|
Gloucestershire's Partnership Board Bulletin
Welcome to the 8th edition of our Partnership Board bulletin. We hope that you, your family and friends continue to keep safe and well.
This bulletin aims to offer support, provide guidance and update you on some of the work Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), as well as what local and national initiatives are doing to protect vulnerable adults. It's interactive, so make sure you click the pictures and links to get the most out of it.
In this bulletin, we've included the latest government guidance, including advice for those shielding, which is correct at time of publishing. For the latest up to date information on government guidance, please always refer to the government website here.
An easy-read version of this update will be circulated next week.
Have you got something to share?
We would love to hear your feedback or contributions, so if you have anything which you want to share, or have a question to ask us, email us here.
All our previous bulletins can be found on our website here. For a directory of COVID-19 related resources, visit Inclusion Gloucestershire's dedicated webpage here.
If you were emailed this bulletin by someone else, or found it on social media, and wish to receive it directly to your email inbox next time, click here to subscribe.
|
|
|
Government guidance - All |
|
Here are some key changes that are happening from 4 July 2020. You can read the full briefing here.
From 4 July:
- you can meet in groups of up to two households (your support bubble counts as one household) in any location - public or private, indoors or outdoors. You do not always have to meet with the same household - you can meet with different households at different times. However, it remains the case - even inside someone’s home - that you should socially distance from anyone not in your household or bubble. This change also does not affect the support you receive from your carers
- when you are outside you can continue to meet in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines
- you can stay overnight away from your home with your own household or support bubble, or with members of one other household
- additional businesses and venues, including restaurants, pubs, cinemas, visitor attractions, hotels, and campsites will be able to open
- other public places, such as libraries, community centres, places of worship, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor gyms will be able to open
- It will be against the law to gather in groups larger than 30 people, except for a limited set of circumstances to be set out in law
Moving forward, from 4 July, people will be trusted to continue acting responsibly by following this and related guidance, subject to an upper legal limit on gatherings (as described above).
|
What does the review of 2m mean in practice?
People should either stay 2m apart or ‘1m plus’ – which is one metre plus mitigations. These mitigations will depend on the workplace or setting. For example, on public transport, people must wear a face covering, as it is not always possible to stay 2m apart.
In other spaces, mitigations could include installing screens, making sure people face away from each other, putting up handwashing facilities, minimising the amount of time you spend with people outside your household or bubble, and being outdoors.
|
|
|
Government guidance - Shielding |
|
The Government updated the guidance on shielding on 23rd June 2020. You can read the full guidance here. An easy read guide created by Mencap can be read here.
Key points are below.
From 6 July, the government will be advising:
- you may, if you wish, meet in a group of up to 6 people outdoors, including people from different households, while maintaining strict social distancing
- you no longer need to observe social distancing with other members of your household
- in line with the wider guidance for single adult households (either an adult living alone or with dependent children under 18) in the general population, you may from this date, if you wish, also form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household. All those in a support bubble will be able to spend time together inside each other’s homes, including overnight, without needing to socially distance
|
From 1 August, the government will be advising:
From this date, the government is advising shielding is paused and you adopt strict social distancing rather than full shielding measures. Strict social distancing means you may wish to go out to more places and see more people but you should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household or support bubble.
In practice this means that:
- you can go to work, if you cannot work from home, as long as the business is COVID-safe
- children who are clinically extremely vulnerable can return to their education settings if they are eligible and in line with their peers. Where possible, children should practise frequent hand washing and social distancing
- you can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise but you should maintain strict social distancing
- you should remain cautious as you are still at risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus, so the advice is to stay at home where possible and, if you do go out, follow strict social distancing
The guidance for the clinically extremely vulnerable group remains advisory. More detailed advice will be updated in this guidance as the changes in advice come into effect on 6 July and 1 August. Unless we see a significant rise in cases, we expect the shielding programme to be paused on 31 July. Those in receipt of centrally provided food boxes and medicine deliveries will continue to receive this support until the end of July if they want it.
|
|
|
There is lots of support available for families with children and young people with additional needs. We have created a list of resources to help during this time - find out more under 'parenting through coronavirus' here. |
|
|
With an increasing need for specialist education in Gloucestershire, the council agreed that £3 million from this pot should be used to expand special schools in the county, so that more children will be able to attend a school closer to where they live.
By the end of the two year programme, there will be an extra 77 pupil places for children with special educational needs across the following schools:
- Belmont Special School in Cheltenham
- Battledown Children and Families Centre in Cheltenham
- Alderman Knight School in Tewkesbury
- Paternoster Special School in Cirencester
A further £600,000 will be used to fund adjustments to mainstream schools so that children with disabilities or additional needs are able to go to their local school if they choose to.
Cabinet also approved £5 million for existing expansion projects at mainstream secondary schools. The Cotswold School and Winchcombe Secondary School will both increase their pupil places by 150. The extra money will fund measures to cut carbon emissions at the schools in line with the council’s pledge to become carbon neutral, as well as address drainage issues, archaeological work and access improvements.
More information can be found here.
|
The NHS’ 72nd Birthday
There will be national events on Saturday 4th July and a final Big Clap thank you, not just to the NHS, but to all those who kept us going over the last few months, such as volunteers, delivery drivers, pharmacists and colleagues in social care.
This NHS Birthday is about thanking everyone, from truck drivers and cleaners to doctors and shelf stackers, all of the key workers who have kept us going in challenging times.
|
|
|
Inclusion Gloucestershire are missing their members, friends and colleagues during lockdown so have created a newsletter to let you know what they are up to!
You can read this here.
Have your voice heard
Do you have a learning disability or autism and live in the South West? Do you support someone who does? Let's help make the NHS better!
You can print Inclusion Gloucestershire's easy read questions from this link
Or answer online here.
Careers that Care
Inclusion Gloucestershire are working with the NHS to encourage people to think about careers in health or social care, working with people with learning disabilities or autistic people in South West England.
In the coming weeks they will be able to give you an idea of what such a career might look like, and the type of brilliant people you could work with. They will be sharing a collection of short films and case studies on the Careers that Care Website here.
Get involved – share your story or find out more about Careers that Care!
|
To register your interest to attend please email Hannah Bradley by Friday 10th July. Joining instructions will be provided on Tuesday 14th July.
Every July, many community organisations come together for an inclusive event called 'FestivALL'.
Now in it's third year, FestivALL and You're Welcome are running an online campaign that will spread across the county. Check out the FestivALL website here and sign up to You're Welcome here to join in the chat.
There will be some fun, free online events popping up over the month - details will be on the two websites. These will include a crafty social to make paper chains together, writing workshop, fun quiz, laughter yoga and possibly learning some BSL. You can download the FestivALL Pack here.
|
Are you or someone you know affected by self harm; live within the Gloucestershire area and would like some help?
Call, text or webchat - the team are there 365 days a year between 5pm and 10pm. Gloucestershire Self Harm Helpline offer a safe, calm, confidential space in which you can explore what is happening for you and what might help you.
Gloucestershire Self Harm Helpline - a place to turn to for help and hope.
Webchat; Telephone: 0808 801 0606; Text: 07537 410 022
|
Using technology to stay connected
|
|
|
|
|