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Malvern Hills District Council COVID 19 update – June 19th.

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Covid-19 – update

We continue to see the reopening of some services and businesses across the district with many shops beginning to open their doors this week. We hope that you, your councillors and residents stay safe.

You can keep up-to-date with all our public messaging by following our social media accounts or checking the coronavirus updates on our webpage

Changes to lockdown restrictions

The Cabinet Office has updated its guidance on what you can and cannot do. This includes information on changes to the restrictions on people in the NHS shielded group.

You must now wear a face covering if you are travelling on public transport, although you are advised to avoid it and walk, cycle or go by car if you can. Here’s some advice on how to make and wear a face covering.

Track and Trace – Local Outbreak Plan

Councils will be responsible for managing and enforcing any localised outbreaks or lockdowns, linked in with the national programme run by Public Health England, as part of the new test and trace procedure.

Worcestershire County Council will be the lead in our area and have been given £2.7million from a national £300 million fund to develop and action their plan. Worcestershire Regulatory Service officers will be involved in the response to any local outbreak. The money will be distributed at the end of June when local plans are expected to be in place. Work is continuing to get arrangements in place locally including IT systems to track incidents/outbreaks.

Localised early warning indicators are also being developed to help give us more information on the potential for future outbreaks. The current thinking is while we may have some localised outbreaks during the summer, the risk of a second wave of the virus is greatest from September onwards leading into the winter months.

Support for those affected by flooding

Virtual roadshow events are taking place to help people who were affected by flooding during the autumn and winter, particularly February’s severe weather event.

They are open to residents and business owners who will be able to speak to representatives from the National Flood Forum, Worcestershire County Council, Malvern Hills District Council, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water.

Advice will be on offer on a wide range of flooding issues including insurance and property re-instatement.

Sessions will take place on the following dates:

  • River Severn and Powick –  Monday 22 June
  • Tenbury and Teme Valley – Friday 26 June

To attend one of the sessions you need to book a slot by calling the National Flood Forum on 01299 403101

Places of worship reopening for individual prayer

From Monday 15 June places of worship are permitted to reopen for individual prayer in line with social distancing guidelines. Communally led prayer, worship or devotion such as services, evensong, informal prayer meetings, Mass, Jummah or Kirtan will not be possible at this stage.

New guidance will be published shortly. This will recommend the thorough cleaning of shared spaces, hand cleansing at entry and exit and asking worshippers to bring their own items such as a prayer mat or religious text, instead of sharing or using communal ones.

Places of worship still have discretion over when they consider it safe to open and may decide to remain closed or reopen at a slower pace if they wish.

Planning and development management

In a previous newsletter, we mentioned that the Government has announced a series of measures that have implications for both the district council and local councils. This includes allowing builders to agree flexible construction site working hours with their local council, such as staggering builders’ arrival times to ease pressure on public transport. We have now produced a guidance note on this.

People Make Places Fund (Malvern Hills)

Helping our local economy and our communities to rebuild is important to our overall recovery plan for the district. As part of that plan, we want to get behind projects that have the support of the community and make a positive difference.

We have pre-selected some groups and organisations, including those signed up to the Good Neighbour Network, that we know are providing important services and support and would benefit from additional financial help. These groups will have access to our Spacehive crowdfunding platform to unlock and raise funds to continue their vital work.

The district is full of people with great ideas who come together to make things happen to support their communities. People Make Places Fund helps to connect those ideas that make a positive difference with supporters, to raise funds to make projects happen. You can find out more about the fund by emailing: . Details of local projects that are using the crowdfunding platform will be shared over the next month.

Bike Security Marking

The Malvern Hills and Wychavon Joint Community Safety Team are running five bike security marking events next week. We have had a fantastic response so far and the event in Malvern on Monday 22 June is now fully booked.

There are still spaces available at the following events:

  • Great Witley Village Hall Car Park, Friday 26 June, 11am-2pm
  • Pershore Civic Centre, Tuesday 23 June, 1-4pm
  • Evesham Viaduct Car Park, Wednesday 24 June, 1-4pm

If you would like to book a 15 minute slot to get your bike security marked, please email: .

