Become a Waltham Forest Carer
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Up to BECOME £476 A WALTHAM per week Up to FOREST CARER 24/7 66% Support taken off www.fosteringwalthamforest.co.uk Council Tax Your council keeping residents informed Spring 2021, issue 237 www.walthamforest.gov.uk @wfcouncil Over 100,000 residents have their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine Just been jabbed? share your selfie If you had your Covid vaccination, then you’re helping us to save the lives of people across Waltham Forest – thank you. You can help more people by sharing your story Take a selfie outside the vaccine centre when you’ve had your jab Share on social media using #Ihadmyjab Spread the word – tell your friends, family and wider community you’ve been vaccinated #ihadmyjab Up to BECOME £476 A WALTHAM per week Up to FOREST CARER 24/7 66% Support taken off www.fosteringwalthamforest.co.uk Council Tax Your council keeping residents informed Spring 2021, issue 237 www.walthamforest.gov.uk @wfcouncil Families together at last n How we’re helping families New pods allow families to catch up with loved ones See Page 3 reconnect safely The past 12 months of continued to maintain and lockdowns amid the welcome socially distanced Covid-19 pandemic have external visits where safe been a worrying time for to do so throughout the all of us. pandemic. It has been especially Where this has not been difficult for those living with possible, they have regularly dementia in residential kept in touch and actively homes, where the required encouraged families and restrictions have kept friends to hold phone and residents apart from their video calls to their loved ones. families. With on-going concern over It is a concern shared new variants and little sign by our Adult Social Care that the uncertainty will be services and the staff at the resolved quickly, they believe three care homes managed they have found a solution. by Waltham Forest Council Three new pods have been who have had to maintain unveiled allowing safe face- a difficult balancing act to-face contact for residents between reducing the and their families. Initially risks of transmission of developed to be a Covid coronavirus to their residents secure visiting space and a and responding to the safe area to undertake Lateral very human need for family Flow Device Testing the contact. pods have now been further Fortunately, they have been developed. able to arrange essential end- Guests will be issued with of-life visits to residents in their a disposable face mask and care, and where there have gloves for their visit after a been no active outbreaks, confirmed negative test result. Continued on page 3. MAXIMISE YOUR SUCCESS @MONOUXCOLLEGE CREATIVE SCIENCE & DIGITAL Secure your place for HEALTH LEGAL & ENTERPRISE & SOCIETY & September 2021 FINANCE MANAGEMENT CULTURE To apply now, visit www.sgmc.ac.uk 2 News Joe McDonnell, Director of Public Health separate households, meeting inside and Organised adult sport a wide range of useful can meet indoors, getting tested ahead of and exercise classes resources that may be and groups of up to meeting up helps keep can resume indoors, of comfort if you are 30 people can meet everyone safe. While and cinemas and struggling at this time: outdoors. This is very vaccination provides theatres can also start www.walthamforest. welcome – but at the great protection and to welcome guests gov.uk/MHAW2021 same time, there are makes meeting safer, with social distancing Finally, from everyone still some simple steps that protection takes measures in place. at the council and we should take to keep three weeks to fully kick I know that for many the local emergency vulnerable members in after the first dose people, the last year services, I would just of the community safe and doesn’t remove all has been incredibly like to thank you all for and to prevent any risk. difficult. We have your sacrifices during Hello – I hope this upswing in cases. Some rules remain been kept away from the pandemic. They message finds you Close contact for the workplace and family, friends, and have helped save well. Like me, you continues to carry businesses, such as in loved ones. This has lives and meant that will no doubt be a risk of catching or shops and hospitality. saved lives – but it has vulnerable members of looking forward to spreading COVID-19, You must still wear also come at a cost. our community have the latest easing and people must face masks in public As we mark Mental been protected. of restrictions that consider the risk to indoor settings unless Health Awareness will take place from themselves and to you are medically Week with the theme Monday 17 May. others. Remember exempt, but school of connecting with Joe McDonnell Director of Public Health It will mean groups of that meeting outside pupils will no longer be nature, why not visit up to six people, or two is still a lot safer than required to wear them. our webpage that has Make sure you know the rules What you will be able to do from Monday 17 May as Covid restrictions ease From Monday 17 May: No earlier than Monday 21 June: • You can meet outside in groups of up to 30. All restrictions on social contact will be removed, and no limits on • Six people, or two households, can meet indoors. the number of people who can attend weddings. Nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen. • Pubs and restaurants can seat customers indoors. • Up to 30 people can meet to celebrate weddings This is exciting news – but please and christenings. remember that following the guidelines now will mean we are able • Indoor entertainment such as museums, theatres, to meet and celebrate again together cinemas and children’s play areas can reopen, including soon. You can see all the key dates the William Morris Gallery and Vestry House Museum. on the Government website here: • Indoor sports groups and exercise classes can resume. bit.ly/LBWF_Roadmap Contact Waltham Forest Council Waltham Forest News Edited by: Corporate Advertising and promotional enquiries: Their inclusion does not mean that the council Communications Team Please email: endorses the company or product being advertised. [email protected] Waltham Forest News wants to hear Waltham Forest News is produced using from people in the local community. Waltham Forest Council does not accept trees from sustainable managed forests where more If you have a story that you’d like us responsibility for the content of any non-council trees are planted than felled. Please recycle Waltham tap scroll click to cover, email walthamforestnews advertisements in Waltham Forest News. Forest News when you have finished with it. @walthamforest.gov.uk. facebook.com/walthamforestcouncil @lbwalthamforest @wfcouncil www.walthamforest.gov.uk Waltham Forest News is published by London Borough of Waltham Forest with a print run of 110,000 copies delivered to homes, organisations, businesses More services and bulk drops in the borough. available online. The official independently audited free letterbox delivery of Waltham Forest News is 97,376 ABC Regional January to December 2018 Spring 2021, issue 237 www.walthamforest.gov.uk 3 Helping families be together Continued from page 1. The Perspex screens have residents and their families outside the main residence. because she kept falling over “But this is lovely been removed to enable some and it’s tough too on the staff, There, they will be able in the house. and, you know, physical contact such as hand who have to tell people they to take a Covid-19 lateral “She came in just before holding whilst maintaining an can’t see their loved ones. flow test and once given the Covid and we’d see her mum’s blooming. It element of social distancing. “Thanks to the internet all-clear, will be able to see regularly but then lockdown means a lot to us.” Screens can be reinstalled if they can see each other via their loved one face-to-face, happened, and we weren’t transmission rates rise or new video links – but no one is although face masks will still allowed. that the number of visits variants appear. This will allow pretending it is the same. need to be worn by visitors. “It would be months on end will need to continue to be Among the first to try it out before we could see her and restricted. The new pods – not unlike a small chalet were Linda and David Stoker, only then when the rules were It’s hoped that once - will allow family members to see their from Chingford, who had relaxed. Even then, it wasn’t the pandemic is over the family members in a warm, dry environment, come to visit Linda’s mother, always ideal as we have to be pods, which are self- immediately outside the main residence. a resident at George Mason outside. contained with opening Lodge. “But this is lovely and, you windows for ventilation, as safe visits of loved ones to “We hope these new pods Kathleen Mitchell, 93, was know, mum’s blooming. It well as washing and W/C continue. will mean families can see born and raised in Waltham means a lot to us.” facilities, will be turned into Heather Flinders, Strategic each other in person on a Forest and has lived in the Kathleen too was impressed permanent outdoor space Director for Families, said: regular basis but not risk Leytonstone home since with the new building: “It’s very for residents, families and “Residential homes for older bringing Covid into the units.” September 2019. kind to make such a lovely staff to enjoy.