Harlow Community Hub helpline number
The Harlow Community Hub are offering support and reassurance for the most vulnerable people in Harlow.
Call 01279 927005, Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
News
This is where we’ll post third sector news and important updates that are useful for your organisation.
David Sollis steps down as Healthwatch Essex CEO
David Sollis has now left his role as CEO of Healthwatch Essex, after 7 years with the organisation.
David first joined Healthwatch Essex as the Engagement Manager in 2013, before becoming CEO in 2017. David focused the strategic leadership part of the role to ensure that the ‘Lived Experience’ of patients, family, Carers and staff is at the heart of the health & social care in Essex and the wider region.
David also sat on the Steering Group of The Essex Alliance, before stepping down in 2019 due to other commitments.
We thank David for his work across the sector, and wish him well in his future endeavours.
Tendring COVID-19 Survey
In order to co-ordinate an effective response, Community Voluntary Services Tendring are looking for information on the needs and difficulties that their community is facing.
If you are within the Tendring area, please complete this short survey.
Sources of Charity Emergency Funding
Ian McLintock, founder of the Charity Excellence Framework, has produced a very in-depth list of details and links to emergency funding for charities. These include UK wide, UK country, regional, global, Government financial support, specialist funding and platforms.
As this information is constantly being updated, we suggest that you read the article on LinkedIn.
EDIT 9th April 2020
Ian McLintock has kindly contacted us to let us know that the list has now more than doubled in size and is being updated each Monday. The latest funder list and the 4 charity toolkits can be downloaded from the Charity Excellence website – www.charityexcellence.co.uk
There are also lots of free funding finders, funder lists and fundraising guides on the website.
Funding and income – charities
Content from NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations)
The NCVO have a helpful collection of tips and guidance on bringing money into your charity or voluntary organisation – from individual giving and legacies, to bidding for grants and digital fundraising.
Message from Kirsty O’Callaghan, Head of Strengthening Communities, ECC
Essex Coronavirus Action Update
It is clear that as the government advise older and vulnerable people to social distance that local communities can step up and help with simple support tasks including shopping.
There is a strong voluntary sector is Essex including faith groups, parishes, well established third sector groups and communities themselves. There has already been a strong reaction from the people of Essex stepping forward to help and we need to encourage and support all these local actions. Recent events mean too that we have had to do this at pace to ensure support will be available for people.
One key approach has been Essex County Council working in partnership with Facebook, local Facebook Admins and Community Groups to develop a social media campaign that seeks to build community resilience and community through the Essex Coronavirus Action Group.
It is a largely Facebook based initiative and can be found here: www.facebook.com/essexcoronavirusaction
The initiative consists of the Facebook page above, which has been authenticated by Facebook with the blue ticks to endorse it as a validated and secure information source.
Essex Coronavirus Action looks to carry out three core objectives in relation to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak – PREVENT, INFORM and ASSIST.
PREVENT
The latest NHS-approved advice about how to avoid exposing yourself to Covid-19 and passing it on to other more vulnerable people. Key messages will include:
- Consider your actions
- Basic hygiene advice
- Think of others and be ‘United in Kindness’
- Think of people who may be social distancing and isolated; connect and reach out to your them safely
INFORM
The latest information to debunk the many viral myths on social media about Covid-19. Key messages will include:
- Get your information from Essex Coronavirus Action
- Make the most of online groups
- Keep up to date with official sources of information through this page and join Essex Coronavirus Action group
ASSIST
A local authority-backed mobilisation of local Facebook groups to ensure that the most vulnerable members of Essex and their carers get the urgent help that they need, both practically and emotionally. Key messages will include:
- Share accurate, information and advice
- Support anyone who may be anxious and signpost to Essex Coronavirus Action for up to date information
- Sign up as a volunteer to help people in your community with daily tasks such as helping with:
- Shopping
- Transport
- Being a phone buddy
- Being a Facebook buddy
- Posting mail
- Urgent supplies
- Feeding
- Hydration
- Carer support
We additionally need to encourage, amplify and support local action and have set up a Facebook Group that connects to the page that will enable Facebook Admins and VCS organisations in this space to connect and come together to share ideas and an approach to supporting those who may be self- isolating.