Keep on running…

Our Health and Wellbeing officer, Rachel Nichols, would like to work with our Parish and Town Councils to come up with an accessible walking/running route in each parish over the next few years.

Ideally the route will:

  • be under 5km
  • be circular
  • have few stiles
  • avoid busy roads and private land
  • have somewhere to park at the start

You may also want to take the opportunity to showcase a piece of local heritage, like a beloved church, as part of it too. The route could be part of an already established public right of way and this could just be an opportunity to promote it as an accessible, family-friendly walk or a running route.

Claire will be supporting Rachel with this project. We are hoping the walks will become waymarked routes with some also featuring on our walking app.

If you would like your parish to be included in this project and have an idea for a route then please let Claire know by emailing  before Thursday 30 July at

Here 2 Help update

As of the 3 June 2020 there have been 2,920 requests for help and over 2,000 offers of help. If you are aware of anyone who is vulnerable and in need, please make sure they fill in the form or call the number on the Worcestershire Here 2 Help website.

Funding support for community groups and charities

Each week we are adding new sources of funding support available to community groups and charities who are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak or who are working to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19.

Visit support for community groups and charities page for more information.  Please promote this support to relevant groups in your parish/town.

Visit the Virtual Village Hall

Anyone looking to beat the boredom of isolation is invited to visit the Virtual Village Hall, a new programme of online activities to join in with at home.

Designed by the Royal Voluntary Service, the Virtual Village Hall is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and features themed video sessions led by expert tutors, TV and radio personalities, and Royal Voluntary Service activity co-ordinators and volunteers.

Live and pre-recorded sessions take place daily and include exercise and dance, music and singing, relaxation and meditation, arts and crafts, cooking and baking, technology skills, gardening and more.

Keeping well at home

Here is the latest social prescribing newsletter from South Worcestershire Citizens Advice, with tips on how to keep well at home. Please feel free to share this with your residents.

Worcestershire County Council Update COVID 19 – June 12th 2020

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Key Messages

As stated previously, 97% of Primary Schools are open for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils. Up to 60% of eligible pupils attended last week but due to staffing and space constraints, some smaller schools have re-opened on a part time basis.

  • Plans are being finalised for the phased return of pupils in year 10 and 12 in secondary schools, sixth form and further education colleges across the county from Monday next week (15 June). Risk assessments have been taking place on a school by school basis to ensure pupils and staff will be returning to school safely.
  • Face-to-face birth registrations by appointment only resumed this week at four sites across Worcestershire – Worcester (County Hall), Bromsgrove, Redditch and Kidderminster, and by the end of Saturday, the offices will have registered 226 births which is a fantastic achievement.
  • The Regional Testing Facility at Worcester Warriors can process approx. 600 tests per day. Capacity is managed within the DHSC system, with availability being released to meet demand as required. Review of “pop-up” locations underway as businesses and sites start to re-open.
  • 10 of the 11 Household Recycling Centres in Worcestershire are now open. As expected, these are extremely busy and therefore additional traffic management measures have been put in place.
  • The level of infections in Care Homes in Worcestershire remains stable and in line with levels across the West Midlands. All staff and residents in Care Homes with positive cases of COVID-19 have been tested.
  • The Test and Trace service is live. A team of Environmental Health Officers and Public Health Practitioners will provide this locally in Worcestershire. The COVID-19 Outbreak Control Plan is being developed
  • Plans under way to facilitate the phased re-opening of Libraries next month. Risk assessments being undertaken to ensure social distancing rules can be observed.
  • Pressure continues to ease on the Acute Trust with the number of active cases and new admissions still falling. Only 29 new cases have been identified in the past 10 days.
  • No significant issues with PPE. Now responding to calls for PPE from Dental Surgeries in light of plans to re-open next week.
  • Plans to support businesses as we begin to enter the economic recovery phase are being developed jointly by the County Council, the District Councils and partners. Government grants continue to be distributed to ensure businesses benefit from the additional funds.

Key Service Areas

Adult Services

Increasing concerns re the financial viability of Care Homes linked to a reduction in admissions.

