Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

COVID-19 saw a voluntary response on a scale and diversity previously unimagined – volunteers who have proved to be an invaluable national and local resilience capability. Despite contextual and narrative differences for Recovery and Renewal, the opportunity to utilise the wave of volunteerism and solidarity emerged as a common theme globally. Individual volunteers, mutual aid groups and community action groups formed the backbone of community resilience resources during COVID-19. A large part of this volunteer community arose spontaneously, individuals and groups unaffiliated with organised voluntary organisations or official response agencies that can bolster capacity and capabilities during emergencies.

Despite the many benefits of Spontaneous Volunteers (SVs), challenges around safety, training, communications, and coordination had (before COVID-19) created a reluctance to engage with SVs during emergencies. Our case study research showed how COVID-19 changed that as community resilience initiatives implemented new activities that ensured the safety of volunteers and beneficiaries (e.g. risk assessments/personal protective equipment). Resilience partnerships and other agencies pivoted to using online systems and social media to rapidly attract, recruit, and train new volunteers by engaging with mutual aid groups and SVs. These online systems provided continuous dialogue and co-ordination with all partners, including volunteers, statutory services and local business partners.

We also found that maintaining the flow of local intelligence and maintaining the motivation of volunteers worked effectively through ‘informal situational trust’. In these community resilience initiatives, informal situational trust was characterised by the use of soft management skills, demonstrating sensitive awareness to the valuable contributions of volunteers, and treating them as equals. For example:

Innovation and agility in volunteer management during COVID-19 has resulted in:

Multiple organisations increasing their use of online means such as social media to recruit, maintain engagement and increase retention of volunteers.

This lesson is part of a collection of team reflections from the Recovery, Renewal, Resilience team, shared in the final Manchester Briefing under their ESRC-funded project. The collection of 10 reflections can be found in Issue 51 of The Manchester Briefing, accessible via the link below:

Co-production is a popular approach to service design and delivery and has been found to exist in all sectors of public services including education, agriculture, health, local governance, and information technology among others (Khine et al., 2021). At its simplest, it involves working with others to design and deliver strategies with the aim of achieving a collective outcome, in our case, to build societal resilience. Some examples of co-production activities include:

Last month’s TMB 47 outlined an initial definition for whole-of-society resilience and noted how societal resilience should be co-produced as a collaboration across resilience partnerships, sector partners and communities. This article explains co-production for resilience and explores how it can support the design and delivery of resilient society. This article builds on TMB 33 when we explored the difficulty of co-production during the response phase of a crisis.

To read this briefing in full, follow the source link below:

This briefing explores opportunities for community recovery and resilience through commemoration. Contributed by colleagues at the University of North Texas USA, this article discusses the unique challenges of considering where, when, and how to commemorate the pandemic, and details various modes of meaningful commemoration for local communities such as public art, collective performances, and intergenerational resilience stories. 

Follow the source link below to read the article in full.

The Manchester Briefing Issue 45 presents Part 2 of the important topics for recovery and renewal that have been covered over the last 18 months. Part 1 appeared in last month’s TMB Issue 44. This month the Briefing, which is put together by Alliance Manchester Business School and the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, collates and summarises the remainder of the articles it has explored across a range of themes including governance, communities, health and economics, as well as providing links to those articles which cut across numerous themes.

Follow the link below to read in full.

Many local governments have begun to take the lessons learn lessons from their COVID-19 response and amend strategies to improve emergency response plans for the future. E, ensuring these plans are disability inclusive is critical. Persons with disabilities can often be more vulnerable to risk during normal times and even more so in the height of a crisis. A recent paper explored the social determinants of disabled people’s vulnerability to COVID-19 and the impact of policy response strategies. The paper identifies recovery and renewal strategies that focus on reducing the social, economic, and environmental conditions that create disproportionate and unequal impacts. When re-evaluating local disaster preparedness and response, consider:

• Seek feedback from local people in your local community who live with a disability, and their carers, to understand how local response to COVID-19 met their needs or how their needs might be met more effectively in the future e.g. communications, access to services, community support mechanisms etc.
• Include strategies that recognise social vulnerability, as well as health related vulnerabilities, for example ‘universal basic income’ approaches to social security or ’housing first’ approaches to tackling homelessness
• Identify the various forms of risk that persons with disabilities might be exposed to, taking geographical and locale-specific risks into consideration. Needs will differ in the case of a flood/fire and evacuation than when faced with a health crisis
• Integrate the diverse and intersecting needs of persons with disabilities into preparedness and response plans. Co-produce these plans with them and their carers
• Identify the barriers that people with disabilities face in the community – work to reduce these barriers through long-term renewal initiatives, and not just in the case of emergency (e.g. re-designing local infrastructure to increase accessibility)
• Incorporate training for volunteers on the rights and diverse needs of people living with disabilities to maintain their dignity, safeguard against discrimination, and prevent inequalities in care provision (see UK guidance on supporting people with disabilities)

See: ‘Disability and Health Emergency Preparedness’ for guidance on identifying needs, tools and resources, and guidance for assessing preparedness and response programmes. See also: TMB Issue 19 for a further case study on disability-inclusive recovery and renewal.

Understanding 'whole-of-society' resilience

There is a new term being used in the emergency planning community – ‘whole of society resilience’. This term was integral to government’s Integrated Review (IR)[1] (see TMB 32) and featured heavily in the call for evidence for the National Resilience Strategy (NRS)[2]. This new term points to an ambitious endeavour for societal resilience and forms a call-to-action that is broader than community resilience. But … What does whole-of-society resilience mean? What might be its implications for emergency planning? Below we share some initial thoughts on answers to these questions.

What does whole-of-society resilience mean?

Building a collective understanding on the meaning of ‘whole-of-society’ resilience is a critical first step to ensure that ambitious endeavour is aligned. To aid this process, we share an early definition which could inform debates and future definitions. Whole-of-society resilience is the:

capability created by local systems that help people and places to adapt and advance in a changing
environment[3]

In this definition,

What are the implications of whole-of-society resilience for emergency planning?

The use of the term whole-of-society resilience has ignited change in the resilience narrative across the UK. It suggests that whole-of-society resilience embeds the need to depart from historically government centred approaches to building resilience, towards an integrated approach with whole-of-society. This is characterised by a combination of top-down and bottom-up collaboration, and the co-production of local resilience capabilities with whole-of-society resilience actors.

Whole-of-society resilience reinforces that the world is interconnected so you cannot be resilient on your own.

Therefore, responding to this call on whole-of-society resilience requires thought on how resilience partnerships and society can work together to understand and reduce risk, pinpoint vulnerabilities, enhance our preparedness and leverage the agency of our communities. Building the resilience of our society should be a strategic endeavour, with national policy being influenced by knowledge and work at the local level and then interpreted and implemented locally, through collaboration between resilience partnerships (government sector), sector partners (voluntary sector and business), and communities (individuals, groups, networks, businesses and organisations). Such a partnership is demonstrated through the newly established National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+] (NCSR+)[4].

The NCSR+ recognises that resilience must be rooted inside communities. This includes building on existing community structures and partnerships and establishing new ones, and creating an inclusive, supportive, and enabling environment for the co-production of whole-of-society local resilience capabilities. Over the coming months, the members of NCSR+ aim to tackle this challenge together. An early activity for NCSR+ will be to develop a shared understanding of whole-of-society resilience, identify the principles that should underpin a whole-of-society approach, and gather and promulgate good practice examples of community resilience strategies.

This blogs aims to support the first step of developing a shared understanding of WoS resilience, agreeing on “what it is and how we make it relatable to the person on the street”[5]. To achieve this the members of NCSR+ are already listening to their local communities to gain information on their own local risk and priorities for resilience. However, with the backdrop of communities’ responses to COVID-19 and the whole-of-society resilience that was built, we have to move quickly. COVID-19 has “helped to galvanise every single aspect of society into realising that there is a place for everybody to have some responsibility”[6] when it comes to building resilience and we should try to firmly embed this rather than lose it.

In summary, you cannot be resilient on your own. Shared understanding and joint working is needed, which requires an adjustment of relationships on resilience between whole-of-society and resilience partnerships. The aspiration is to work towards collective resilience of whole-of-society, a collaboration across local resilience partners, sector partners, and whole-of-society. Government is organising itself to respond to this call-for-action and the NCSR+ is positioning its work to support local government to collaborate with whole-of-society on resilience.

