June 5, 2020

Results of survey to assess impact of Covid19 on Businesses in Cumbria released
Cumbria’s Business and Economic Response and Recovery Group (BERRG) has today released the results from its recent surveys to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses in the county.
From the 896 responses, private sector businesses provided 82% of replies with the other 18% coming from charitable, voluntary, community, and social enterprises, as well as the public sector. The results were unfortunately in line with expectations given Cumbria’s economic structure, which meant that our economy and businesses were likely to be harder hit. For full details see this report: Cumbria Covid-19 Business Survey Waves 12 Summary.29.05.20

Jobs Fuse Cumbria
Please find attached a poster detailing a new opportunity for support for employers and individuals during the pandemic – a joint partnership created by the National Carteers Service, Department for Work and Pensions and Cumbria LEP: Jobs Fuse Cumbria

Supporting mental health during Covid-19: a brief guide for local councillors
This briefing has been created by the Mental Health Challenge group to help local councillors support the mental health needs of their community during the Covid-19 pandemic with helpful points and links. See here: http://www.mentalhealthchallenge.org.uk/briefings-for-councillors/

Working with people living with mental health issues, learning disabilities and/or autism
Did you know that NHS England and NHS Improvement produce a weekly bulletin for people working on Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism?
This bulletin provides colleagues working in organisations across health, care and support systems with a round-up of the new guidance, communication activities and information coming out of the NHS England and Improvement Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism COVID-19 cell.
It is recommended for staff members in social care, the voluntary and independent sectors and the NHS. You can sign up for the Bulletin here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/community-social-care-ambulance/mental-health/mh-learning-disability-autism-covid19-cell-bulletin/

Resources and information for people who are blind or visually impaired
Keeping to the social distance set by the Government can be particularly difficult for blind or partially sighted people, especially when it comes to queuing or walking down the street as it can be hard to judge distances.
Resources and information for people who are blind or visually impaired, and for those supporting them, can be found at Deafblind UK and at RNIB.

You Can Help
The National Police Cheifs Council has been working with The Children’s Society through our Prevention Programme to develop a number of materials for Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation during COVID-19.  Please find attached an updated poster designed for neighbours and key workers visiting premises during the crisis.  It outlines signs to be mindful of and how to report any concerns: CSAE poster – June 20

Supporting children and young people impacted by parental imprisonment
Children Heard and Seen is a charity which supports children, young people and their families who are experiencing parental imprisonment. In response to Covid-19, Children Heard and Seen is offering online support for families during lockdown, helping them to stay connected. This has included cooking classes, family fitness sessions, and online discussions with other families affected by parental imprisonment. One-to-one support is also available.  They are also encouraging parents to get in touch and take advantage of their services at this difficult time.
Visit their website for more information:https://childrenheardandseen.co.uk/

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.

New rapid self-assessment tool for local responses to COVID-19 for people experiencing homelessness
Three homeless charities, Pathway, Crisis and Groundswell have worked together to create a new rapid self-assessment tool for local responses to COVID-19 for people experiencing homelessness.
Local system leaders can use it as a prompt to check that they are maximising any opportunities for wider health gain for this vulnerable population.

Covid-19 Testing Opportunities Around Cumbria
A range of locations are now being used around Cumbria to encourage people to access testing for Covid-19 in Cumbria.

As well as established centres in Penrith, Preston and Newcastle, there are also mobile military testing sites that rotate around Cumbria. They are part of the national testing scheme and must be booked through the national portal here https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test

The mobile military testing units spend two or three days in a community, and rotate locations to ensure access around the county.

Major Alan Goodenough is from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. He said: “It has been really important that we can get right around the county and we know people appreciate the opportunity to have a test close to home. We are always busy, but want to ensure more people know about the opportunities so people can access them when they need to.”

Details of how to access all testing available to people across the whole of Cumbria can be found at: https://www.northcumbriaccg.nhs.uk/covidtesting

In June the military mobile units will be at:

• Barrow – BAE site, Waterside car park LA14 2TF: 20-21 June
• Carlisle – Carlisle Swift Bank Car Park, Swift Bank, Carlisle CA1 1JG: 14-17 June, 22-23 June, 29-30 June
• Grange-over-Sands – Public car park behind Nutwood Medical Centre, Kents Bank Road, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 7DJ: 10-11 June, 18-19 June, 26-28 June
• Haverigg (Millom RUFC) – Millom LA18 4GY: 21-23 June
• Kendal – Kendal leisure centre carpark, Burton Rd, Kendal, LA9 7HX: 9-11 June, 18-21 June
• Keswick – Derwent Pencil Museum, Southy Works, Keswick CA12 5NG: 12-13 June, 15-17 June
• Kirkby Stephen – Upper Eden RUFC Westgarth road, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4TF: 18-19 June, 29-30 June
• Workington – Lillyhall, County Council Highways Depot Parking Services, 1 Joseph Noble Rd, Workington CA14 4JX: 14-17 June, 24-25 June

You can book a slot here: https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test

Essential workers can book a slot here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-essential-workers

Swabbing is an uncomfortable procedure and young children may find it upsetting Children should only be booked for swabbing if they are likely to have had contact with someone who is covid positive in the previous 14 days. Younger children with a fever may indicate other childhood illnesses, so it is advisable to refer to https://111.nhs.uk/ or call your GP surgery for guidance before booking a test.

