Local
Students Saving Lives on the front line
HUGH Baird College's
Health, Social Care, Nursing and Dental students have been
working tirelessly to help support the healthcare industry,
struggling with the current Covid-19 outbreak across the City
Region, at various Hospitals, Care Homes, supported living
accommodation and dentist practices.
Jean Cooney, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Senior Healthcare
Support Worker Apprentice, said:- "I am a Senior
Healthcare Support Worker at Liverpool Royal Hospital's A&E
department. In this current pandemic, being part of the NHS is
hard work. We are faced with long, hot and uncomfortable days,
looking after some of the sickest patients. Although it's tough,
this is the reason why I embarked on a career in the healthcare
industry, to save lives. We will fight this and come out
stronger than ever!"
Confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been rising sharply in
Liverpool each day for a sustained period now. Sadly, this
suggests that the City could be heading for a very difficult
time in the coming days and weeks; because the low testing rates
mean those with confirmed cases are largely so ill that they
have been forced into Hospital.
Annette Pollitt, Learning and Development Lead at Liverpool
University Hospitals, said:- "We are very proud to have
such inspirational and dedicated students, who are supporting
the healthcare workforce and providing exceptional care to all
patients. The skills and knowledge that the students are
currently learning will be invaluable for their career ahead.
Thank you for your commitment, compassion and care to patients
and staff. Keep up the fantastic work and keep safe."
Students from across the department have increased their working
hours to help support employers with the Covid-19 outbreak. Some
students have even had to undertake further training to help
patients who need ventilation support.
Debbie Stock, Hugh Baird College's Health and Care Delivery Co-Ordinator,
said:- "A big thank you to all of our students for going
above and beyond their current practices, I am blown away by the
support I have witnessed our students give to not only their
patience's, but also the support they have given each other
during this pandemic."
All students have proven to go above and beyond, putting the
lives of patients before themselves by working overtime and in
some cases, leaving their families for up to 12 weeks to stay in
their places of work to ensure they can care for the needs of
others.
Sherin Swain, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Health and Social Care
student, said:- "It's been a really tough couple of weeks
as a Care Assistant in Walton Manor Residential and Nursing
Home. We are not only carers, we are the friends and family to
the residents who can no longer see their loved ones. After
gaining permission, I recently used my phone to Face Time 1 of
my resident's family members and the smile on both their faces
reminded me; it's all worthwhile."
Some of the College's students, who were initially on volunteer
placements, have now successfully achieved full time employment
in order to help support local healthcare providers such as,
Care Homes and assisted living accommodation.
Further examples
of the College's Health, Social Care, Nursing and Dental hero
students:-
Liam Castell, Hugh Baird
College Nurse Cadet student; Liam joined the College from Abbots
Lea School in 2018. He fully embraced the challenges of ward
rotations in his 1st year and demonstrated a willingness to
learn.
During the 2nd year of his Nurse Cadet programme at the College,
Liam joined the Nurse bank team and has been covering shifts on
wards and the A&E department at Aintree University Hospital.
Last weekend, Liam completed his 1st night shift which was a
difficult but rewarding experience.
Liam is on target to exceed his minimum target grade and finish
with an overall A*, he has also successfully been offered a
place at Edge Hill University to study Adult Nursing.
Poppy McDonald, Hugh Baird
College Nurse Cadet student; Poppy was a late addition to the
College's Nurse Cadet programme. After taking a year out of
education to decide her pathway, she successfully applied to
join the College and is really enjoying her new studies and the
work experience element of the programme.
Poppy, like Liam, has also joined the Nurse bank team and was
only too happy to take on additional shifts to help and support
those in need during this pandemic.
Megan Nicholas, Hugh Baird College Level 3 Health and Social
Care student; Megan works in a local Care Home, she is
incredibly passionate about her role and the people she cares
for. She has been on 'lock down' staying in the
Care Home with the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the vulnerable
nature of those she cares for and those she has at home.
Megan joined the College as part of the College's 14 to 16
Department. Following her completion, Megan enrolled onto the
College's Level 2 Health and Social Care course and then further
progressed onto the Level 3 course. Megan has received offers
from Huddersfield University and Edge Hill University for Child
Nursing.
Megan, alongside the rest of the students, are still checking in
with their tutors via Teams and keeping on top of their college
work, even in these difficult times.
Stephanie Butler, Hugh Baird College's Course Leader for Health
and Social Care, said:- "As a team of lecturers, we are
immensely proud of all of our Health, Social Care, Nursing and
Dental students, and have the up most admiration for them
working at this critical time. Our students, whilst studying a
full academic timetable, are now working within vital community
and NHS roles within our local area, supporting those who are
most vulnerable. They are significantly improving the lives of
others. These students are young heroes, our health care
professionals of the future who have put others needs before
their own. They have shown professionalism, courage and
selflessness. We are overwhelmed at how they have stepped up to
the current challenge."
Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives!
Hospice
hosts 1st ever Virtual Ladies Day
ST Joseph's Hospice was due to host its annual Spring
Ladies Day. at Formby Hall. on Sunday, 19 April 2020, 1 of the
biggest events in its fundraising calendar.
Due to the Coronavirus crisis and current social distancing
measures, the event was cancelled last month, but in order to
mark the occasion, engage with valued Hospice supporters and
attempt to raise some money along the way, the Hospice's
fundraising team decided to host its 1st ever Virtual Ladies
Day.
Maxine Armstrong, head of fundraising, said:- "We had to
cancel our Spring Ladies Day when the Coronavirus outbreak began
and social distancing measures came in. However, as the day of
the event approached, we decided that we couldn't let the day go
by without making something of it. It was also a great
opportunity to test out new technologies that we hadn't used
before. We contacted all the performers who were due to take
part in the event and, thankfully, they all agreed to record a
mini performance from their own homes. We had two fantastic
singers, Scott Chapman and Samantha Leslie, and a brilliant
magician, Dan Misson. We also held a raffle from the beautiful
Hospice grounds and broadcasted everything through Facebook
Live."
The virtual event was a brilliant success raising over ₤1,000
for the Hospice with 4.6k views and hundreds of people engaging
with the event through likes and comments.
Hospice fundraiser, Zoë Furnivall, added:- "We'd like to
thank everyone for supporting us on Sunday. This was something
we had never done before but it was a fantastic way to engage
with a really important group of our long term supporters and
the response we had was incredible. Our supporters really got in
to the spirit of it; they even got dressed up and danced around
their gardens enjoying a glass or two of bubbles. It just goes
to show that there is still so much support out there and, if
anything, the current challenges are bringing people together in
new ways. As a fundraising team, it's really important that we
continue to engage with our supporters as they are so important
to the Hospice. We have launched lots of new ways for our
supporters to get involved and show their support during these
difficult times, including some fantastic new virtual events.
Please take a look at our
website and click
on fundraising for more details or give us a call on 0151 932
6044 or email:-
Fundraising@Jospice.Org.UK."
Charity's
free Activity Packs will help children to get thinking, moving
and creative
CAUDWELL Children, the
national charity that provides practical and emotional support
to disabled children and their families, has produced a unique
collection of FREE weekly
Activity Packs to get children and young people thinking,
moving, and creative during the Coronavirus lock down.
The packs, developed in response to the feedback the charity has
received from the families that it supports, have been designed
with disabled children in mind.
However, whilst many of the activities have been created for
children between the ages of 4 and 12, the team at Caudwell
Children are keen to stress that some of the activities are
suitable for older children and even adults.
"Whilst the activities are disability friendly they are also
accessible and inclusive to children of all abilities and ages.
The packs, which will be emailed to subscribers on a weekly
basis, have been designed in collaboration with our Clinical and
Family Service teams to meet the needs of a large range of
children and young people." said Mark Smith, Director of
Marketing and Communications at Caudwell Children.
Because of their experience with disabled children, 78% of whom
do not get involved with activities outside the home, Caudwell
Children is uniquely placed to understand the issues around
social isolation.