  • As with school capacity issues, adherence to social distancing guidance will impact on Day Care capacity provision.
  • Worcestershire County Council Care Home Support plan has been published and is available at:

www.worcestershire.gov.uk/downloads/download/1437/worcestershire_s_covid-19_care_home_support_plan

  • COVID-19 restrictions have enabled a review to commence on how service provision could be delivered differently in future.
  • In addition to Libraries, exploring opportunities to re-open Museums and Registration Services.

Children’s Services

  • Awaiting several guidance notes from the Department for Education on:
    • Home to School Transport
    • Summer Activity Clubs
    • Autumn Term commencement
  • There remains a level of parental anxiety surrounding the phased re-opening of schools, which accounts for the lower turnout than expected.
  • To ensure social distancing measures are in place, it is estimated that there will be a significant reduction in pupil capacity, although this will obviously vary by school.
  • Attendance at school is still to be voluntary and online learning will continue to be available pupils not in schools.
  • Home to School transport being provided to those entitled to subsidised transport. Whilst too early to say, it is likely that transport expenditure will increase

Community Services

  • The Here2Help Contact Centre has scaled its opening times to reflect the reduction in calls for assistance.
  • Frequently Asked Questions paper being developed relating to testing within the community.

Economy & Infrastructure

  • Highways surface dressing and maintenance returning to “Business as Usual”. Construction work on the county’s major infrastructure projects are restarting.
  • The vastly improved Kidderminster Rail Station opened 6/6/20
  • In accordance with recent guidance from Transport Minister Baroness Vere, contractors are required to comply with the Highway Sector’s recently issued Site Operating Procedures which require personnel with symptoms to stay at home and sets out clear hygiene and travel procedures for those attending site.

Workforce and Training

  • Working from home will be the norm for the foreseeable future. We remain committed to ensuring staff are supported and that any action we take is mindful of wider considerations such as future transmission risk, social distancing measures, school closures, childcare needs and transport/travel concerns.
  • Self-assessment of home workspaces is now under way and all requests for additional equipment will be delivered by 12 June.

Communications

  • Developing messages around Test and Trace
  • Working with the Worcestershire Association of Carers, celebrating National Carers Week.

Finance

  • £2.7m funding allocated to support Test and Trace.
  • The return to MHCLG on our expected spend / lost income due next week, with an increasing concern over Social Care and Home to School Transport.

COVID-19 STATISTICS

Official statistics and information are available on the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-track-coronavirus-cases

Some key statistics being:

Number Testing Positive in Worcestershire 1423
Number Testing Positive in UK 292950

 

UK 8/6 
Number of Tests carried out on the day 193253
Daily Increase in Cases 1541
Cumulative Deaths 41481

 

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION, HELP AND ADVICE?

Reminder that the Here2Help website www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help is the first point of contact if people want to offer assistance or gain support. The other option is the telephone contact number which is staffed 8am-6pm 6 days a week – 01905 768053.

Carers who support a family member or friend who require support should contact the Worcestershire Association of Carers on www.carersworcs.org.uk  or call the Helpline 0300 012 4272.

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/coronavirus

NHS Website for information on Coronavirus

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

COVID 19 UPDATE June 5th 2020

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Covid-19 – update

We are beginning to see the reopening of some services and businesses across the district. We hope that you, your councillors and residents continue to stay safe.

As we were unable to hold a Parish Forum in the spring we are considering arranging a virtual session. This will follow a similar format to the normal forum style where we provide you with a district council update, you request a speaker/topic and we also hold a virtual workshop with us splitting into smaller groups to discuss things in a bit more detail. If you and your councillors would be interested in attending and would like to request a topic, please let Claire Vaughan know at or tel: 01684 862449.

You can also keep up-to-date with all our public messaging by following our social media accounts or checking the coronavirus updates on our webpage

What is and isn’t allowed under the new rules

The Cabinet Office has provided a detailed FAQs list for people on what is and isn’t allowed following changes to the lockdown restrictions.

Track and Trace System

The Government has launched a new NHS Test and Trace service across England.

