Everyone can play their part in the fight against coronavirus and all of the District’s households will soon receive a letter asking them to make a Household Plan. The idea is simple. To think about where you may need to make changes, make plans and share information.
The plans will ensure that everyone living in a household has access to the information that they need to keep well and to get support if they need it. If only one person has that information it can cause problems if they are at work, can’t be contacted or fall ill. So Bradford Council is asking people to think about each person’s needs, think ahead about possible problems and how to deal with them and to gather useful information together. Planning should include:
- contact details,
- who provides services to the household,
- who can support and help your household, and who you can support
- discussion about how you can all stay well - physically, mentally and emotionally
- plans on how to care for anyone who has symptoms or becomes ill with the virus.
Alongside the letters are advice and tips on how to stay well and what to do if someone has symptoms, is ill or needs support.
You can sign up for email updates for people living and working in Bradford District here.
|
Always go online first unless it’s an emergency
For people needing non-medical help or support – 01274 431000
For all Bradford Council information: www.bradford.gov.uk or 01274 432111
Police, Fire, Ambulance: 101 Life-threatening emergency only: 999
Adult social care, if concerned about care package: 01274 435400
Adult social care out of hours: 01274 431010
Business support - www.investinbradford.com or 01274 437722. Children’s social care: 01274 435600 and Children’s out of hours: 01274 431010
Childline: 0800 1111
Domestic abuse: 0808 2800 999 and Out of hours: 0808 2000 247
Hate crime reporting: 08001 691664
Mental wellbeing crisis support: www.bdct.nhs.uk/services/firstresponse
A new coronavirus (Covid-19) testing facility that has opened at Marley Playing Fields in Keighley will be an important way in which we can support frontline workers across our district who are vital in the fight against the virus. Priority for testing is being given to those who work in intensive care, accident and emergency, paramedics as well as those working in other health and care settings. Testing is being done strictly on an appointment only basis and car registration technology will be used to manage appointments. This facility is not open to the general public.
The council is urgently looking for people who would be interested in assisting some of the District’s most vulnerable residents in the wake of COVID-19. Working together with social care providers a fast track recruitment drive is planned to make sure that there are enough care staff throughout the outbreak. Previous experience is not necessary as training will be provided. To find out more and apply anyone interested should email Skillshouse@bradford.gov.uk for an application form.
The NHS has launched a new Coronavirus Status Checker, This will help to coordinate the response and build up information on the outbreak. People with potential COVID-19 symptoms are being asked to complete the status checker and answer a series of questions which will help the NHS to understand their experience.
businesses to the finance, advice and information that they need. Over the last week grants of up to £10,000 have been distributed to over 9,000 businesses. Now we are working on getting larger grants out and identifying businesses at risk. We are helping business to get advice and clarity on what support is available and raising their concerns with the Government.
For help with business planning and grant funding contact the Invest in Bradford team on 01274 437727, email info@investinbradford.com or visit www.investinbradford.com. Leeds City Region enterprise Partnership is offering information and support to businesses – email BusinessSupport@the-lep.com or call 0113 348 1818.
West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has lots of useful advice.
For government guidance and support for employers and businesses including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, visit the UK Government website.
If you are an artist or are part of a business in the arts and culture sector find out about applying for an arts and culture grant.
Housing provider, Inncommunities has put in place a range of measures to protect customers: -
- buying in over £13,000 worth of food from its catering suppliers and distributing over 600 food parcels to older and vulnerable customers.
- carrying out repairs and adaptations to help provide homes to homeless customers and people being released from hospital
- identifying and supporting key workers to focus on delivering emergency repairs and essential works.
- keeping in touch with residents in our retirement living schemes
- ensuring communal stairwells and corridors and lobbies are free of refuse and bulk waste and paying special attention to clearing up around bins to avoid pest infestation
- making contact with customers over 70 years of age who are identified as vulnerable to check if they have any welfare needs.
Staff are also being protected through new procedures to ensure social distancing and safe and hygienic work practices, maintaining sufficient PPE equipment levels and supply lines and supporting home working.
Last week, Inncommunities teams delivered more than 200 food parcels to the Salvation Army foodbank in Keighley to boost their low stocks and they are supporting the Council’s drive to deliver supplies to thousands of local households in need.
The Customer Service Centre has seen a 40% increase in urgent income and benefits related calls. Customers are asked to contact Inncommunities by telephone, email or digitally.
If any customers are facing difficulties in keeping up to their rent or need benefits advice they are urged to contact the Income Team straightaway on 01274 254777. Our team are here to help.
