June 15, 2020

Thank you to one and all!
Please see attached letter from the Lord Lieutenant thanking people and organisations for your involvement in the community response to the pandemic.  It truly has been fantastic and we really need to build on the brilliant community spirit which has been highlighted through this work over the past few weeks and months: Letter of thanks June 20

Cumbria – Emergency Helpline

Government have announced changes the shielding advice, including a “pause” in shielding from 1 August. The Cumbria helpline will continue to operate throughout August to support people through this change where needed.  More information on the new shielding guidance is in the table below Relaxation of Lockdonw 26.06.20), and on the government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

 

Relaxation of Lockdown
We continue to see relaxation of the lockdown arrangement; you can check the current guidance on the government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

Communities can continue to give their feedback on their experiences of lockdown relaxing via this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LockdownRelaxation

Claire King, Consultant in Public Health, has summarised some of the main changes and when they take effect in the attached document – with links to further information where appropriate: Relaxation of Lockdown 26.06.20

Cumbria Outbreak Control Plan
Today Cumbria’s draft Outbreak Control Plan has been published (30.06.20). The plan describes Cumbria’s approach to managing outbreaks of Covid-19.  It is in 3 parts:
Part 1 describes the overall strategy and approach being taken
Part 2 sets out the detail of the operating procedures that each bit of the local system will follow
Part 3 lists key contact details that may be required by people responding to incidents and outbreaks.
Parts 1 and 2 are now open for public consultation.
https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/publichealth/covid19outbreakcontrol.asp

Social distancing and what the public can and can’t do after 4 July
For full details, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do-after-4-july

Public urged to help keep children safe
Following a 40% drop in the number of people contacting the authorities with concerns about a child being neglected or abused, the public is being urged to help keep children safe.
If you have concerns contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 0333 2401727 or NSPCC on 0808 8005000. If a child is at immediate risk of harm call 999. Read more here: http://www.yourcumbria.org/News/2018/publicurgedtohelpkeepchildrensafe.aspx

Job Centre Plus in Cumbria
The Jobcentreplus (JCP) Social media team are planning a Twitter event on Wednesday 8th July 2020 @JCPinCumbria and hope you can get involved.  They will be using the hashtag #CumbriaReturns

This will be a day of job search support; posting advice relevant to the current circumstances – video interviews, home working etc. The Employer & Adviser team will be on hand to answer any job search questions, deliver advice & guidance to allay any fears around the emerging labour market. The day’s theme is get ready, be prepared, we are coming back.
Here is an example: https://twitter.com/CarrieR_BAH/status/1268151632874942468

Each of the six Jobcentres in Cumbria will be inviting all of their clients to join them for the event via the Universal Credit Journal Messaging platform. This in turn means it will reach a significant number of clients who can see the messages of support that are available.

Supporting Cumbria’s Young People
The Cumbria Careers Hub, Inspira, Hello Future, Centre for Leadership Performance and Learn Live are working together to support our young people aged 14-18 to think about their future. You will appreciate that many of our young people are feeling very unsure about their future as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. We want to help them by running a virtual ‘Learn Live’ event to help them think through their options.
We appreciate that many businesses are going through very difficult times, but despite this remain committed to Cumbria, its economy and its people and will want to help young people, who have
been badly affected by the pandemic. Can you help?

How you can get involved
The Learn Live Event simply can’t run without the involvement of employers and while we know that very few employers can give concrete promises at this time about future employment opportunities, there is still much that employers are best placed to do to support our young people.
If you can provide advice, insights or information linked to any of these themes then you can help:
• Staying positive and making the best of lockdown and the current situation
• What employers look for from applicants
• Coping and planning for transition – including the importance of having a Plan B and being resilient when plan A doesn’t work out
• Making decisions about the different options available
• Personal statements, mock interviews and assessment

What you need to do?
Pre-record some video footage which will be hosted on the Learn Live platform. This can be:
• a brief insight into your organisation and sector
• the type of job roles in your company and what you look for in people you employ – especially the skills, attitudes and behaviours that are important to you
• young people in your organisation that are inspiring that have a story to tell about their career journey.
Ideally it would be great if you could be available on 7th July for the Learn Live Event to engage in chat with young people, however there is the opportunity to answer questions and encourage them even after the event.
The Learn Live company provide support with all the editing and as well as advising and guiding employers so we expect the amount of work to be manageable given the short timescales.
We’ll also be building on the engagement created through the Learn Live platform by creating materials to encourage them to take part in activities at home to extend their understanding and learning.

We can help – What Next? Contact Caroline.ledward@thecumbrialep.co.uk or Deborah.naylor@inspira.org.uk for further information on what to do next.

Useful links:

• Cumbrian infection rate data can be found at https://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/health-social-care/covid-19/
• Find the latest government guidance on protecting clinically extremely vulnerable people (shielding) at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.
• Every Mind Matters – Taking care of your mind as well as your body is really important if you need to stay at home or you are shielding. Find helpful tips and advice at https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

NHS Test and Trace scams
The NHS Test and Trace service plays an important role in the fight against coronavirus and it’s vital the public have confidence and trust in the service. However, we understand the concerns people have about the opportunity for criminals to commit scams.
What you need to know
Contact tracers will only call you from the number 0300 013 5000. Anyone who does not wish to talk over the phone can request the NHS Test and Trace service to send an email or text instead, inviting them to log into the web-based service.