Anyone who tests positive for Coronavirus will be contacted within 24 hours by the NHS Test and Trace service via text, an email alert or a call and will be asked to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes. They will be given instructions on how to share details of people they’ve been in close, recent contact with and places they have visited, and will be asked to provide this information online via a secure website or over the phone with an NHS contact tracer.

Anyone identified to have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus will be alerted by the NHS Test and Trace service via text or email. They will then need to log on to the NHS Test and Trace website. If this isn’t possible, a trained call handler will contact the identified person about what they need to do.

The Government has also expanded testing availability for children aged under five, to help support the phased opening of schools and childcare settings in England from 1 June.

All symptomatic individuals in England can now access a test if they need one.

Visit www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works for more information.

Recovery plan for Malvern Hills District Council

Our recovery plan was approved at Executive Committee on 26 May. The plan sets out how the council will help its communities and economies recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as how the organisation will get back on track. The approach to recovery is based on four pillars:

  1. Our communities and the local economy
  2. Resetting the business of the council
  3. Recovery of the organisations
  4. Councillors and democracy

Discretionary Grant funding

A grant from the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is available for Malvern Hills businesses not eligible to receive either the cash grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses or the small business grant.

Guidance has been issued by the Government and the types of business that are expected to benefit from this new funding are:

  • Businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces. Examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment
  • Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment
  • Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates
  • Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief

We have put together a policy to help us distribute this money in the fairest way possible and to help us support as many businesses as possible. Unfortunately, the money will not be enough to help every single business that does not qualify for the two main grants.

Business should ensure they have read the guidance before completing the application form.

The application form is available here. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 26 June 2020. Payments will be made after the funding round closes.

Businesses occupying rated property that are eligible for the Small Business or Retail Hospitality and Leisure grants but have not applied are still able to apply via the MHDC website.

Covid-19 Memory Bank Project

Malvern Hills District Council has launched the Covid-19 Memory Bank Project.

The Covid-19 outbreak is undoubtedly a significant moment in human history and we are keen to capture information about what happened locally to inform future generations.

People are encouraged to send in messages of goodwill they have received from neighbours, rainbow pictures they have drawn, messages of thanks they have left for key workers, diary entries the may have made during lockdown, video blogs, pictures, video footage, poems, songs or artwork.

The subject can be anything from how people felt during this time to the way the community pulled together, the weekly clap for our carers event, response of key workers on the frontline and the challenges or joys of home schooling.

The information received will be used in a future art project or exhibition and then handed over to the archive at The Hive or locally for preservation.

You can find out more about the project and upload any contributions you may have our Covid-19 Memory Bank web page.

Guidance on social distancing in outdoor spaces

The Government has issued new guidance on what people can and cannot do outdoors following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Guidance has also been issued to help owners of parks and public spaces help people to follow the rules on social distancing. You will find it at www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-places-urban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19

People Make Places Fund (Malvern Hills)

Helping our local economy and our communities to rebuild is important to our overall recovery plan for the district. As part of that plan, we want to get behind projects that have the support of the community and make a positive difference.

We have pre-selected some groups and organisations, including those signed up to the Good Neighbour Network, that we know are providing important services and support and would benefit from additional financial help. These groups will have access to our Spacehive crowdfunding platform to unlock and raise funds to continue their vital work.

The district is full of people with great ideas who come together to make things happen to support their communities. People Make Places Fund helps to connect those ideas that make a positive difference with supporters, to raise funds to make projects happen. You can find out more about the fund by emailing: . Details of local projects that are using the crowdfunding platform will be shared over the next month.

Funding support for community groups and charities

Each week we are adding new sources of funding support available to community groups and charities who are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak or who are working to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19.

Visit our support for community groups and charities page for more information. Please promote this support to relevant groups in your parish/town.

Here 2 Help reminder

A reminder that if you are aware of anyone who is vulnerable and in need to please make sure they fill in the form or call the number on the Here 2 Help website.

Pledge to help flood hit communities

Residents and businesses devastated by February’s severe flooding will be able to access help, advice and support at virtual roadshows.

