The Government's Covid Action Plan Summary July 2021
On the 5th July, the Government announced their action plan for Covid-19 moving forward. Below is a useful summary:
Headline
“Test, Trace and Isolate has an important ongoing role in managing the virus and reduces the risk of potentially dangerous variants spreading. The Government expects the Test, Trace and Isolate system will remain necessary through the autumn and winter.” – para 22.
Details
The Covid-19 Response has action in 5 areas.
1. Reinforce the country’s vaccine wall of defence through booster jabs and driving take up.
Bring forward second dose for under 40s to 8 weeks after first dose.
Booster doses for most vulnerable. If possible, delivered alongside Flu
Consider JCVI advice on vaccination of children
Vaccination as condition of deployment for staff in car homes, consult on widening settings
2. Enable the public to make informed decisions through guidance, rather than laws.
Remove all legal restrictions on social contacts, life events and open all remaining settings
Covid-status certification not required in law. Organisations can ask visitors for proof, which government will enable
Remove legal requirements on face coverings.
End 1m+ and 2m rules. DsPH can advise on targeted time-limited rules if necessary.
No longer advise work from home. Covid-secure regs replaced by ‘working safely’ guidance. Encourage hand washing, ventilation, and outdoor space.
Encourage QR codes for customer check in using App, not a legal requirement
End school bubbles and routine tracing by schools. Tracing in schools triggered by an outbreak.
Under 18s who are contacts exempted from self-isolation in line with full vaccinated adults. More detail to follow.
Lift limit on 5 named visitors in care homes. Guidance on safe visits.
Keep guidance on ventilation, face masks, hand washing, covering nose and mouth when cough or sneeze, stay home if unwell, consider your individual risks.
3. Retain proportionate test, trace and isolate plans in line with international comparators.
· Symptomatic testing, tracing and isolation will remain key to monitoring and containing the spread of the virus, augmented by use of the NHS COVID-19 app (though checking in or providing contact details to venues will now be voluntary).
· Regular asymptomatic testing will continue focused on those not fully vaccinated, education, higher-risk settings such as the NHS, social care and prisons. Regular rapid testing offer continues. Community testing continues.
· Exempt fully vaccinated from the requirement to self-isolate if they are a contact. Further details will be published in due course
· Until at least the end of September, self-isolation enforcement and support will otherwise continue as it is now.
4. Manage risks at the border and support a global response to reduce the risk of variants emerging globally and entering the UK.
Retain robust controls at the border. VOCs pose biggest threat.
RAG country system continues with regular reviews of list.
Arrivals from amber countries who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to isolate. Details to be announced shortly.
Working with G7 on global vaccination. Developing new global pathogen surveillance network.
5. Retain contingency measures to respond to unexpected events, while accepting that further cases, hospitalisations and deaths will occur as the country learns to live with COVID-19.
Significant risks remain, particularly VOCs. May need to take measures to manage the virus during winter – will prioritise strengthened guidance and seek to avoid restrictions.
Will maintain contingency plans for restrictions at local, regional or national level – as last resort.
Maintain current regulations that allow LAs to respond to serious threats until 28 September.
Will publish an updated Covid-19 contain outbreak management framework in due course.
Covid-status certification not mandated for now, possible could be introduced in autumn or winter as a way of keeping events and business going.
The Government will continue monitoring data and will assess preparedness for autumn and winter later in the year.
The Lancashire VCFSE Draft Manifesto
Over the last six months, VSNW has helped to facilitate a consultation across the VCFSE sector in Lancashire, with the aim of collectively creating a vision for the next three years. As a start, some priority headlines were suggested and used as starting points for discussions.
Organisations have had the opportunity to input via LOCAL’s website onto a comment forum or during events hosted my some sector Leaders across Lancashire. The information was then collated into a draft manifesto with the aim of streamlining the input into a set of ‘asks’.
On the 29th June, the manifesto was presented at the ‘Lancashire VCFSE Draft Manifesto Aseembly’; breakout rooms explored what was missing from the manifesto, what was good and anything that they disagreed with. We are now asking all those who attended the event and even those that did not, to further read the manifesto and give feedback via a short survey. The deadline for this feedback is the 13th July. The information gathered after this will be used to make a final edit of the manifesto, before distributing and asking groups for endorsement.
This is a really important opportunity for VCFSE groups across Lancashire and we encourage as much input as possible.
Thriving Communities Film Expressions of Interest
The North West Thriving Communities Team are looking to commission four short films as part of the North West National Academy for Social Prescribing Learning Together Programme.
Please view the project brief calling for expressions of interest from voluntary, community, faith or social enterprise organisation operating in the North West.
Applicants are welcome to apply to deliver one or all of the films as outlined.
The deadline for expressions of interest in Monday 19th July. If you would like more information please email jan.campbell@seftoncvs.org.uk..
ACEVO Charity Sector Recruitment Survey
ACEVO have launched a survey to gain insight from recruiters in the VCSE sector about their needs, concerns and thoughts.
Although many of us have suffered from survey fatigue over the last year, they are an important way to gain intelligence data and help influence and guide future thought and decisions.
The survey closes on Monday 5th July.
Complete the survey now.
Lloyds Bank Foundtion Communications Support
Communications is an integral component of any organisation. Having a vibable communications strategy is vital in order to make sure your organisation’s key messaging and brand reaches the target audiences and your work can be promoted. Often, small charities and voluntary organisations, do not have a dedicated communications employee and work is picked up by various team members. To help with this, Lloyds Bank Foundation have created a communications support guide to help organisations in the sector maximise their communications skills efficiently.
