Dear all

I hope this update reaches you and yours well and in as good spirits as the last few months allow.

What follows is intended to be a helpful overview of the Council’s key Covid 19 activities over the last 7 days (beyond continuing to deliver key services) and emerging issues for next week to inform your conversations with your parishes and residents. As always I would respectfully encourage your pushing out the ‘key’ and ‘support’ information messages through your conduits to ensure that the most possible people see them. I’m happy to go in to more detail and would welcome feedback on local concerns and issues you pick up so we can build them in to the response.

Media briefing for Protect west Norfolk
As you will no doubt have read, locally covid-19 cases are on the increase to above the County wide average. We took the decision supported by NCC, Norfolk’s Director of Public Health, the QEH and the police to hold a press briefing to get the media on board with getting key messages out  locally re the new guidance around the current lockdown, rather than relying on the county-wide media briefings. I hope you concur that this was time critical as any activity to ensure greater support of the current guidance now, will have most impact on tomorrow’s figures, next week’s and the week’s following – with the aim of both protecting people now and us coming out of the lockdown on Dec 3rd at the lowest tier level possible to best support our businesses and allow the greatest public interaction safely possible.The accompanying news release and media briefing (including the local statistics etc) recording are here for your information.

Let’s protect west Norfolk together and link to media briefing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0sYs0zEak

This was picked up widely in the local media and followed up on BBC Radio Norfolk interview on Thurs morning.

Wherever possible please help us promote the ‘protect ourselves, protect others, protect west Norfolk message’ .

The key messages of the campaign are:

Coronavirus is here in west Norfolk – and on the rise
We’ve all got to play our part: Stay home as much as possible
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

West Norfolk, let’s keep the people we care about safe
We’ve all got to play our part: Don’t meet friends or family indoors
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

West Norfolk: let’s stop Coronavirus spreading
We’ve all got to play our part: Only meet outdoors with one person from another household
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

Love West Norfolk? So do we. Let’s keep it safe
We’ve all got to play our part: Stay safe outdoors
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

West Norfolk: let’s keep our families, friends, and neighbours safe
We’ve all got to play our part: Minimise contact with others
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

We’re in this together west Norfolk
We’ve all got to play our part: Just buy what you need
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

Covid cases are on the rise in west Norfolk
We’ve all got to play our part: Only make essential journeys
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

Coronavirus cases are increasing in west Norfolk
We’ve all got to play our part: You must self-isolate at home if you have symptoms / someone close to you tests positive / you test positive
Protect ourselves, protect each other, protect west Norfolk

We are currently reinforcing these messages on our social media with slides and the following video and will be repeating them over the coming days:  https://youtu.be/TjI7xoQ30vM

New help for businesses will be available soon

A further package of business support measures has been announced by the government to support businesses during the second national lockdown.

The Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk are being provided with funding from Government to distribute Local Restrictions Support Grants and Additional Restrictions Grants. Some information on the criteria for these grant schemes has now been provided (recently published on the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk website – link below), with further government guidance on the way.

The initial details for the Local Restrictions Support Grant – the LRSG application form likely available on 16th November 2020 – and Additional Restrictions Grant details with an Expression of Interest Form can now be found on the Business help due to Coronavirus page.

We are currently working up exact details of how the schemes will operate locally and will provide these next week, however I have every confidence that we learnt significantly from the first support payments delivered proactively, widely and speedily by the Borough’s team during the previous lockdown and will do so again, as soon as practicably possible.

 Promote businesses

In the interim a number of our great businesses are having to adapt to the new guidance either on opening for essential items or operating ‘delivery’ or ‘click and collect’ for non essential items and it’s important that we help them adapt and support them.

We are updating the council’s support guidance and have recorded the following to go out on social media along with slides  https://youtu.be/kg8C88hyB60

With more people shopping ‘online’ it’s imperative that we help local businesses who are operating to stop people just gravitating towards the large chain stores. If you have businesses in your area that are offering a delivery service or ‘click and collect’ – please recommend they submit their details to Asklily@west-norfolk.gov.uk along with a description of the services they provide. If residents are locked down or isolating in your area and need to access a delivery service they can search the Lily directory http://asklily.org.uk/kb5/westnorfolk/cd/service.page?id=iFG4fxGv944.  We are encouraging people to support their local businesses to help them get through this second national lockdown and will continue to do so.