Held by the National Flooding Forum, the roadshows in Malvern Hills will run on the following dates:

  • River Severn and Powick – Friday 19 June River Severn and Powick – Monday 22 June
  • Tenbury and Teme Valley – Friday 26 June

Anyone wanting to attend one of the virtual sessions needs to book a slot by calling the National Flood Forum on 01299 403101. Once interest has been registered, joining details for the online sessions will be provided. Click here for more information.

New training courses for clerks and councillors

Worcestershire CALC has just released a host of new training options for parish clerks and councillors. Visit www.worcscalc.org.uk/ to find out more.

Finally…

Did you see our Community Environmental Protection Officers Dan and Jude on Channel 5’s Filthy Britain SOS (formally known as ‘Grime and Punishment’) on Sunday evening? If not, then you can watch on catch-up and they also feature in the second episode on Sunday 7 June. It’s not all as filthy as the title would have you believe, with Dan and Jude demonstrating several of the tasks they regularly undertake to keep our streets clean including enforcement work and education.

Worcestershire County Council announces the re-opening of a number of Household Recycling Centres from 11th May

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Please find below an update on the reopening of a number of our Household Recycling Centres (HRC’s) from Monday 11 May.

We will be communicating the following information to the public at 12pm today and I would like to ask that you do not communicate this information until then.

We will be opening 7 of the 11 sites and these are:

*   Bromsgrove (Quantry Lane)

*   Malvern (Newlands)

*   Pershore (Hill & Moor)

*   Redditch (Crossgates)

*   Stourport (Bonemill)

*   Tenbury

*   Worcester (Bilford Road

This recognises the additional resourcing required to operate the sites in line with the new requirements, e.g. social distancing.

It is important to note that journeys to HRCs must only be undertaken if your waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means.

I need your help to try and get the message to residents that this means they should only be visiting if the waste cannot be stored at their home without causing risk of injury, health or harm. There is no other reason the journey will be considered a legitimate purpose for travel.  If the waste can be temporarily stored, recycled or disposed of in a way that does not pose a risk to safety or human health, then this should be done.

We are encouraging residents to check the website for full details of the social distancing measures, opening times and other restrictions before they visit the HRC. These measures include a ‘one in, one out’ access policy, no staff assistance to remove items from vehicles so those visiting need to be able to remove their own waste, and additional services such as compost sales and charity reuse points will be closed until further notice.

We expect the sites to be very busy so residents may have to queue for a long time before they are able to access the site as only a limited number of cars will be allowed at any one time . We will have traffic management in place where possible and will monitor this to try and keep disruption to the network to a minimum.

 

Worcestershire County Councillor Dr. Ken Pollock update on Coronavirus

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Update from Worcestershire County Councillor Cllr. Dr. Ken Pollock

At this time of unprecedented disruption to our daily lives, I am concerned that all representatives of the people of the Tenbury division should be fully aware of all that is being done to assist them in getting through the crisis with the minimum of trouble.

Worcestershire County Council is working with a number of other organisations under the One Worcestershire brand. Details of all the assistance that is being offered to businesses can be found by going to the Worcestershire Business Central website.

For personal help, try the Worcestershire County Council website. On the home page, you will find the Here2Help brand, that should answer most queries.

Some of the other organisations that have been helping put together this advice – and whose own sites offer their distinctive take – are the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, (the LEP), the Chamber of Commerce for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, the Federation of Small businesses, (the FSB), and National Farmers Union, (the NFU).

Government money is being channelled through the District Councils, so for the Tenbury Division, this is Malvern Hills District Council. They have done a great job with government cash for those affected by flooding, and now they are processing all business claims for assistance due to the virus crisis.

All of this effort is coordinated by a structure under the Local Resilience Forum, (the LRF), set up for any such emergency. This includes all the blue light services as well as the county’s councils.

Should you find that none of these answers your needs, please do get in touch with your local District Councillor, or me, as your County Councillor. We are also well aware of the effort put in by our local MP, Harriett Baldwin, who will always be keen to help if needed.

All of this effort is being complemented by the work of the NHS and the care sector, and I am sure we are all grateful for their selfless efforts. In addition, we must appreciate all the other essential work that goes on, often unrecognised, but nevertheless essential to our wellbeing.

Thank you for your attention and very best wishes for you all, in overcoming the problems we face, so we can enjoy this wonderful county, and country, long into the future.