The toolkit provides guidance and support on:
Defining your audiences, messages and channels
Building your brand
Approaching press
Designing events
Creating video content
Succeeding on social media
Web design and content
Getting started with influencing
Useful resources
The guides are downloadable, along with a selection of useful webinars.
Click here to access the guide.
Pulse Check Report May 2021
Pulse Check reports are carried out by the VCS Emergencies Partnership. They are used to gather information from VC organisations approximately every two weeks, so that the issues are understood and strategic responses can be developed.
The latest report focuses on how the new covid-19 strain, which has spread across a lot of the North West, Midlands and London has affected communities and the capacity of the sector to function.
A brief summary:
· 43% of respondents in London, 17% in the Midlands & East, 32% in the North, 6% in the South East and 10% in the South West reported significant or major concerns about unmet needs in their area in the 14 days prior to data collection
· Mental health/isolation, hardship and volunteering were the most frequently mentioned unmet needs in the 14 days prior to data collection
· 22% of respondents reported significant or major concerns about the capacity of the voluntary sector to respond to local needs in the 14 days prior to data collection
· Funding/sustainability, increased demand and volunteering were the most frequently mentioned issues affecting voluntary sector capacity in the 14 days prior to data collection
The Pulse Check May 2021 Report.
Past reports available here.
Pride Month 2021
June is Pride Month 2021. Pearn Kandola, a business psychology consultancy firm have organised a series of events with the aim of exploring equality for the LGBT+ community.
Attitudes, stigma, and the LGBT+ community: It’s not the fish, it’s the water
Monday 21st June, 9:15 – 10:00 BST
This webinar, presented by Professor Binna Kandola OBE, examines how context and societal norms impact the stereotypes and attitudes towards the LGBT+ community. In particular, the webinar explores how people from this community came to be stigmatised by an examination of people’s attitudes through history.
Education and Celebration: How to take pride in your LGBT+ Employees:
Peran Kandola next webinar series and contribution to Pride Month 2021 takes an in-depth look into the ongoing movement towards equality for the LGBT+ community.It is vital to balance this month’s celebrations of the huge strides towards LGBT+ equality with the recognition that there is still a long way to go. Starting on 21st June, they will cover a range of topics and offer practical steps individuals and organisations can take to support the LGBT+ community: Please feel free to invite your colleagues, networks, and anyone else you think may benefit from these sessions.
If you have any accessibility questions, please email jhatcher@pearnkandola.com
Language matters: Deconstructing the LGBTQIA+ acronym
Tuesday 22nd June, 9:15 – 10:00 BST
From the way we address our colleagues to the way we market our services, the language we use matters. Language plays an important part in helping people feel seen by having their identities recognised; this is especially true for marginalised communities such as the LGBT+ community. In this webinar, Alexia Karageorghis explores how to navigate LGBT+ terminology.
Gender Pronouns: More than just email footers
Wednesday 23rd June, 9:15 – 10:00 BST
Misgendering a person can be extremely hurtful, which is why many organisations have taken steps to minimise this, including the sharing of gender pronouns on email footers. However, this initiative can also have some unintended negative consequences. In this webinar, Dr Ashley Williams discusses the importance of normalising conversation about pronouns, and the reasons why we need to consider steps beyond sharing pronouns on email footers.
Sexuality and race: Identity, invisibility, and impact
Thursday 24th June, 9:15 – 10:00 BST
Up until the recent past, researchers have paid little attention to the intersections between race and sexuality – in many instances they have been treated as separate topics. This webinar examines this topic in more detail and looks at how race and sexuality have an impact on minorities and their identities. It also examines how organisations can take a more all-embracing approach, which is genuinely inclusive of all members of the LGBT+ community.
Allyship: Beyond Pride
Friday 25th June, 9:15 – 10:00 BST
Allies play a vital role in progressing LGBT+ equality. Although many people would consider themselves to be supportive allies, it can be difficult to know how to continually show support for the LGBT+ community. In this webinar, Dr Ashley Williams shares what it means to be an ally and offers some practical ways that you can support the LGBT+ community all year round.
REGISTER NOW.
VS6 Assemblies Video
Earlier this year VS6 published their Assembly Summary Report “Building Back Better with the VCFSE Sector in Liverpool City Region”. The report summarises the key findings and recommendations from four assemblies held throughout 2020 to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the sector and specific community groups and topics including:
Following the success of the Assemblies, VS6 have produced this explanation video to promote both the Assembly Reports, and highlight the effectiveness of the assembly format as a way to engage with the sector at such a crucial time, despite social distancing barriers.
Please take a look and feel free to share it amongst your networks and media:
The VS6 Assembly Reports and associated recommendations have been essential to the conversations they have had with the LCR Combined Authority and have formed the foundations to their LCR VCFSE Manifesto, to which Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has committed to.
VS6 will continue to engage with the VCFSE sector to understand the needs of the sector and their communities so that they can continue to represent the sector in their work with the LCR Combined Authority and with their partners from the public and private sector across the region.
Please keep an eye out for their next events by following them on Twitter @vs6news and regularly checking their website for the latest news.
Digital Jobs Training
Lockdown and increased home working and learning has meant an increase in the digitalisation of our lives. This has meant that many jobs have changed how they work and so many people are needing to upskill their personal digital skills in order to enter the job market.
Leap, have listened to these issues and are offering free training in new skills for people whose lives have been impaced by the pandemic. The aim is to help them enter digital and creative jobs. Leap ofers short, felxible modules, which are taught online and therefore can be accessed from anywhere.
MORE INFORMATION HERE.
