Resources made by the community for the community to support vulnerable people after COVID

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board are pleased to share the ‘Back to Community Life’ resources developed by Improvement Cymru and partners. The resources are available to support people who have been struggling to leave their home since the lockdown rules have been easing.  These include people with dementia, people previously shielding or people who are vulnerable.

The initiative began in Mountain Ash and has been created in partnership with local people, the police, local volunteer agency, local transport, local authority, third sector, health and social care, shops and businesses, working together to produce the materials and identify those in need of help.  Back to community life partners have provided information to local shops and amenities to help them support the challenges people may have when out and about.

The ‘Back to Community Life’ resources will be shared with communities across Wales so they can coordinate their own project.  Resources include guides on how to prepare, practice skills and feel confident to leave the house, and what to expect from the changes that have been made during the pandemic in local shops and facilities, including information on ‘safe spots’ and priority queuing.

Rebecca Hanmer, Senior Improvement Manager at Improvement Cymru, said “The Back to Community Life initiative has been built on a community’s response to supporting people who may be finding it difficult to leave their home.  People who have been shielding have told us their concerns about losing both physical and cognitive skills and abilities, which made them frightened about going out again.  This is a holistic example of how the community can come together to support and enable people to get back to community life.”

Dr Fiona Jenkins, Executive Director of Therapies and Health Science, said “I’m delighted to see the collaboration across different organisations to address the very real difficulties faced by some of our more vulnerable people in the community who have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. We need to remember that it’s not just who have had COVID who have struggled, but families with a loved one who has dementia will know how difficult the last year has been. This resource has been developed by communities coming together and we are delighted to have been part of this, together we will be stronger and more resilient.”

Further information about the Back to Community Life resources can be found here: http://www.ImprovementCymru.net/CommunityLife