References:

[1] HM Government (2021) Global Britain in a Competitive Age: The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. Cabinet Office, March 2021

[2] HM Government (2021) National Resilience Strategy: Call for Evidence. Cabinet Office, July 2021

[3] Shaw and Jordan (2021), Understanding ‘whole-of-society’ resilience. The Manchester Briefing on COVID-19: International lessons for local and national government recovery and renewal. Issue 44, October 29th 2021, p.16-17. The University of Manchester. Available at: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/research/recovery-renewal-resilience-from-covid-19/briefings/

[4] The National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+]

[5] Joan McCaffrey, Local Government Civil Contingencies, Northern Ireland, speaking at the launch of the National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+]

[6] Kevin Murphy, The Office of the Committee for Home Affairs, States of Guernsey, speaking at the launch of the National Consortium for Societal Resilience [UK+]

TMB 36 discussed the potential role of young people in reducing and responding to disaster risk. The lesson details meaningful, inclusive, and creative strategies for engaging young people in all stages of DRR such as youth-led/collaborative participation. A recent addition to the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments details The Africa Youth Advisory Board on DRR (AYAB DRR), a collective established to encourage meaningful youth engagement and participation in DRR policy development, implementation and evaluation across Africa. Consider:

• Connect with local youth-led/youth-focused organisations, invite these organisations to collaborate on all stages of DRR and connect their voices with local decision makers
• Support young people as agents of change by acting as a facilitator/brokerage to connect their groups and initiatives to resilience partners who can inform and coach/take inspiration from youth-led DRR initiatives. This activity could also support the development of local/regional networks between young people and resilience partners
• Use online platforms (websites, social media etc.) to create open, accessible and inclusive knowledge sharing capacity for youth-led DRR groups/organisations, or to showcase, celebrate and promote their work. For example:
  • The Himalayan Risk Research Institute is developing a platform for disaster risk reduction students, researchers and young professionals. The initiative aims to develop a “skill transfer mechanism” whereby training, field research and workshops can build the knowledge and skills of young scientists and professionals and in turn benefit local DRR activities
• Enable the mobilization of youth groups, by increasing their access to local resources (e.g. community spaces they could use) and support “physical and virtual capacity building” to improve their visibility, inclusion and active participation

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe are working with civil society organisations (CSOs) and faith-based organisations (FBOs) to design, develop and enhance local level preparedness systems and capacities to support resilience building during and after crises. Local and national governments, the private sector, the media, and academia are also collaborating with the initiative, to help communities to develop their preparedness and response planning. Working with existing community structures, the initiative aims to mobilise and engage community leaders, key stakeholders, and underrepresented groups. The initiative ensures that the most vulnerable people in the community are at the heart of activities. A lack of capacity, resources and capabilities often creates challenges for local governments to initiate effective disaster risk reduction strategies and support from partners e.g. international humanitarian agencies can help to fill the gaps in the initial planning and implementation processes. Consider establishing new partnerships with international humanitarian agencies to:

• Provide institutional capacity and knowledge on emergency preparedness and response processes;
• Support the design, planning, development and implementation of projects that incorporate new initiatives which enable communities to participate and collaborate on emergency response;
• Support partners to establish local preparedness and response systems, including their own governance capacities;
• Conduct peer reviews to identify lessons learned and share examples of good practices;
• Inform future disaster preparedness and response planning

The activities in this initiative include:

• Train CSOs and FBOs on integrated disaster management. This activity aims to develop localised first response systems and capacities;
• Support and train CSOs and FBOs on Emergency Preparedness & Response Planning capacity development, including strategies for building resilience;
• Establish/strengthen 40 local voluntary community groups on areas such as community preparedness, early warning and response;
• Pilot a ‘Supporting Community-led Response’ programme which aims to enable communities and self-help groups to collaborate on response to crisis, and to address root causes of vulnerability, through workshops, peer review and lessons learned sessions

Cities have grown considerably in the recent decades but this growth has exacerbated existing problems related to poverty and inequality. Deep-rooted inequalities have heavily influenced the degree and nature of COVID-19 impacts on society as whole. Thus, reducing inequalities, marginalization, and poverty should be a cornerstone of the strategy to recover and renew to increase resilience. Consider the following recommendations from the UN:

• Ensure that strategies provide un-registered people (e.g. people who are homeless or reside in slums) with access to basic and affordable services, like water, waste disposal and sanitation facilities. Longer-term strategies should work to build the resilience of people living in informal settlements and reduce their vulnerability to crises
  • For example, the DARAJA initiative is working to build the climate resilience of vulnerable communities who are living in informal settlements in Tanzania and Kenya. The goal is to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable people by increasing their access to climate and early warning information through feedback loops that enable hazard communication and awareness in informal communities
• Establish stronger labour and health protection for those not covered by formal government support systems e.g. casual/zero contract workers and people who work in the informal labour market
• “Plan for mixed use, socially diverse communities”, to avoid the creation of segregated communities (e.g. migrant worker complexes) of discriminated groups (e.g. ethnic minorities) when planning for public housing
• Establish policies that increase the long-term affordability of housing, by implementing measures such as “housing price caps, rent vouchers, subsidies, and investments in affordable or/and social housing”. Consider the example of Portugal, where the Resilience and Recovery Plan includes a total of EUR 2.7 million in affordable housing
• Implement strategies that improve connectivity in cities and affordable transport options, particularly for low-income neighbourhoods, including cycling and open, safe and affordable public transportation (e.g. buses, trains, among others)
• Invest in digital inclusion, by increasing infrastructure and training programmes, so that vulnerable populations can take advantage of recent trends such as digital government
• Support a comprehensive recovery and renewal strategy for densely populated areas e.g. slums and informal settlements, by implementing a variety of measures, such as “equitable land management, regulation of property markets, and application of progressive land-based finance and value capture instruments”
• Invest in communities, by engaging with them through meaningful participatory and inclusive methods (see TMB Issue 39 on co-production). Actively work to include “marginalized and minority groups, including persons of African descent, indigenous peoples, minorities and LGBTQ+”, so that their experiences and perspectives are fully heard and accounted for

TMB 39 noted how “tackling loneliness” was a key priority for community wellbeing in the next year, particularly in rural areas with high numbers of elderly residents. For example, ‘TED Ageing Better’ in East Lindsey is working to foster sustainable resilience in older people by strengthening social capital in the community and providing specific support services. Consider, from TED in East Lindsey’s recent report:

• When establishing community well-being initiatives, focus on “flexible and person-centred” activities. For example:
  • Magna Vitae's Community Health Activity Project employs a range of outreach mechanisms (online, telephone, one to one and group meetings) to ensure their service is inclusive. This has led to higher levels of engagement, enabling the development of innovative activities to meet diverse needs of the community
• Co-produce recovery initiatives (see TMB 38) and underpin these initiatives with a common goal e.g. to increase social capital and thus resilience amongst older people in the community
• Strengthen “peer-to-peer relationships” which can develop ties amongst residents and increase their sense of belonging. Such initiatives benefited from the delivery of “activity packs” that keep residents engaged and connected to people in their community during periods of isolation and social distancing
• Build on the relationships developed through well-being initiatives and co-production activities to support digital inclusion and build digital skills e.g. through community donation programmes (computers/laptops) and skill-building workshops facilitated by local volunteers
• Examples of strategies to tackle loneliness in Northern Ireland (NI) include:
  • The Department for Communities works with Libraries NI and National Museums NI to deliver projects that address loneliness, e.g. “Supporting People”, a programme which aims to improve levels of digital connectivity and digital inclusion
  • The Village Catalyst Pilot Project, which aims to tackle social isolation and rural poverty. The project will repair vacated buildings and repurpose them to improve local access to critical services and facilities, and provide increased space for community-led projects and social activities

Like many other sectors, agricultural production has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Farmers and workers in rural areas in developing countries live with low levels of income and scarce access to public services so disasters and pandemics increase their vulnerability. Even so, the sector provides an opportunity for economic recovery, given that in countries such as Mexico agriculture grew by up to 20% during 2020. The Agricultural Association of Culiacan River in Mexico has implemented measures to protect and prevent the spread of infection between agricultural workers and sustain their sources of income. Consider the priorities of their recovery approach for the sector:

Maintain agricultural production, livelihoods, and income (Michoacán experience)

• Strengthen the local chains of production and the local partnerships between agricultural and livestock producers and providers. In Michoacán, products that were mainly export-oriented are also being sold at the local level through the coordination of local farmers and governments
• Implement subsidies at the local and state levels to protect small and medium-sized producers against increases in the price of inputs (e.g. farming equipment), particularly given the increased demand for such inputs during the recovery stages
• Take advantage of existing local, regional, and international treaties and agreements that facilitate commerce and the exchange of products. In the absence of such arrangements, governments and financial institutions should provide financial guarantees to enable small producers to participate in these markets in the medium term

Protect the health and safety of agricultural workers and farmers. Increase preventive measures (Sinaloa experience)

• Supply PPE to agricultural workers and increase sanitization measures in agricultural facilities
• Implement sanitization protocols for the pickup and transport of workers to the field and back to their residency
• Identify workers at risk because of previous health conditions, or because of dangerous working environments. Identify and prevent children and young teenagers from working in the fields

