Children return to school Mon 8th April

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Carriers of Hope!

This message comes from the Carriers of Hope.

In the light of the emerging government requirements about suspending all social gatherings, and limiting work to only what is considered essential in support of the most vulnerable, we have closed all of our provision at Hillfields Church. Thus, Tuesdays’ Circle of Friends is suspended till future notice, along with Tuesday Training, Let’s Play and the two ESOL classes.

However, our staff’s jobs are dependent on fulfilling the funders’ requirements, so we need to be aware of the need to make sensible safety adjustments, whilst still continuing to meet the needs of our most vulnerable families.

We get our funding and support on the basis that Carriers of Hope provides an essential service. If we allow this situation to demonstrate that we’re not essential the whole charity is on shaky ground and jobs will be at risk, as will the future of the whole charity. I believe that none of us wants this to happen.

Funders are showing a more sympathetic response than earlier and are willing to adjust reporting dates, funding periods etc but we can choose to carry on and build on our reputation and to show what an excellent job we can do under the most difficult of circumstances.

With this in mind I have looked at the various areas of service delivery and have these proposals:

WHAT CAN WE CARRY ON WITH?

Having looked at many responses, and having talked to many directly involved, we are intending to work differently but to continue. We will operate under the belief that we are an essential service. Our face-to-face work is suspended but staff will work from home on those aspects where they can – AND we will be responding to requests for essential items which will continue to be delivered to the homes. Basically, we are changing to a fully home-delivery service. We have designated one phone as a “Magic Number” (07429 415489) and this went live on Friday 20th March 2020. Since then we have received 17 calls. Staff are making up bags, and staff, along with a new team of volunteers are delivering to the homes, coordinated by Karen Everitt. The Furniture Project almost continues as it was, and so does the Baby Project. Both of these were home-delivery services anyway. The collection elements will cease, but deliveries will continue.


WORK WITH THE CHILDREN:

  • Alysia will deal with requests for toys and this will become a Toy Bags/ Activity Bags’ service with Bags being delivered to outside the children’s homes.

FURNITURE PROJECT:

  • Dawn will continue to receive requests for Furniture and the van will still be delivering Furniture to outside the homes.
  • Furniture items will be requested via the Furniture Project Number: 07712 661314.
  • No Furniture collections will be made from people’s houses.
  • BABY PROJECT:
  • Nosi will continue to take out things to the pregnant women and their babies (8 deliveries were made on 25.03.2020).
  • There is already a waiting list of 18 pregnant women and this will grow as news of the Magic Number gets out.

TARGETED BAGS FOR VULNERABLE CLIENTS AND REFERRALS:

  • The families whose details are recorded on the Magic Number Spreadsheet are allocated to an appropriate member of staff who will make up the bag and alert Karen to arrange delivery.
  • Names get onto the list by referral from another agency (so far we have had referrals from CRMC, VAC and CARAG); or by self-referral.

HOW DO WE PROPOSE TO KEEP STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS SAFE?:

This is the advice they have received:  

  1. Deliveries to the houses

This relates to Furniture Deliveries, Baby Project Deliveries, Targeted Bags’ Deliveries, Toy Bag Deliveries and Emergency Project Deliveries.

      These can continue, as long as:

  • Our staff and volunteers only take things as far as the door, and don’t enter the houses, i.e. check beforehand that someone will be at home to receive the items……..AND THEY MUST TAKE THEM INTO THE HOUSE THEMSELVES (and this includes Furniture Items).
  • Things that are delivered to our clients have either been in the warehouse for a while, i.e. since before the Coronavirus reached UK; or they are new; or they have been cleaned by us before delivery, having been with us for longer than the virus can live on the particular items.
  • Children’s Work will revert to providing Activity and Toy Bags which will be created to fulfil the outcomes expected by our funders: Have Fun Increase Happiness; Widen the range of relationships; and Greater readiness for school.  Parents will be asked to help us to capture the evidence that children are achieving these outcomes (probably by sending us photos).
  • Work at the Warehouse will have an additional focus. It will need to include quarantining items received, for appropriate periods of time. The emphasis will be on receiving new items as much as possible and an information campaign will be mounted to explain the move from Recycling to Bought New. We won’t be going out to collect any donations but if donors arrive at the warehouse the actual list of items we will continue to receive is still being finalised at this point.  (See Appendix 1) Besides this, much of the work will involve making up bags in relation to requests received.  “Targeted Bags” as a way of getting donations out to people will be made up at the Warehouse and clients will be contacted when they are ready (or, in the case of the Furniture Requests and Baby Bags, they’ll be delivered at the appropriate time).

    Keeping the warehouse as a safe working environment

The following guidance on cleanliness and care needs to be observed by all at the Warehouse.

