Help the NHS and your local community – NHS Volunteer responders wanted – Register today!

NHS Volunteer Responders has been set up and will be delivered by the Royal Voluntary Service to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak. An ‘army’ of volunteers are needed to support the 1.5m people in England who are at most risk from the virus to stay well.

NHS doctors, nurses and other professionals will be able to refer people to NHS Volunteer Responders and be confident that they have been matched with a reliable, named volunteer.

You can help by signing up for one or more of the tasks.

Community Response volunteer:

This role involves collecting shopping, medication or other essential supplies for someone who is self-isolating, and delivering these supplies to their home.

Patient Transport volunteer: This role supports the NHS by providing transport to patients who are medically fit for discharge, and ensuring that they are settled safely back into their home.

NHS Transport volunteer: This role involves transporting equipment, supplies and/or medication between NHS services and sites, it may also involve assisting pharmacies with medication delivery.

Check-in and Chat volunteer: This role provides short-term telephone support to individuals who are at risk of loneliness as a consequence of self-isolation.

How does it work?
Once you have registered and checks are complete you will be provided a log-in to the GoodSAM Responder app. Switch the app to ‘on duty’, and you’ll see live and local volunteer tasks to pick from nearby.

This programme enables volunteers to provide care or to help a vulnerable person, which is permitted under the new rules announced by the Government on 23rd March 2020.

Volunteers may be asked to show the active task they are responding to if asked.

Your NHS needs you! Join the team today.

Who can volunteer?
Volunteers must be 18 or over, and fit and well with no symptoms. Those in higher-risk groups (including those over 70, those who are pregnant or with underlying medical conditions) will be able to offer support by telephone.

The safety of volunteers is priority. The majority of tasks can be undertaken while social distancing and volunteers will receive guidance through our ‘getting started pack’. If you do become ill you can pause your volunteering.

Patient transport drivers will require an enhanced DBS check and will receive guidance to do this role safely, also included within the ‘getting started pack’.

Register HERE: https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHSvolunteerresponders

GoodSAM App
Website:https://www.goodsamapp.org/
Twitter: @GoodSamApp
Facebook: @goodsamapp

 

 

Help, support and info from Croydon Council during the Coronavirus pandemic

Croydon Council has listed all information regarding Coronavirus on their website for Croydon residents.

This includes information on COVID-19/Coronavirus, service updates, a range of support for individuals and businesses, volunteering opportunities, and refuse and recycling collection information.

Please find the information here.

This will be regularly updated.

Croydon Council video produced on 18 March 2020

 

Stay up to date!
You can also subscribe to weekly updates from Croydon Council here.

Topping up gas and electricity prepayment meters during COVID-19 – New Government Advice

According to latest government figures 23670 Croydon households pay for their electricity using prepayment meters, needing to go to the shops to top up their meters.   The government has issued the guidance below about supporting residents using prepayment meters who cannot leave their homes due to the coronavirus/COVID-19.  This guidance is for both gas [card] meters and electricity [key] meters

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-agrees-measures-with-energy-industry-to-support-vulnerable-people-through-covid-19

The guidance asks residents to contact their energy suppliers, to discuss options for keeping them supplied.  This could include nominating a third party for credit top-ups, having a discretionary fund added to their credit, or being sent a pre-loaded top-up card so that their supply is not interrupted.

OFGEM have just added the information below to their website

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-and-your-energy-supply

Photo by Rodolfo Clix on Pexels.com

Croydon Healthy Homes home visits suspended

As a result of the advice from the government to avoid all unnecessary social contact, the Croydon Healthy Homes team is suspending the Croydon Healthy Homes programme of home visits immediately.

All appointments currently booked will be postponed until it is safe to resume the programme.  The team are happy to accept new referrals, but there may be a delay before those referred are contacted.

They hope to be able to offer some energy advice over the phone during this difficult period.

 You can download further information and the referral form below to complete or to pass on to others who may qualify for the service.

Croydon Healthy Homes Handout and Referral Sheet

 

 

 

 

Croydon Healthy Homes website

Follow on Twitter at @CroyHealthyHome

TfL service update 2 – COVID-19 pandemic (19 Mar 2020)

Following the TfL update today, the following updates have been received:

On the bus network, from Monday 23 March until further notice, a service similar to a Saturday will run. TfL’s extensive night bus network will continue, to provide critical workers with a reliable night option.

Following the decision to close many schools completely, TfL will review which school buses should still run and which should be amended at a later date.

Although these are the services TfL plan to run, if fewer staff are available further measures may be needed. TfL are working closely with the Government and other agencies and keeping all services under review.

TfL ask anyone needing to make essential journeys on public transport to check before they travel:  www.tfl.gov.uk

Transport for London (TfL)
Website: www.tfl.gov.uk
Twitter @TfL
Facebook: @TransportforLondon

TfL service update – COVID-19 pandemic (19 Mar 2020)

Transport for London (TfL) is making some service changes following the announcement by Government to stop non-essential contact as a result of the Covid19 epidemic. The changes are to ensure a safe and reliable service, so that London’s critical workers, such as doctors and nurses, can make essential journeys.

From today (19 March), some London Underground (LU) stations that do not interchange with other lines are likely to close until further notice, depending on how many LU staff are able to come to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From this Friday (20 March), there will be no Waterloo & City line, Night Tube or Night Overground services until further notice.  The stopping of Night Tube and Night Overground services will enable more time for work to be done overnight and to give resilience to the day Tube service.

From Monday 23 March, TfL will gradually reduce other services across the TfL network to provide a service for critical workers to get to where they need to. This will enable TfL to keep the most used stations and services open and running.  We are aiming to run Tube trains every four minutes in Zone 1, with the potential to reduce this further.

Similarly, from next week until further notice, London Overground, TfL Rail, the DLR and London Trams will run fewer services.

In addition, from today, up to 40 London Underground (LU) stations that do not interchange with other lines will be closed until further notice. Anyone who needs to make essential journeys should check www.tfl.gov.uk for live travel updates before they travel. Further details about stations potentially impacted can be found here.

Transport for London (TfL)
Website: www.tfl.gov.uk
Twitter @TfL
Facebook: @TransportforLondon

Police ward panel for Sanderstead ward on 26 March postponed

PCSO Sam Brooks writes,

“It has been decided that next week’s Ward Panel meeting on Thursday 26^th March at Riddlesdown Collegiate will be cancelled.

We will issue a date for the next meeting in due course.

If you have any issues or concerns that you planned on bringing up at the meeting, please contact the team.

Kind Regards

PCSO Sam Brooks 7381 ZD”

Sanderstead Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email – SNMailbox.SandersteadSNT@met.police.uk

Tel – 020 8721 2470

Twitter –  @MPSSanderstead

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPSSanderstead/

Website:  https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/croydon/sanderstead/

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