Covid-19: sourcing emergency accommodation for Cornish Care Workers.

All over Cornwall, Care Workers are going to extreme measures to isolate themselves from their own families; to avoid putting loved ones, and the people they care for, at risk. They're sleeping in tents, sheds and even in chairs at the Care Homes! While there is statutory provision to pay for NHS staff who need isolation accommodation, theres none for over 15,500 Care Workers in Cornwall.

Care Managers are deeply concerned about distress and fatigue among carers; about existing and future staff shortages; about virus-spread and the increased risk to vulnerable clients.

Cornwall Hugs is perfectly placed to help. Recently through our network we found donated holiday accommodation for one distraught young Care Worker, Nicole. She was sleeping in her car to protect her vulnerable mother at home.

But we need to scale up! The virus is spreading through Care Homes and the community. There are many more 'Nicoles'. While there are great initiatives out there to help key workers in general, there's nothing specific for this enormous front-line workforce.

We're now using systems (honed through our Cornwall Hugs Grenfell programme) with a simple online portal, to gather and match offers of temporary accommodation from kind holiday let owners, to Care Workers who urgently need a temporary safe home.

Once again, we're harnessing the compassion of Cornish accommodation providers. However, as with our Grenfell project, to ensure an efficient, accountable service we have some ongoing IT, software, logistics and cleaning costs to cover. This project must of course be separately funded to our Grenfell work.

If you can contribute to the 'engine' that will turn kind offers into a temporary safe home for a front-line Care Worker, you will be stopping the virus spreading and vitally, keeping that carer in post.

Our thanks to chrisyacoubianimages@gmail.com for his stunning images of Care Worker, Courtney Pearce, who works for Trelawney Care Ltd. Our thanks too, to Cornish Bird in the Sticks for the beautiful logo!

To offer accommodation pledges, please go to www.cornwallhugs.org and use the blue button to offer. Already many providers are doing just that. Thank you!

Please read on below, to see comments and endorsements from the Care Sector, holiday accommodation providers and Rt Revd Bishop Philip of Truro.

On behalf of the Care Workers we seek to serve and our tiny, hard-working team. As long as holiday accommodation is available for us to use, we will continue connecting Care Workers with providers to help them keep their families safe.

Thank you!

Esmé Page, Founder, Cornwall Hugs, Charity #1177796

TESTIMONIALS AND LETTERS OF SUPPORT

RT REVD PHILIP MOUNSTEPHEN, BISHOP OF TRURO

'Im delighted to support this fresh Cornwall Hugs initiative. It pinpoints a real and quite shocking need arising out of the coronavirus crisis. With all its acknowledged expertise, profile and rock-solid reputation Cornwall Hugs is in a wonderful position to rise to the challenge providing it has the resources it needs to do so. So please do consider partnering with them to meet the needs of our Care Workers who have risked and given so much themselves in this sad season.'

TISH BERRIMAN, REGISTERED MANAGER / DIRECTOR, TRELAWNEY CARE LTD.

'Social care staff both in Care Homes and in Homecare are doing their utmost to protect and support clients at this very difficult time and are at the frontline in working with Covid-19 clients. Many have children, partners and older parents living with them and they are very worried about taking Covid back home, especially when they are working with Covid clients. Their dedication to their clients means they continue to take these risks. To know that they could leave the family home and live somewhere safe would be so beneficial to them and help to take a lot of the stress and fear away that they are working with on a day to day basis.

For Cornwall Hugs to help holiday-let owners to come together with the Care sector at this very difficult time shows the kindness and support of the community; to all work together to support our care workers and also support our more vulnerable members. From my own business point of view to know that I can support and signpost a member of my staff to this scheme helps my organisation to not only support my staff but to also ensure that I can continue to provide the very valued care service that our community needs.'

MARY ANSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ANSON CARE SERVICES LTD.

'The need for alternative accommodation for staff can be very urgent. For example, when a resident returns from hospital we need to quarantine them but staff caring for that resident may then not feel able to safely return home, if they have a family member who is shielding. Weve had staff sleep in chairs at the Home to avoid putting family members at risk.

We need to keep staff able to come to work and sometimes that means they need to live apart

from family. Without that provision, care worker staffing levels (currently down by up to 15% across the whole sector) will be further stretched. If they fall too low, this has the knock-on effect of meaning we simply cant care for some residents and they have to be admitted to hospital which causes further strain not the NHS. So emergency accommodation provision for care workers is a vital service that holiday let owners can offer to help us all keep going safely and we fully support the Cornwall Hugs; initiative.'

CAROL FILBY WHO ACCOMMODATED DESPERATE CARE WORKER NICOLE:

'People on the frontline are extremely brave, taking risks for all of us. I put myself in her shoes and the choice was simple. If I were her position, I hope that someone would help me. I also have a daughter the same age (28) and Id be distraught to think of her sleeping in a car. I completely support what Cornwall Hugs is doing and am confident other holiday let owners will too.'

Our thanks to chrisyacoubianimages@gmail.com for his stunning images of Care Worker Courtney Pearce who works for Trelawney Care Ltd.

Our thanks also, to Cornish Bird in the Sticks for the beautiful logo!