All text or emails sent by NHS Test and Trace will ask people to sign into the contact tracing website and will provide you with a unique reference number. We would advise people to type the web address https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk directly into their browser, followed by the unique reference number given to you, rather than clicking on any link provided in the message.

The NHS Test and Trace service will never:

• ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, please report directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.​​​​​​​

Debt problems and Loan Sharks
Some people are struggling with debt, and may be tempted by offers from Loan Sharks. Trading Standards have suggested the Stop Loan Shark website and Helpline as a good source of information and advice: https://www.stoploansharks.co.uk/

South Cumbria First Step
First Step is a free NHS service that provides talking therapies for common mental health problems (such as anxiety or depression) for adults across South Cumbria.
We all feel low or worry from time to time, and usually these feelings fade away on their own. When they don’t go away or if they start to interfere with your day to day life, First Step can help you get back on track.

Contact details:
If you would like to see a First Step practitioner:

• Ask your GP to make a referral for you
• Visit our website on LSCFT.nhs.uk/First-Step to complete an online self-referral form
• Call us on 0300 555 0345 to request a paper self-referral form

You can find out more below:
Who are we and what we do
South Cumbria First Step

The #NeverMoreNeeded website is here and ready for you to use!
To fuel you all with content and activities to keep banging the #NeverMoreNeeded drum, the #NeverMoreNeeded website is now live. Click here to have a view.
We are adding new and sparkling content to it all the time – so if you think there’s something missing give us a shout. The website – and the campaign – is a collaborative project – you can see who’s involved here.

We Were Built for This
Locality has produced a new report, ‘We Were Built for This’, which highlights the vital role community organisations have played in meeting community need and supporting people during the coronavirus crisis.

The report had four key findings including:

• Community organisations have often been the quickest to mobilise and adapt their services to the crisis – but need support to meet the challenges of the future
• Community organisations have been the glue that has held together the community response

Read the full report here.

Help prevent the risk of wildfires in Cumbria
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service saw a 79% increase in the number of call-outs to outdoor fire incidents in May. They are urging people to help prevent the risk of wildfires by only having barbecues in safe, designated areas, not in open countryside. For more advice on outdoor safety, read here: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/cumbriafire/services/safetyathome/outdoorsafety.asp

Third Sector Trends in North West England 2020
Third Sector Trends is a long-term study of the voluntary and community sector which began in 2008 in North East England and Cumbria.

 

More funding to boost rural connectivity in the Borderlands
More funding is now available to help homes and businesses in rural areas of Cumbria and Northumberland get access to much faster and more reliable internet connections. Vouchers are currently available in the Borderlands to subsidise the costs of bringing gigabit broadband to areas suffering with slow speeds.
As part of the £394.5m Borderlands Growth Deal, up to £4 million of additional Government funding will ‘top up’ these vouchers so even more money is available to improve digital connectivity and boost the regional economy.
The Government’s Gigabit Broadband Vouchers Scheme (GBVS) currently provides up to £3,500 funding for eligible businesses and up to £1,500 for eligible residential properties to install gigabit-capable connections. The £4 million made available will be used to match the level of funding available under the GBVS, so that eligible businesses can now apply for up to a maximum of £7,000 and eligible residential properties up to £3,000.

Gigabit broadband is capable of download speeds of 1 gigabit (1000 megabits) per second. The economic and social benefits of these high-speed internet connections are central to the Borderlands vision for the region and have been proven doubly important during the Covid-19 restrictions.

Businesses and residents in Cumbria and Northumberland are eligible to receive these contributions towards gigabit-capable connections if they are based in locations that are unlikely to benefit from commercial broadband rollout, or where available services are currently less than ‘superfast’ (superfast is defined as a minimum of 30Mbps download speed).

Residents and businesses can visit the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website at https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk to find a list of suppliers in their local area. Once you have made contact with a supplier, you do not need to do anything further and the supplier will apply for the relevant level of funding required to support each project.

Applications for the topped up broadband vouchers open today with a deadline to apply by 31 March 2021.

Find out more about fostering at one of our virtual events

Cumbria County Council are calling for more people to consider becoming foster carers as the number of children coming into care is likely to rise as the lockdown eases.

Applicants who take up the opportunity will be helped at every step of the way by the council’s fostering service, whose team is working remotely from home to ensure foster carer assessments and training can still go ahead during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council offers excellent training and a full package of support to all of our carers, including initial Skills to Foster Training, generous allowances, regular support groups, peer mentors for new carers and a dedicated support social worker.

Find out about fostering at one of our virtual drop-ins:

Wherever you are on your fostering journey you are welcome to join us from the comfort of your own home and talk to our experienced carers and friendly team members and ask any questions you may have. Our upcoming events:

Thursday 9 July – 4pm to 5pm
Tuesday 21 July – 11am to 12pm
Friday 31 July – 3pm to 4pm
Thursday 13 August – 6.30pm to 7.30pm
It is so easy to join our virtual drop-ins, just click on the link below and wait to be let in from the waiting room!

Join our fostering drop-ins – https://zoom.us/j/99082558447

Alternatively you can call the fostering team on 0303 333 1216 or visit cumbria.gov.uk/fostering and start your fostering journey today.