LAST UPDATED: 25/03/2020
As the UK has seen greater restrictions on movement and contact applied this week, we would like to take this opportunity to update you on the status at our services.
We started our planning many weeks ago for this eventuality, and have a full Business Continuity Plan in place which has been shared with commissioners and regulators. We are pleased to say that we have been told that we were one of the first organisations to proactively provide this information which is a testament to our Incident Management Team who have been meeting regularly for the last 6 weeks, and for the last two weeks have been conference calling daily.
To share some highlights from the Business Continuity Plan:
- In addition to our usual food stocks we have an additional 4 weeks of food laid in against any shortages
- We have additional medicines, medical supplies and janitorial supplies secured and stored
- We have implemented a series of extra hygiene protocols and all our staff are temperature checked daily
- All but essential visits have been stopped for the present
- Staff have received regular updates on the self-isolation guidelines, and are not allowed to work if government advice says they shouldn’t.
- All but essential staff leave has been cancelled over the next few months to maintain our staffing levels
- As community-based activities have now had to be cancelled due to the closure of these facilities and the generalised lock down of groups in public places, we are now offering a range of other activities to keep everyone active and engaged
- If necessary, self-isolation areas have been set-up to move service users away from others to ensure the safety of all our service users and staff
The Incident Management Team reviews a daily report supplied by each of our services which highlights any areas where we feel we could become exposed, for example staff numbers, and allows us to react quickly to potential issues before they escalate.
We would like to reassure you that the safety of our service users and staff is our No1 priority.
Thank you for all the support we have received. We hope you and your families are keeping safe.
David Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer