Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

Self-isolation, and limited access to school, has driven more children online during the pandemic. Spending more time on virtual platforms can leave children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation by predators (see also The Manchester Briefing Week 14). Increased and unstructured time online, alongside limited face-to-face contact with friends or partners, can lead to heightened risk-taking such as: sending sexualized images, exposure to potentially harmful content, and cyberbullying. Consider:

• Some children may be more vulnerable than others (e.g. those with learning disabilities) and may need specific types of support and training for them and their guardians
• Retaining access to child services and keeping guardians informed of where to find online safety information for themselves and for young people (e.g. antivirus software, parental controls on devices)
• Information for guardians on talking with young people about who they communicate with online
• Training health, education and social service workers on the impacts that COVID-19 may have on increased online risks for young people
• Educational initiatives on cyber safety and to provide local helplines and hotlines for adults and young people, including counselling
• Enhancing online safety measures, especially while using virtual learning tools
• Schools updating safeguarding policies to reflect the new realities for children learning online

Consider how to develop a space to remember and honour people who have died in your city and their stories, by developing an online memorial site with photographs, and some words from family and friends. Consider how to gather accurate information on identified deaths from COVID-19:

• Confirm the death with a third party, such as a news organization or city agency - directly tie the cause to COVID-19
• Take contributions from victims' families and confirmation by an immediate family member or next of kin
• Check victim details, such as last known address and age e.g. through voter registration data
• Partner with institutions that can help provide up-to-date lists of the deceased
• Use reports from news organizations, paid obituaries from online sources (e.g. Legacy.com) and local news publications
• Check verified posts from victims' families on social-media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook
• Check announcements from victims' private and public-sector employers and unions
• Check official releases from city and state agencies, e.g. Police Department

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, especially in trying to adjust to new routines and living and working environments. This may be particularly true for children with autism and their parents, as children with autism have trouble adjusting to, coping with, and understanding change. To help with this, help parents to explain the current situation in clear and simple ways and can help children with autism to adjust to the 'new normal'. One way of doing this is to provide parents with access to materials that frame COVID-19 as a germ that can make people sick, so it is important to stay away from others and not touch things.

Advise parents to reiterate important rules to children with autism is also important to help them cope, such as:

• Washing hands well and often (for at least 20 seconds)
• Not touching their nose, mouth, and eyes
• Keeping at least 6 feet away from other people
• Wearing a cloth face covering or face mask in public places

Face coverings may be difficult for autistic children, some parents have had successes in attaching the ear loops on masks to their child's favourite hat with buttons to reduce sensitivity. Make authorities (such as transport providers, Police) aware of "Facemask Exemption Cards" that have been produced by organisations for parents to print out for those who cannot wear a mask. Local government can support parents of children with autism by working with respected specialist organisations to advise parents e.g. one encouraging mask wearing

• Demonstrate using the face mask on a preferred object or person, such as a stuffed animal, a doll, or a family member
• Allow the person to choose among different types of fabric face masks to find one that is most comfortable
• Start by practicing wearing the face mask for short durations of time, allowing for breaks when needed
• Plan initial outings in low-demand environments that are quiet and calm, so that the individual can experience success wearing the face mask
• Use a printed photo or digital photo of the individual wearing a face mask as a visual cue to wear the mask before outings

In addition to these changes, losing the daily routine that going school provides adds an additional layer of complexity for children with autism, and outs them at risk of not receiving the social care and support they require. While, some children may have found home schooling difficult, the time spent away from school may have resulted in the development of a new routine at home where they feel safe. As such, returning to school may cause anxiety and distress. Local government should inform teachers that some ways of reducing these anxieties include:

• Providing a visit to the school before it reopens if possible, to help children familiarise themselves with their environment and staff again
• Encouraging homes to introduce changes that are made in school at home e.g. explain social distancing measures, ask for photos of new classroom layouts to show children
• Asking parents for information about your child during COVID-19 so they have an understanding of their needs and how these may have changed due to COVID-19 restrictions

COVID-19 has also been a challenging time for parents of children with autism. One parent in the UK stated that support for them and their child had been reduced to occasional phone calls and they felt like they had been "left to struggle alone". They also stated that they were repeating the same or similar activities with their child from before lockdown and that it felt like their child's development had stalled. They stated that increased resources from their child's support worker such as a timetable of activities and development would have helped and made the experience of self-isolation and lockdown "less distressing".

Providing specialised phone lines and centralised hubs with resources for parents is vital, to ensure their well-being and that of their children, via reliable information and support. Local government can help employers to realise that parents also need to find ways to balance work and childcare responsibilities this can include:

• Arrange to work from home to ensure supervision, or childcare sharing arrangements with friends and family
• Prepare information about the child's support needs and successful learning and behaviour strategies for anyone caring for the child
• Develop an emergency contact list, and discuss it with friends and family. Include names and numbers of your personal autism support network, as well as medical providers
• Contact local organizations who may be able to offer support.
• Look through the child's medical records or evaluations related to autism as these may have recommendations on areas to focus on and can help you with making learning plans while schools are closed
• Reach out to others to maintain social support for the whole family e.g. social media, social media groups for autistic people and their families, and other virtual support groups that provide online resources for finding empathy and ideas while self-isolating or in lockdown

To read this case study in its original format (including references) follow the source link below to TMB Issue 16 (p.19-20).