Covid marshalls support local businesses 

Additional Covid marshalls are being trained to those already out there helping local business ensure they are operating compliantly under the new regulations.  Many business can remain open if they are able to provide a click and collect or delivery service.  Advice and guidance is being provided.  In some areas across the county there are examples where businesses are saying they are operating click and collect but are just opening their premises to the public and we need to ensure understanding and compliance to reduce the potential for transmission.

The following media release went out this week and was picked up locally.

Covid marshalls support local businesses

If you are concerned about the way business are operating you can report the breach herehttps://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/info/20231/coronavirus/853/report_a_breach_of_covid-19_safety_rules .  Over the coming weeks this page will be updated so that you can report a breach or share the best practice of a star business.  We hope to circulate a new link next week.

New winter package to provide further support for children and families

Children and families will get extra support this winter, with councils given new funding to ensure vulnerable households do not go hungry or without essential items. Full information here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-winter-package-to-provide-further-support-for-children-and-families.  This funding will go to NCC and guidance will be issued next week and reported back to you.

Other Government funding

You may have read that Government funding of £8 per head of population is being allocated to upper tier authorities for their response work to Covid and to cover additional CovidMarshalls.  We anticipate that we will receive around £250k over the next 12 months. Further funding for Extremely Clinically Vulnerable will also be allocated to upper tier authorities.  Of this £600,000 we anticipate receiving around £7.5-£10k for our area.

Work with schools and young people

We have started working with the College of West Anglia (CWA), local high schools and primary schools to get the message out that cases are on the increase and everyone can play their part in trying to reduce the spread and I was on a virtual meeting with all local Headteachers, NCC officers and Borough officers yesterday to discuss issues, support and next steps. We are intending to send banners to all schools to be displayed at the school gates reminding students and parents not to gather and chat at drop off and pick up.  We are going to be training some students from CWA on their ‘public service’ course to assist the work of the Covid Marshalls and their increase numbers and are also working with CWA to produce content for TIKTOK aimed at younger people.  Schools are being asked to let us know what else we can do to assist – whether its social media assets, campaign materials or joined up visits from marshalls/Council staff. Many of you are or know parents with children at local schools, so please do share our social media posts with your school acquaintances and let communications@ west-norfolk.gov.uk know if you have any ideas about changing the school gate/school walk/school run behaviour.

We are likely to be doing positive media with CWA in the coming days re their students great support for the Covid response effort and examples of how hard our schools are working to ensure pupils can study safely.

Homelessness and the Winter Night Shelter

The Night Shelter is now open, but that said it is not operating as it has done in the past, and in order to be Covid Secure and comply with specific government guidance on arrangements for rough sleepers it will be managed differently for this winter.

• It is operating like temporary accommodation where people have their own rooms rather than dormitory style – severely reducing the capacity.
• There are only six spaces in the new venue at St John’s Vicarage
• Rather than any direct access to the facility all those staying will have had to contact the council and will have been subject to a referral process. This will have included a clinical assessment by health colleagues

If you are aware of any rough sleepers please contact us to report them.

The following information is for you to share with anyone about whom you have a concern:

Nowhere to stay

If you’re worried you’ve got nowhere to stay tonight, please let us know. The earlier you let us know during the day, the more likely it is that you’ll be seen by a Housing Options Officer.

You can:

• phone us on 01553 616200
• email us at housingoptions@west-norfolk.gov.uk

Out of hours

If you need help when our office is closed, you should

call our emergency out of hours number on 01553 616601

 

You’re concerned about someone sleeping rough

If you’re concerned for someone sleeping rough, or are sleeping rough yourself:

• call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914, or
• visit www.streetlink.org.uk

If you’re a public authority specified by the Homelessness Reduction Act, from 1 October 2018 there is a new duty to refer anyone you think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to the local Council.

We have received funding to support our activities in this area and will provide further information in next week’s update.  It includes information about some housing in association with broadland housing, flats and other additional accommodation.

All best wishes

Cllr Stuart Dark MBE
Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Public Protection