Exploring published literature of emerging practice as a response to challenges due to COVID-19
4 May 2020
Examples of how communities are responding to the needs of people in lockdown continue to emerge - through providing people with food and shopping, telephone social support and wider signposting/information regarding the plethora of new national and local initiatives. These community services are either using existing networks/connections or developing new ones, highlighting the importance of these as lifeline for people. Similarly, these networks are providing a route of communication for services to some of the more hard to reach communities.
New guidance is also being developed as new challenges are recognised. In many cases these are developed in collaboration and have independent sector organisations at their heart. This highlights the role of civil society groups in identifying need and also their expertise in being able to rapidly respond to these needs.
The summaries below are of articles that might help thinking about what has been learned from the COVID-19 experience so far and provide , along with suggestions on how this might be used to support improvement in future. This week, featured articles include those regarding:
Summaries: what community groups are telling us about their response to COVID-19
Tech Device Network
A network for donating and accepting pieces of technology to support people to keep connected during self-isolation. Anyone is able to donate and care home, care at home and housing support services registered with the Care Inspectorate can apply to receive devices for the people they support.
There is clear guidance on acceptable devices, how to clear personal information off the device and infection control procedures to follow when donating (cleaning the device, etc.). Similarly, there is guidance for people receiving a device, such as Wi-Fi requirements and hints and tips on how to engage people with the devices.
Supporting visiting at the end of life
Scottish Care, along with Marie Curie and the Scottish Academy, has developed a set of guidance to support safe visiting for people at the end of life. In the context on unclear guidance on this issue, staff have faced difficult decisions and had to absorb the distress of family members. This guidance takes the form of an ethical framework to support decision making at an individual level. Alongside the ethical framework is practical guidance on how to enable visiting.
The guidance includes considerations of:
- ensuring that the wishes of the person are respected – including previously known wishes where capacity is deemed insufficient
- limiting contact to one family member over the decline and death of a person, and
- visitors requiring PPE.
Homelessness and COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 on homelessness and the protected characteristics of people who experience it are likely to be more acute. This document outlines what the additional impact of COVID-19 is likely to be on people with protected characteristics, and suggests ways to mitigate this.
What community groups are telling us about their response to COVID-19
The Scottish Community Development Centre surveyed community groups about how they are responding to COVID-19 and how they might be supported. Responses include:
Issues:
- practical issues with increase in staff absence and paying rent for unused building space, and
- service issues around how to best support their communities with mental health challenges, access to food and continuing vital services in the context of lockdown.
Things to help:
- guidance for maintaining communication with people – especially those who are not online
- clarity on who can/cannot support community responses, consistent protocols for keeping workers and local people safe when supporting them
- sharing of information across community settings, e.g. local authority, social enterprise and third sector.
Funding support:
- funding to cover response to increased demand, and
- extra funding for new resources required due to COVID-19 related challenges.
Lochalsh Community Response
Lochalsh Community Response is a new network in Lochalsh providing support for local communities in order to minimise the impact of coronavirus on people in the area. The network includes around 20 organisations, community councils and initiatives. It is led by Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust and grew out of Lochalsh Collaboration which links local community councils, community development trusts and groups to look at community engagement and action
The response covers seven community council areas and offers a:
- telephone helpline
- dedicated website and Facebook page where people can find information about locally available support, and
- Food Share Project where food from local supermarkets that is nearing its sell-by date is distributed to those in need.
The network has also jointly secured funding for local organisations so they can support their vulnerable members during the outbreak.
Barmulloch Community Development Centre
The Barmulloch Community Development Centre (BCDC) has set up a community signposting service. Funded through Foundation Scotland and the Enterprising Provan Fund, people are able to call the Coronavirus Emergency Assistance Service of they need support of any kind. Staff, comprised of volunteers and members of the community, then signpost people to appropriate resources and help them access services.
The BCDC is also using their community buildings for pop-up food banks.
Collydean Community Centre
The Community Café has become a contact centre for the community, with three staff working there. This allows people to call and access a wide range of services delivered by the community. The centre is distributing food, offering a shopping service and delivering prescriptions. There is also a befriending service for those that are isolated.
A key new initiative is the Growing Together Project that gives support for families to grow their own vegetables, gives nutritional advice and is an opportunity to reduce isolation.
Star Project (Paisley)
In response to COVID-19 the Star Project in Paisley has developed three new services:
- one-to-one support: regular support via one to one phone calls from our staff and/or trained volunteers
- community fridge/pantry: staff and volunteers will deliver food and hygiene products to individuals and families, and
- wee stars toddler group: for families and carers who want to deliver creative, educational and fun activities for their toddlers. We will have craft packs available to be picked up from the project during the week and post a link to resources supporting you to complete them at home on Slack and Facebook.
COPE Scotland supports mental health during COVID-19
COPE Scotland offer mental health support to people across Scotland. Through their connections with the community, they were able to identify a significant need to support people with their mental health as they were beginning to be impacted by COVID-19 and associated restrictions.
COPE Scotland began proactively reaching out to people and co-designing resources and support for people. This includes:
- journaling guides
- guided workbooks, and
- tips sheet on reducing gambling.
This is in addition to increasing their phone-based activity, signposting and sharing information daily.
Patient records can be shared across GP practices and with 111 after NHS (England) relaxes rules
Through the COVID-19 pandemic there is a need for the system to be more responsive to people's needs and make accommodations based on travel restrictions. To support people to access the right services faster and improve communication between multiple services that might be supporting a person NHS England has relaxed rules on sharing patient records.
GPs will now be able to access records for patients registered at other practices during the coronavirus epidemic. This will allow appointments to be shared across practices, while NHS 111 staff will also have access to records to let them book direct appointments for patients at any GP practice or specialist centre. In addition, extra information including significant medical history, reason for medication, and immunisations will be added to patients’ summary care records and made available to a wider group of healthcare professionals.
While this arrangement will only be in place during the pandemic, Neil Bhatia, a GP and data sharing expert has said: “From my point of view, as a data protection person, I don’t have a problem with it…I don’t think it will take much to convince practices to allow this to continue voluntarily whenever that time comes.”
Are we at risk of mothballing our support needs?
Blog by Craig Menzies of the Macmillian Volunteering Hub on the need to support and encourage people to seek help for non-COVID-19 health conditions. There is discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our service landscape and also the impact of the media focus on COVID-19 on those with cancer.
Scotland's interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith described a 72% reduction in urgent suspected cancer referrals by doctors in Scotland. The implication is that people are putting concerns and worries about cancer 'in a box and placed to the side for now, whilst focussing on getting through the storm that COVID-19 has brought'. Craig asserts that it is important that services are aware of this and continue to offer support to people, being proactive in engaging with people over their health.