With many schools closed, and young people adapting to learning remotely from home, access to the internet and digital devices has become imperative. As a result there is a growing divide between children who have internet access and those who do not. In Spain, disadvantaged students are 14% less likely to get online, compared to students who were not disadvantaged. Additionally, disadvantaged students in the country were without a tablet, a laptop or any way of linking into online platforms, and many disadvantaged families were not confident with technology when it was provided to them. In some cases teachers have resorted to using class WhatsApp groups, as most households had access to a mobile phone. To support online learning from home consider:

• Training teachers, students and their families to use online platforms and technology (and not assuming that they already have those skills)
• The availability of technology at home (e.g. mobile phones) and alternative teaching/ communication methods such as using WhatsApp
• Partnerships with internet providers to support disadvantaged families with the cost of internet access
• Partnering with software and technology firms to support disadvantaged children to gain access to hardware such as tablets and software
• Donation campaigns through schools to collect old phones, laptops and tablets that can be refurbished and distributed

In Pune, an 'Action Plan for Hotspot Areas' was developed in which the local police force supported implementation of contact tracing and wide-spread testing, water and sanitation support, food and shelter planning and public awareness. Teams carried out local door-to-door check-ups of all households in the hotspot areas. Consider how to take public health interventions and information into the community:

• Establish dedicated COVID care booths in hotspot areas
• Allot dedicated ambulances in case serious cases are detected
• Designate, specific localised teams within the hotspot area, including police, medical staff and community engagement officers to conduct thorough, localised door-to-door check-ups of all households in the hotspot areas (including virus testing)
• Use teams to distribute medication to those who need it, and to provide discharge public health packages. These may include:
  • A packet of masks
  • Sanitizer
  • Soap
  • Cleaning products
• Ensure comprehensive medical, nutritional, and psycho-social care for those identified as COVID-19 positive
• To maximise identification of cases, adopt standardized systems for testing

Reference: representative of the Australian Department of Justice and Community Safety

Including gender-inclusive perspectives can address gender inequalities in health outcomes, the economy and wider society. For example, in the EU, women make up: 93% of child care workers; 86% of personal care workers in health services; and 95% of domestic cleaners (https://eige.europa.eu/covid-19-and-gender-equality/frontline-workers). This exposes women to the virus, heighten the potential of poverty and mental health issues as these jobs are undervalued, precarious, and underpaid. Women also bear an unequal burden in unpaid household labour which can undermine access to paid employment. There is a need to assess the implications of COVID-19 policies to ensure gendered experiences are recognised and addressed. Consider:

• The level of exposure of genders to COVID-19 due to gender segregation in the labour market
• The increased risks to occupational health and well-being of women in caring professions
• Increased consultation with, and inclusion of, women in decision-making during crises
• Working with community/religious leaders to promote caregiving/caretaking as everyone's responsibility
• How gender-balanced teams can provide treatment or support for mental health and well-being
• Innovating to mitigate other social issues such as gender based violence
• Offering guidance on domestic violence into existing services e.g. give volunteers, who provide other services, information on victim support
• Educating organisations about the heighten risk of gender based violence since COVID-19 so that they can be part of safeguarding women and girls

In Pune, 7,500 Special Police Officers (SPO) were given specific powers to help manage areas which had seen a rise in COVID-19 infections. They provided an important role in managing the spread of the virus, in partnership with the community and public health officials. Consider how to:

• Implement a standard operating procedures which include the police in public health interventions for COVID-19
• Use efficient reporting structures, and easy-to-use methods of communication (such as WhatsApp) to manage situations in real time
• Utilise the police to help provide essential response services (e.g. to those who are shielding), and in spreading awareness of social distancing and lockdown norms (e.g. by being out in public or by going door-to-door)
• Utilise the increased widespread interactions of the police with the community for voluntary operations supporting COVID-19 interventions

The UN reports that measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 are exposing victims of human trafficking to further exploitation and limiting their access to essential services. The restrictions on movements, diversion in law enforcement, and reduced public health and social services is impacting victims of human trafficking before, during and after their ordeal. Children are also at increased risk of exploitation as a result of being forced onto the streets to find food or work; and women are at risk of sexual exploitation. Consider how to:

