Nottingham City Council is continuing to reach vulnerable people isolating in their homes in the city with vital food supplies – with around 1,250 parcels delivered so far.
Over a thousand people have now called the City Council to request help during the coronavirus pandemic. Almost 300 of those requests were made over the Bank Holiday weekend.
One of the Council’s biggest priorities is to contact almost 7,000 extremely vulnerable people eligible to receive Government support while undergoing NHS Shielding Measures, because they are more likely to be hospitalised and suffer with severe symptoms of the virus. The council has received patient data from the NHS and is attempting to contact people directly. Over 8,000 phone calls have now been made by the call centre team – made up of council staff redeployed from their day jobs to take calls at a council site or from their own homes.
Almost 6,000 people have responded to the phone calls. Community Protection Officers have been deployed to knock on the door of some – just over 1,000 households – in an attempt to contact the vulnerable residents.
The 6,984 people in the city that come under the Shielding Measures should have received a letter direct from the NHS or Department of Health & Social Care. The City Council is urging people to ensure that they have registered their support needs on a Government hotline 0800 028 8327 or website: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable. They will receive support packages for free.
Other people who are isolating at home but don’t have a support network can also draw on help from the council, by contacting the Customer Hub number on 0115 915 5555 or complete an online form at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/coronavirus
Callers eligible for these food parcels, being put together at a council leisure centre by a team of council staff, will have them delivered by members of the council’s passenger transport services team redeployed to carry out this vital work. The council is only charging for the costs of each parcel including the wholesale price of the food and delivery, but not for staffing or other costs so there’s no profit. They include items such as canned tomatoes beans, sweetcorn and macaroni, potatoes, tuna (where appropriate), cereal, jam and biscuits, milk, bread, soap and toilet rolls.
A separate paid-for Meals at Home service is operated by the council, ideal for those not eligible for free emergency food parcels or for whom a food parcel isn’t suitable, but wishing to receive hot food deliveries.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Communities, Cllr Rebecca Langton, said: “I am pleased that we are reaching thousands of people by phone and getting food parcels to them while they are confined to their homes due to coronavirus restrictions. It’s an incredible effort by an army of council staff who have stepped up to provide this brand new service from scratch – from call handlers to parcel packers and delivery drivers.
“I am sure I speak for everyone receiving these parcels that we are all so grateful for the amazing effort to give vital support to some of our most vulnerable residents. I would also reiterate the call for people who are part of the NHS shielding measures to make sure they have registered so they can receive the appropriate support they need.”