The charity has been supporting disabled children and their
families for over 20 years and this has helped them to
appreciate the feelings of lethargy, boredom, and restlessness
that can arise out of a long periods of isolation.
"We wanted to create a set of packs that would entertain and
stimulate children. We know how tensions can rise being locked
in a confined space for weeks on end and we wanted to provide a
simple solution for parents. We have used our knowledge of what
disabled families and their children need to create packs that
offer a holistic experience, which recognises the importance of
stimulating your mind, body and emotions." continued Mr
Smith.
The charity has split the packs into 3 distinct collections...
► Get Thinking, a series of learning
exercises such as word searches, puzzles and counting games...
► Get Moving, physical activities such
as scavenger hunts and insect hunts...
► Get Creative, arts and craft
activities such as colouring, painting and decorating...
Aware of the financial and technological pressures on families
during the unprecedented health crisis, the charity has
endeavoured to create activities that are affordable and easy to
complete. As Mr Smith explained:- "With the financial
challenges of lock-down some families may not want to spend
money on stocks of paper, so many of the activities don't
require you to print off the activity sheets. For example you
can play spot the difference, find 10 things in your home
beginning with the letter A and find 10 things in your home that
are blue, without using any paper. Whilst our physical
activities, such as a wheelchair treasure hunt, indoor aerobics
and ball catching simply require participation."
The activities will also encourage children to spend less time
on their mobile devices and each activity will be able to
completed between 5 to 60 minutes.
"We think that the full collection of activities that we will
distribute in the coming weeks will be the most comprehensive
set of activity material's ever released for disabled children.
And I would ask children who complete an activity sheet to send
them to us so that we can display them on our online gallery."
continued Mr Smith.
You can subscribe to receive Caudwell Children's Activity Packs
through the
website. You can also
submit your completed activity sheet by emailing them at:-
Digital@CaudwellChildren.Com.
NHS
Foundation Trust support for domestic violence victims
THE service operated by
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is reminding
people that they don't have to wait until they're in an
emergency situation to get help. The helpline is available for
people who need support for themselves or advice about a friend
of family member they may be worried about.
Lorraine Khalaf, Service Manager at the Wellbeing and Mental
Health Helping and Texting Service said:- "This is a
difficult time for adults who are spending extra time indoors due
to social distancing measures but experiencing some form of
abuse at home. There are many signs of domestic abuse all
related to having control over a person such as making
unreasonable demands, isolating someone from friends or family
members and making threats. The behaviours would not always be
classed as violent and it's not always easy to spot the signs or
recognise when to get help and support. There's not a single
person out there who should go through it alone; we are here to
help and hope that the texting service in particular means that
people can make contact discreetly when they're in need of some
support or advice."
The helpline added a texting service in September last year for
people to make contact without speaking and has more recently
extended its opening hours to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The
helpline can be contacted on:- 0800 915 4640 or by texting:-
'hello' to:- 07860 022846.
Merseyside
councils back Care Workers v COVID-19 campaign
MERSEYSIDE Councils
back Care Workers v COVID-19 campaign after hundreds of local
carers share their care work Coronavirus horror stories.
Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, Halton and Sefton's Local
Authorities have thrown their support behind care workers who
are on the frontline of the fight to stop the spread of
Coronavirus in Merseyside. Liverpool City Council and Knowsley
Council have both announced that they will pour money into local
care services, (₤6m and ₤2m respectively) in order to ensure
that care workers who need to self isolate, shield or take days
off sick due to COVID-19 will be paid full normal pay, rather
than Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of ₤95 per week. Meanwhile, Halton
and Sefton Councils have both signed up to UNISON's Care Workers
vs COVID-19 pledge, committing them to protect the health, pay
and employment of care workers, whilst Wirral Council have
committed to give local care workers a pay rise to the real
Living Wage of at least ₤9.30 per hour. The pledges come a week
after University of
Kent Law School released a report based on
the views of 2600 care workers from the North West who responded
to a UNISON survey. More than 400 Merseyside based carers
responded to the union survey. A large majority of the care
workers said that their employers were not doing enough to keep
them and the people they care for safe. The key issues facing
care workers in the North West are: a severe lack of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) and an inability to self isolate if
necessary due to a lack of sick pay which puts both service
users and care workers at risk.