• Protect those still at risk from abuse from captors through maintaining dedicated law enforcement departments and social workers for victims of human trafficking. Including the need for adequate PPE for these departments
• Provide safe housing for victims who have been rescued from captivity but are unable to return home due to travel restrictions
• Support those experiencing delays in legal proceedings, including regular updates on the status of their case
• Provide hotlines to emotional, financial, legal and safe housing advice
• Encourage communication between schools, law enforcement and social workers to identify, and check-up on, children at risk of exploitation
• Increase attention to tackling online child sexual exploitation. Travel restrictions have spawned an easy way to groom children, gain access to (or create) child sexual abuse material and establish "delivery" services
• Conduct evaluations into the impact of COVID-19 on resources for victims, law enforcement and justice systems to better understand needs of victims and gaps in provision

Volunteer staff and students at Imperial College London are providing free weekly drop-in sessions offering tech support and advice for elderly residents in the local areas. Volunteers are:

• Teaching people how to send a text and send picture messages, creating videos, and fixing printers
• Helping isolated older residents by matching them with a phone buddy for tech and befriending support
• Providing some in-person sessions
• Managing referrals to the 'What the Tech' programme by local organisations
• Liaising with the local community team to help signpost vulnerable residents to local support services such as food shopping and medicine collection
• Using connections through the service to check in fortnightly on people's wellbeing

The main housing insecure groups include:

1. Asylum seekers (with and without access to statutory support)
2. Private renters
3. Prisoners who have been released

To support these groups consider:

• Mapping housing supply and working in partnership with private businesses, landlords and public services to develop ethical lettings agencies
• Leasing properties off private landlords for a substantial period and letting through ethical lettings agencies
• Ask contractors for commitments to build affordable housing rather than contribute cash donations
• Removing caps on housing benefits
• Ensuring housing allowances for renters meets the rent profile of the area they are renting in
• Mapping facilities e.g. recreation centres that can be turned into emergency shelters for homeless people
• Mapping risks of shared accommodation and capacity during heat waves/winter and risk of infection
• Providing prepaid cards for use for essential shopping e.g. food, medication

References: Chief Resilience Officer, USA and a representative of a UK Local Authority

Poor sanitation, cramped living conditions, and insufficient health facilities put those living in informal settlements at high risk from COVID-19. Outbreaks of Ebola and Cholera have shown that public health policies are most effective when governments work closely with informal communities. Consider:

• Ensuring government efforts tackling COVID-19 are interwoven with local community coordinating committees, volunteer networks, and reporting systems
• Utilising community knowledge, information and networks to understand information about the area, and its population. Tapping into this data is important to effectively target the most vulnerable and understand needs
• Working with communities to develop public heath campaigns and to stop the spread of misinformation. Targeted radio campaigns are more effective than TV public health campaigns, as few can afford televisions and electricity is sporadic
• Working with well-informed and respected community leaders as they are often best placed to spread accurate messages and materials about COVID-19 and how to avoid it
• Developing community-driven track and trace systems to help reduce transmission
• Prioritising serious investment into local clinics, hospitals and infrastructure including sanitation and water supply
• Advocating the rights of Africa's urban poor that has left them more exposed to disease outbreaks

This briefing details how to consider people who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19; how they can be identified; and how they could be involved and supported in recovery and renewal. We offer a methodology for identifying those impacts (the process), developed from the steps taken by Greater Manchester to identify the people in their area impacted by the pandemic.

Follow the source link below to read this briefing in full (p.2-7).

Consider:

• Training webinars to develop volunteer managers to develop capacity of 'professionalised' volunteers
• Developing specific training courses that include guidance documents and a set number of hours for course completion
• Developing a virtual library of resources to support other voluntary organisations, consider how these will be managed and vetted
• Build resources that complement existing government guidance

This lesson was contributed by a Volunteer coordinator of State in the USA during project data collecion.

In Colombia, the Red Flags movement (vulnerable people hung red flags from their homes to signify a need for assistance e.g. food, finances) led to a rise in ad hoc voluntary contributions. Local government used this opportunity to develop an integrated system of relief. They:

• Created a single point of donation for all resources (human, in kind and financial), combining private and civil society donations to create a substantial, long-term resource
• Used big data including population age, location, data on links to existing social support to capture voluntary work undertaken, needs of individuals, and areas served
• Linked data and the centralised donation system to an economic committee comprised of local government, businesses, voluntary sector and charity sector to jointly decide allocation of finances to support voluntary organisations
• Developed a campaign for local businesses to 'adopt' a university student from one of the five city-owned universities - whereby the sector donated 2-3 semesters of student fees. The aim of the campaign was to support students' access to education to mitigate the long-term economic impacts of a lost generation of university graduates

This lesson was contributed by a Chief Resilience Officer in Colombia during project data collection.

