Working Together (Ludlow)

Established in 2002

Grant help for residents

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15/07/2021

Grant help for Shropshire Council residents

Shropshire Council have cash grants available to anyone who is struggling financially, it is not necessary for benefits to be in payment and we will look at each case on its own merits.

The money is aimed at Shropshire householders, especially low-paid working families with children whose finances may have suffered due to the long effect of Covid and lockdowns and who are now struggling to make ends meet.

The council have made it easy to apply over the phone (a paper form is still available on request), one of their advisers will complete the paperwork during the call and a specialist will look to see how they can help and if any further information is needed.

So if you, or someone you know, is having difficulty meeting essential outgoings, call Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9078.

Test and Trace Support Payment

We still need to do all we can to make sure that anyone who is told by NHS Test and Trace Service to stay at home and self-isolate does so to prevent the spread of coronavirus and a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment is still available through Shropshire Council.

For the qualifying conditions and to apply see here:

If someone doesn’t qualify, or if their financial need is greater, please remember that thee is also a range of other grants available instead and we urge you to encourage your clients to apply if they are in need.

For more information on all of the financial and other help available see Shropshire Council’s web pages here:

or call them on our Covid helpline – which is 0345 678 9028.

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Covid Restrictions

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Working Together: Covid restrictions update

13/07/2021

Dear members, families, carers, volunteers and staff

As you may be aware, the government has now announced the ending of legal Covid restrictions from 19 July. 

At Working Together the safety of our members, volunteers and staff remains our top priority and, in line with government advice to ‘maintain caution’, we be continuing with our existing Covid Safe procedures in the immediate term. 

This will include staff and volunteers continuing to wear face masks at all times inside and asking members who are able to, to wear masks when moving around the building and where social distancing isn’t possible. 

We will no longer be allocating members to a specific room only but we will still be ensuring that we make the best use of all the space we have available to aid social distancing.

We will also continue with our temperature checks, regular hand washing and additional ventilation and cleaning measures. 

We encourage members, where possible, to follow government recommendations and test twice a week using the simple Lateral Flow testing. We are happy to provide advice and support with this and this is especially important if members are attending more than one day service. 

The number of Covid cases is rising significantly in Shropshire and there is every likelihood that more of us will come into close contact with someone who is Covid positive. 

Whilst we are in a different place to late January (when we closed our doors for face-to-face services because of the high number of cases in Shropshire) because many members, volunteers and staff are now double vaccinated, it is still worth remembering that having been ‘double jabbed’ does not remove the risk of someone being Covid positive – and therefore being infectious to others. 

Also, according to scientific evidence, being vaccinated twice is just over 80% effective against becoming seriously unwell with Covid, but this figure is slightly lower in some people who are classed as Clinical Extremely Vulnerable.  

We would continue to ask that if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, whatever your vaccination status, you inform Working Together at the earliest opportunity. If this is the case, please do not attend face to face services until a PCR test has been undertaken and the results have been returned as negative, or until the end of the government’s recommended period of self-isolation has been completed (currently 10 days).

Working Together can give you advice and support on taking PCR tests.   

The government’s announcement is of course very good news and a step on the road to normality, but the Prime Minister has also been clear that Coronavirus ‘continues to carry risks to you and your family’ and he says that ‘we cannot simply revert instantly from Monday 19th July to life as it was before Covid.’. 

At Working Together, we will continue to err on the side of caution to ensure we keep our members, volunteers and staff as safe as we can.

We will keep our procedures under regular review and thank you again for your support with this. 

Chief Officer

Background information…

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Covid Update

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06/07/2021

As many of you will have heard yesterday, the Prime Minister has announced the government’s intention to lift most legal restrictions on 19 July.

The Prime Minster also urged people and organisations to ‘exercise judgement’ and, for example, whilst wearing face masks will no longer be a legal requirement, it will be advisory in some settings.

At Working Together it’s unlikely we will be relaxing all Covid measures straight away. Our first priority remains the
safety and wellbeing of our members, volunteers and staff.

We will continue to follow guidance from the Public Health team at Shropshire Council, Social Care Institute of Social Care (SCIE) and from Public Health England as well as continuing with our own risk assessments.

These have been robust throughout the pandemic and we will continue to err on the side of caution.

Chief Officer

Background information…

06/07/2021

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Face-to-Face Services

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18/01/2021

Last week, Shropshire Council announced that they would not be delivering building based day centre provision for at least the next 14 days.

Their reasoning behind this is is the result of: “the infection rates in our communities now presents a greater risk to the people we support, their families and our staff.“

Based this decision and our own concerns about the increasing infection rate we have also suspended our face
to face services.

We will of course continue and extend our online outreach and telephone support and keep the situation under
regular review.

