Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, has launched a new plan to help support residents, communities and businesses in Doncaster, as the borough continues to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
This six-point Covid Spring Sprint Plan is being rolled out with Team Doncaster partners to help residents and businesses cope during these difficult months. This follows on from Mayor Ros Jones’s rapid response plan, launched in March 2020.
Mayor Ros Jones said: “We are coming up to a year since our lives were changed so dramatically due to Covid-19. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the events of the last twelve months.
“With this plan, Doncaster Council and Team Doncaster colleagues will support mass vaccination and testing roll outs, help our most vulnerable residents in our communities, support businesses and help residents get back to work.
“I am so very proud of Doncaster and how our residents, communities and businesses have pulled together and supported one another during such difficult times. I want to give my deepest thanks, once again, to everyone who has played their part, helped and volunteered in our borough. I know you are making huge sacrifices to help drive our infection rates down so please keep going and let’s Do it for Doncaster.”
The plan covers six points and includes supporting the NHS Vaccination Programme and scaling up of targeted testing – both of which are absolutely critical in fighting the pandemic. The council is already helping to get centres set up and supporting with staffing. Work is also already underway with the voluntary sector to help recruit volunteers as and when required.
Many residents who have had to self-isolate have struggled with a huge financial burden as they are unable to go out to work. To help with this, the Mayor’s plan introduces an additional discretionary payment of £250 (with a limit of £500 per household) for residents who have to stay at home and self-isolate, and the isolation period starts on or after 27/01/2021. This is on top of the government’s self-isolation payment and will be given to those who apply in the same way and are eligible, from the 27th January. More information is available on the Self-Isolation Payment webpage.
The plan also includes a range of small grants to local voluntary, community and faith groups which will build on the success of the fightback fund that was launched last year.
These grants are another key point in the plan, which includes the continuation of support for the most vulnerable adults, communities and families across Doncaster. The council has also broadened the scope of the Local Assistance Scheme to support residents who are most in need, by providing them with food, energy and clothing vouchers and other help. As well as this, the council is committed to supporting young people to stay connected. Work is continuing with schools to ensure that all young people in mainstream education, up to age 19, have access to the technology they need to ensure fair and equitable access to remote home learning.
The telephone helpline (01302 430300) remains open for support for clinically extremely vulnerable residents, and the council is continuing to proactively call the most vulnerable clinically extremely vulnerable residents to check if they need help. In addition, work is continuing to support the borough’s family carers to make sure they get the financial support they’re entitled to.
Supporting local businesses remains a key point of the plan and Team Doncaster will ensure that businesses are accessing all the support they are entitled to so they can survive and also thrive in the future.
Point five of the plan focusses on helping residents get back to work as the pandemic has impacted on many people’s working lives. The online Employment Hub is a vitally important support service which can help anyone find a job. It is also there to help residents with training opportunities, apprenticeships, self-employment and business start-ups.
The final point of the plan details how Team Doncaster is a fourth emergency service which provides essential services, as well as supporting organisations in the borough, during challenging times.
The six-point Covid Spring Sprint Plan will be kept under review as Team Doncaster responds to the changing situation.
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