During COVID-19, schools were forced to move to remote delivery of teaching. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) note that high levels of pre-existing inequalities (e.g. poverty) have exacerbated the negative impacts of the pandemic on children’s education. The World Bank report predicts that the “shock on human capital will substantially reduce intergenerational mobility and the likelihood of children from low educated families to complete secondary school”. The bank also presents a call to action to address the significant learning loss experienced by Latin American and Caribbean children. As countries are transitioning back to face-to-face or to more hybrid styles of education delivery, consider:

• Work in partnership with schools, community groups (e.g. parental committees) and local social care services to identify vulnerable children and develop targeted measures (e.g. through remedial programmes) to ensure that schools are teaching at an appropriate level for all children. Specifically take into account the learning needs of children from lower-income families who may not have had the resources at home to keep up with remote learning measures
  • For example, ‘Alerta Escuela’, Peru uses early warning systems to identify students who are at risk of dropping out or who are in need of targeted interventions
• Guide and support schools on how best to combine remote and in-person learning (e.g. the Ceibal initiative in Uruguay). To increase accessibility, blended learning recovery solutions should consider low- or no-tech options (e.g. educational TV programmes/local radio/community youth groups)
• Design a long-term transformational plan for accelerating the digital transformation of local and national Education Management and Information Systems (EMIS), for example:
  • The World Bank is collaborating with education agencies to establish a “new generation of EMIS based on an enterprise architecture focusing on learning data”. The programme will collate best practices, tools and guidance that aim to enable education agencies to implement technology-driven solutions that accelerate cost effective educational programmes and generate high investment returns

See also TMB Issue 33 – a case study which explores the “attainment gap” and digital divide, detailing international strategies that aim to support children to catch up on learning time lost during the pandemic

TMB Issue 38 discussed the importance of community involvement in tackling disease outbreaks and presented the recommendations set out by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. This briefing offers examples of good practice in community participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider:

• Tanzania: local government co-produced infection control measures with business leaders based in markets to integrate leaders’ understanding & knowledge of the challenges of implementing such measures
• Nigeria: the “community informer model” was employed by local authorities for COVID “surveillance, tracing and monitoring” – community informers are key trusted individuals in a community (e.g. faith leaders)
• Pakistan: community volunteers “set up quarantine wards, manufactured and provided free protective suits for medics”, and distributed food to vulnerable people
• India: Community volunteers came together to investigate and identify unknown (“hidden”) COVID-19 fatalities. The volunteer group comprised of expert physicians and data analysts who developed comparisons of official health data and other reports. This encouraged a review of the national death audit process and resulted in improvements in the process so that COVID-19 deaths were accurate and transparent
• USA: Volunteers built a public “Testing Site Locator” app which visualized the geographical location of testing centres to support collection of testing centre-related information and dissemination at the national level. This supported people to locate the nearest available testing centres and also the “health system to plan and distribute centres more effectively”

The pandemic, and previous disasters, have evidenced that communities play a crucial role when preparing for, responding to and recovering from, crisis. Communities and civil societies should be “partners early on in the design, planning, implementation, and assessment of preparedness and response efforts on all levels”, particularly at the local level. We have covered community participation and co-production with communities in various briefings, see TMB Issue 38; Issue 34; Issue 33.

The National Lottery Community Fund ‘Community Research Project’ investigated how people’s attitude toward their communities has changed during the pandemic, and identified the priorities for their communities as they emerge from COVID-19. This report demonstrates the opportunity to foster the community resilience realised during COVID as a Local Resilience Capability (LRC). Additionally, the report echoes that although not everyone will want to contribute to building community resilience, there are people who do and they are looking for ways to do so. Consider that:

• “Tackling loneliness and supporting economic growth” are reported as the most important factors for community wellbeing in the next year. Most respondents felt that the crisis brought out the best in people. This was particularly felt by older generations, with a third of respondents reporting that they now feel more connected to (and supported by) their local community
• “Safe and accessible green spaces” are key priorities for communities going forward, with 40% of respondents reporting to have used local green spaces more than they usually would
• 30% of respondents plan to be more involved in their communities, with the most significant benefits being people’s ability to offer support to others in their community, and having people willing to help close by if needed

The British Red Cross recently shared a report ‘Communities of Humanitarian Thought: The Case for Change in a Time of Crisis’. The report considers the next steps on the following prominent humanitarian issues: Displacement & Migration; Health Inequalities, and Disasters & Emergencies. The report highlights the need for real change for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, crisis across various priorities:

• ‘Eliminate the gaps in health and social care’, by employing a person-centred approach to reduce access barriers and prevent people from “falling through the gaps between services”. The inequalities in health and social care exacerbated by COVID-19 require a more integrated approach, along with investment in care and support at the community level
• ‘Ensure humanitarian needs are met in emergencies’, by clearly defining the statutory responsibilities of national government and emergency response organisations, to ensure that they “fully meet the humanitarian needs of their communities”
• Review social protection infrastructure to learn lessons from the pandemic and best practice across the world, e.g. ‘Cash-based assistance in emergencies’, which has shown to deliver a more “dignified response” and enables people to rapidly access the resources they need during crisis
• ‘Provide safe and legal routes for people seeking asylum’, by reviewing domestic policy to ensure that the “end-to-end experience of a person in the asylum system is efficient, fair and humane”. The Sovereign Borders Bill presents an opportunity to evaluate and take action to improve the entire system
• ‘Uphold international law and principled humanitarian action’, by committing to humanitarian action and support for the most vulnerable communities across the world
• Recognise how young people and civil society drive climate action, e.g. the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, which strives to amplify youth voices and engage young people in an open and transparent dialogue on climate action

There has recently been a new spotlight shone on the impact that communities have had on their local response. A key message from the UK’s Integrated Review was the need to build whole-of-society resilience through enhancing capabilities in local resilience (see a recent TMB case study). TMB has often highlighted the renewal of community resilience through building a Local Resilience Capability (TMB Issue 30, as well as Briefing A in this current issue). Communities are being seen in a new light in local resilience.

This has been further identified in a paper by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, titled ‘Centering communities in pandemic preparedness and response’. This paper emphasizes the importance of community involvement in tackling disease outbreaks and advises of the need to:

• Establish partnerships to work with communities to design, plan, implement and monitor local and national pandemic preparedness and response, for example:
  • In Sur, Oman, the city government developed an intervention of response in partnership with civil society (e.g. community sports clubs, the Omani Women Association, youth groups and voluntary organisations). These groups supported activities to “arrange, maintain, and supervise” pandemic response activities
• Improve community engagement through “clear structures and sustained funding”, recognising that continuous effort is needed (not just a one-off effort during crisis). This can help to develop trust between communities and official service providers
• Recognise that risk communication is key to community engagement, and one part of local resilience capabilities: two-way, bi-directional and co-produced communications are essential to understand needs, communicate responsibilities, and gain feedback (see TMB 37 ‘Risk communications as part of the Local Resilience Capability’)
• Community resilience requires a “sustainable framework for community empowerment and recovery”, including:
  • “Invest in civic mindedness” to establish a culture of social connectedness and empower communities to take responsibility through co-production to understand risk preparedness, response and recovery
  • Establish partnerships between governments and community-based groups/voluntary organisations/businesses to integrate communities into the planning and leadership of interventions that enhance their local resilience
  • “Invest in social and economic wellbeing, and in physical and psychological health” to ensure access to health services

We demonstrate that in order to establish community resilience as a permanent local resilience capability, we are required to sustain what has already been created by communities, local government, small business, neighbours, individuals, social enterprises, the voluntary sector, and so many more hidden networks.

Read this case study in full by following the source link to TMB Issue 37 (p.13-14).

This week (1-7th June 2021) marks Volunteers Week in the UK, an opportunity to celebrate and thank volunteers and recognise their significant contributions to communities. Volunteers make an immense difference to their communities and have played a key role throughout the pandemic. There are many ways to celebrate and show appreciation for the work of volunteers, consider:

• Say thank you by recognising their impact in local communities, by:
  • A thank you email or through social media (you can use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek to join the online community celebrating volunteers this week)
  • Community funded gift baskets which could include vouchers or discounts from local businesses
• Collect stories from volunteers and those that they supported during the pandemic and share them through local newspapers, local radio, social media etc.
• Setting up virtual online gathering of local volunteers and:
  • Distribute awards to volunteers to recognise their efforts
  • Create a space for volunteers to share their experiences of volunteering during the pandemic. This type of event can also introduce local volunteers to each other and create an greater sense of being part of a local volunteer communit
• Create public displays of recognition (e.g. a park bench dedicated to local volunteers)
• Encourage community involvement e.g. “The Big Lunch” which is being held on Sunday 6th June
• Allocate a day to celebrate volunteers annually e.g. "Power of Youth Day" which celebrates the contributions of young people to communities