Cllr Dr Ken Pollock,

Member, Tenbury Division,

Cabinet Member Responsible for Economy and Infrastructure, Worcestershire County Council, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Worcestershire County Council COVID-19 update for CALC- 3rd April 2020

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Worcestershire County Council COVID-19 Update for CALC
3 April 2020

Organisational position
Worcestershire County Council is delivering a One Worcestershire approach. We are working alongside our colleagues in District Councils, the NHS, our MPs and with our other partners including Worcestershire’s voluntary sector organisations.

Key Messages
• Stay at home

• Observe social distancing

• Wash your hands regularly

• If you are vulnerable and have received a letter from the NHS, register for support via:

• https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

• Or call 0800 0288327, the Government’s dedicated helpline.

Key operational activities/focus/priorities
• We are working with our district council colleagues and with the voluntary sector to build a picture of community action in order to establish if any of the Shielded Cohort are slipping through the net of the wider Government campaign as well as to support those others who are or who may become vulnerable

• We have managed to block purchase up to 300 hotel rooms to assist with the placing of patients who need additional support after hospital discharge

• We are working with the District Councils to provide accommodation for all those rough sleepers who will accept it
Key operational activities/focus/priorities • Through local sourcing we are providing every care setting in Worcestershire with additional supplies of hand sanitiser

• All adult care services remain covered but Nursing Homes are coming under pressure. Overall, there is still enough capacity in Domiciliary Care and we continue to block purchase domiciliary care from the private sector.

• In a single day this week 150 new enquiries were received through the here2help website with a further 140 calls taken through our Adult Social Care Access Centre.
Key operational activities/focus/priorities

• Schools across Worcestershire are preparing to open during Easter holidays for children of critical workers and for vulnerable children

• Vouchers being issued to pupils entitled to free school meals, with most supermarkets accepting them.

• All major infrastructure projects are now shutting down in a controlled manner.

• All household waste & recycling centres are closed. District Councils are working to continue to provide refuse collections. Support is being provided when it is required.

Where can I get further information, help and advice?

Here2Help.

There will be many vulnerable people in our community who will have to self-isolate. This site will provide a central location for the vulnerable that are unable to seek help from family, friends and neighbours. You can request help, volunteer to help and find useful resources.
Want to help/volunteer or need assistance http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help

Where can I get further information, help and advice?

County Council website for Coronavirus information http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/coronavirus

NHS Website for information on Coronavirus https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALC Briefing 3.4.20

MHDC Advice update regarding Coronavirus 27th March 2020

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Please Download information on the links directly below.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Coronavirus resources for social prescribing (2)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Mind check list CORONAVIRUS

Affected services
Our waste and recycling collections continue to operate as normal thanks to the dedication of our depot team.
To support this, we have stopped taking bulky waste collections until further notice.
We are offering businesses the opportunity to suspend their commercial and recycling collections to support them.
We are asking people on social media not to carry out house, garage or shed clearances unless they can store the waste for a period of time. The Household Recycling Centres are currently closed as it is classed as non-essential travel and we cannot accept side waste, as it would overwhelm our standard service.
The full list of affected services is available at http://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/coronavirus<http://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/coronavirus

Social distancing rules
Police are now enforcing social distancing rules. In the first instance they will attempt to do this by consent but have the power to fine people if they refuse to comply.
We have already received reports of people gathering in our play areas and have worked with police to disperse them.
To report breaches of social distancing rules the police have asked people to use the online 101 reporting service.

