No. | Item | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Question from: County Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe Subject: day Centres
Question:
In the build-up to the local elections, it came up a few times on the doorsteps about day centres in Powys. Due to covid, it has been clear that residents have limited opportunity to visit these centres.
Can the Portfolio Holder please update what is the council's plan for reopening day centres across the county and what opportunities may come available for residents in areas that have not had the opportunity previously, such as Hay?
Minutes: Response by the Portfolio Holder:
During COVID, the Welsh Government introduced the All Wales COVID-19 Workforce Risk Assessment Tool. This tool was developed to help people working in the NHS and Social Care in Wales to see if they are at higher risk of developing more serious symptoms if they come into contact with the COVID-19 virus. A number of our staff scored were deemed to be high risk according to this assessment and so were not able to undertake their substantive role. We are working to support as many of these staff as possible back into front-facing activity, but we are still dealing with a shortage of available staff.
Any re-opening of day centres relies on a sufficiency of staffing for re-openings to be viable and safe. We are currently experimenting with phased re-opening of day centres between now and the end of July, but we need to do this with reference to premises' risk assessments and staffing availability. We are also committed to understanding from our residents what meaningful day opportunities look like. We’re keen to work in partnership with others to understand what “good days” look like, given that day centres are just one of the ways in which people can meet up and connect with others.
With regards to community opportunities for people in the Hay locality, a useful first port of call may be the Community Connector service, who can be contacted on 01597 828649.
|