Every local government area is likely to have a large number of people who are vulnerable but not eligible for a government food parcel delivery. Some of these people will not be able to access the food they need to stay at home due to:

• Too little money to buy food (including problems with benefits payments)
• Personal crisis for reasons other than COVID-19 (e.g. domestic violence)
• Health issues, disability or caring roles personally, or in the household
• Lack of friends, family or social support to deliver food

In Greenwich, strategic 'food pathways' have been mapped to organise partnerships for large-scale food provision for vulnerable groups, and to relieve pressure on food banks. Pathways include:

• • A model for local governments, local resilience forums and the voluntary sector to work in partnership.
  • To determine appropriate interventions, local governments triage those requiring food support into people who are:
    • financially secure but cannot shop
    • financially insecure and can shop
    • financially insecure and cannot shop
  • A model for community/ third sector groups. Based on this triage, community groups can assess the needs of community and provide appropriate interventions e.g. emergency individual meals or signposting to services

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on wider socioeconomic and health inequalities and vulnerabilities which require long-term interventions. Social justice perspectives address creating fair and just relations between individuals and society through societal transformation to ensure the dignity and rights of people. A social justice perspective would support tackling a number of important inequalities highlighted globally during COVID-19 response and recovery. These include:

• Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people
• Increased risk to women from domestic violence within their homes
• Safety of LGBTQI+ community- safety at home for these communities may be more precarious as they're at a higher risk of homelessness (especially young people) and domestic abuse. Additionally, specific safe community spaces for LGBTQI+ communities have been lost, and access to healthcare can be difficult due to specific needs (this can be especially hard for trans people)
• Significant financial risk to those with precarious employment, which can lead to extreme poverty and homelessness
• Vulnerability of children as a result of any of the above issues - compounded by reduced safe spaces, such as schools, which also provide access to meals, pastoral care and resources e.g. internet and computers

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

No-one has been un-touched by Covid-19. It has brought vulnerability and the perception of risk to each of our doorsteps and is making an entire nation think about how we behave against the COVID-19 risk. The public have been taught about risk over the weeks by constant use of risk principles such as transmission rate, R, personal protection, their own personal vulnerability. This emphasises the need to lower risk through shielding, social distancing, hand washing, and self-isolation.

One major response to this risk is the public's willingness to volunteer - both through officially directed activities and through mutual aid activities. The public know their effort is essential to reduce the risk of those who are intensely vulnerable - however, they may not realise that their action is creating resilience in our society. Now, we all know that small groups of people can change the world and can build resilience when we need it.

Consider:

• That there is currently an opportunity to talk more about this wide-scale risk - before people become more disillusioned and fatigued with COVID-19
• How to enhance the public's understanding of risk by simple messages which are easily understood and not nuanced
• How to educate the public on risk and resilience
• How mass volunteering builds resilience
• How this new expression of volunteering social capital has created opportunities to:
  • strengthen resilient and society
  • change the relationship between crisis responders and volunteers
• How to convert the experiences of children and young person into a legacy about prevention, preparedness and social responsibility learning

It is possible that the general public's understanding of risk and resilience is greater than ever before - let's capitalise on that

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

Despite contextual and narrative differences for recovery and renewal globally, common opportunities and challenges have emerged.

Opportunities to consider:

Volunteers

• Utilise and nurture the wave of volunteerism, solidarity, altruism and philanthropy that has arisen
• Implement mechanisms to effectively manage these contributions to provide core services when the system is overwhelmed

Challenges to consider:

Emotional health and wellbeing

• There have been wide-ranging effects on populations' mental health and well-being. Impacts are greater on certain populations and those pre-existing conditions
• The long-term consequences of COVID-19 on mental health are expected to reach an unprecedented scale
• Mental health services suffer from underfunding and limited resources - significant attention is needed to meet long-term demand and scale of need

Continuity of support for vulnerable people

• Continuity of support in both health and social care is vital to mitigate compounding vulnerabilities. This should account for those in the system pre-COVID-19 and those who may have become newly vulnerable as a result of poor physical or mental health, financial difficulties or social vulnerabilities

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

The youth may have vulnerabilities that include:

• Safeguarding concerns e.g. those with special educational needs, carers
• Exposed to domestic abuse, financial pressures and poverty, and additional caring responsibilities
• Limited access to computers for studies
• No internet access or costly data packages
• Reliance on public hotspots (currently unavailable)

Consider:

• Free, publicly available internet as part of corporate, and social responsibility providers
• Strategic investments that promote the safety of youth and information to counteract 'fake news'
• Wellbeing and safety of youth via specialised youth work during/post COVID-19 for those at risk of domestic abuse or exploitation (gangs, sexual)
• Creatively engage with youth through established organisations (schools, Youth Parliament and Young Peoples Foundations, community, faith-based organisations)
• Review of additional risks and legalities from COVID-19 legislation, in particular those 'at risk' of offending due to lack of understanding and communication aimed at youth
• Youth engagement in future recovery and renewal plans to co-develop preventative plans to support meaningful transitions to education, employment and training

In Argentina, there has been a sharp rise in cybercrime directed at the elderly. Consider:

• Restructuring sections of the police force to incorporate more officers to reinforce cybercrime investigations
• Preventive and participatory approaches to reducing crime through participatory security mapping. This combines crime data, geography and local knowledge to help protect people vulnerable to this type of crime
• Recruit retired police officers to help cope with the demands of COVID-19 - this has a positive impact on officers' mental health

This lesson was contributed by an expert within the Ministry of Government and Security in Argentina during project data collection.

