Information for parishes and community groups – 28 July 2020

Dear members, volunteer coordinators and parish councillors

Shielding paused from 1 August

As you will likely be aware, the Government is pausing the shielding programme from this Saturday, 1 August. This means:

• the government will no longer be advising people to shield
• the support from the National Shielding Service of free food parcels, medicine deliveries and care will stop
• The Cambridgeshire council hub network has contacted people who have been shielding to check whether they need any support when shielding is paused
• it is hoped that any volunteer efforts to support vulnerable people – such as delivering food, prescriptions and essential items – will continue where needed
• people who have been shielding will still be eligible for priority supermarket slots (as long as they had registered before 17 July, or see item below on how we can still access priority online slots for people)

People may still be at risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus, so are still being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible and to take precautions when going out: hand washing, avoiding touching your face, and keeping socially distanced.

Priority food slots and other support with shopping

The Council has access to a system set up by DEFRA (The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) to allow us to add residents to receive priority online food delivery slots from Tesco and Iceland.

 

This new scheme could help people who need to isolate due to the Test and Trace system; it could help people manage in the case of a local lockdown; or it could support vulnerable residents who need to be protected from Coronavirus and have ongoing issues with securing a supermarket delivery slot.

 

The priority access could be granted for between two and 40 weeks (until 31 March 2021). The systems for the two supermarkets work slightly differently, but are both applied for by completing the online form on our website. A member of the Sustainable Communities team will get back to the resident with details once their application has been assessed and processed. The resident will need an online account for either supermarket to place their order.

 

If you have any queries about this scheme or need any support to help residents sign up, please contact your patch lead or the team.

 

It might be helpful to be aware of Age UK’s shopping service for people aged 65+ or vulnerable people who need help to get their weekly groceries.

Visiting shops and pharmacies again

The Countywide Hub has produced a video to help people who have been shielding – and may not have left their home for months – to know what to expect if they choose to visit a supermarket or pharmacy again.

 

The video details all the signage you will see as a customer and why this is now in place. It takes the viewer on a mini tour around both sites and explains 2m distancing and plastic shielding screens at till points to protect the customer and employee.

 

The video is available to view here.

South Cambridgeshire District Council emergency food hub closes

Our emergency food hub will stop providing a service on Friday 31 July. During lockdown there was a small but steady demand for one-off supplies, but this has now almost completely tailed off. There is higher demand for ongoing support with food due to the financial impact on people due to Covid-19 and we are working with partners and foodbanks to make sure the right help is in place. As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact your patch leads if you need help to locate support.

 

Best wishes

 

Bridget Smith

Leader South Cambridgeshire District Council

District Council News

Look at our Gallery for useful reminder signs that came with this news letter

 

Dear members, volunteer coordinators and parish councillors

 

With many more shops and hospitality venues reopening for business there is a sense that things are returning to normal, but you may be aware that there is a Countywide campaign to encourage everyone to #KeepCaring for each other, as the virus hasn’t gone away. You can read a little more about the campaign or share our Facebook or Twitter posts to help remind your communities that there is still a need to stay alert and to look out for others by doing things such as wearing face coverings, keeping a safe distance, and regularly washing hands.

 

The work of community groups will continue to be vitally important and we continue to be grateful for the support you have provided to people in your communities. Patch leads are contacting your groups to check in and see whether any additional support is needed as some of you may have less time as people begin to return to work and life returns a little more to normal.

Shielding relaxed from 6 July

From 6 July, anyone shielding has been able to spend more time outdoors, meeting up to six other people. Social distancing will not be needed with other members of their own household and people shielding who live alone can join a support bubble with another household and these can be in each other’s homes.

 

From 1 August, people will be advised that they no longer need to shield. This group will then be able to visit shops or other public places and return to work if they can’t work from home. However, they still need to follow social distancing. Government food parcels will also end, on 31 July, but supermarkets will continue priority online slots beyond that date. It might be helpful to be aware of Age UK’s shopping service for people aged 65+ or vulnerable people who need help to get their weekly groceries.

 

Priority food slots for Tesco and Iceland deliveries

The Council now has access to a system set up by DEFRA (The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) to allow us to add residents to receive priority online food delivery slots from Tesco and Iceland.

 

Who is the service for?

This service is different to the shielding priority food slot scheme run nationally. As outlined above, the shielding scheme is being paused at the end of July and everyone on the scheme is being urged to ensure they have updated their profiles to secure online priority with a range of supermarkets.

 

This new scheme allows residents who cannot go food shopping due to Covid-related reasons access to priority slots with Tesco and Iceland for a defined amount of time depending on their need. This can be between 2 and 40 weeks (up until 31 March 2021).

 

The systems for the two supermarkets work slightly differently, but are both applied for by completing the online form on our website. A member of the Sustainable Communities team will get back to the resident with details once their application has been assessed and processed. The resident will need an online account for either supermarket to place their order.

We are not setting tight criteria on who can access the scheme but will ask people why they need the online priority when applying. The online priority we can provide will help people who may need to isolate due to the national track and trace system, help people manage any future local lockdown, or support a vulnerable resident who has needed to be protected from Coronavirus and has ongoing issues with securing a supermarket delivery slot.

 

If you have any queries about this scheme or need any support to help residents sign up, please contact your patch lead or the team.

 

Best wishes

 

Bridget Smith

Leader South Cambridgeshire District Council