There is also a range of other testing activity underway. This includes:

·       Locally-commissioned testing

·      NHS Trust staff are able to access testing through their own organisation.

•     Locally agreed arrangements to test residents and staff of Cumbrian residential or nursing homes

·       Self-testing kits can be ordered online

Face Coverings – what you need to know
Public Health have pulled together a range of information regarding face coverings, which is available here: Face coverings June 2020

Support Bubbles – what you need to know
Public Health have pulled together a range of information regarding Support Bubbles, which is available here: Support Bubbles June 2020

Calculating the ‘R’ number locally
Public Health are getting a lot of queries about whether they have data on the ‘R’ number at a local level (e.g. district level). The simple answer is ‘no’.
Calculating the R rate is very complex. It involves data from lots of different sources. The calculations include information relating to such things as confirmed cases, hospital admissions, deaths, patient surveys and testing. When these are all put together and interpreted by experts they give regional and national R numbers. It is not possible to calculate meaningful R values at a very local level, such as one specific for Cumbria or the districts within Cumbria. This is because some of the data involves such low figures that even a small change in them can, in statistical terms, make a disproportionately big relative difference.

Data is available at district level for total recorded cases (e.g. positive COVID-19 tests) and case rate. See here. Please remember this will not include people who have had COVID-19 but were never tested. It is also influenced by the amount of testing being carried out and who can be tested, for example, nationally the Government has just extended the range of people eligible for testing, so this may result in more positive cases being recorded.

Updated guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
Some people have mentioned that they are finding it difficult to interpret the new shielding guidance. This is still the clearest summary I have seen: People who are shielding remain vulnerable and should continue to take precautions but can now leave their home if they wish, as long as they are able to maintain strict social distancing. If a shielded person chooses to spend time outdoors, this can be with members of their own household. If they live alone, they can spend time outdoors with one person from another household. Ideally, this should be the same person each time. If they do go out, they should take extra care to minimise contact with others by keeping 2 metres apart. More information here: 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

Public Health England ‘Active at Home’ Booklet
Public Health England has produced an ‘Active at Home’ booklet that provides practical guidance to older adults on home-based activities to maintain their strength and balance. It follows concerns that low levels of physical activity in older adults will lead to reduced fitness resulting in loss of independence and need for care in the future. Download a copy here.

5000 hard copies have also been allocated to Cumbria and will be distributed to households via Active Cumbria.

Cumbria Local Resilience Forum: Local leaders thank teams for their hard work to get Community Recovery Centres in Cumbria ready for use
Local leaders have praised the amazing community response to developing Cumbria’s four Community Recovery Centres – from the teams that built the centres to the generous volunteers willing and trained to staff them. Work on the centres took place in early April at a time when hospital admissions were rising rapidly and Cumbria’s Local Resilience Forum partners made a commitment to be ready in case they were needed.
Due to the overwhelming response from people living in Cumbria respecting guidance around social distancing and handwashing, our local hospitals have been able to maintain enough capacity to care for all covid-19 positive patients requiring a hospital admission. When the centres were built we could not be sure that the number of people becoming ill with covid-19 would come down the way it has, and we are now in the very fortunate position of not needing to use the centres.

Six ways digital helps charities fundraise on a budget
An interesting read: https://charitydigital.org.uk/topics/six-ways-digital-helps-charities-fundraise-on-a-budget-7520?utm_source=Charity%20Digital%20Trust&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11583182_Wed%20newsletter%20-%2002.06&utm_content=fundraise%20on%20a%20budget&dm_i=O,6W9N2,J3AXK2,RP7OU,1

The small charity guide to increasing Twitter engagement
Charity Digital has put together a useful guide on how small charities can get more out of their Twitter account. This is really useful if you are new to social media management or want to refresh your thinking and approaches.  #TopTip: Keep checking those analytics – daily! It gives you a good idea what works with your audience. What was your top tweet? And why?
Access the guide here: https://charitydigital.org.uk/topics/the-small-charity-guide-to-increasing-twitter-engagement-7422

Free webinar series: Getting started with Microsoft’s charity tools
A webinar series is taking place next week (June 15-19) to help voluntary sector organisations make the most of the Microsoft tools available to engage with supporters and organise their staff and volunteers. Microsoft offers donated and discounted products to many charities to help them digitally transform and maximise their impact. This includes cloud services such as Office 365, Azure and Dynamics 365 as well as Surface hardware and on-premises software. To help charities get the most out of these services Phoenix Software is staging a series of webinars offering an overview of how they can help.

