An Update from
Heather Collington
Senior Operational Manager
As we head towards a review of the lockdown arrangements, we anticipate that not a lot will change for the present time and that the social distancing requirements particularly will continue for some considerable time to come. I know how challenging this has been for you all whether you are working from home or required to come into an office. It is particularly difficult as staff try to reach out and contact people who are struggling at this time whether that be through social isolation or those trying to deal with the range of stresses the lockdown has brought but your response has been creative and humbling.
I have been really impressed that the overriding response has been to remain positive and upbeat showing a team spirit and sense of compassion which is so fundamental to our values as a social work service.
If you haven’t seen some of the recent videos created by some of the teams I can assure you they are well worth a watch – it is great to see staff so involved and committed to delivering a message of encouragement and fortitude – I certainly am seeing people in a completely different light – so much fun and enthusiasm – a real ‘glass half full approach’!
As we start to even tentatively start to think about how we might restart and recover there is so much we have learnt already during this period that we want to make sure that take that forward and that we hold onto the things that have really worked for us all. We might struggle a bit still with technology, but I think most people would agree that using teams for meetings is a real bonus and has certainly been key for you as staff to keep in touch. It would be good to hear your thoughts on what we have learnt and want we could take forward into whatever the new normal will be, whenever that comes – you might even write a short piece for the Staff Briefing!
A continued enormous thank you for your hard work and dedication during this period.
Take care and stay safe
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Criminal Justice Partnership
The Community Justice Partnership is our local strategic partnership that has responsibility for preventing offending and reducing reoffending. At a local level we have representation from Police, Justice Social Work, Children and Families Social Work, NHS, Scottish Prison Service, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service, Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Third Sector. Under normal circumstances we meet quarterly to review the local Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan and feed into other strategic partnerships across the region.
Covid19 has seen us having to work in a completely different way. As partners have a strong operational focus right now we have continued to link nationally with Community Justice Scotland, Scottish Government and others sharing updates and information in relation to changes in legislation which affect the way in which justice services are delivered, from the point of arrest through to release from prison. Meetings have continued to take place virtually through MS Teams enabling us to touch base in relation to cross cutting issues and share good news stories and positive examples of partnership working which support not only the individual involved in the justice process but also their family and victims of crime.
A dedicated webpage supported by Community Justice Scotland can be accessed here which provides up to date news on justice related changes which may be helpful to partners; Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum also produce a weekly bulletin which is shared widely and also have help and advice available on their website with links to funding and support for those in the third sector.
At a local level we continue to have regular contact with partners, offering support where we can and sharing information with both organisations and the local community. If you need any further information please go the Dumfries and Galloway Public Protection website
ARC Staff Making Scrubs
Claire Dow, who is a staff member at Annan Activity and Resource Centre has been very busy at home making scrubs for Dumfries NHS! She has completed fifty-two sets so far as well as others for some local care homes.
Claire’s colleagues are so proud of the excellent work she is doing during these difficult times.
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Access Team
Zoe Sturrock is starting out in a new role within Adult Mash (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub). She has also been providing support to the Access Team in response to COVID-19 and told us a bit about the work she is doing and the training she has received.
Child MASH/
Dumfries Childcare Duty Social Work Teams
It’s business as usual for Child MASH staff. Janet Drennan and Carrie Robinson have both been working from home since the Covid-19 restrictions began, with full access to all systems needed to keep Child MASH up and running from the social work side of things. IRDs – Initial Referral Discussions – are now facilitated with our partner agencies using conference calling, which works really well. In short – we’re doing everything we did before, only remotely.
Dumfries Childcare Duty Social Work team have changed the way they work too, to protect staff who need to self-isolate, utilising homeworking in addition to time spent in the office. Basically, we’ve all been working differently, and also working smarter.
Strangely – we now see more of each other in the Child MASH and Dumfries Duty teams, because we’ve been holding daily Skype meetings to discuss ongoing work, plan our days and support one another. This is a really positive aspect of the lockdown, and one which we’ve all agreed we will continue after the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted. On a lighter note, we’ve incorporated ‘wacky Wednesday’ into our Skype meetings in an effort to boost morale. As you can see from the picture below, even those who are in the office make an effort!
PPE Provision
Currently, Social Work Services have contacted over 445 individual Employers of Personal Assistants to find out if they have managed to secure personal protective equipment for their employees.
We identified that over 300 packs of PPE were required and over 3 days, we have issued
243 packs. That is over 80% of those identified having been either collected or delivered to those who need them most.
The employers who did not uplift their PPE are being contacted to find out if their stock is still required and to arrange a delivery/pick up.
The local hubs will be extending their provision to include unpaid family carers and personal assistants, however the process for doing this has still to be confirmed.
 
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