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Somerset Health and Wellbeing Advisory Network
Helping you to help others
Trudi Grant, Director of Public Health for Somerset has emphasised that we should continue to be respectful of other people’s concerns and personal situations. The public health advice is that anyone who tests positive for coronavirus, or who shows symptoms of having it, including a high temperature or cough, should stay at home and avoid contact with others. The same can be said for any other infectious illness, such a flu, or vomiting and diarrhoea.
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The SCC Public Health team still advise basic infection control measures should be followed, as these will help slow the transmission of many seasonal illnesses and have a positive impact on reducing sickness levels and improving business continuity. These include regularly washing your hands, maintaining appropriate cleaning regimes and keeping occupied spaces well ventilated.
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Reducing Virus Risks At Home
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GermDefence is a website that has been developed by health experts in UK universities. Information on how to reduce the risk of illness and viruses spreading at home is available in a number of different languages, in an easy read format.
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Vaccination Clinics In Somerset
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Bridgwater Town Hall, High St, TA6 3BL
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Firepool, Canal Road, Taunton, TA1 1NY
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Mon - Thurs : 8:30am - 7:30pm
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Exmoor Rural Health Hub, Moorland Hall, Wheddon Cross, Minehead, TA24 7DU
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Wed 9th March & Wed 13th April: 11:30am - 3:30pm
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Wellington Community Hospital, Bulford Lane, Wellington, TA21 8QQ
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Haynes Motor Museum, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH
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Dillington House, Illminster, TA19 9DT
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Minehead Community Hospital, Luttrell Way, Minehead, TA24 6DF
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Opportunity Boost Scheme
The scheme provides grants worth up to £500 to help with the cost associated with progressing into work, such as transport costs, childcare, work clothes, learning resources and training courses.
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The funding for the scheme has been provided through the Somerset Recovery Fund, and the initiative is being delivered in partnership between Somerset County Council and Citizens Advice Somerset.
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To qualify, applicants must live in Somerset, be aged 16 or over, not be entitled to any other financial assistance for job seeking, and had a pre-Covid salary of less than £25,000.
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Wellbeing Support
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Staying at home and avoiding contact with other people can be difficult, frustrating and lonely for some people. Every Mind Matters provides simple tips and advice to take better care of your mental health.
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Mind in Somerset has a dedicated support helpline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They also have a Crisis Safe Space service running 7 days a week 6am to 10pm for drop in and appointments in both their Yeovil and Taunton office as well as Saturday and Sunday daytime. To book please call Mindline on 01823 276 892
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The NHS Volunteer Responders programme is also available to help support those who need it. Volunteers can collect and deliver shopping, medication and other essential supplies and can also provide a regular friendly phone call. Call 0808 196 3646 between 8am and 8pm, 7 days a week to self-refer or visit NHS Volunteer Responders for further information.
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Click on the photo below to watch.
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Reading Well Campaign
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A collection of uplifting books to promote wellbeing
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have been selected by NHS staff for NHS staff. The collection contains fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
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Reflect, Recover, Renew Report
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented change to people and communities worldwide, and Somerset is no exception. What is marked, however is the way in which Somerset’s voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) stepped up to the challenge. As many other services closed their doors, VCSE sector organisations mobilised to provide practical, emotional, and social support across Somerset.
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Funded by Somerset County Council and Somerset Community Foundation, and delivered by Spark Somerset, Reflect, Recover, Renew investigates the impact of Covid-19 and creates a shared vision for the future of the VCSE sector in Somerset. In all, 270 people representing 190 separate VCSEs across Somerset shared their experiences.
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Two years on, Reflect, Recover, Renew aims to identify the implications of Covid-19 on Somerset’s communities and VCSEs which could help us understand current and future needs.
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Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection
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Thursday 17th March 2022 is national Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection, a special memorial day for Adult Social Care dedicated to those who have worked so hard to care for our communities. This year is particularly important, given the enormous sacrifices so many of our carers have made throughout the pandemic.
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As part of this day, we’d like to encourage local communities and businesses to get involved in thanking local carers and care homes. Here are some ways to get involved:
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- Share a tribute on social media to care staff who have worked so hard through the pandemic using the hashtag #ThankYouSocialCare22
- Create a local artwork or tribute
- Plant bulbs or a tree in a communal area (with relevant permission) in honour of social care
- Donate items to carers or care homes, such as flowers, bulbs, coffees, cakes, a skilled person’s time, or anything else you can think of!
- Put a ‘Thank you Carers’ or similar sign up in a business or home
- Sending staff a personalised letter to thank them for their work.
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Please email any messages and photos to proudtocare@somerset.gov.uk, and they will be added to the special memorial webpage that is being created.
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Easter Food & Activities Programme
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The Easter holidays will see the return of the popular Holiday Activities and Food programme in Somerset with young people aged 5-16 years who qualify for Free School Meals given the opportunity to take part in fun physical activities and be provided with a nutritious meal.
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Children eligible for Free School Meals will still receive food vouchers at Easter, the value of these vouchers will be £10 to take into account the food being provided as part of the Holiday Activities and Food initiative.
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SCC will also team up with Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) to deliver the programme across the county which has seen children and young people take part in a wide range of activities from sports and music workshops, to kayaking and climbing.
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We want to hear from you
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As community leaders, your insights are valuable to us, which is why we have set up a function on the site to enable you to send information directly to us. This could be feedback you are receiving from your community, ideas on different ways to engage, issues you are spotting locally and anything that will help us to reduce barriers to adopting measures that protect us from Covid.
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Resources and Further Information:
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The Somerset Local Outbreak Management Plan outlines how we, the council, will work with the NHS Test and Trace Service, PHE, the NHS and other partners to ensure a whole system approach to preventing and managing local outbreaks. This can be found here.
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