PPE shortages, lack of testing, and a vulnerable population have seen care homes in England and Wales become hotspots of the COVID-19 epidemic[1]. The impacts of COVID-19 have been hugely disruptive in the care home sector; affecting patients and all aspects of care. The context of these challenges has been attributed to:

• A decline in funding for social care in the past 10 years, even as demand for care has risen as a result of an ageing population[2]
• Daily ~1.5 million older people – one in seven over-65s – go without the help they need with tasks such as washing, dressing and eating2
• Deaths in care homes (from all causes and Covid-19) are increasing - the increased community deaths reflects the prioritisation of social care[3]
• Moving such populations out of hospitals during Covid-19 means systems pressures are pushed elsewhere including into the community:
  • people were reportedly discharged from hospital to care homes without testing for Covid-19[4]
  • people who became ill in care homes were largely not tested for the virus and most were not admitted to hospital[5]

The UK Government has stated that their number one priority for adult social care is infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic[6]. While mitigating the spread of the disease is of paramount importance, protective measures such as isolation are associated with a morbidity of its own[7]. The lack of supervision as a result of staff shortages put care home residents at increased risk of injury and mental health issues, for example those with dementia often stop eating as a result of depression which can hasten death7.

Before the UK Government released their Plan to Rebuild[8] which includes a section on protecting care homes, a number of actions were identified within the sector to address growing concerns over how COVID-19 was being managed in care homes.

Actions to address the situation for care homes include:

• Central/local government and the care home sector should work together to make testing in care homes happen[9].
• More PPE, testing and funding to:
  • Ensure care home residents are safeguarded
  • Prevent avoidable hospital admissions
  • Improve the mental health of families who may be worried that their relatives in care do not have the support they need[10]
• More guidance for care home managers on:
  • Receiving residents from hospitals when they have not been tested
  • Permitting relatives to say goodbye to loved ones
  • Preventing staff making a dozen home visits a day - potentially spreading virus
  • Facilitating staff speaking out about unsafe conditions (five carers reportedly lost their jobs in the past fortnight after speaking out about their concerns)[11]
• In Scotland, the Care Inspectorate (the sector’s regulator) would examine every care home’s conduct during the pandemic12
• Social care should be viewed as part of healthcare and vice versa
• Nurses are working continually on helplines to support families affected[12]
• Consider relatives’ visitation/entry permissions to nursing homes as lockdowns ease[13]:
  • Limit the number of visitations per week and permit only one family member to visit at a time
  • Prevent children and young people (under 14) from visiting
  • Require visitors to reserve a time-slot– and not allow visitors unless they have made a reservation
  • Space visitors throughout the day and across the week to preserve social distancing
  • Prevent entry to visitors if they are ill, under quarantine or in isolation, or if they are waiting for the results of COVID-testing
  • Escort each visitor to use hand sanitizer on entering the care home and on departure
  • Escort each visitor to the resident’s room and back without stopping in the common areas
  • Visitors must adhere to the 2-meter distance regulations, and avoid direct contact with other care home residents
  • Urge visitors to download the COVID tracing app to their smartphone
  • Adapt this advice to circumstances of each care home (e.g. the size of the home, the situation at any given time, the number of confirmed infections in the local community)

The call to address these actions has been met by £3.2bn of additional funding for local authorities from the UK Government, which can be used to meet rising care home and additional pressures on social care. Additionally, a further £1.3bn has been provided for the NHS and local authorities to work together to fund the additional needs of people leaving hospital during the pandemic. The Governments priority areas are[14]:

1. Testing;
2. Infection prevention and control;
3. Workforce expansion through a recruitment campaign;
4. Clinical support through accelerated introduction of enhanced health support in care homes from GPs and community health services;
5. Guidance.
   

References:

[1] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31199-5/fulltext

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/03/the-observer-view-on-care-home-deaths-being-an-indictment-of-our-society

[3] https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/covid19-deaths-social-care/

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/03/the-observer-view-on-care-home-deaths-being-an-indictment-of-our-society

[5] https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/covid19-deaths-social-care/

[6] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy#our-roadmap-to-lift-restrictions-step-by-step

[7] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31199-5/fulltext

[8] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy#our-roadmap-to-lift-restrictions-step-by-step

[9] Age UK. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2020/04/age-uk-response-to-more-care-home-deaths/

[10] Dementia UK https://www.dementiauk.org/coronavirus-care-home-deaths-up-hospital-cases-fall-our-response/

[11] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/03/the-observer-view-on-care-home-deaths-being-an-indictment-of-our-society

[12] Dementia UK https://www.dementiauk.org/coronavirus-care-home-deaths-up-hospital-cases-fall-our-response/

[13] National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, Status Report on 24-4-20

[14] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy#our-roadmap-to-lift-restrictions-step-by-step

In the USA, The Emergency Services research team at NBC Universal developed a Disaster Response Team "Train-At-Home" game. The game is based on Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, though you don't need to be CERT-trained to play. The game is designed to be fun, and for everyone. The game board and cards can be downloaded and printed at home. The aim is to provide tips and reminders to people about disaster response. The cards also hold references to sites where more information can be found.

