Home Local News COVID-19 Update 28/04/20

COVID-19 Update 28/04/20

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Red Rose Lancashire

SkemNews received the following message from County Councillor John Fillis. We have shared the message in full below:

Recovery

Last week I said we were turning our thinking to how we would approach the transition from response to recovery. In reality, this will not be a simple transition straight into recovery and it will take some time.

It is very clear that this emergency is unlike any other we have ever faced, and as such the move towards recovery will be a different path to any we have seen before. But what we do know is that it will be complex and phased. Some of this will be led by central government, but we have to ensure that our voice is heard as we understand our people best. One area of this is around testing and contact tracing, which will become more and more important if and when lockdown restrictions start to be relaxed. We are working hard to ensure that this will not be centrally dictated as we need to use our own intelligence to flex both the system and capacity.

As part of our preparations, we have identified three key areas that the Corporate Management Team is currently considering:

  • What do we want to achieve and what will a full recovery look like? How can we balance the varying needs of our residents, businesses and communities to ensure we are supporting their financial, physical and mental wellbeing.
    · What are the positives we have gained in this emergency that we want to secure? We have made significant changes to how we go about our business, and there has been some excellent innovation and practice that we need to capture and build on as we move back to whatever normality will look like in the future.
    · What are the triggers for transition and recovery? How will we identify when to move into different phases of this journey? What will different services need to look at to indicate a change is needed? What warning signs will we need to be aware of to ensure we remain on track?

We have a key role to play in the coming months as we really begin to understand the implications of coronavirus and how it will affect the day-to-day lives of our citizens. I am determined that in the county council we will be at the heart of building a stronger, healthier and more prosperous Lancashire for our residents and businesses.

Redeployment

Hundreds of Lancashire County Council staff have already been redeployed to new roles to help support our emergency response. We now have more than 2,000 colleagues in the internal pool and the team is working hard to match them into critical roles.

This has worked really well and staff who have moved have adapted to their new roles.

Matching is based on range of factors including personal circumstances, location, training needed and legal requirements such as DBS checks. No one will be asked to put themselves or service users in danger. Although some staffing resources are needed in our care services, we are not placing anyone into a direct care role unless the volunteer to do so.

Free School meals and safeguarding

Edwina Grant OBE, our Executive Director of Education and Children’s Services, will be writing to you separately via the member portal about what to do if you have concerns about access to free school meal vouchers. These should be referred wherever possible back to the school as they are the budget holders and have guidance which shows them that if they cannot provide vouchers successfully then they can buy food and claim it back. I’m pleased to say that the number of problems with the voucher system has reduced significantly this week.

Free school meals, while important, are not technical safeguarding concerns which is where children are at risk of significant harm. I just want to reemphasise that if you are made aware of any specific safeguarding concerns, the person who actually has the concern should raise this with us personally and they should do so directly. Details of how to do this are on our website as usual.

Schools returning to normal opening

There has been press speculation about schools reopening for children more generally, in addition to the current provision for vulnerable children and children of key workers. The majority of our schools have never fully closed and there has been amazing support for children and the community coming from the work they have been doing. The Department for Education (DfES) has said repeatedly that the next review on social distancing arrangements will not be until 7 May and any decisions announced will follow scientific advice on virus transmission. I am aware that neighbouring councils have been having discussions with schools about their needs and Edwina has asked all schools for their preliminary views. I would expect a minimum of three weeks’ notice to be given to any change so we can plan properly and also keep you informed.

The DfES is currently taking early advice from professional groups including the Local Government Association, the major teacher unions and front line teacher professional representative groups. Edwina has an opportunity to inform this operational debate.

Internationally there are different models for re-opening schools when the time is right. Examples of different approaches are frequently quoted from Germany and the Netherlands. However, all schools have a different context and geographical layout so whatever model is introduced there will be issues locally to take account of. Schools will take individual decisions about pupil and staff safety in the light of national guidance when we receive it. Thereafter, decisions on safety and school opening will need to be made on a day to day basis, as usual, by the head teachers of schools in consultation with their Chairs of Governors.

Discussions going forward nationally will naturally include whether some particular school year groups should be a priority and how social distancing can be applied and maintained. Particular consideration will need to be given in these discussions to the needs of special schools and small rural schools or schools with particularly challenging buildings. Social distancing is a difficult concept for young children to understand. For parents there are other considerations, whether they feel safe to send their children to school and if, as they may continue to work from home for long periods of time, they will choose to do so. The law is clear that there can be no blanket council decision as to whether or not schools follow the national guidance. What we can do, and will do, is inform and support our schools and listen to them so that we can be ready with our support services as needed.

School appeals

Parents and carers were informed earlier this month about which primary schools their children had been allocated. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of pupils – 97% – were allocated one of their preferences, with 88.6% getting their first preference.

Some parents will of course be disappointed that they have not been allocated one of their preferences, and we will be hearing appeals throughout the summer.

Given the current emergency, appeals cannot be held in the usual face-to-face way, and we are working with disappointed parents to ensure we can make their appeal as easy as possible. We are encouraging parents to put appeals in in writing, and are exploring how we may be able to have appeals over the phone or by video conference.

This is always a difficult time for disappointed parents and children and of course in the current circumstances it will be even more concerning. Our Appeals team is here to help, so if you are contacted by a parent please encourage them to get in touch with the team who can provide support and guide them through the process. Contact details are available on the appeals pages of our website.

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