Warwickshire County Council shows that #CouncilCan 

Warwickshire County Council will be taking part in the Local Government Association’s #CouncilsCan Day on Tuesday 10th November. The aim of the day is to highlight the critical work of local government with an emphasis this year of the work undertaken to keep communities safer during the coronavirus pandemic. 

From delivering over 1million pieces of PPE equipment to key workers across Warwickshire, supporting over 20,000 residents to shield safely and delivering over 10,000 parcels of food and household essentials, Warwickshire County Council along with key partners has certainly demonstrated that #CouncilsCan.  

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Warwickshire County Council along with its partners in the Police, Health, District and Borough Councils and voluntary and community sector organisations have worked tirelessly to keep services running and support residents and businesses. This has been achieved by: 

•    Contacting over 12,000 vulnerable residents to check if they needed any additional help or support including food and pharmacy deliveries. 
•   Working with our partners in the NHS and District and Boroughs, we were able to deliver over 1,678 prescriptions to residents unable to collect essential medication and supported 341 residents with getting from hospital to home.  
•   Creating a brand-new booking system for our Household Waste Recycling Centres, in order to get the sites up and running for the safe use of our residents. The team worked hard behind the scenes to make the service Covid safe and over 200,000 recyclers have visited the sites since they reopened. 
•   Developed an economic recovery plan and earmarked a budget of £6 million to support the immediate economic recovery phase.  A series of schemes are running, offering support to local businesses, notably those in the retail and tourism sector which have been most adversely affected by the pandemic. 
•   Making contactless doorstep deliveries of books to vulnerable people shielding. For many vulnerable people who are alone, this service has been a lifeline. 
•   Worked with key partners to support rough sleepers.
•   Launched the Let’s do the right thing for Warwickshire campaign to provide communities with the key information they need to stay safe 

The Leader of Warwickshire County Council, Councillor Izzi Seccombe said: 

“2020 has been a really difficult year, but I am immensely proud of the way our staff have pulled together to keep essential services running. I have seen real innovation and commitment to provide services in a Covid secure way from delivering residents safely from Hospital to Home and distributing essential food parcels, to checking in with over 12,000 vulnerable residents to see if they needed any help or support. Schools have remained open initially for key workers and vulnerable children to opening to all students once it was possible to do so.  

“Throughout this pandemic, it is council staff along with key partners, local community groups and volunteers, who have kept our communities running and provided the crucial local leadership needed during some very difficult times. 

“Equally our residents have also shown the true meaning of what it means to be a community, by providing positive feedback and thanking those going above and beyond to identifying those in need and directing them to our wellbeing hotline. So, this day is for everyone in Warwickshire to show that together we really can make a difference to our communities!” 

To find out more follow us at @Warwickshire_CC with the hashtag #CouncilsCan or visit https://www.local.gov.uk/about/campaigns/councilscan