The Rural Lives project examined the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns on individuals experiencing financial hardship and vulnerability in rural areas, and the responses to address those impacts. It investigated the contributions of "societal processes, individual circumstances, and various support sources (e.g. markets, state, voluntary/community organisations, and family and friends)". The study finds that lockdowns delivered an acute shock to rural economies and societies, many of which rely heavily on tourism and hospitality, and that the pandemic amplified the impacts of digital exclusion. Pre-COVID, a substantial proportion of rural residents were found to be financially vulnerable. This study suggests that many more will be at risk of financial hardship in the coming months and years as "the full impacts of the pandemic play out and sources of support become more constrained". The study suggests future actions to support people living in rural communities:

• Diversify rural economies and support "good work" to offer people a fair and secure income, e.g. by providing targeted funding and support to help people to establish small businesses that increase the strength of other sectors (outside of those currently relied upon) and provide rural residents with "less precarious employment opportunities"
• Establish business support networks/signpost people to business advisory services to mitigate the negative effects of necessity entrepreneurship (e.g. people may lack confidence and/or knowledge about what is involved in setting up a viable business)
• Define and support the role of rural Voluntary and Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, who have the potential to be a key actor when tackling the rise in rural youth unemployment
• Reinstate and support the expansion of mobile and outreach face-to-face services for the most vulnerable, especially those who may be more isolated due to physical distance from services, lack digital literacy or face mental health challenges
• "Continue partnership working and flexible funding" between service providers and VCSEs so that they can continue to play a joined-up signposting role, connecting rural communities to information, advice and services
• Integrate VCSEs into strategic planning to create effective partnership structures
• Explore the "rural potential for social care provision" review the experience of social care and carers during the pandemic to learn lessons. E.g. "deliver a more personalised and joined-up approach via informal cooperation between health and care workers, learning from more flexible work practices adopted during the pandemic"
• Enable communities to take a more active role in commissioning social care, and enable community groups to deliver care in their communities
• Co-produce service design with communities, pilot integrated ways of working with VCSEs and the community, and take locally-based approaches to service delivery that prioritise local community outcomes and individual needs/priorities
• Consider a combination of "person-based and place-based" social protection and welfare measures at national policy level

A recent study found that the Canadian disaster news media framed young people in five different ways: “1. the vulnerable status of youth; 2. youth as passive bystanders; 3. children as a burden on adults; 4. youth as active agents; and 5. youth as a ‘legitimizing criteria’ in disaster response” (where certain response and recovery resources/actions are prioritized to enable young people to “bounce back” following crisis). The findings of this research highlight a need to shift the narrative and change how young people are framed in emergencies, to recognise their assets and potential roles in disaster risk reduction, emergency response and recovery efforts. Consider:

• Meaningful, inclusive, collaborative and creative strategies to engage young people in all stages of disaster risk and risk management, e.g. Colombia: The school of our dreams where young people create music videos to teach others about the value of protective and protected schools:
  • Enable “Self-driven participation” (youth-owned and led engagement) where young people take ownership and identify risks, and manage the process and outcomes, supported by adults when necessary
  • Establish “Collaborative participation” (adult-owned and youth-led engagement) where adults establish collaboration and invite young people to support the identification of issues. Partnerships are established between adults and young people in a form of “inter-generational collaboration”, a partnership which allows young people to increase their levels of self-directed action over time
• In the Philippines, children are participating in “school-watching programmes” where they gather information about risks that can be addressed by local school authorities. The children create hazard maps which can be shared to educate other students on risk and safety information
• Recognise the role of young people in creating resilience in communities, e.g. Injuv (The National Youth Institute in Chile) who focus on ways in which young people can be involved, activated and mobilised in emergency response during crisis. They have been working to establish and ecosystem of permanent local youth volunteers, and connect young volunteers directly with voluntary organisations through an online volunteer platform (Transform Country Network)
• Utilize the media to amplify the voices and efforts of young people as catalysts for change in their communities, to create a platform through which young people can share their ideas, opinions and concerns

Our Recovery, Renewal, Resilience project has recently been recognised by UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction), joining the global Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments initiative for disaster risk reduction. This initiative was developed in response to the General Assembly resolution 68/211 (2013) to support the development of partnerships at all levels to implement the Sendai framework. The Sendai Framework VC initiative provides specific encouragement to academic, scientific, and research entities in regards to their contribution to disaster risk reduction. The Voluntary Commitment highlights our projects 'Sendai Priorities for Action' including:

• "Understanding disaster risk;
• Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk;
• Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience;
• Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to 'Build Back Better'"

The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitment platform showcases a wide range of work from different organisations and groups across the world, all working to build resilience. The platform serves as a "mechanism to mobilize, monitor and take stock of commitments from multi-stakeholders for the implementation of the Sendai Framework until 2030". You can explore the various projects from across the world or register your own project on the platform here.

Social protection (SP) is critical to help poor and vulnerable households to cope with sudden shocks. Recovery from COVID-19 can aim to better understand and reduce the vulnerabilities that are exposed during crises, and to reinstate preparedness for and resilience to future events. Consider reviewing SP programmes to improve their capacity to respond to disasters:

• Assess the institutional capacity for improving disaster-responsive SP by identifying:
  • The key actors who are engaged in, or are responsible for, social protection (e.g. national/local government agencies, NGOs, civil society) and other core actors from relevant sectors (e.g. health, education, infrastructure). Define the roles, responsibilities and mandates of key actors
  • What the current capacities are (e.g. "knowledge and/or experience" on disaster-responsive SP) and what are the "surge" capacities in staffing (including the "re-deployment capacities of government staff from non-affected areas" and the civil society supports available)
  • If the current policy and legislative framework for SP, climate change adaption and disaster risk management recognises the roles of all key actors and whether adjustments are required to advance SP to effectively respond to disasters (In Myanmar, "a legal mandate is in place for the restoration of livelihoods to pre-disaster levels")
• Review information systems to ensure accurate data is available that will trigger a social protection response to disasters:

Retention and continued engagement of those who have offered their time, knowledge and skills to support response efforts will be crucial to ensure the valuable resources and capabilities are available for recovery and renewal activities. Recognising the enormous efforts of volunteers over the last year is integral to their retention. Consider:

• Recognise and thank volunteers for their efforts through personal letters or less personal approaches such as via social media
• Develop accredited certification programmes to officially recognise volunteer skills and knowledge
• Establish a service awards programme for volunteers based on length of service
• Introduce a tax credit programme for volunteers. E.g. The Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit (SRVTC) represents "federal recognition" of the important role played by search and rescue volunteers in Canada. There are conditions and criteria that are required to be met in order for volunteers to qualify for tax credit (e.g. volunteers who perform in excess of 200 "eligible hours" in a year). Appropriate recruiting, screening and management of volunteers helps to ensure people are not joining for the wrong reasons

Vulnerable groups of people are those that are disproportionately exposed to a risk. This can change dynamically and it is not a simple process of dividing populations into two groups of 'vulnerable' and 'not vulnerable'. Amid the pandemic, vulnerable groups have emerged from a diversity of communities. They are not only older people, those with ill health or disabilities, or homeless persons, but also people from a range of socioeconomic groups who might 'struggle to cope financially, mentally or physically' with crises precipitated by the pandemic. Consider:

• If the definitions and categories we use to identify vulnerable people, and consider their needs, adequately represents their lived experiences - whether their vulnerability existed prior to COVID-19, has been exacerbated by it, or has been newly created by it?
• Identify the people behind the 'vulnerable' label - who are they, where are they, and why are they vulnerable? - to increase our understanding of the person and the conditions or environment (root causes) that may be making them vulnerable to certain risks
• If there are different levels/spectrums of vulnerability, do we need to organise vulnerability with respect to different forms of risk (e.g. immediate risk to life, risk to mental health, social/financial security, geographic location)?
• Assessing those who may have been defined as vulnerable prior to COVID-19 and the conditions associated with this vulnerability, those who have become newly vulnerable as a direct result of COVID-19, and what factors lead to these people/groups becoming vulnerable
• The risk of under-supporting those who face severe risk if we rely only on our previous (to COVID-19) assumptions or understanding of vulnerability
• Whether re-defining vulnerability may support more effective recovery and renewal strategies e.g. classifying vulnerable groups according to risk levels/spectrums, creating vulnerability indexes and identifying the root cause of each
• Recovery strategies should aim to provide transactional aid to alleviate the negative effects of vulnerability exacerbated or caused by the pandemic
• Renewal initiatives should address the root cause of vulnerabilities through transformational initiatives that aim to prevent people from becoming vulnerable

We bring together international lessons and actions to address the attainment gap and support vulnerable children who have lost out on significant learning time during the pandemic.

Read this case study in full by following the source link below to TMB Issue 33 (p.13-14).

