”

If you want to find more information about staying positive and resilient, visit our website – https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/information-for-the-public/

The support that you provide has been invaluable in helping people to adapt and thrive.

Thank you.

Many Thanks

Hannah Thomas
Specialist Advisor
Public Health, Health Checks Team

Currently working on behalf of Shropshire Council on the North West Shropshire Community Reassurance Team

Shropshire Council
4th Floor, Shirehall
Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury
SY2 6ND

Tel: 01743 254235
Mobile: 07458120468
Email: [email protected]

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