Covid-19 Communities Update - Wednesday, 10 June 2020

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Councils raise profile of carers during National Carers Week

As part of National Carers Week, Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils are highlighting the challenges faced by unpaid carers and recognising the contribution they make to families and communities in our region.

This year’s theme, #MakingCaringVisible asks people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed information, advice and support.

Being a carer can be very rewarding, but can also be very hard work. There are lots of reasons why caring for someone can leave carers needing support, particularly with the pressures of lockdown. It’s important that they think about their own mental and physical health and emotional wellbeing as well as the person that they are caring for. Support is available for anyone who cares for someone else, whether they call themselves a 'carer' or not. This support can help make the caring role easier and it can free up more time for carers to take care of themselves.

If you provide care for someone, our partners are on hand to help: Caring Together for adult carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and for young carers in Peterborough; Centre 33 supports young carers in Cambridgeshire and Making Space helps carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who look after someone with mental ill health.

Information for carers is available on the County Council / City Council websites.

Both Councils will be sharing information and case studies on their Facebook and Twitter channels this week.


Cambridgeshire and Peterborough bus passes

Bus passengers are being made aware that the times they can travel using concessionary passes will change from next week.

At the start of the lockdown in March, both Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council worked with operators to allow concessionary bus passes to be used before 9.30am. By relaxing the time limits, people were able to access supermarkets and the reserved shopping slots being offered to elderly residents at the time.

However, the introduction of national social distancing measures has since resulted in a reduction in capacity on public transport. To ensure that there is sufficient public transport capacity for key workers before 9.30am, it has been decided that bus operators will no longer accept concessionary passes before 9.30am from Monday 15 June onwards.

In addition, wearing face masks on public transport will become compulsory on Monday, 15 June. Further details are on the Government’s website.


Dr Liz Robin vlog  

Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, explains why the wearing of cloth-made face coverings is now being recommended to reduce the spread of coronavirus, why wearing one means you are thinking of others, shares some tips about wearing one, and how this advice is in addition to the other measures such as handwashing, social distancing and staying at home as much as possible. Read the Government’s advice on how to wear and make a cloth face covering. 

Click here to watch today’s video blog.


Nominations open for Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2021

Do you know a voluntary group that goes above and beyond to help people?

If so, have you considered nominating them for a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service?

You can now nominate any group of two or more people which has participated in voluntary work for more than three years for next year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the prestigious award known as the MBE for volunteer groups.

March Amateur Boxing Club was one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to be honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2020. Each was chosen for their outstanding work to benefit their local communities.

Every year, nominations are sent to local assessment panels, who then decide which of these to forward to the National Award Committee. The Committee then shortlists which nominations to send to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which sends a final list to the Queen for her approval.

Recipients of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service have been announced in the London Gazette on 2 June every year since its launch in 2002 to mark the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation.

Winners get a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal, which representatives of March Amateur Boxing Club will receive from Julie Spence, OBE QPM, Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, later this year. Groups who receive the award may also be invited to attend a royal garden party.

You can submit your nominations for the 2021 award here before 25 September 2020.

More information about the award can be found here.


From road safety education officer to reablement worker  

A video filmed by a Peterborough City Council staff member shows what her experience of being redeployed has been like so far.

To watch the video of Jenny explaining what her redeployment experience has been like, click here.

Jenny Wright usually works as a Road Safety Education Officer, but due to current restrictions around coronavirus, she is unable to carry out her normal role, as she usually works in schools and other education settings which are currently closed for most pupils.

All Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council staff who are unable to carry out their normal roles have been redeployed, and Jenny is now working as a reablement worker.

Normally, reablement is a service that provides care and support to adults living in the community. It delivers a programme of time limited, reablement intervention to enable individuals to increase their confidence and ability to live as independently as possible within their everyday environment and community network.

As part of their role, the reablement team visit vulnerable people at their home and ensure they have enough food, are hydrated and have taking any medications they may need.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, the reablement service is ensuring that they help to deliver care and support to those people who need it most.

While individuals in the “shielded” category should not generally be meeting with others face to face, all staff are working strictly in accordance with Government guidelines and wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when on shift, including a face mask, gloves and pinafore apron.”


Sharing Communities Updates

You are welcome to share this Communities Update by forwarding the email to people in your community, who can also subscribe to receive updates from Cambridgeshire County Council by registering and selecting ‘Communities Updates’ from the list under Covid-19.  We are asking City councillors to forward this update to their local residents associations.