Community members are often the first individuals to respond to a disaster, and are often present to support recovery long after the immediate risks end. Throughout COVID-19, communities have demonstrated how they are part of a local resilience capability. We have seen them respond on an unprecedented scale, and in a diversity of ways. This presents an opportunity to increase preparedness for, and resilience to, future crises by recovering and renewing community capabilities. Consider:

• Encourage dedicated community resilience programmes and volunteer groups (or formally recognise current groups that are already working to build community resilience):
  • Identify if additional funding is required for these groups to continue their work
  • Support online groups (e.g. Facebook groups) as community resilience initiatives
  • Appoint a liaison to support communities and volunteers
  • Help increase the volunteer capacity and resources available where asked
  • Initiate activities to retain the volunteers from the pandemic, develop targeted recruitment of new volunteers, and convert 'spontaneous volunteers' into organised volunteer roles (seeISO 22319 'Guidelines for planning the involvement of spontaneous volunteers')
• Establish modular training programmes to ensure that communities are equipped with the knowledge, skills, abilities, resources and tools that enable them to respond to emergencies and optimise the delivery and achievement of long-term recovery and renewal goals following crises (e.g. CERT, USA):
  • Identify the range of skills that may be required, and when, covering a broad range of potential crisis events
  • Tailor training programmes, by supplementing core community response training with targeted training that reflects geographical factors and the likelihood of certain events (e.g. floods)
  • Ensure training incorporates a variety of learning styles, such as classroom based learning, hands on skills demonstrations (e.g. using a fire extinguisher/first aid), and simulation exercises that replicate disasters
  • Offer classroom based training online, and at times that take family/work commitments into account, to maximise potential engagement
• Develop a training package for emergency responders that educates them on how to manage the potential that volunteers offer during a crisis
• Familiarise emergency responders and volunteers with each other through collaborative training/simulation exercises

Factors such as underlying health conditions, confined and over-crowded living spaces, limited facilities (e.g. running water, adequate sanitation), stigma and discrimination mean that Roma, Gypsy, Traveller and Boater communities are particularly vulnerable to the risks and associated impacts of COVID-19. Virus infection and death rates of these communities are currently unknown in the UK meaning formal data collection is needed. People in these communities are also likely to not be registered with a GP, to work in precarious job roles or be self-employed, meaning there is possibility that these communities will fall through the net with regards to COVID-19 vaccine programmes and the business/financial support initiatives provided during the pandemic. Consider:

• Partner with local and national organisations that work with Roma, Gypsy, Traveller and Boater communities to better understand their needs during the pandemic
• Work closely with the owners and managers of all residential sites and waterways for these communities to ensure that they stay open and alternative accommodation is arranged for people who become unwell and are required to self-isolate
• Provide additional temporary water, sanitation and waste disposal facilities to those communities who cannot access public facilities (due to closure of public infrastructure during lockdowns)
• Open additional local authority caravan sites temporarily to prevent overcrowding at designated caravan sites as COVID-19 requires these communities to remain static (e.g. holiday campsites that are not in use and would have basic facilities such as running water already in place)
• Establish a designated helpline in partnership with local health authorities (e.g. HSE Midlands Traveller Health Unit) to deal with COVID-19 queries
• Introduce a temporary moratorium to prevent people from being evicted from unauthorised camp locations
• Relax rules temporarily so those living on canal boats can moor in a safe place for an extended period of time
• Establish a targeted education support programme for children in these communities who are at risk of digital exclusion during periods of school closure
• Communicate with Roma, Gypsy, Traveller and Boater communities and the organisations that represent them to ensure that they are aware of and have access to social support mechanisms provided during the pandemic, e.g. Self-employment Income Support Scheme, vaccine programmes
• Include people who are living in these communities in research and outreach programmes to ensure learning is gained from their experiences and the diversity of impacts of COVID-19 on their lives is taken into account when planning for recovery

Billy Tusker Haworth, Lecturer in International Disaster Management at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, highlights the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and other queer identities during the pandemic and demonstrates the need for more nuanced and inclusive crisis response and recovery strategies. This briefing presents short term recovery strategies and longer term transformational activities to improve the care and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people during crises.

Read this briefing in full by following the source link below to TMB Issue 31 (p.2-5).

Data from the EU shows that 18 year olds who are in care are more likely to be not in employment, education or training, and experience higher levels of social exclusion or homelessness. COVID-19 has exacerbated their financial insecurity, poor mental health, and limited support networks as they transition to independent living. In addition to assessing the capacity of social work provision (TMB Issue 6), consider:

• Formally designate people who are leaving care as belonging to a vulnerable group
• Extend social protection programmes to make support services, such as financial support for food and accommodation, immediately available to those who leave care
• Ensure social services maintain regular personalised contact with those who leave care to advise them of what support is available during COVID-19
• Increase the capacity and flexibility of online communication with those who leave care, including availability of support forums
• Increase the capacity of mental health services, including outreach services and crisis support teams, by drawing on trained volunteers and enhance training in psychological first aid and safeguarding
• Partner with private care agencies, non-governmental organisations, corporate partners and care professionals to establish support and training/employment programmes
  • Establish a mentor programme to strengthen the support network of care leavers during their transition from care to independent living (e.g. ProgramaMentor, Galicia, Spain)
  • Provide employment advice to those who leave care, such as guidance on CV writing via an online workshop
  • Host virtual career or industry insights days to support those who leave care in making decisions on their next steps regarding education and employment
  • Establish targeted education and employment support for those who leave care, such as practical skills training on computing, email writing, giving presentations, and interviews; plus volunteering opportunities, work experience and apprenticeships for when lockdowns and restrictions end

We call to establish community resilience as a new local and national resilience capability. This is a major opportunity for us to renew our local resilience by continuing the community action built during the pandemic.

To read this briefing in full, follow the source link below to TMB Issue 30 (p.2-6).

The significant impacts of COVID-19 have created new groups of vulnerable people, such as people on middle-incomes and small businesses owners who have experienced a sudden loss of income and are now financially vulnerable. These new vulnerable groups have not before been targeted for social protection. Consider how other countries have expanded existing systems to support newly vulnerable people, for example:

• Adjust social protection programmes to give flexibility that can adjust to changing public health situations:
  • Directly link social protection measures to region-specific health or lockdown measures, e.g. tie social protection policies to tiers/categories in health responses
  • Establish a trigger system to rapidly adjust social protection measures to affected areas and groups
• Enable vulnerable people to access the assistance they need:
  • Establish a beneficiary database to identify and assess the social protection needs of newly vulnerable people
  • Partner with existing community organisations to identify vulnerable people, develop community-based targeting, and ensure those who become newly vulnerable are not excluded
  • Facilitate vulnerable individuals to self-identify through a registration service, e.g. online application, supported by a means test for verification
  • Expand sources of data to identify and verify intended beneficiaries, e.g. electricity or bank account data, employer’s redundancy data
• Revise legislation surrounding conditionality requirements, e.g. loosening conditionality principles of social protection programmes:
  • Morocco transformed ‘conditional cash transfer’ (CCTs) to ‘labelled cash transfer’ (LTCs) by removing the conditionality of continued school enrolment for cash transfers - resulting in reduced costs of programme implementation and reported increases in school enrolment and participation of children

Prisons are high risk environments as places of close physical proximity[1]. Persistent overcrowding[2], close living spaces, and staff moving in and out, make social distancing and the isolation and management of any contagion difficult to arrange[3]. National strategies to suppress COVID-19 should focus on reducing outbreaks within prisons, recognising that prison health is public health[4]. Coordinating evidence-based approaches to managing outbreaks of COVID-19 in prison settings can address the spread of the virus in potentially vulnerable people inside prisons and to communities where staff live[5].

In March 2020, WHO published interim guidance on how to deal with COVID-19 in prisons through a whole-of-society approach, with comprehensive guidance in the following key areas[6]:

• Preparation - through collaborative working with health and justice sectors, local and national public health authorities, and civil protection agencies; risk assessment and continuous evaluation; action planning to mitigate risks; assessment of essential infectious control supplies such as PPE, environmental sanitation, hand hygiene and disinfection
• Prevention - through implementation of public health guidelines, such as hand hygiene, social distancing and facemasks; monitoring of staff travelling into prisons from affected communities or who have a history of exposure; reviewing continuity and contingency plans to ensure critical functions can be delivered with reduced numbers of personnel
• Training and Education - planned and targeted at healthcare and custodial staff, including basic disease knowledge, hand hygiene practice, respiratory etiquette, the effective use of PPE and environmental prevention measures such as cleaning and disinfection. WHO have developed several online resources and training that can support this[7]
• Control - through robust prevention strategies; diagnostic strategies, including contact tracing, and interventions, including the environmental cleaning of health-care rooms or cells, where the management of a suspected case has taken place

A recent study identified some core challenges in managing infectious disease in prisons[8], such as:

• Overcrowding and a lack of best practice on managing the early release of prisoners
• Prisoners withholding symptoms for fear of stigma, leading to outbreaks
• Limited capacity of staff and resources to facilitate isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing

Addressing overcrowding, including communicating complex policies, such as an amnesty