The Getting Started with Microsoft Solutions for Charities series features daily webinars between June 15-19. These take place at 12pm each day.
Also included is advice on how charities can better harness data and use artificial intelligence (AI). This is an area that is increasingly in demand among charities, with the 2019 Charity Digital

The Getting Started with Microsoft series is the latest content Phoenix Software has made available to help charities: https://www.phoenixs.co.uk/events/webinar-series-getting-started-with-microsoft-solutions-for-charities/

Charity Guide to Virtual Events
Check out how to plan and deliver virtual events to increase reach and fundraising firepower
https://charitydigital.org.uk/topics/charity-guide-to-virtual-events-7547?utm_source=Charity%20Digital%20Trust&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11600106_Wed%20newsletter%20-%2010%2F06&utm_content=virtual%20events&dm_i=O,6WMP6,J3AXK2,RQYSB,1

FREE careers advice and personal development support for adults in Cumbria
My name is Diane and I’m working as a volunteer for Inspira during the coronavirus pandemic. Inspira is the leading careers advice and personal development charity in Cumbria and Lancashire, and is still very much operational and providing support during the current crisis. In fact, Inspira has expanded its careers advice and personal development services to help adults in Cumbria and Lancashire whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus crisis, whether they are: furloughed, at risk of redundancy, made redundant, unemployed, seeking a career change,.

Services include:

• Support with career planning and progression
• Skills gap analysis
• Advice on training / accredited learning opportunities
• CV preparation
• Interview and presentation skills
• Matching individuals to new jobs in sectors experiencing high demand, by working closely with employers in the area
• Access to online courses facilitated by Inspira

All services are provided free of charge to those aged 19 and over.  The only requirement is that the individual must have the right to work in the UK.

I’ve actually been furloughed myself and have already taken advantage of the service.  It has been really helpful and I would highly recommend it to anyone whose employment has been affected by the crisis. Inspira advisers are available for online and phone appointments.  All advisers are based in the region, so have the right local knowledge to help local people.  The main centres in Cumbria will also be opening 10am-3pm from 15 June to assist those who need 1-1 support. So if you know anyone who you think could benefit from our help and support, please do refer them.

They can check out Inspira’s social media pages @InspiraForLife on Insta, Facebook and Twitter, or visit https://www.inspira.org.uk/Listing/Category/help-for-adults.  Please like and follow our channels too, so that you stay up to date with the service and courses.
If you would like more information on any aspect of Inspira’s work with both individuals and employers, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Area Operations Manager, Julia Winder at julia.winder@inspira.org.uk

Many thanks for helping to promote these services for the benefit of all those who need support at this challenging time.
Diane Thomas, Communications Volunteer

Self Care for Chairs guide
Chairs and other trustees play an invaluable part in the life of the VCS and deserve our thanks – volunteering at board level takes a special set of skills and knowledge, as well as time and energy.
The Association of Chairs has produced a handy Self Care for Chairs guide. #ShowYourChairYouCare
https://www.associationofchairs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Top-tips-for-self-care.pdf?dm_i=6S7,6VMBY,WXN73,RM2HB,1

Online service to tackle phishing
Tehe National Cyber Security Centre has launched an online service to tackle phishing and other suspicious emails: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

Racism at work seminars – register for free
Pearn Kandola are running a series of free racism at work seminars, one a day throughout next week. They cover the impact of COVID-19, being an active bystander, combating micro-incivilities, anti-Chinese prejudice, and racism and wellbeing. Register here: https://news.pearnkandola.com/t/53ET-7LZC-6993AUSC4/cr.aspx?dm_i=6S7,6WG9D,N8AGT,RQ3W0,1

Churches Together in Cumbria
CTiC now has a new strapline to accompany the God for All logo and CT logo: ‘Actively promoting God’s love for everyone’. In this newsletter we give details of some of the ways in which the churches are seeking to do this, in these strange and uncertain days, and point to sources of information and to needs to which we may respond: CTiC newsletter June 20
The next edition will be for July 2020. Please send me items for inclusion by 15th June.

Faith at end of life resource
Public Health England has produced a resource for professionals, providers and commissioners working in communities. The information in this resource focuses on the practices and rituals of the largest six religions in England according to the 2011 Census: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. It is designed to provide those working in community settings with an understanding of faith at the end of life, to support the provision of personalised and holistic care. See here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496231/Faith_at_end_of_life_-_a_resource.pdf

Neighbourhood Watch Week (7-13 June)
Celebrates our neighbours and all the great work that you and your community do to make where you live safer, connected  and more resilient.  Over the past few months, as our lives have all been turned upside down, the word ‘neighbourliness’ has never meant so much to so many. Communities have pulled together to provide vital support and resources, an army of volunteers has emerged, people are learning new skills, and as a result have become more resilient.
Neighbourhood Watch Week is about encouraging neighbours to say thank you and celebrate what it means to be a neighbour, the connections we have made and the importance of staying connected through good and bad times.
There have been and continue to be many incredible stories about Community initiatives involving Groups and individuals that have contributed to the wellbeing of Neighbours, those people who are vulnerable, alone and without family or friends and much more. Visit: http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/letsstayconnected.