  • One person should be identified as being the person responsible for implementing and checking hygiene, every time the warehouse is open. (This would normally be Emma. On days/times when she isn’t there, we need someone else to take on this responsibility).
  • Tissues and bins should be situated at both entrances and at both ends of the warehouse.
  • No contact by way of hugs, kisses or handshakes
  • Numbers to be kept low to ensure that the 2m social distancing rule is adhered to.
  • All staff, volunteers and visitors to the warehouse must have access to alcohol gel and cleanse regularly – before and after touching any items that will be used by others.
  • Plastic aprons and gloves should be worn.

The kitchen:

  • Provision of refreshments will be suspended. People should bring their own food.
  • Cups used for drinks should be washed in hot soapy water and dried with paper towels

The toilet:

  • Toilet floor must be bleached after every session
  • Dettol wipes must be used on every hard surface
  • The toilet seat needs to be closed for flushing

      Paying the volunteers’ bus fares:

  • Those creating the money bags should make sure their hands are thoroughly cleaned before and afterwards
  • Those passing out the money should do so using the money bags and not open them

What are others doing about second hand goods?

We are not the only ones in this situation, Elly has contacted Charity Shops and we have received this advice, which was correct at 18.03.2020, but will have probably changed in the light of recent advice:

“They are carrying on almost as normal. They are wearing washing up gloves to clean big items down. They are considering leaving an item in quarantine, as it were, for a few days, before putting out. They are displaying a disclaimer notice with advice to clean products at home before using. So far shoppers have been happy with that and completely understand.”

Working proactively, or reactively, to offer help to our clients?

At this point we will assess the take up of our services, in the light of the above changes to our ways of working. We also need to assess the availability of staff and operate accordingly.

  1. We will be dealing with referrals.
  2. We will be responding to requests received from clients who contact us on the Furniture Project Number or on the MAGIC NUMBER.

Then, depending on take up –

  • OR we can contact them, from that number
  • To offer help. 
  • To ask them what they need.
  • To offer to take out a Toy Bag.

Staff who would have been working in suspended activities are currently being employed on the following tasks:

  1. Sharing in the work of making up bags.
  2. Purchasing items to go in the bags.
  3. Revisiting lists like the computer list to bring it up to date.
  4. Coordinating deliveries of bags to houses.
  5. Phoning/ texting clients from the Magic Number.
  6. Creating space in the warehouse to prepare for moving out of Swallowgate.
  7. Preparing the office at Lythalls Lane, for Jayne and Namrine.
  8. Assisting with the move out of Swallowgate.

APPENDIX ONE:

Our emphasis will be on asking for new, or the money to buy new. We will advertise that there is a temporary prohibition on accepting second hand goods, but we know that potential donors may still arrive there, so this is guidance for Emma and others at the warehouse, and would be put up BIG to inform people who arrive there.

HANDLING DONATIONS THAT ARRIVE AT THE WAREHOUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC
ESSENTIAL GENERAL ITEMS
Bed frameIf clean and able to be washed
Bedding – sheetsIf new or washed at high temperatures
Bedding – duvetsIf new or washed at high temperatures
Bedding – blanketsIf new or washed at high temperatures
Bedding – pillow casesIf new or washed at high temperatures
Computer/laptop/tabletIf clean
Table top cookerIf clean
Crockery setsIf clean
Cutlery setsIf clean
CurtainsIf new or washed at high temperatures
Dining chair – woodenIf clean
Dining chair- plasticIf clean
Freezer/ FridgeIf clean
GlasswareIf clean
Heater/radiatorIf clean
Electric kettleIf clean
Kitchen utensilsIf clean
LampIf clean
MattressNO!  ONLY IF NEW
MicrowaveIf clean
PillowsNO! ONLY IF NEW
Pots and pansIf clean
Shoes – adultIf clean
Shoes – childrenIf clean
Sofa – leather 2 seaterIf clean
Towels – newYES PLEASE
Towels – usedIf washed at high temperatures
ToysIf clean
ToasterIf clean
ToiletriesIf unopened
Vacuum cleanerIf clean
Washing machineIf clean
ESSENTIAL Baby Project ITEMS
Pushchair new bornIf clean and quarantined for 2 weeks
Pushchair strollerIf clean and quarantined for 2 weeks
Baby bathIf clean
Bouncy chairIf clean and quarantined for 2 weeks
Moses basket & standIf clean and quarantined for 2 weeks
Moses basket mattressNO! ONLY IF NEW
Changing matIf clean
StairgateIf clean
CotIf clean
Travel cotIf clean and quarantined for 2 weeks
HighchairIf clean
SterilisersIf clean
LOWER PRIORITY ITEMS THAT WE WOULD STILL RECEIVE
Carpet/RugONLY IF NEW
Chest of drawersIf clean
IronIf clean
Ironing boardIf clean
MirrorIf clean
Suitcase – if hard backIf clean
TelevisionIf clean
WardrobeIf clean

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