Governments and judiciaries globally are considering strategies to tackle overcrowding and reduce prison populations through early release and alternative incarceration for vulnerable detainees and low-risk offenders[9]. Although strongly supported by human rights groups[10] and recommended by the UN[11], COVID-19 amnesties in the Ukraine were however rejected by legislators, media, and the public. This highlights that the explanation and communication of complex policies are just as vital as their design[12]. When communicating amnesties, consider:

• Work closely with civil society, particularly NGOs directly engaged with the public, to assess views and perceptions of amnesties, using this information to inform policy design and implementation
• Establish a clear communication strategy to accompany all elements of the process of transitioning incarcerated persons back into society, with a tailored approach to different social and regional groups
• Communicate informed and factual information through government and trusted civil society organisations, explaining the different elements of amnesties and their place in the larger reintegration framework to help the public feel more informed, secure and resilient

Inmate Volunteers

Irish Red Cross inmate volunteers are trained annually in Infection Control as part of the Community Based Health and First Aid Programme[13]. The activities of the inmate volunteers helped to contribute to zero positive cases amongst prisoners across the country for more than six months. Consider supporting a targeted inmate volunteer training programme to aid the management of infectious disease in prisons:

• As part of preparation and contingency planning, train inmate volunteers and staff on infectious disease and contact tracing to support the education of prisoners and custodial staff, and efforts to control transmission
• Train volunteers to support inmates who face mental health challenges/fears of stigma, e.g., distributing information and education packs, and supplementing support from psychologists, teachers, chaplains, and family visitation services, where these lack capacity
• Inmate volunteers can support the establishment of prison communication strategies on COVID-19, e.g. volunteers can write newsletters that can be distributed throughout prisons each week to provide updated information and educational material regarding COVID-19. Newsletters can include services that are available for inmates, and instructions for exercises and other activities that inmates can do while isolating and in quarantine

References:

[1] Redondo, S. et al. (2020) Corrections and Crime in Spain and Portugal during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Impact, Prevention and Lessons for the Future, Victims & Offenders, 15:7-8, 1156 – 1185, doi: 10.1080/15564886.2020. 1827108

[2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/12/pakistan-overcrowding-in-pakistans-prisons-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/

[3] Pagano, M. (2020). COVID-19 Risk Management and Screening in the Penitentiary Facilities of the Salerno Province in Southern Italy. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), p.8033.

[4] https://www.unodc.org/documents/middleeastandnorthafrica//2020/COVID19/COVID_19_Egypt_Final.pdf

[5] https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/people-in-prison-must-be-part-of-public-health-response-to-covid-19

[6] https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/336525/WHO-EURO-2020-1405-41155-55954-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

[7] Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control [OpenWHO online course]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020 (https://openwho.org/courses/introduction-to-ncov)

[8] Beaudry, G., Zhong, S., Whiting, D., Javid, B., Frater, J. and Fazel, S., 2020. Managing outbreaks of highly contagious diseases in prisons: a systematic review. BMJ global health, 5(11), p.e003201 https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/11/e003201

[9] Amnesty International (2020) https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/12/pakistan-overcrowding-in-pakistans-prisons-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/

[10] https://uacrisis.org/uk/amnistiya-ye-realnym-sposobom-borotby-z-poshyrennyam-koronavirusu-u-mistsyah-nesvobody-pravozahysnyky

[11] https://www.unian.info/society/human-rights-un-recommends-ukraine-grant-amnesty-to-certain-convicts-amid-covid-19-pandemic-11155589.html

[12] https://www.chathamhouse.org/2020/11/covid-19-holds-lessons-ukraines-amnesty-policy

[13] https://www.redcross.ie/national-news/irish-red-cross-responds-to-covid19/

Migrants and refugees face a multitude of health and safety challenges that have been intensified by the pandemic, such as: losing employment and income; eviction and homelessness; and lack of access to 'safety net' support. In addition, some countries have temporarily suspended issuing residency permits, leaving people with irregular status in their country of asylum and further impacting their access to employment and social services. To support migrants and refugees, consider:

• Participate in national resettlement programmes (e.g. SRP UK) to guide preparations, ongoing support and integration of migrants and refugees into local communities
• Establish a working group to enable collaborative working between local councils, community groups and related agencies to determine how local authorities can meet legislative requirements of resettlement programmes
• Inform and prepare local communities where migrants and refugees are to be resettled
• Identify registered and unregistered refugee populations in communities
• Conduct risk and vulnerability assessment mapping
• Include migrants and refugees in social protection schemes to support those who have lost income generating opportunities
• How systems will protect migrants and refugees from harm, irrespective of their status, with access to essential health and social care
• Agree that immigration status is not a legitimate basis to deny access to essential public services (e.g. healthcare, vaccination), and communicate this to public services, migrant and refugee populations, and wider groups
• Invest in risk communication and community engagement at local levels to disseminate information in the relevant languages of migrants and refugees
• Partner with humanitarian actors to provide services
• Establish humanitarian service points or 'safe spaces' which are not subject to immigration enforcement activities, where humanitarian actors can provide essential services to vulnerable migrants

Schools have an increased need for support during lockdowns to provide children with the resources they need to learn effectively. Many other organisations are also under significant pressure during COVID-19, but some are coping particularly well as customer demand has increased hugely. Such organisations may have the capacity, capability and willingness to support the parents of schoolchildren in their local community. Consider encouraging local organisations and others to:

• Coordinate community activities on behalf of a school, for example, to:
  • Collect unused computers from businesses and the public so they can be reformatted and given to school children to enable them to access online learning support
  • Provide computer training and skills for local parents so they can assist their children, particularly young children
• Offer free printing of schoolwork for parents of school children who do not have printing services at home
• Make servers available to host school content which can be downloaded by parents
• Contribute financially to support schools to pay for new forms of online schooling, new content, and access to privileged services
• Work with schools to support them to build capability, for example, to:
  • Evaluate and learn the technology that is available and how to use this in online learning
  • Convert materials to make them suitable for online learning
  • Remap donated computers to enable them to be distributed to school children
• Provide specialist services to schools, e.g. readers of braille, sign language, adapting written materials into the spoken word, supporting children with disabilities
• Provide COVID-19 hygiene supplies to schools (e.g. facemasks and hand sanitising stations)
• Actively help Head Teachers in their role, for example, to interpret guidance and its application in their schools, and to support networking and mutual aid between schools

COVID-19 has created new uncertainties that challenge the provision of critical support services to vulnerable families and children. Food programmes need to ensure that vulnerable children receive nutritious food, both inside and outside of school. They also need to facilitate access to other support services, and be delivered in ways that maintain the dignity and respect of recipients, their families and communities. Consider the need to:

• Integrate access to sufficient, nutritious food as part of an overarching plan to combat COVID-19, promote healthy societies, and mitigate long-term health issues
• Establish an assurance programme with service level agreements to increase confidence in emergency food provision, create feedback systems, and enable rapid amendment to services
• Provide guidance to parents so they know what services they are entitled to access
• Ensure parents are aware of "wrap-around" services e.g. anti-poverty schemes
• Analyse the impacts of food programmes on children's diets
• Consult parents and community groups about how to build dignity and choice into emergency and ongoing food provision, and develop opportunities for active involvement planning and delivery
• Develop community-based nutrition awareness and home-based cooking training programmes to support parents in providing balanced meals on a low budget
• Strengthen working partnerships with local government agencies, civic groups, voluntary sector, and social arms of corporations to improve implementation of food programmes
• Remove financial barriers to receiving food support and minimize stigma about 'handouts' e.g. by using a 'pay-as-you-feel' system

Across the world there are ambitious targets to vaccinate staff and residents in care homes. However, this will take time and, meanwhile, the pressure on care homes may build as staff become sick and residents need additional support. At critical points, volunteers may be expected to provide additional capacity inside care homes, but this requires preparation and planning e.g. training volunteers in core skills and knowledge to work in such settings. Consider the need to:

• Work with care home professionals to identify appropriate tasks that volunteers may be able to perform with adequate training and supervision
• Design appropriate volunteer training programmes that are proportionate to the risk, including e-learning packages on, for example:
  • Infection prevention and PPE
  • Medication awareness
  • Vaccine administration
  • Assisting care home residents e.g. moving and handling, legislation, risk awareness, first aid
  • Communication with residents
  • Confidentiality, dignity, and respecting individuals
  • Equality and diversity, and person-centred care
  • Health, safety, food hygiene, risk assessments
  • Safe equipment moving and handling
• Train sufficient volunteers so they can be safely deployed inside care homes to relieve staff shortages
• Ensure appropriate supervision is provided to volunteers inside care homes, and appropriate debriefing is offered on completion of shifts
• Vaccinate trained volunteers before they are deployed to care homes
• Capture learning from volunteers for continual improvement
• Consider the Cabinet Office guidance on involving spontaneous volunteers
• Encourage and support suitable volunteers who wish to transition into the paid workforce in the medium term

