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.

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The six steps for Gloucestershire focus on protecting our most vulnerable residents, increasing enforcement action and, importantly, a call to us all to work together, and for each other, by following the public health guidance put in place to keep us safe.

 An infographic outlining the measures can be found here and include:

• Increased enforcement. Continue to work with and support businesses and individuals to follow the guidance, but take action where there is a lack of cooperation  - this could mean closure of an event or place, if they are not Covid safe and issuing fixed penalty fines, where necessary.
• Welfare checks. Those who we know need help and reassurance to self isolate will be contacted directly to check that they have access to food, medicines and other support whilst they stay at home. In cases where we can’t get hold of people by phone, Gloucestershire firefighters will be on stand by to carry out homes visits.
• Suspend care home visits. Director of Public Health, Sarah Scott, will write to all care homes advising them to suspend visiting. We will work with care homes to make sure there are other, safe ways, for residents and their loved ones stay in touch, with exceptions for those who sadly have to say goodbye.
• Covid-19 Gloucestershire Protection Representatives. Known nationally as marshals, the new district officers will be out on the streets across the county from next week – not enforcing but advising, helping and supporting us all to understand and follow the guidance.
• Letters to those in shielding group to remind and reassure. Whilst there is currently no need to shield, we will be writing to those on the shielded list advising them to reduce their social contacts, reminding of the support and advice that is available to them and to take other steps to keep themselves safe, such as getting the seasonal flu jab.
• Do it for yourselves. Do it for each other. We must all continue to follow the public health guidance if we want to slow the spread of Covid-19. This includes: washing hands regularly, keeping a safe distance from others, wearing a face covering and not mixing in groups of more than six.

You can watch a video explaining the 6 steps here.

Every child in Gloucestershire who is entitled to a free school meal, will be helped this half-term. Parents and carers simply need to call 01452 328518  or 01452 426818 (during office hours), give their child’s name and a food voucher code, that can be used at local shops and the big supermarkets, will be sent direct to their mobile.

Details on how to apply can be found here. Anyone who can’t access the information online can call 01452 328518 (during office hours).

The flu vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine. It's offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of flu and its complications. If you are offered the vaccine, get it so you can protect yourself, your family and the NHS.

If you get flu and coronavirus at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill. Flu vaccination is important because if you're at higher risk from coronavirus, you're also more at risk of problems from flu. If you've had COVID-19, it's safe to have the flu vaccine, It'll be effective at helping to prevent flu.

The flu vaccine is given to people who:

• are 65 and over (including those who'll be 65 by 31 March 2021)
• have certain health conditions
• are pregnant
• are in a long-stay residential care
• receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
• live with someone who's at high risk from coronavirus (on the NHS shielded patient list)
• frontline health or social care workers

Changes have been made to make sure it's safe for you to have the flu vaccine at GP surgeries and pharmacies. These changes include social distancing, hand washing and wearing protective equipment.

Watch this flu awareness video – on behalf of the NHS - Misfit Theatre Company tackles the misinformation surrounding the flu vaccination head on and urges people with learning disabilities and their carers (family member or support worker) to not delay, and get their free flu vaccine today!

Here is a celebratory film with a focus on services which support people with learning disabilities. 

Gloucestershire County Council also commissioned Inclusion Gloucestershire to produce four films to help young people, particularly young people with autism, prepare for their future. These films include young people wanting to know more about how they can prepare for the next stage of their lives,
along with Experts by Experience and professionals who offer some practical advice. 

The films are located here on the Future Me webpages.

The themes of the films are Community, Independence, Working & Learning and Health. Helpful factsheets accompany each film of where to get more support.

Welcome to the Team!

We have 2 new team members, Izzy Belcher and Darin Springate.

Izzy is our new Mental Health Job Broker and will be supporting customers into suitable paid employment using regular 1:1 meetings, training and employer engagement.

Darin will be focused on Employer Engagement, looking for new opportunities, and working with our customers in Employment to maintain their performance.

With the UK now officially in recession and large scale job cuts looming, the future looks challenging for those entering the job market. However, work has continued throughout lockdown to help people of all ages and abilities to continue their path to employment, with some securing jobs along the way.

The County Council’s employment programmes make sure that no one is overlooked when raising ambitions and providing the intensive support that people need to help them into work.