Community Response Update
Many thanks for letting us know all the fantastic things you’ve been doing within your communities.
Changes are being made to the Worcestershire Here 2 Help campaign we mentioned to you in the last update and it will be more widely promoted from next week.
The Here2Help website provides a central location for those members of the community that do not need urgent help and are unable to seek help from family, friends and neighbours.
There are two forms people can fill in on the main website http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help
I need help – this is to support those who have nowhere else to turn for help with things such as collecting shopping or medicines, walking their dog etc. It is not intended as a service for those who already receive Adult Social Care help or who can ask family, friends or neighbours for help or are already linked with a community group in their area.
Tell us how you can help – for those who can offer assistance through volunteering, delivering essentials etc Anyone unable to complete the form online, can phone 01905 768053 where someone will be able to help you fill in the online form. This number can be used Monday to Sunday between 8am and 8pm.
Once people register for help, they will receive an email notification confirming their request has been received.
Requests for help will be responded to within 24 hours and someone will discuss with them in more detail their needs and what support can be offered.
Anyone who offers help may have their details passed on to a local volunteer or community group to help mobilise support needed.
Residents who have received a letter from the NHS asking them to self-isolate for 12 weeks and are deemed extremely vulnerable, can also use this number to request help with care, medicine and support with daily living.
Worcestershire County Council is responding to requests and has received more than 70 appeals for help since it went live on Monday evening, all with varying needs but most centre upon food supplies or medication collections. They will track the type of concerns which are coming through so they can ramp up that response and identify gaps in support.
If you know of any volunteers, groups or organisations who are offering help please ask them to fill in the offer of help form. https://capublic.worcestershire.gov.uk/CommunityPublic/OfferOfHelp.aspx?_ga=2.261372612.819327287.1584958627-808813890.1582819890

NHS Volunteering
The NHS call for a volunteer army has had over 500,000 responses. We are waiting to hear about how this army links with the here2help scheme. The current advice from County Council is to promote and register for both:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/03/your-nhs-needs-you-nhs-call-for-volunteer-army/

Health & Wellbeing / Welfare Checks
Attached is a Mind Wellness checklist and social prescribing coronavirus resources which you may find useful to share with relevant people.
In addition to this Malvern Hills District Council is putting on weekly challenges linking to physical activity and wellbeing on our YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL-C-fgcehHzMYyxqgp414g
These can also be found on our Malvern Hills Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/MalvernHillsUK
As you will appreciate the current situation is moving swiftly.

We will continue to update you as and when we have more information.

Ian Dipple
Joint Marketing and Communications Manager Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive Pershore, WR10 1PT

Malvern Hills District Council Newsletter- How we are Responding to Coronavirus Update

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Please click on link below to download the newsletter.

How we are responding to the coronavirus outbreak MHDC

How we are responding to the coronavirus outbreak

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How we are responding to the coronavirus outbreak

We know this is a very uncertain and challenging time. We want to reassure you that all levels of government, national and local, are working with the NHS and Public Health to keep people safe and support you to get through this crisis.

We have plans in place to maintain our essential services during the outbreak, such as waste and recycling collections. To do this we may have to stop doing certain things over the next few weeks and months depending on the spread of the virus and how it affects our staffing levels.

To keep you updated we have created a dedicated coronavirus information page on our website which will have the latest information about disruption to our services and how you can access financial and other support for you and your families.

What is coronavirus (Covid-19)?

Covid-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

You should stay at home if you have either:

A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

You can find more advice using the links below.

What to do if you have symptoms?

Advice on staying at home (self-isolating)

Advice on social distancing

Worcestershire County Council coronavirus information page

Support for individuals

The Chancellor has tonight announced the Government will pay up to 80 percent of the wages of staff who are not working, up to £2,500 a month.

The scheme, open to any employer in the country, will cover the cost of wages backdated to March 1 and will be open before the end of April for at least three months.

There’s no limit on the funding available for the scheme. The Government has said it will pay to support as many jobs as needed.

We have no information about how payments will be made yet but it is likely HMRC will be responsible.

Council Tax

If you are in financial hardship as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak then we would advise you to consider making a claim for Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Council Tax Support.

More information is available on the Government’s coronavirus and claiming benefits page.

You can also spread your Council Tax payments over 12 months instead of ten.

Please contact our Revenue and Benefits team for more information by emailing  or call 0300 456 0560.

The service is extremely busy at the moment so please bear with us if we cannot respond straight away.

Support for businesses

The Government has announced a package of support measures for businesses to help them through the outbreak. This includes new announcements made tonight including VAT deferral.

We are still waiting for information from the Government about some of the schemes announced.

Our Business Advice and Support page has more information and we will update it with the latest information as soon as we have the detail.