Disaster management games for younger audiences can also be found here:

https://www.ready.gov/kids/games/data/dm-english/index.html

This lesson was contributed by a Disaster Program Specialist in the USA during project data collection.

LGTBIQ+ people have a number of vulnerabilities. Consider:

• LGBTIQ+ people are less likely to have safe homes and are at a higher risk of homelessness (especially young people) and are at a high risk of domestic abuse
• The impacts of losing safe community spaces and the additional mental health impacts of this
• The complications with access to healthcare which can be especially hard for trans people who have specific medical needs
• The use of test, track and trace facilities for this vulnerable group. In South Korea a new wave of infections have been attributed to 3,000 people attending clubs that accommodated the LGBTIQ+ community. But only half of people in attendance have gone for testing, due to fears that doing so would reveal their sexuality. Confidence in personal safety and confidentiality is paramount in track, trace and treat processes

Consider:

• Women are more likely to carry out unpaid work or serve as care givers. The pandemic is likely to negatively impact their livelihoods and dramatically increase their unpaid care work
• Women constitute over two-thirds of workers in the health and social sector globally, placing them on the frontlines of the pandemic response, but with a persistent gender pay gap and fewer leadership positions than their male counterparts
• These issues can restrict access to resources, decision making and the ability to take preventive measures

Close consultation is needed with women's organisations i.e. groups for mothers, carers, women's rights, domestic violence

Micro-volunteering opportunities have been developed in Salford, UK. 'Heroes from Home' support the wider COVID-19 response by sharing important messages to help to keep communities safe during the pandemic. Volunteers are encouraged to use their own social media accounts to share or post information about Salford's response - helping to ensure it is highly visible and readily available to those who need it.

In California, the "Stay Home. Save Lives. Check In." initiative has been developed in partnership with the California Department of Aging, and three founding partners from the public, private and academic sectors. The project aims to counter strict social distancing with social bridging (one-on-one communication with older adults through check-in phone calls). The project will:

• Train and mobilise >1000 people to telephone call older Californians to check on their well-being, direct them to resources, and connect them on a personal level
• Prioritise reaching the most isolated older adults those living in pandemic hot spots, and those likely to be facing food insecurity via "Social Bridgers"
• Train callers to assess basic needs and make referrals. Callers will use a tested call script to ensure consistency and reliability and will empathise with each individual's experience of this pandemic
• Use Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), trained volunteers affiliated with local public safety agencies
• Utilise United Airlines employees in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles as they have a robust employee donation and volunteer system for disasters
• Use Sacramento State University gerontology students
• Expand partnerships in the coming weeks. Members of the public are not being solicited as callers at this time

Additionally the need to identify a social work action plan to support families and vulnerable people as restricted movements are relaxed. This plan can identify:

• The social work skills needed to support families and vulnerable children
• The projected demand for such skills
• The capacity of the current social work system to deliver those skills
• Shortfalls in supply versus demand of skills
• Skills can be supported through non-social work providers such as volunteer organisations
• The training, supervision and resources are needed for volunteers to be safely involved
• What types of families and vulnerable children may be supported with those skills from non-social work providers
• The shortfall in families and vulnerable children who will need professionally-trained social workers
• How that shortfall can be addressed by professional social workers
• How many professional social workers can be trained, and when they will be available to work
• How to address any remaining shortfall in the short term

Including:

• The pressure on vital sexual and reproductive health services (including for women subjected to violence) and how provisions can be maintained
• The provision of hotlines, crisis centres, shelters, legal aid, and protection services and impacts of scaling these back
• Identifying and evaluating outreach methods to support those at risk of abuse within their own home
• Plans for the safety of health workers (the majority of whom are women) who may be at risk of violence in their own home and at work
• How to include men in conversations about violence towards women

While most of the messages on COVID-19 have been directed at adults, children have been significantly affected by COVID-19 too. Children have been taken away from their friends, cannot see grandparents, are prevented from attending school, not have gardens to play in, and the clubs they attend have been disrupted. This should be acknowledged and children should be thanked for their patience. This can help support children in their understanding of evolving recovery measures such as exit strategies from lockdown and phased school return.

This lesson was offered by a Risk Management expert in Iceland during project data collection.