AIM supported internships work with education providers and employers to help young people with disabilities and health conditions develop their employability skills as part of their education; and the Forwards and GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Projects provide support for people who have significant challenges or barriers to work, offering bespoke and individual solutions to both individuals and employers. Together they have helped hundreds of people across Gloucestershire to find sustainable paid work. 

Tom faced some enforced time-out when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. He temporarily lost the routine of going into work regularly, missed his colleagues and had more time on his hands than he was used to. When the request for Tom to return to work came, it generated some understandable concerns and anxiety. Tom’s return to work was just like going in for the first time in many aspects, with many changes to the store with new procedures in place. Forwards stepped in to help by supporting Tom’s return with on-site supportive Job Coaching and liaising with store management to ensure an effective return. Tom applied himself with the care and attention he had previously demonstrated and soon found his feet again. He did so well, that after only 2 sessions with his Job Coaches he didn’t need any further support and we are very pleased that Tom settled back in so well!

Are you a person with a visual impairment from Gloucestershire?

Join the Gloucestershire Sight Loss Council Virtual VI forum on 01 December. Put your questions about Health and Social Care to our panel of experts. Register today

We are delighted to have a panel of health and social care experts taking your questions on hospitals, general practice, optometrists, opticians and social services in Gloucestershire.

Introducing the panel

• Professor Andrew McNaught, Head of Ophthalmology at Cheltenham, and Gloucester hospitals
• Graham Mennie, GP and chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group Eye Health Programme Group
• Amy Clarke, Gloucestershire Local Optical committee, representing opticians and optometrists
• Sue King, Gloucestershire County Council, Sensory Lead for the Adult Social Care Sensory Team.

You need to book to attend the event. You can telephone in to join the event if you do not have access to Zoom, but still need to register for your place. Places are limited, so please sign up as soon as you can! Register today

Either book via the link or ring Alun Davies on 07779 169019.

You will be asked if you would like to submit a question to the panel in advance. A selection of questions will be used at the event. Anyone whose question is not dealt with at the event will get an answer in writing from the relevant speaker after the meeting.

Booking for the event closes at 5.00 pm on Friday 20^th November.

The meeting is being organised by Gloucestershire Sight Loss Council. The Sight Loss Council are a group of people who are blind or partially-sighted who have volunteered to come together to work for positive change in the lives of people with a visual impairment in the county.

For more information about the Sight Loss Council, click here or ring Alun Davies on 07779 169019.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revised its “Registering the right support” guidance to make it clearer for providers who support autistic people and/or people with a learning disability. 

Following feedback from people who use services CQC has updated its guidance so it has a stronger focus on outcomes for people including the quality of life people are able to experience and the care they receive.

Now called Right support, right care, right culture, the guidance published today, outlines three key factors that CQC expects providers to consider if they are, or want to care for autistic people and/or people with a learning disability:

Right support: The model of care and setting should maximise people's choice, control and independence

Right care: Care should be person-centred and promote people's dignity, privacy and human rights

Right culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff should ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

CQC will be using this guidance in their assessments and judgements and providers are encouraged to directly discuss their proposals or development ideas before submitting an application or making changes to services. This can help providers make an informed decision about whether plans are likely to comply with this guidance.  

Of Earth and Sky is a large-scale poetry installation by Luke Jerram, which has taken place across Gloucester from Monday 24 August to Sunday 1 November.

The poetry, created by Gloucestershire residents has been installed as a sculpture trail in 31 parks and public places across the city for people to discover and interact with. Here is a poem by Carol Wood, an Integrated Social Care Manager in the Forest of Dean.

Fairies everywhere

Do you believe in fairies?

Such pretty little things

They dance around in circles

On their tiny little wings

There’s magic in this world you know?

There’s magic in the air

If you take the time to stand and look

There’s magic everywhere

When you look up at the full moon

And see her shine so bright

And feel her power move you

Changing shadow into light

Everything has colour when it’s filtered through the sun

Which brightens the entire world

Bringing light to everyone

So…. If you don’t believe in fairies

Or the magic that exists

Take some time to stand a while

See mother nature’s gifts

And truly feel the magic

That’s around us all the time

Take deep breaths in and deep breaths out

And feel the true divine

–Carol Wood

You can find the poems and downloadable maps for walking and cycling to all locations here.