We will adopt a local first approach to mutual aid and will seek to direct people to the following:
- An authenticated Facebook Group
- CVS/Volunteer Centre
We would also seek to work with our district partners to ascertain which trusted local partner they are choosing to work with and encourage them to engage with the Essex Coronavirus Action Page and groups.
Local first is important to us, particularly at the mobilisation stage of this challenge.
To this end we are creating a local action group database that will need to be populated as soon as possible. I will ensure that we circulate the sign up form this morning. The form will also be on the Essex Coronavirus Action Page and associated admin group today. This will be an organic document and we will adopt a common sense approach with this work, it will be as solid as it can be.
The intent is to then share the database of public facing VCS and Facebook Groups who are supporting or re-purposing to support those who are self- isolating or vulnerable to access their own support.
Where we are unable to facilitate or stream people into a local approach we can use our existing single point of access to ensure we can support people effectively at this time.
Assist is a key part of our approach and we have set up a means for people to register their interest as a volunteer. In less than 24 hours we have signed up 1,200 volunteers across Essex.
Although common sense is essential -we recognise that DBS checks maybe required for some daily living tasks and we are seeking to work with the Tribe project. The Tribe Project provided by Bronze labs is a secure app that can sit within the Facebook platform, it is able to confirm if a volunteer is DBS checked or not. It can also rapidly process a DBS check. The app provides a safe interface with volunteers who are geo located and allows those people who require support to confirm if they would like someone to be DBS checked, not DBS checked or if they would prefer a volunteer who had already had Covid-19. The system can support with DBS checking those volunteers who have already signed up to our existing form.
Essex Coronavirus Action has reached 25,0000 people and has 12,000 people signed up to a mutual aid group. The pages and groups are administered by trusted Facebook Admins, the ECC Communities and Communications team.
A big thankyou for all the excellent work you are doing – please stay safe and well. #UnitedInKind #EssexCoronavirusAction
Many thanks,
Kirsty O’Callaghan
Head of Strengthening Communities
Essex County Council
PFCC Roger Hirst praises County’s response so far to COVID 19
Content from PFCC
Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, has praised our health, emergency services, local authority, business, voluntary sector and charity colleagues as Essex responds to the Coronavirus pandemic. Read more…
ACAS Coronavirus Advice
Content from ACAS
Acas Coronavirus advice for employers and employees has been updated.
It now includes:
- Social distancing and vulnerable people
- Self-isolation and sick pay
- If an employee needs time off work to look after someone
- If someone has Coronavirus symptoms at work
- Good practice steps for employers
View our updated Coronavirus guidance
We have also released new guidance on homeworking and supporting employees who have been asked to work remotely due to the Coronavirus pandemic:
View Acas working from home guidance
Acas Coronavirus webinars for employers
Places are available for our free webinars for employers. These events cover:
- steps that can help reduce the spread of the virus
- effective ways of communicating with employees
- self-isolating, time off, sickness certification and sick pay
- altering working hours, shift patterns and working arrangements
- remote working and the use of technology
Register your place for upcoming events via the links below:
Thursday 2 April 2020, 10.30am – 11.30am >> register your place
Tuesday 7 April 2020, 10.30am – 11.30am >> register your place
Further webinar dates will be available shortly. Check our webinar page for updates
COVID-19 Update for Charities
Content from Maldon CVS
Local Action
Maldon and District CVS has been working over the past 7 days to pull together a coordinated approach to delivering support to the community. Our ambition is to have a network of local hubs all coordinating volunteer support at parish level (or smaller) with some centralised support from the CVS, Salvation Army and Maldon District Council. Read more…
COVID-19 Audit
Content from Basildon, Billericay and Wickford CVS
We are compiling an audit of our local organisations that can support a community effort to overcome and support the public during this Covid-19 crisis. We are experiencing a high demand and it is essential for us to come together. We are performing an audit to establish the resources we can all draw upon. Please provide your response ASAP and share with as many organisations as possible. Read more…