There have been a range of incident types against key workers, so:

• Ensure deliberate coughing and spitting is addressed in official policy such as the UK Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act
• Patrol areas in which key workers work to provide protection from assault and mugging as a result of workers' association with COVID-19 response, and assumptions that some workers have access to medicine and food
• Release official statements from law enforcers to the public to bring attacks on key workers to light. Use the opportunity to fact-check claims which may appear on social media such as the one claiming that an Italian doctor had been charged with killing over 3,000 COVID-19 patients

Actively investigate hoax messages purportedly from official Government sources that could put key workers at risk

There has been a surge in homelessness as many businesses remain closed. In London, people working in service industries have been particularly affected. This often includes those working in bars, restaurants and hotels. Consider:

• How day centres offering support to the homeless can safely reopen again e.g. considering staffing requirements, PPE and how to accommodate service users
• Whether additional sites in community halls could be opened to assist with distancing guidelines, or sites with parking space could be used to manage queues
• The impact of closed cafes and soup kitchens on homeless people's access to food, including how volunteers could be utilised to effectively provide food
• How to keep homeless people connected: Many outreach organisations require a telephone number to call when accommodation or services are available. Closed cafes and public facilities mean there is nowhere to charge phones. With volunteers and charities, consider if some facilities could be opened to provide charge points, or outreach teams can be provided with wireless chargers. People could charge their phones at supervised charging stations
• How information about homeless people can be gathered. Many of those on the streets do not have access to benefits. Through soup kitchens or charge points, information about homeless individuals could be recorded and provided to local authorities
• Educating employers about safeguarding their precarious workers. Many newly homeless people worked in hospitality or through agencies and immediately lost their job. Employers could provide workers they cannot employ with government and charity-led information about who to contact, the benefits systems, and other welfare information

This includes converting spontaneous volunteers (SVs) into long-term volunteers by signing them up to established volunteer organisations so they can contribute on an ongoing basis. Key areas to consider include:

• Identify contribution of SVs to C19 so far - assess the nature and scale of SV volunteering effort and the gap left if SVs stop
• Share good news stories - to help SVs know that they are making a difference
• Needs assessment - identity ongoing tasks needed by service beneficiaries that may be suitable for volunteers
• Motivate SVs - create compelling case studies of the need. These will outline who are the service beneficiaries of those tasks and how volunteers have helped them. Communicate that SV opportunities will stop
• Identify sorts of volunteers needed - identify the skills and commitment needed from the volunteer so they can self-select tasks they want to perform
• Identify volunteer organisations - partner with a handful of volunteer organisations that volunteers can work through to fulfil each task. This can give volunteers a manageable list of organisations to select between. Short descriptions of the organisations can outline their different shapes so volunteers can identify the right organisation for them
• Remove SV opportunities - close down SV effort and convert willing SVs to ongoing volunteers
• Follow up volunteers - local government/voluntary organisations conduct welfare calls with volunteers to ensure that they are ok after their volunteering and to see if they have/want to convert. Facilitate conversion if needed
• Follow up voluntary organisations - local government complete the loop to see how many SVs have converted

Reference: UK County Councils

Understanding children's perspectives is important to provide children with an outlet to express themselves, and for adults to gain a better understanding of how children view their situation.

• Consider creative activities where children can explore their feelings about COVID-19, this could include drawings, video blogs or music. One example, is a collection of drawings and messages collated by the BBC, showcasing children's perspectives about the world they are living in. These types of activities could be recurring, and could be developed to address a number of issues i.e. lockdown, not going to school, fear, bereavement.
• Similar activities could support communities in emotional and social recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 and could provide innovative ways for adults and children to explore bereavement, memorials and commemoration.
• Children's pictures of colourful flowers in windows can make their walks more enjoyable and brighten the nation. The rainbows can be refreshed to create a refreshed vibe for the children to engage with.

This can help to prevent deaths and stop the number of cases accelerating as suppression measures are eased. The benefits of these measures are:

1. Containment measures allow us to reduce suppression measures without the spread of the virus accelerating
2. Shielding the vulnerable allows us to reduce the death toll of the virus even if the spread of the virus does accelerate. Older people and people with relevant health conditions would be protected

European countries are starting to ease, but containment and shielding capacity appears limited, risking acceleration of the virus. East Asia has advanced containment capacity and anticipate better testing and tracing capacity and widespread use of masks.

These groups should represent the community's views on what recovery should involve. These groups should feed views and concerns into the government's Recovery Group. It is important to consider participant fatigue when collecting community data about recovery needs.

Reference: Chief Resilience Officer, USA

It is critical that governments and civil society proactively combat stigma and discrimination through regular and transparent communication on the transmission of the virus and other aspects of the pandemic, cautioning against laying blame or accusations against any group of people.