The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) has published a 'how to' guide that outlines how to organise a citizen’s assembly, to discuss and understand the impacts of COVID-19. A Citizens’ Assembly is a representative group of citizens who are selected at random from the population to learn about, deliberate upon, and make recommendations in relation to a particular issue or set of issues. The RSA has also launched a 'Future change framework' which can work conjointly with a citizen’s assembly to support community conversations about the impact of COVID-19, recovery and renewal, transition to a post-COVID world, and support communities to heal. The framework includes ways to consider:

• How people have responded to Covid-19 and how that can drive positive change
• What communities and individuals have stopped doing, paused, put in place temporarily, and innovative strategies which could be continued
• How to evaluate the next steps and actions for the future for organisations, local communities, teams, or networks

COVID-19 has impacted every level of an organisation. Engaging with people within your organisation and those closely associated with it, to show appreciation of people's work and resilience helps to boost morale. Consider how to show your appreciation through:

• Public appreciation posts in the form of newsletters, blogs or videos to thank staff and stakeholders, such as this tribute to The University of Manchester community
• Tangible rewards- these don't need to be financial (e.g. a bonus) but may be in the form of extra time holidays, and could be recognised as mental health days to give employees a much-needed break while they juggle responsibilities

Mobile home residents face a number of health and environmental challenges that have been exacerbated during the pandemic. Residents face compounding health issues as mobile homes are difficult to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Heating and ventilation costs can also create financial burdens which can have negative health impacts - especially as many people living in mobile homes have lower incomes and face job insecurity. This demographic also face increased risk due to site locations and occupancy agreements. In the UK, many mobile home sites are at risk of flooding and storm damage due to their proximity to water. To combat this, residents are normally asked to leave for 6 weeks of the year- during storm season. During COVID-19 this creates a number of issues as movement of people during these 6 weeks is a huge infection risk. The UK government has therefore requested that sites remain open for those using mobile homes as their primary residence. Consider:

• Emergency planning for extreme weather events/ COVID-19, including COVID-safe evacuation plans
• Increased community liaison and communication to share evacuation plans clearly to residents so they are able to prepare and act quickly and safely
• Identify local COVID-secure emergency accommodation in case evacuation of residents is needed
• Increase community liaison during periods of extreme heat to ensure residents are able to stay safe, especially during periods of lockdown, shielding or quarantine
• Provide clear information to residents in multiple languages and have multi-lingual community health visitors to ensure health and wellbeing information is translated

Children have been particularly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, so continuing to provide child-friendly events is an important way to safeguard their well-being. Consider how and what advice to provide to the public to make celebrations such as Halloween and Bonfire Night COVID-19 safe. Consider widely publicising the safety concerns of some activities such as trick or treating and firework parties, and provide ideas for low risk alternatives. Consider suggesting:

Halloween

• Virtual trick or treat parties or costume parties
• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
• Having a scavenger trick-or-treat hunt with your household members in or around your home
• Look for community events focused on safe ways to have fun e.g. children can colour in Halloween posters and display them in a window at home so, on Halloween children can get dressed up and look for posters in their local area and get a treat from their guardian for each poster spotted - ensuring social distancing and 'the rule of six'

Bonfire night

• Instead of putting on fireworks displays, consider lighting up local landmarks at certain times. In Dudley, UK the council intends to honour NHS workers by also lighting up hospitals. The display is also accompanied by music played on local radio stations
• Consider secret firework displays which are planned at undisclosed locations to avoid crowds gathering - providing locations to ensure full area coverage
• Livestream displays on social media
• Heighten awareness of firework safety as COVID-19 restrictions may result in more firework displays at homes. Promote following the firework code and relevant COVID-19 restrictions

Research has shown that disasters impact men and women differently. While COVID-19 has been shown to disproportionately affect men physically, women are more likely to be adversely impacted by disasters generally, and more likely to be failed by recovery efforts that do not meet their needs. Consider how to develop gender-inclusive disaster recovery that considers impacts of COVID-19:

• Tackle the drivers of gender inequalities in areas such as access to healthcare and economic recovery e.g. impacts of COVID-19 on low paid precarious work, health risks to care workers
• Include multi-stakeholder processes that ensure women's rights organisations are included in designing national response and recovery measures - this should also include groups representing vulnerable or marginalised women
• Assess bid for new funding using an additional criteria of impact on gender responsiveness
• Increase funding and capacity development for local and national women's groups; including for action against gender-based violence which saw a global increase during the pandemic
• Strengthen COVID-19/disaster responses to address women's leadership roles, not only their vulnerability to the virus
• Examine the availability of gender-responsive health services and vital sexual and reproductive health needs at local level
• Consider communications designed for women, to reach women. Women and girls may be less likely to receive and contribute to accurate COVID-19 information due to patriarchal norms/structures
• Include the voices and rights of trans women in response and recovery so they are equally involved in determining needs

In the UK, war veterans attending Remembrance Sunday commemorating the deaths of those in the armed forces across the Commonwealth, will be exempt from new laws restricting gatherings. Many of these people are vulnerable to COVID-19 as a result of age or underlying health conditions which has meant many local councils cancelling parades and church services; urging people to pay their respects in other ways and at home this year. Consider:

• If parades take place in your area how to ensure:
  • Rigorous risk assessments are carried out, including the enforcement of social distancing
  • That the event does not draw much larger crowds, and what contingencies are in place if this happens
  • That people, especially elderly and vulnerable veterans understand the risks posed to them by participating in a parade
  • That PPE is provided for event organisers and participants
• If parades do not take place consider designating a period of a few weeks for people to pay their respects and lay wreaths at memorials, rather all on one day
• Live stream local events that include small select parties of individuals laying wreaths e.g. in Bradford where parades are cancelled, The Lord Mayor will lay a wreath at each memorial site across the district
• Encourage residents to pay their respects at home in different ways:
  • By observing the national two-minute silence
  • Displaying poppies or other symbols (posters, children’s drawings etc.) in home windows
  • Using hashtags on social media such as #Bradfordremembers with pictures of acts of remembrance at home or school

Research into MNCH demonstrates that early-life determinants of health help create more resilient societies. Previous trends indicate that socioeconomic shocks lead to an increase in markers of poor MNCH including low birthweight, maternal and infant malnutrition, and maternal drug or alcohol misuse etc. These factors can have impacts across a person's life and effects the next generation. At particular risk are people from Black, Asian, or minority ethnicities who are more likely to be socio-economically disadvantaged, and at higher risk of pre-existing health conditions, contracting COVID-19, and having poor markers of MNCH. Consider:

• Research and data collection to monitor the immediate and longer-term effect of COVID-19 and related socioeconomic crisis on MNCH, using routine data collection systems and reinstating systems that have been suspended during COVID-19 e.g.:
  • the short, medium, and longer-term consequences of COVID-19 on neurocognitive development in children
  • disruptions as a result of COVID-19 e.g. on food insecurity, access to health services and impacts on MNCH
• Investment of resources into promotion of early-childhood health and development, including the training and provision of community health workers
• Promotion of MNCH care as an essential service and human right, including investment to access to contraception/reproductive health services, antenatal/postnatal care, and child health etc
• Strengthen community-based interventions to promote MNCH, such as home visits during and after pregnancy and in the early years
• Develop new policies to drive gender equity and reduce the penalties of motherhood e.g. parental leave for each parent on a use it or lose it basis

In extraordinary times people turn to their leaders for guidance and reassurance more than ever before. Leading by example helps to unite, connect and guide people in consistently working towards a common goal. Leading by example requires clear, and visible communication of appropriate behaviours. This may include issues such as regular handwashing, adhering to social distancing guidelines, rules on travel, and adhering to isolation and quarantine measures. For example, on facemasks:

• In schools. If headmasters want parents to wear facemasks when they collect children from the playground, then teachers should wear facemasks when they take children into the playground for collection
• In shops. If shops want customers to wear facemasks, then shop workers need to wear facemasks
• In Public. If politicians /police/ local authorities want public to wear facemasks, then they should also do so

COVID-19 has added thousands more cases to the backlog faced by courts in England and Wales, has delayed proceedings for those already in the justice system, impacted police capacity and could negatively impact reporting of more serious crimes. Delays in processing and handling criminal cases has negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of victims, and could lower confidence in the justice system. Consider how to effectively support those involved in criminal proceedings by:

• Making arrangements with telecoms companies to provide free access to websites that provide information/support to victims of crime to avoid mobile data usage. This should include websites run by organisations such as charities, official government sites (including health), the police, and law courts
• Increasing communications with victims about the progress of their cases. This may require careful partnership working with specialist organisations to mitigate victims' anxieties and create additional capacity for services such as the police, who may be increasingly stretched during COVID
• Ensuring there is support for specialist communications from all partnering organisations. This may include the use of translators, experts able to speak with children, or those with special educational needs

Some people who are not able to not wear a face covering are reporting being confronted in enclosed public places and, as a result, being fearful and unwilling to leave their homes. Consider:

