COVID-19 Response

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The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is an East Berkshire local authority who, had to respond to the coronavirus outbreak at speed. Recognising that the scale of the challenge was beyond the ability of regular council staffing alone, the Royal Borough co-developed its response with residents, voluntary sector groups and other local partners.

At the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 we faced a huge problem. Our team supporting the borough’s clinically vulnerable needed to relocate to homeworking, but our existing infrastructure wasn’t designed for this. Our 3,000 shielding residents desperately needed help, such as getting their prescriptions and shopping.

In just ten days we set up a new, flexible, and easy-to-use contact centre, run by both our social care team and redeployed library staff, providing support – through phone calls and/or organising face-to-face contact - to our shielded residents.

Within weeks of the outbreak, the Royal Borough was home to 76 community-based initiatives, with localised community hubs comprising of public sector partners (e.g. local authority, GPs, social prescribers), faith groups, charities, businesses, politicians and local neighbours, all working in unison to support local needs.

Supported by the new centralised call centre, virtually by a team of re-tasked librarians using the online Amazon Connect service, the Royal Borough facilitated the practical and financial elements in the running of localised hubs, with the power for decision-making largely decentralised among these groups.

We have found that pursuing this ‘grass roots’ model of localised support has not only allowed the needs of the vulnerable to be adequately supported during the pandemic, but has helped stimulate an increase in local resilience and connectivity in a way that traditional ‘command and control’ responses are unable to.

This new call centre continues to support community-based initiatives, who are best placed to know exactly what their communities need. The initial surge of public goodwill saw some 800 volunteers formally register, with hundreds more known to local community groups.

The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is an East Berkshire local authority who, had to respond to the coronavirus outbreak at speed. Recognising that the scale of the challenge was beyond the ability of regular council staffing alone, the Royal Borough co-developed its response with residents, voluntary sector groups and other local partners.

At the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 we faced a huge problem. Our team supporting the borough’s clinically vulnerable needed to relocate to homeworking, but our existing infrastructure wasn’t designed for this. Our 3,000 shielding residents desperately needed help, such as getting their prescriptions and shopping.

In just ten days we set up a new, flexible, and easy-to-use contact centre, run by both our social care team and redeployed library staff, providing support – through phone calls and/or organising face-to-face contact - to our shielded residents.

Within weeks of the outbreak, the Royal Borough was home to 76 community-based initiatives, with localised community hubs comprising of public sector partners (e.g. local authority, GPs, social prescribers), faith groups, charities, businesses, politicians and local neighbours, all working in unison to support local needs.

Supported by the new centralised call centre, virtually by a team of re-tasked librarians using the online Amazon Connect service, the Royal Borough facilitated the practical and financial elements in the running of localised hubs, with the power for decision-making largely decentralised among these groups.

We have found that pursuing this ‘grass roots’ model of localised support has not only allowed the needs of the vulnerable to be adequately supported during the pandemic, but has helped stimulate an increase in local resilience and connectivity in a way that traditional ‘command and control’ responses are unable to.

This new call centre continues to support community-based initiatives, who are best placed to know exactly what their communities need. The initial surge of public goodwill saw some 800 volunteers formally register, with hundreds more known to local community groups.

COVID-19 Stories

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  • Share Hilary Hall - Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning at The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on Facebook Share Hilary Hall - Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning at The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on Twitter Share Hilary Hall - Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning at The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on Linkedin Email Hilary Hall - Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning at The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead link

    Hilary Hall - Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning at The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

    over 3 years ago

    The pandemic galvanised the community into action to work together to support those that were clinically extremely vulnerable and others who needed support.

    Harnessing community support is at the heart of our Adult Social Care Transformation Programme and Transformation Strategy and so our response to the pandemic was very much about supporting communities to support themselves. We did this by giving community groups and local initiatives practical and financial support. Within ten days of the first lockdown announcement, we set up an information database called Lyon and a web based contact centre to connect community groups with people in their... Continue reading

  • Share Ascot Racecourse on Facebook Share Ascot Racecourse on Twitter Share Ascot Racecourse on Linkedin Email Ascot Racecourse link

    Ascot Racecourse

    by daniel.brookman, over 3 years ago

    During the COVID-19 crisis, Ascot Racecourse will be doing its part in supporting its local community, charities and importantly the NHS - all of whom are facing unprecedented challenges during these difficult times.

    Ascot Racecourse Supports have been helping Windsor & Maidenhead foodbanks with their food supply chain and helping pack up parcels.

