Coronavirus: Council HR worker redeployed to support vulnerable residents during crisis

A Cambridgeshire County Council employee has spoken out about her experience of being redeployed to support vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak as part of the Coordination Hub project.
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A network of Covid-19 coordination and response hubs have been launched across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire to ensure that everyone who needs council help and support at this difficult time receives it.

This includes the county-wide co-ordination hub which is focussed on supporting residents who have been identified as being at the highest risk. It involves staff being redeployed to critical services across the public sector, such as care for older people.

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One person helping at the hub, Tara, has worked for the Cambridgeshire County Council HR department since December 2017 but has recently been redeployed to the reablement service team.

HR worker Tara who has been redeployed into the reablement teamHR worker Tara who has been redeployed into the reablement team
HR worker Tara who has been redeployed into the reablement team

As part of her new role she visits vulnerable residents at lunch and dinner times to check they are well and assist with providing any help they may need.

Tara said: “On my first shift I shadowed a colleague and we did some lunch calls – visiting vulnerable people at home and making sure they’re okay, they’re hydrated and that they’ve got food.

“It’s also just really important that they have someone to speak to. For some people, we might be the only faces they see all day – especially now with the lockdown restrictions.

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“The people I’ve visited so far have been absolutely brilliant. They’re always up for a chat about their grandchildren or what they used to do for work – they’ll talk to us about all sorts.

“I was nervous before I started. Partly because I’ve never done anything like this before, but partly because these are vulnerable people and you want to help and make things better for them.

“But the training I received was fantastic and I’ve learnt so many good skills which will be with me for a long time.”

People in the ‘shielded’ category should not generally be meeting other people face-to-face, but council staff are working in strict accordance with government guidelines and wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when on shift, including a face mask, gloves and pinafore apron.

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Chairwoman of the Adults Committee and member of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Anna Bailey, said: “It’s fantastic to see staff at the county council putting others first and helping local residents.

“The reablement service is always vital but now, more than ever, we need it to help support the vulnerable people in our community.

“I’m so pleased to see the co-ordination hub has begun so positively and that so many people have volunteered to help.”

Normally, reablement is a service that provides care and support to adults living in the community. It delivers a programme of time limited, reablement intervention to enable individuals to increase their confidence and ability to live as independently as possible within their everyday environment and community network.

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During the coronavirus outbreak the reablement service is ensuring that it helps to deliver care and support to those people who need it most.

To volunteer at a hub, visit: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/covid-19-coordination-hub-your-community-needs-you.