Voluntary Sector response to COVID-19

Voluntary Sector response to COVID-19 In light of the rapidly-moving guidance on responses to Covid-19 (Corona virus) it is clear that planning for resident support over the next few months is very challenging when the situation is changing on a daily basis.

Circumstances have also seen a plethora of individual volunteers and self-organising groups wishing to help vulnerable and housebound residents. Clear coordination of this voluntary and community effort is needed, and we have to make decisions that protect our residents and that ensure the best use of the volunteer ‘workforce’.

H4All is working with the London Borough of Hillingdon to provide a central coordination function –a clearing house –the purpose of which will be twofold:

1)A central resource for all individuals wishing to volunteer their support and for newly-emerging, self-organising groups to engage with wider activity.

2)For residents to access the whole range of community support that can help them through this difficult time. Services include: shopping, arrangements for prescriptions, dog-walking and access to a broad range of telephone support, care calling, befriending and information and advice.

Over the coming weeks, we will be establishing neighbourhood teams that can provide local responses and that will work collaboratively to ensure we maximise our impact.

All front line staff are asked to

Refer any residents though this central point to assist in safeguarding them from opportunistic crime

Discourage them from responding to any leaflets through the doors that do not have the H4All and Council logos on them

If you are able, to forward these leaflets to H4All so we can network all legitimate organisations and flag anything dubious with community safety colleagues who are supporting our neighbourhood responses

It would also be helpful to refer any individuals that wish to help to the same number.

This is a free service and referrals can be made as follows:

Telephone: 020 3949 5786 Email: [email protected].uk

Information leaflet here

H4All is a Community Interest Company (CIC) made up of five prominent third sector charities within the London Borough of Hillingdon:

• Age UK Hillingdon
• Disablement Association Hillingdon (DASH)
• Hillingdon Carers
• Harlington Hospice
• Hillingdon Mind

The partner organisations provide access to a wealth of support from across the voluntary and statutory sectors within Hillingdon.

H4All is funded by Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to provide a free Wellbeing service for Hillingdon residents aged 65 and over who need support to better manage long-term health conditions, frailty and social isolation. The Wellbeing service also helps to bring people into greater contact with their local community.

The Wellbeing Service is an enhanced provision of the former Primary Care Navigator Service provided by Age UK Hillingdon.

Further developments have been funded for 2017/18

Hard to reach or non-compliant patients with Diabetes – the team are working with 5 GP practices in Hayes, contacting a large sample of the 750 people who are not engaging in self-care support, identifying why and testing other interventions. 

GP Reception Signposting – H4All is developing information and training to enable reception staff to improve referrals to local voluntary and community groups.

For further details go to H4All