    On 30th March 2020, Slough Foodbank received a grant from Ascot Racecourse’s Community Fund held via the Berkshire Community Fund for £6,000. The grant has enabled a quick delivery of £3,000 worth of foods supplies, ordered through Ascot’s food supply chain, which the Foodbank had been struggling... Continue reading

  • Share Helping Hands on Facebook Share Helping Hands on Twitter Share Helping Hands on Linkedin Email Helping Hands link

    Helping Hands

    almost 4 years ago

    (tiecm@icloud.com)

    Helping Hands is a new group set up to support residents during the pandemic who are unable to get out and about because they are self-isolating. The group (part of the Mosque at 22 Cookham Road, Maidenhead) can be contacted to provide shopping, befriending and other support for the over 60’s including posting letters, collecting prescriptions and delivering medication, delivering food boxes etc.

    Helping Hands has made 115 separate visits across Maidenhead over the last 4 weeks, and offer services 7 days a week. On average Helping Hands receives 4 calls a day from residents asking for... Continue reading

  • Share Driven Forward - Tiia Stephens on Facebook Share Driven Forward - Tiia Stephens on Twitter Share Driven Forward - Tiia Stephens on Linkedin Email Driven Forward - Tiia Stephens link

    Driven Forward - Tiia Stephens

    almost 4 years ago

    Driven forward is a small charity set up in 2018 to enable adults who are socially excluded, isolated, lonely and vulnerable and those unable to access public transport the opportunity to participate in provided day trips, outing and social activities this includes the elderly and adults transitioning from homelessness to a new life in accommodation

    Originally Driven Forward’s community wellbeing hub was set to open on 6th April 2020 plans took a dramatic change as a result of the Coronavirus. Driven forward’s Community Hub is based in a secure compound at Alexandra Gardens Car Park and has been providing... Continue reading

  • Share Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Transformation Team July 2020 on Facebook Share Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Transformation Team July 2020 on Twitter Share Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Transformation Team July 2020 on Linkedin Email Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Transformation Team July 2020 link

    Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Transformation Team July 2020

    almost 4 years ago

    The newly created RBWM community response hub has registered 564 volunteers and have matched 323 of these to local groups supporting community resilience.

  • Share Maidenhead Mosque on Facebook Share Maidenhead Mosque on Twitter Share Maidenhead Mosque on Linkedin Email Maidenhead Mosque link

    Maidenhead Mosque

    almost 4 years ago

    The Maidenhead Mosque have continued to drop off food to vulnerable families and are working with Maidenhead Magpies Project. They have 35 volunteers and are supporting 50 families by delivering regular food packages

  • Share Lions if Windsor on Facebook Share Lions if Windsor on Twitter Share Lions if Windsor on Linkedin Email Lions if Windsor link

    Lions if Windsor

    almost 4 years ago

    The Lions of Windsor are supporting Food Shares with non-perishables items such as pasta, rice and long life milk.

  • Share Rotary Bridge Maidenhead on Facebook Share Rotary Bridge Maidenhead on Twitter Share Rotary Bridge Maidenhead on Linkedin Email Rotary Bridge Maidenhead link

    Rotary Bridge Maidenhead

    almost 4 years ago

    Rotary Bridge Maidenhead has over 40 volunteers supporting 150 households, including supplying 22 families with weekly free food parcels as their children usually receive free school meals. Support includes shopping, prescription collection, dog walking etc

  • Share Maidenhead and Windsor Food Shares on Facebook Share Maidenhead and Windsor Food Shares on Twitter Share Maidenhead and Windsor Food Shares on Linkedin Email Maidenhead and Windsor Food Shares link

    Maidenhead and Windsor Food Shares

    almost 4 years ago

    Maidenhead Food share have nearly 100 volunteers who have delivered over 300 food parcels in just four weeks, this is double the usual delivery. Volunteers are delivering to more than 80 streets to those in need who live in Maidenhead.

    Similarly Windsor Food Share have nearly 65 volunteers supporting 130 residents with 60 food parcels a weeks, on top food parcels from the West Windsor Hub and meals/parcels provided by the Windsor Homeless Project and Driven Forward. This is a big jump from some 40 food parcels/meals delivered pre-covid.

  • Share Datchet Corona Group on Facebook Share Datchet Corona Group on Twitter Share Datchet Corona Group on Linkedin Email Datchet Corona Group link

    Datchet Corona Group

    almost 4 years ago

    The Datchet Corona Group have recently supported an elderly resident, 80+ who had recently had surgery and was distressed and in need of help with food and medicine. She used to get food shopping every week carried out by her sister from outside of Maidenhead. She is now happy and content and walks around in her garden.

Page last updated: 06 Dec 2021, 03:51 PM