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Covid-19: Public Health

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From Shropshire Council

A message from the Director of Public Health

Rachel Robinson, Shropshire’s director of public health has said:

“Christmas is going to feel very different for all of us this year, and I know everyone has made enormous sacrifices over the past 12 months. The news that the rules are being relaxed over the festive period will be welcomed by many, but I would urge everyone to think very carefully before they take advantage of the more lenient rules, and to act responsibly.”

“We need to keep doing all the things designed to keep us safe – respecting social distancing, washing hands, wearing face-coverings, self-isolating when we are asked to do so, and booking a test if you have symptoms.”

A further video update from Rachel Robinson can be found here: https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2020/12/coronavirus-video-update-from-our-director-of-public-health-rachel-robinson/

Christmas Bubbles

Between 23 and 27 December, the three households in a “Christmas bubble” can mix indoors and stay overnight.

People who has formed within a bubble, will be allowed to meet each other:

  • In each other’s homes
  • At a place of worship
  • In an outdoor public space, or garden

The bubbles will be fixed, so you will not be able to mix with two households on Christmas Day and two different ones on Boxing Day. Households in your Christmas bubble can’t bubble with anyone else. If a person has coronavirus symptoms or is self-isolating, then they cannot join a bubble.

For more information about forming a Christmas bubble with friends and family, please visit here – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family

Support for Vulnerable Households

For many Shropshire residents, the ongoing pandemic poses challenges that stretch beyond a reduction in the freedoms that we’re accustomed to, and the obvious risk to health. The financial implications of the virus continue to impose difficulties and hardship across the county. Therefore, the recently established COVID Winter Grant scheme will go a long way to ensuring that families don’t go hungry this winter.

A full press release on this scheme can be found here – https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2020/12/support-families-struggling-winter/

This offer sits alongside a suite of funding opportunities, that have been created to support some of Shropshire’s most vulnerable individuals and households. This includes the Local Support and Prevention Fund (LSPF) and the Local Authority Emergency Grant for Food and Essential Supplies. Families and individuals who are struggling and would like to access help and support can contact the council’s Welfare Support Team on 0345 678 9028.

Work, Skill, Money Guide

Shropshire Council have recently developed a guide which aims to support residents with matters concerning Work, Skills and Money. The guide covers the whole cycle of job loss, financial support, housing, and upskilling for people who are looking for work. The guide can be located via the following link –  https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/information-for-the-public/work-skills-and-money-guide/

Concerns about business compliance to Covid-19 regulations: if there are any concerns about businesses adhering to Covid-19 regulations please email them to advicecompliance@shropshire.gov.uk

Shropshire Councils Covid-19 Helpline 0345 6789 028: this phoneline is designed to receive enquiries and concerns associated with Covid-19, of a non-medical nature.

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Covid-19 Restrictions

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Covid-19 – National Restrictions: 5 November 2020

As you will be aware, new national restrictions have been announced for England starting from 5 November and the Government is now requiring people to stay at home, except for a few specific purposes.

Working Together, including Youth Club and Diversity, will continue to offer face to face sessions at Rockspring centre – as we understand that day opportunities and support, including youth clubs, are included in the government’s definition of a specific purpose.

Keeping our members and staff safe is our top priority and we will continue to follow our Covid Safe procedures –

  • Wash hands – keep washing your hands regularly
  • Cover face – wear a face covering in enclosed spaces
  • Make space – stay at least 2 metres apart – or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions

We also ask that members continue to confirm that they are free of Covid symptoms before attending each session at Working Together.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

(Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms)

We also ask that our members, staff and volunteers all continue to follow the new guidelines outside of Working Together – and stick to the rules regarding who you can see and social distancing. This will help to keep us all safe.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

04/11/2020

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AGM 2020

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Working Together AGM 24/11/2020

This year’s AGM will be on Tues 24th November 7pm. (please note the change of time)

Because of Covid restrictions the meeting will need to be held digitally. Everyone is welcome to join us on Zoom.

Please contact us for the Zoom link and password for the meeting. If you need help to get online please let us know.

We’re planning lots of exciting things to share with you and it will be great to see you.

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Chief Officer Appointed

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Working Together’s new Chief Officer…

Nigel Bishop, Chief Officer

It is with great pleasure that I am able to inform you on behalf of the Trustees, that Nigel Bishop will be the new Chief Officer for Working Together following the recent recruitment process. I am sure you will all join us in congratulating him on his appointment.

Nigel has been the interim manager during an extremely difficult time bringing much needed calmness, sensitivity and stability. The future is going to bring new challenges for everyone but Working Together will continue to find ways to support its members in the best way possible under Nigel’s leadership.

Let’s hope it will not be too long before we can all meet together to celebrate Working Together’s past, present and bright looking future.

Nicola North
Chair of Trustees

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Contact Us

Working Together (Ludlow) Ltd
Rockspring Community Centre,
Sandford Road, Ludlow,
Shropshire, SY8 1SX
Tel: 01584 318925
admin@workingtogetherludlow.co.uk
Charity No: 1147358

News and Events

Funders:

Communities Fund logo