Tuesday 28 April 2020
Just as the evidence starts to show that the country may have reached a peak in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases reported via hospitals, we have a reminder today from the Office of National Statistics that deaths in community settings, including care homes, are continuing to rise.
Community reporting lags some way behind the hospital data, but what is clear is that the death toll will keep on rising for some time.
Here in Devon, whilst we can be thankful that the infection curve has been lower and slower than in other places, it is likely that we have yet to see the peak in initial cases.
So, even though it’s hard, it is more important than ever that we keep on with social distancing and being careful.
In this update:
- Testing for essential workers
- Support from our Disabled Children's Service
- The NHS is still here for you
- Rise in calls to domestic abuse helplines
- How to contact our health visitors
- Celebrating VE Day
- Payment options for volunteer shoppers
 Coronavirus testing for essential workers
If you're an essential worker, tests are now available for you and members of your household who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms.
It means people will have the reassurance of knowing whether their symptoms are caused by coronavirus and can decide whether they are well enough to return to work if the test is negative.
Tests can be booked via the government's online system. Employers can register and refer self-isolating staff, and employees can book a test directly for themselves or members of their household who are experiencing symptoms – a high temperature or new continuous cough.
 Support from our Disabled Children's Service
The current situation is hard for everyone and particularly difficult for some families with a child or young person with a special educational need or disability.
We’re working closely with parents and carers during this difficult time to make sure families are receiving the most appropriate support that is available to them.
We are updating our website all the time to keep families informed with the latest information, including suggestions on using personal budgets and short breaks plans flexibly and creatively, changes to our direct payments policy and advice for parents and carers who employ staff.
We are regularly talking to the co-chairs of the Parent Carer Forum to jointly identify issues and try to resolve them. We want to make sure everyone has all the information they need so we've answered lots of questions on our website, and also gathered some useful online resources for children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.
 Lockdown prompts rise in calls to domestic abuse helplines
Calls to national domestic abuse helplines have risen significantly since lockdown. In Devon, the regional support charity for victims of domestic violence and abuse, Splitz, saw a 62 per cent rise in the number of people needing their help from the beginning of April to last week.
Their Head of Service, Chrissy Stower said: "Everyone has had to make changes during lockdown, and it’s meant different things to different people. For most, it's inconvenience - a change of routine and finding new norms.
"But for many, it's also a time of increased isolation and risk physically and mentally. Lockdown, job insecurity, money pressures, kids at home...unfortunately these can all impact negatively, resulting too often in violence and abuse within the family home.
"Home, a place of safety and refuge to most, can become a place of heightened anxiety and danger to others. Our message is simple, and yet acting on it can be so difficult. We want you to know, you are not alone. You might feel like you are, but you're not. You might feel like there is no way out, but there is. Help is available to you, wherever and whenever you feel able to ask. There are ways that you can seek help quickly and discreetly. And there are places that you and your children can be safe and supported. Please contact us."
If you need help, please call your local Victim Support team in Devon and Cornwall on 0300 303 0554. Lines are open 12pm-6pm Monday to Friday. If you need support outside of our open hours, call our Supportline for free on 08 08 16 89 111. You can now also access our free live chat for 24/7 support.
In an emergency always call 999.
 The NHS is still here for you
Doctors in Devon are reassuring local people that the NHS is still there for them if they are unwell and need help.
They're concerned that some people who would benefit from urgent medical help may not be receiving it because they are worried about being a burden on the NHS or going to hospital at this time.
If you don't seek help for a serious condition or delay getting treatment due to coronavirus fears, it could risk your health long term.
Nearly all of Devon’s GP practices offer online consultations, which allow patients to access services from their smartphone, tablet or computer. All GP practices can now offer video consultations too. There are also special measures in place at GP practices and hospitals to protect patients and staff from coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you need urgent medical help you can use the NHS online 111 service or call 111 for help.
If it's a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999.
 NHS ChatHealth for parents and carers
During these unsettling times, you may have health and wellbeing concerns about your baby or child and be unsure how to get the help you need.
Our local health visitors are still here to help via NHS ChatHealth; a confidential text messaging service.
If you are a parent or carer and want confidential advice and support about your baby or child aged up to 19 years old, then you can text a health visitor on: 07520 631 721.
They are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and can offer help on a wide range of issues such as mental health, family health and development, sleeping and feeding routines and adjusting to parenting. For more information visit the NHS chat health website.
Is your child eligible for free school meals?
If your child is eligible for free school meals, you are entitled to free vouchers from the Government to help pay for your child's food, regardless of whether or not they are attending school right now.
Schools will provide meals for vulnerable children and children of key workers who are eligible and in class. But eligible children who are at home are entitled to food vouchers worth £15 a week, which can be exchanged at most supermarkets.
 Celebrating VE Day on Friday 8 May
It will be 75 years to the day, on Friday 8 May 2020, since the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe. This year, the nation will be marking the occasion differently. Many community celebrations, due to take place on the bank holiday weekend (Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May), have been postponed. The veterans' procession and events in London will no longer go ahead. But mark the occasion, we will still.
There are lots of ways that you can get involved and show your support in marking the day on social media and via your digital channels. The government has published a toolkit of resources, to include bunting and posters that you can print and display at home in your windows. English Heritage has a pack to help you put together your own celebrations to mark the anniversary from home. Share your Second World War stories, families’ histories and messages of remembrance on social media, using #VEDay75 to join the conversation. For school children, historian and presenter Dan Snow has set you a creative challenge to research what VE Day is all about.
However you mark the day, privately or publicly, please do so safely.
NHS Nightingale Exeter to open in new location
NHS Nightingale Exeter is set to open in a new location.
The NHS’ newest hospital will now be built on the site of the former Homebase store in Sowton, Exeter.
Earlier plans had indicated that this hospital would be based at Westpoint.
The new hospital will be a regional facility providing care and treatment for patients from Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.
Conversion of the former retail unit to a fully functioning hospital will begin over the next few days and as it is currently vacant, it should be opening as planned in late May.
Payment options for volunteer shoppers
It's great to have good friends and neighbours we feel we can trust, no more so than now. For many, who don't feel they can call on someone they know to ask for help with shopping, there's an army of volunteers waiting to help.
If you don’t know your volunteer helper, the Royal Voluntary Service and the NHS have provided some helpful advice about how your helper can safely pay for your shopping with your money.
There are a number of recommended ways to pay for your shopping securely:
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Ordering and paying online or over the telephone
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Paying over the phone at check out
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Pre-paid supermarket vouchers or gift card
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Make a payment via a Grocery Choice voucher
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As a last resort, if all previous options are exhausted, you can pay for shopping with cash.
 Advice for new parents
This is a worrying time for everyone, and you may have particular concerns about coronavirus (COVID-19) if you are pregnant or have a baby. The Lullaby Trust has some useful advice on their website.
Furloughed workers planning to take paid parental or adoption leave will be entitled to pay based on their usual earnings rather than a furloughed pay rate, the Government has announced.
 Pyjamarama: Friday 1 May
Libraries Unlimited is encouraging families across Devon to join them on Friday 1 May for a celebration of bedtime stories as part of the Book Trust's online reading festival, Pyjamarama. Find out more about the events planned by your local library by following them on Facebook.
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