Waste and recycling

We have a plan in place to maintain our waste and recycling collections throughout the duration of the outbreak.

In order to do this we may need to stop other services such as litter picking, street cleaning, emptying public litter bins, clearing fly-tips etc. This will depend on how many staff we have off sick or self-isolating at any one time.

Our waste and recycling page will contain information on disruption to services. Please also encourage people to sign up to our email alerts service to receive the latest information to your inbox.

Disposal of waste for people/households with symptoms of coronavirus

Please put used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths in rubbish bags. Then put the bag into a second bag and tie it securely. Store it for three days before putting it in your black bin.

If on a sack collection follow the same process and store bags separately from bags of standard　household waste for three days. They can then be put out for collection together on your usual collection day.

You can dispose of other household waste as normal.

Housing

Our housing team is still available to support people in need but they are very busy. As a result we are prioritising those with an emergency need.

There is a delay to allocating housing currently as Housing Associations are not operating as normal.

If you are renting and are worried about making payment, please speak to your landlord or Housing Association as soon as possible. The Government is introducing additional protections for renters to ensure they cannot be evicted as a result of hardship caused by the outbreak.

You can find more information on our Housing pages.

We will receive additional money from the Government to support rough sleepers (see announcement here) – 60 to 70 percent of which suffer from a respiratory condition. We are working with our outreach team to identify what measures are needed to support this group of people.

You can help by reporting people you see sleeping rough via Streetlink

We will continue to open our emergency shelters during periods of extreme cold weather.

Planning

The Government has asked us to maintain the planning system as far as possible.

There may be a delay to registering and approving planning applications due to staff absence caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. Please bear with us during this period.

Planning Committee meetings will be streamlined and public speaking has been suspended for the time being. You are instead urged to make written representations. Visit our planning committee page for more information.

The Northern and Southern Area Planning Committees have been combined into one single planning committee until further notice.

We have relaxed restrictions on the movement of food and other essential supplies to help supermarkets and retailers stock shelves.

Pubs and restaurants can also temporarily offer a takeaway service to help get food out to vulnerable people.

Leisure centres

The Government has told all gyms and leisure centres to close as soon as possible but by midnight tonight (Friday, 20 March 2020).

Tourist Information Centres

The TIC in Upton will close at the end of opening hours on Friday, 20 March. The TIC in Malvern will close at the end of opening hours on Saturday, 21 March. People will still be able to make phone and email enquiries through our website www.visitthemalverns.org

We have cancelled all events planned for May including the Water Festival and Food Festival. The What’s On section of www.visitthemalverns.org has more details of other cancelled events.

Community support

We are working with community groups, the voluntary sector, parish and town councils to support the most vulnerable in our society during the outbreak.

There are five ways you can help your community:

Take care of yourself and stay healthy – wash your hands and follow advice on self-isolation or social distancing

Call, chat and check – swap phone numbers with your immediate neighbours, check on neighbours and loved ones – particularly if they are vulnerable – help provide them with food and other essentials, alert relevant organisations if you are concerned about their welfare

Be kind and think of others – Don’t bulk buy. There are plenty of supplies for everyone if people just buy what they need. Use local community information groups on social media to share information, offer surplus supplies of essentials to those in need and avoid wasting food.

Get online to stay in touch – use your phone, video calling and social media to stay in touch with people, especially if you are self isolating

Share accurate advice and information – do not speculate or scaremonger. It only heightens people’s anxiety. Use reputable news sources as a source of information, the Government website or the NHS website.

Volunteer to help

If you want to help volunteer to deliver food and supplies to elderly and vulnerable people then please email Community Action Malvern & District at 

This includes the Tenbury area.

I am elderly or vulnerable and in need of help and support

Please ring Community Action Malvern & District on 01684 892381 and leave a message with a phone number and what your need is. Someone will then be in touch with you.

You can also download our good neighbour postcard and post it through the doors of people who are elderly or vulnerable and need additional support with shopping or accessing other essentials.

There is also a poster you can put up around your community.

Good Neighbour Postcard

Here 2 Help Poster

Our councillors are also working hard in their community to support people and will be aware of local support available in their ward. Find your local councillor by using our postcode search.