• Information campaigns to make the public aware that some people may not be able to wear face coverings. For example, the UK government provides three 'reasonable' reasons for not wearing a covering:
  • You have a physical/mental illness, impairment, or disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
  • Putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
  • You are travelling with/providing assistance to, someone who relies on lip-reading
• Whether it is appropriate to encourage those who cannot wear a face covering to get an exemption card or wear an exemption badge to reduce the likelihood of confrontation

Example face covering exemption card: https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/hidden-disabilities-face-covering.html

Lockdowns and COVID-19 have exacerbated inequalities in the most deprived areas. Many responses assume people have adequate living space, access to affordable basic services, and social safety nets. However, many lack adequate resources to survive lockdowns without defying COVID-19 restrictions e.g. leaving the house to work. Consider working with civil society, government, and charities to:

• Provide support for informal sector providers and workers to encourage tenure security schemes that can offer benefits to informal workers such as more secure housing, and increased legitimacy to work or trade. This may help reduce unauthorised working and living conditions that may increase transmission of COVID-19
• Regular situation monitoring of deprived areas to track key concerns relating to working and living conditions that can inform COVID-19 responses and transmission mitigation. Use online surveys completed by the community or local organisations that know the population
• Creating or maintaining effective use of public spaces for to provide COVID safe community care to reduce isolation, counter misinformation and collect reliable data on COVID-19 impacts

Inclusive recovery practices are essential as additional groups of vulnerable people emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside data on the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable and marginalised people. In particular, people living with visible and invisible disabilities have been adversely impacted by the virus due to challenges in accessing health services, and because they are at greater risk of experiencing complex health needs, worse health outcomes, and stigma[1].

While disability alone may not be related to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, some people with disabilities might be at a higher risk of infection or severe illness because of their underlying medical conditions[2]. In particular, “adults with disabilities are three times more likely than adults without disabilities to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities”2. In the UK, working-age women with a disability are more than 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than women without a disability, and for men, the death rate was 6.5 times higher than for men without a disability[3].

Health-care staff should be provided with rapid awareness training on the rights and diverse needs of people living with disabilities to maintain their dignity, safeguard against discrimination, and prevent inequities in care provision[4]. Advice on how to do this is extremely important. In the UK, guidance on how to safely care for people with disabilities is provided to protect carers and the person they are caring for, and includes consideration of[5]:

• Protecting yourself and the person you care for e.g. appropriate use of PPE in specific settings
• Supporting the person you care for through change e.g. providing accessible information
• Maintaining the health and wellbeing of carers

In recovery, some people with disabilities may have restricted access to social networks, systems that provide support, job security, consistency of income, education – aspects that others may take for granted. “The more a person is excluded, the more challenging the recovery, and persons with disabilities often fall in this category.”[6] Recovery from COVID-19 must therefore reflect disability-inclusive strategies to provide action-oriented directions for government officials and decision makers responsible for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

The Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Recovery Guidance Note[7] developed by the World Bank / Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) aims to accelerate global action to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Overall, the World Bank and GFDRR estimate that a quicker and more inclusive recovery could reduce losses to well-being by $65 billion a year[8].

Disability-inclusive recovery is about including people with disabilities in recovery planning and enabling equal opportunities through the removal of barriers. This can be done by gathering baseline disability data and incorporating it into needs assessments, by mainstreaming disability inclusion in recovery programmes, and by recommending specific interventions. There are four essential steps to support inclusive risk planning:[9]

• Collect data on barriers and accessibility improvements to understand and assess disability inclusion in recovery and reconstruction
• Adopt appropriate disability legislation to support a disability-inclusive recovery process that will prioritize needs and allocate resources. New policies should be in alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to guide disability-inclusive recovery and reconstruction
• Establish institutional mechanisms to ensure the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the planning and designing of recovery and reconstruction processes. Also identify and designate an agency with responsibility for coordinating and overseeing disability affairs in recovery and reconstruction. Additionally, ensure standards for disability inclusion in recovery are established and communicated
• Target households and groups that have limited ability to self-recover, including households with persons with disabilities, to receive financial support and other interventions. Set standards for disability inclusion in budgeting and procurement quickly and ensure they are applied across the recovery and reconstruction process. Also require full consideration of accessibility, including the principles of universal design, as a condition of financial contributions and assistance by all involved in recovery.

Disability-inclusive recovery can help reduce poor representation of people living with disabilities in post-disaster recovery efforts. This provides an opportunity to build a more accessible environment that is inclusive and resilient to future disasters, and to reduce the disproportionate risks faced by people living with disabilities by[10]:

• Making infrastructure resilient and accessible (barrier-free buildings and land use planning)
• Setting up programs to actively employ persons with disabilities, such as hiring them in the recovery and reconstruction planning and implementation process
• Making healthcare and education readily available and ensuring healthcare is accessible to persons with disabilities before and after a disaster
• Communicating hazard exposure and risk information in a way that can be understood and acted upon (for example, sign language interpretation and plain language)
• Improved accessibility before and after a disaster also benefits older people, those who are ill or have been injured, pregnant women, and some indigenous and non-native language speakers

Recovery is often tumultuous and traumatic, but it is also an opportunity to renew systems and processes by understanding and addressing unequal practices and structures. By making disability inclusion a priority in the recovery agenda, we can ensure more self-sufficient, inclusive, and resilient societies for all.

[1] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-increased-risk.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fneed-extra-precautions%2Fpeople-at-higher-risk.html

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53221435

[4] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[5] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supporting-adults-with-learning-disabilities-and-autistic-adults

[6] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

[7] http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/559111587448620405/pdf/Disability-Inclusive-Disaster-Recovery-Guidance-Note.pdf

[8] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[9] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

[10] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

To read this case study in its original format follow the source link below to TMB Issue 19 (p.15-16).

COVID-19 has exacerbated the health and social care inequalities experienced by LGBTQ+ people as they are likely to living with conditions that impact their health and well-being. LGBTQ+ people are at high risk of pre-existing poor mental health; social isolation; substance misuse; living in unsafe environments; financial instability; homelessness; and negative experiences with health services as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consider partnering with LGBTQ+ organisations to:

• Support test track and trace. The LGBT Foundation's community survey on COVID-19found that: 64% of respondents would rather receive COVID-19 support from an LGBT specific organisation. This rises in other LGBTQ+ groups to: 71% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people; 69% of disabled LGBT people, 76% of trans people and 74% of non-binary people
• Collect sexual orientation and trans status data alongside COVID-19 transmission and infection data to provide reliable data on the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ people
• Provide safe accommodation during COVID-19; 8% of respondents to the LGBT Foundation's community survey said they felt unsafe where they were currently staying
• Prepare for the hospitalisation of trans people (e.g. allocation to wards with the gender they identify with, or providing private areas)

COVID-19 has been a struggle for client-facing businesses - and sex work is no different[1]. What complicates support for those in sex work is the stigmatisation and lack of recognition workers receive[2]. Sex workers are less likely to seek, or even be eligible for, government-led social protection or economic initiatives to support small businesses[3] which has proved a serious issue during COVID-19. Most sex work has ceased due to social distancing and travel restrictions, leaving many marginalised, and economically precarious people even more vulnerable[4]. While some sex workers have been trying to move their work online4, many have been financially compromised3 resulting in potentially unsafe practices, both in terms of contracting COVID-19, and increased risk of homelessness and abuse[5]

Sex worker-led organisations have therefore had to set up hardship funds to fill the gap left by exclusionary government policies2. Such policies are demonstrated by delays in opening licensed sex work premises in Germany, where sex work is legal[6]. The Association of Sex Workers in Germany argued that brothels “could easily incorporate pandemic safety measures adopted by other industries, including face masks, ventilating premises and recording visitors’ contact details”6. Such measures have been successful in Zambia where authorities were able to trace a number of COVID-19 cases working with sex workers as investigations aimed not to “stigmatise or discriminate against them”[7].

Key interventions to address the impacts of COVID-19 among sex workers have been identified, with a view that “all interventions and services must be designed and implemented in collaboration with sex-worker-led organisations”[3]. These include[3]:

• Providing financial benefits and social protection for all sex workers, including migrants with illegal or uncertain residency status
• Stopping arrests and prosecutions for sex work which have been shown to be harmful to health
• Targeting health promotion advice on prevention of COVID-19 with language translation
• Distributing of hand sanitiser, soap, condoms, and personal protective equipment
• Maintaining and extending person-centred services to address needs e.g. mental health, substance use, physical and sexual violence, and sexual and reproductive health
• COVID-19 testing and contact tracing among sex workers

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52183773

[2] https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/covid-19-illuminates-discriminatory-sex-work-policies/

[3] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31033-3/fulltext

[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52821861

[5] https://www.swarmcollective.org/blog

[6] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-brothels/hamburg-sex-workers-demand-germanys-brothels-reopen-idUSKCN24D09U

[7] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-52604961

To read this case study in its original format, follow the source link below to TMB Issue 17 (p.18).