For more customer information go to www.incommunities.co.uk/news
Elsewhere, Council staff are working alongside volunteers to make sure vulnerable people get the help they need and to help keep them in good spirits. One story concerns a 97-year-old elderly lady who would have had no other way of getting supplies after the person that usually helped her had to go into self-isolation. The helper had seen a leaflet delivered by Council wardens and referred her on to the Hub for shopping. It is the lady’s 98th birthday next week and the wardens have clubbed together to take a birthday cake on the next visit. Just one example of many of how people are going the extra mile to keep everyone safe and well.
Council services are playing a critical role in this emergency - getting help to vulnerable people, supporting business, keeping people informed and maintaining vital services like waste collections. The response however is having a significant impact on resources through increased expenditure and loss of income. The impact in Bradford will run into tens of millions of pounds. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government is asking Councils to help it understand the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on their finances. Bradford will be playing its part and making the case for the Government to ensure that the impact on budgets is neutral and does not impose further financial pressures when the emergency is over.
New powers to deliver local democracy
The vital democratic role of councils has been recognised by new powers to hold meetings remotely. The powers, set out in a letter from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government will ensure that essential decision making can continue in a democratic and transparent way while complying with public health guidance. The letter also advises that local elections and by elections that would take place before May 2021 are postponed. The Council is currently working on a technical solution to enable remote meetings to take place. Planning meetings are currently scheduled for 21 and 22 April and will go ahead if the enabling technology is in place by then. It also hoped that a meeting of the Executive can be arranged soon, the most recent meeting on 24 March was held by phone but had to delegate recommended decisions to the chief executive in order to be lawful.
Ensuring a strong, healthy and fair society, living within environmental limits, achieving a sustainable economy and using sound science responsibly will be the principles at the heart of the recovery from the current emergency. These principles also underpin the Sustainable Development Action Plan agreed by the Council’s Executive at its meeting on 24 March.
The plan sets out a package of measures to help tackle climate change while building a sustainable and prosperous economy that works in the interests of everyone and minimises waste and the use of finite natural resources. The proposed measures are in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and will cut carbon and costs, help to reduce household bills through better energy efficiency, improve health and wellbeing and generate new jobs and sustainable economic growth through investment in a green economy. Research undertaken by Leeds City Region suggests that clean growth could add £11bn to the city region economy and create 100,000 extra skilled jobs for local people.
The Sustainable Development Action Plan builds on local assets and activity including priority projects identified when the Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019:
- Reducing the energy used for street lighting
- Delivering a district heat network, with the potential for saving on Council and partner heating costs.
- Expanding the network of electric vehicle (EV) charging points and numbers of EV vehicles.
- Increasing renewable energy and electricity generation on the Council estate.
- Embracing the opportunities offered by hydrogen.
Bradford has since joined the Leeds City Region Climate Coalition which is aiming for a net zero carbon region by 2038. Achieving this goal requires leadership and action across all sectors and in all walks of life. The Action Plan will establish a new Sustainable Development Partnership to lead and co-ordinate strategic policy and direction across organisations and sectors. Dr Stewart Davies has agreed to chair the Partnership. Dr Davies is Chief Executive of Xiros Ltd, and has chaired and been a member of a number of environmental organisations, including the UK Sustainable Development Commission.
You can find the plan and the Executive report here.
|
Devolution for West Yorkshire moved a step closer when Bradford Council’s Executive endorsed the deal agreed with Government by West Yorkshire leaders. The executive also gave the green light to a review of governance arrangements that will be needed before a Mayoral authority can be established.
The deal will deliver £1,8bn of investment over the next 30 years and includes commitments on transport, business support, skills, innovation and tackling climate emergency.
Specific commitments for Bradford District include:
- An additional £500,000 in direct funding to help Bradford Council develop a masterplan for Bradford city centre, maximising regeneration opportunitiesfrom Northern Powerhouse Rail.
- A package of measures to transform Bradford City Centre through pedestrianisation, new cycle infrastructure and better access to BradfordInterchange
- A new park-and-ride for South Bradford providing alternative access to thecity centre and key employment sites
- Support for an Act Early research hub (building on the Born in Bradford work
at Bradford Royal Infirmary) which focuses on early interventions in childhood health to improve lives and opportunities for children and their families.
|
This Easter take part in some fantastic online activities with Bradford Museums. Be inspired by David Hockney’s image of daffodils, which he titled: Do Remember They Can’t Cancel the Spring. Go on an Easter adventure at home! Be inspired by explorer Herbert Morley. With guidance from Bradford Museums and a bit of imagination, write an account of your explorer’s adventure or create and write a postcard home.
These are just a couple of things you can do – find out more at Visit Bradford.
|
