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22 February 2022

Are you getting enough sleep?

Getting good quality sleep is important for your health and wellbeing. The amount of sleep we all need is different for all of us and this changes as we get older.

But how much do we need? And if we can’t sleep, what can we do about it?

If lack of sleep is affecting your daily life, and you feel like you need extra support, then help is available.

For tools and practical advice to help you to get good sleep, click on the link below to find out more.

Become a London Living Wage Employer

Work Hounslow are promoting the benefits of businesses paying the London Living Wage, such as:

• higher staff morale
• improved employee retention
• reputational gain

We are committed to encouraging and supporting local businesses to become accredited London Living Wage employers.

Our first step towards this is to acknowledge the accredited London Living Wage Employers with a £1,000 discount on business rates following their first year of accreditation.

To register your interest, call 020 8583 6174 or email work@hounslow.gov.uk

Or visit the Work Hounslow stand at the Hounslow Festival of Business,
Thursday, 24 February at Holiday Inn, Brentford, 9:00-16:30.

My Independence - for advice, information and support

If you are worried about homelessness, struggling to manage at home because of age, illness or disability, or have another issue that affects your ability to live independently such as debt or unemployment, you can contact My Independence for support.

Advisors can put you in touch with relevant services offered by Hounslow Council, the NHS, and community based organisations. They will develop a personalised plan and provide wide-ranging support to help you regain your independence.

My Independence is the first point of contact within Homelessness, Independence and Preventative Services (HIPS).

Boost your BetterPoints

The London Borough of Hounslow’s Environmental Champions Programme is encouraging residents to take part in environmental volunteering to make Hounslow a cleaner and greener place to live. Get involved in outdoor practical activities to improve your physical and mental wellbeing through spending time in nature, meeting new people all while making a positive change to your local community and environment.

Sign up here to become an environmental Champion!

Activities include:

• Planting trees
• Growing fruit and vegetables
• Creating wildflower meadows
• Creating homes for wildlife
• Litter picking
• Tree adopting and watering
• Attending horticulture training sessions

Just download the BetterPoints app, sign up and use the 'scan QR code' function to start earning points for your activities and feel better today.

BeeZee Bodies - healthy living courses

We are a dedicated team of nutritionists and behaviour change experts, here to help you make real, long lasting changes towards a healthier lifestyle.

From weight management, fitness, nutrition learning to loads of top tips and handy strategies, we can help you make long term sustainable changes and crack those pesky bad habits and replace them with healthy ones.

BeeZee Bodies is not a ‘quick fix’ – we’re about helping families in Hounslow make small, achievable changes for FREE that make a big difference – for good.

Want to work in the hospitality sector?

In collaboration with the Hilton Garden Inn, Learn Hounslow will be delivering a Hospitality Work Academy course. On successful completion of this course, candidates will be guaranteed a job interview with a local employer. 

This intensive course will give you the initial skills, knowledge and confidence you need to get a job in a hotel and begin your career in the exciting hospitality sector. The course includes a visit to a hotel to meet the staff and learn about different jobs.

If you are interested in completing this course, please call Learn Hounslow to book an initial assessment.

We will run initial assessments on:

28 February and 7 March, 10am - 12pm at Meadowbank Centre, TW5 9QX.

Call 0208 583 6000 to book an initial assessment. Phone line open from 9am – 5pm.

Grab your jab on the Vaccine Bus!

Get on board Hounslow’s Vaccination Bus, touring the borough to a stop near you. 

Your immunity loses power over time, maximise your Covid-19 defence and get fully vaccinated. 

Wednesday, 23 February 2022

• Tesco Superstore Car Park, 98 High Street, Feltham TW13 4EX, 10am – 4pm

Thursday, 24 February 2022

• Riverside Vineyard Church, Air Park Way, Feltham TW13 7LX, 10am – 4pm

Friday, 25 February 2022

• Hounslow Jamia Masjid & Islamic Centre, 37 Wellington Road South, Hounslow TW4 5HU, 10am – 4pm

Saturday, 26 February 2022

• Hounslow West Market, Hounslow West Station Car Park TW4 7DN,
  9am – 12:30pm
• Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre Car Park for Brentford FC Game TW8 0HJ, 1:30pm – 3pm

Sunday, 27 February 2022

• Asda Superstore Car Park, Tilley Road, Feltham TW13 4BH, 9am – 3pm

*Please note that locations are subject to change at short notice.

Practical steps for Covid-19

The Government will end remaining Covid restrictions in England from the 24 February, including the legal requirement to self-isolate, as part of a "Living with Covid" plan.

From 24 February:

• people with Covid will no longer be legally required to self-isolate
• guidance will remain in place for those who test positive to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days
• self-isolation support payments of £500 for those on low incomes will no longer be available
• routine contact tracing will end - people in contact with someone with Covid will no longer be advised to self-isolate or take daily tests
• workers will no longer be required to tell their employer if they need to self-isolate

There will be specific government guidance issued for staff in particularly vulnerable services, such as adult social care, healthcare, and prisons and places of detention.

 From 1 April:

• Covid tests will no longer be free for most people
• the use of Covid passports will no longer be recommend, except for international travel
• employers will no longer have to explicitly consider Covid in their health and safety risk assessments 

What does this mean for Hounslow?

As the Government has announced the removal of the remaining domestic regulations in England and we move to the next phase of living with Covid 19, we continue to advise caution and as always we recommend you follow the Government guidance through the transition.

 Individuals can still reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:

1. Getting vaccinated;
2. Letting fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meeting outside;
3. Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet, when rates of transmission are high;
4. Trying to stay at home if you are unwell;
5. Taking a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if you test positive; and
6. Washing your hands and following advice to ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’.

Access more support around physical health, mental health, finances, employment and more at our Take Care, Take 5 Hub