Help will be at hand again to support some of Plymouth's most vulnerable residents throughout the third national lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following Monday's announcement from prime minister Boris Johnson, anyone deemed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to COVID-19 are being advised to stay at home and only go out for exercise and medical appointments. This group of people includes individuals that are seriously ill as well as some people living with a disability or ongoing medical conditions.
Caring for Plymouth, the partnership between the Council, Livewell Southwest and a large number of voluntary and community sector organisations, has already remobilised to help provide a vital lifeline for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.
The service previously ran between March and July and then throughout November 2020.
Services will be focussed on people who do not have established support networks so that they can access emotional support, access to food, medicine collection and support with paying bills and accessing money. Staff providing the service will have had appropriate background checks to provide added piece of mind.
With most CEV people already known to the Council and its partners, specially trained staff are already rallying to pro-actively contact people to assess their needs.
Councillor Kate Taylor, Cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: "I am so proud that once again this Council is stepping up to help people.
"It’s not the start to 2021 that anybody wanted, but the fact that we are able to bring hope and support to the people who most need it at the time they most need it is represents a beacon of light in these challenging times.”
While work to contact people has already begun, if you are clinically extremely vulnerable and you need help, please don't hesitate to contact us. Staff will be ready and waiting to take calls on 01752 668000 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, a full list of Caring for Plymouth partners and services can be found on the Plymouth Online Directory at www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/covid19/caringforplymouth