The most widespread concern reported by survey respondents
across all care settings was a lack of PPE. 1 care worker said:-
"When I enquired 3 weeks ago about extra PPE [the manager]
laughed and told me it's not going to be like Italy, and I was
scaremongering. Then she was unable to get enough PPE for all
staff, despite knowing I have COPD, I wasn't offered any."
Worryingly, another Merseyside based carer wrote:- "They
have not provided PPE in our place of work, we have no
sanitizer, no hand wash, no aprons or masks."
Whilst 1 care worker from Knowsley said:- "We're having to
justify why we need a mask or a new box of gloves. The supply
just isn't there but if I feel I or one of my clients is at risk
then I feel I have to right to request adequate PPE. The company
line is if the client isn't displaying symptoms you don't need a
mask. Which I understand but once the symptoms appear it's too
late for us."
Another huge issue for care workers who completed the survey was
the fear that they would be unable to self isolate due to
COVID-19 as a result of the lack of comprehensive sick pay
schemes in the sector, which could put vulnerable staff and
service users at risk if unwell carers continued to attend work.
8 out of 10 care workers surveyed thought they will not be paid
their normal wages if they have to self isolate due to COVID-19.
The report recommends that UK Government act urgently to ensure
that care workers receive their normal wage incomes when in self
isolation.
One Merseyside based carer summed up the issue:- "I am
self isolating. I am 63, I have mild asthma that does not put me
on the government 'danger' list but is enough to concern me. I
am shielding 2 people with very compromised health. I have
requested furlough or sick pay from my employer and they have
refused both. I am entirely without support."
Another local care worker explained:- "People are worried
about staying off through no fault of their own and not getting
their full pay, including myself. I don't want to be off work.
but I have to think of myself, as I'm high risk and my renal
team have told me to self isolate for 12 weeks up to now I'm
still working."
Liverpool City Council and Knowsley Council have now taken this
issue into their own hands by guaranteeing sick pay for local
care workers.
UNISON North West regional organiser Dan Smith said:- "The
responses of thousands of North West care workers to our survey
shows that care workers across the region are not being
supported to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Applause, badges
and plaudits mean nothing if care workers are unable to do their
jobs without putting their own life and the lives of their
service users at risk. That's why we wholeheartedly commend
Liverpool City Council and Knowsley Council's move to ensure
that care workers in their area are able to protect themselves
and those they care for by self isolating if necessary, without
fear of struggling to get by on the Government's paltry SSP
payments. And Wirral Council's step to give their care workers a
pay rise is admirable our caring heroes are worth every penny.
These ground breaking interventions by Councils across
Merseyside show that care workers' fates are not just in our
incompetent Government's hands Local Authorities can, and must
step in to protect the care workers who protect us all from this
deadly virus. We look forward to working with Sefton and Halton
Councils who have signed our Care Workers v COVID-19 pledge, in
order to secure concrete commitments for local care workers and
service users. We call on all Councils across the North West to
deliver for care workers in their areas and protect care
workers, their families and those they care for by signing the
Care Workers v COVID-19
pledge."
Total UK cases
COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region and
surroundings
THE latest UK
COVID-19 Hospital fatalities rose by 684 to a total of
19,506 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 deaths. The number of
COVID-19 infections has risen by 5,386, to 143,464,
according to the UK's Department of Health. In England, we
had a total of 105,225 laboratory confirmed cases, with the
North West now having a total of 16,252 confirmed cases.
Current the number of confirmed cases within the following
Local Authorities, in and around the Liverpool City Region
are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 1,257 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 724 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 877 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 556 confirmed cases.
► Halton, 293 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 2,381 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 665 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 702 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 951 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 717 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 525 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 529 confirmed cases.
► Bolton, 643 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 382 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 382 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 407 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 529 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 265 confirmed cases.
Please not that these totals of all cases, that includes
past cases and current cases. These stats are according to
Public Health England as of 24/04/2020. Last updated 2:24pm
GMT.