In the UK, the NHS Volunteer Responder scheme had 750,000 registrations but many have not received any task. Untasked volunteers could become disillusioned, lowering motivation and encouraging them to opt out of the scheme. It may undermine their wellbeing as they question their contribution to the crisis response. It may lead to reputational challenges for the tasking organisation, and stop volunteers from registering for future initiatives. If there is spare capacity of volunteers, careful thought is needed to:

1. Communicate with, and address the motivation of, volunteers who have not been tasked
2. Identify a wider range of tasks that volunteers may be able to support
3. Identify a wider range of beneficiaries who need support (e.g. public services)

Reference: Prof Duncan Shaw, University of Manchester, UK

This includes elderly, those with pre-existing health conditions, migrants and homeless. Consult with organisations representing these groups to develop understanding of how they might be affected by complex emergencies and what measures could be taken. (UN -75 People's consultations established for this). For example, in the UK some LRFs are considering how to evacuate during lockdowns or social distancing.

Including those who advise on/support financial issues, relationships, bereavement and mental health. Helplines in Iceland have seen a tripling in the number of callers and report that calls are becoming longer and more difficult.

Managing the quick and safe connection of volunteers to local communities and local services is a key issues in supporting response and recovery. In Sheffield, UK the development of targeted volunteer recruitment maps1 which flag up community hubs, describe roles and responsibilities in community hubs in the city and the local authority have proven to be central in building credible connections2.

The results of these efforts can be developed into a community action plan that encourages a city-wide approach to sharing resources, connecting communities and successfully utilising the voluntary sector.

This highlights the importance of the voluntary sector and the role volunteerism has played in response and the role it can play in recovery. This provides opportunities to bring the volunteering agenda into the fore for future emergencies to support resilience.

1 The Sheffield COVID Support map is made by Martin Fox - Sheffield Data for Good in collaboration with Voluntary Action Sheffield and in conversation with Louis Koseda - Foodhall.

2 https://www.vas.org.uk/what-we-do/covid19/

Also consider Faith Communities of all faiths who carry so much knowledge of their community and the skills to help. These organisations are embedded in the community and can help facilitate recovery through support and shared information.

Reference: County Council, UK

These groups (including the Facebook groups) rapidly led the humanitarian aid to vulnerable people when (they may perceive) no-one else was present. They may now be feeling pushed out by 'officials' who now are taking a leading role in their communities which can mean their reason for existing is being taken over by authorities.

Including those without safe accommodation e.g. homeless, victims of domestic abuse. Consider the sustainability of these measures into longer-term recovery.

Reference: Chief Resilience Officers, USA and Italy

For example, the Vietnam National COVID-19 Plan commits to engaging the national women's association to collaborate with local governments to effectively manage the outbreak. Such collaborations can inform holistic recovery.

Including care for persons living with disabilities or ante-natal care. The potential negative impacts of COVID-19 prevention and treatment actions need to be considered in decision-making so that vulnerable groups are not doubly affected by both the hazard and the response.

For example, instead of doing the usual Easter egg hunt - encourage people to do something more community centric like creating bags for children in need.

Reference: Chief Resilience Officer, USA

In the Asia Pacific region this is around 65% of working women. They, along with other daily wage earners, are the least likely to be able to take preventive measures such as self-isolation or physical distancing.

In the UK, there has been a surge in volunteerism with 750,000 people signing up to the NHS volunteer scheme using a phone app, and an estimated 250,000 extra people signing up at the country’s volunteer centres1. It is important to consider how such volunteers could be utilised during recovery and how they can move beyond the delivery of support to vulnerable people2.

Volunteers could for example be deployed to relieve first responders, make the environment safer for responders and support healthy living.

Possible regulated and unregulated tasks include:

• Dog walking and pet care
• Reducing risk of infection to critical workers and freeing critical workers to deliver tasks with higher risk
• Support at food banks (sorting, filling boxes, loaders, delivery drivers, cleaners, washing up)
• Cleaning teams (hospitals, ambulance stations, care homes at 1am, laundry)
• Reducing loneliness of vulnerable people (supporting library swaps, free puzzles, driving to appointments)
• Social wellbeing programmes (knit keepsakes, gardening in care homes/households, singing outside care homes)
• Disinfecting (cash machines, petrol stations, play parks, trolleys)
• Community support (maintaining queues, filling petrol, maintaining community areas)
• Support for the food chain (picking fruit, tending small farm animals)

There is a wide range of support that volunteers could provide that go beyond the important task of supporting vulnerable people, and beyond the immediate needs of response and into long-term recovery. Consideration can be given to maintain the surge in volunteerism and community spirit to foster a culture of care.

1https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/13/a-million-volunteer-to-help-nhs-and-others-during-covid-19-lockdown

2 https://page.bsigroup.com/COVID-19-Community-Resilience-and-Volunteers

Consider how this service can be sustained, how expectations are managed and the welfare of volunteers is considered.

Reference: UK County Council

Local government should ensure appropriate composition of their community engagement teams, and the impacts this can have on women and other marginalised groups. Women face specific constraints when gaining access to information on outbreaks and services that they need to access. This can be further hindered by community engagement teams that are dominated by men.