Environment and Wellbeing Cabinet Member – Minutes – 5 May 2020
3 PROMOTING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND SHIELDING EXTREMELY VULNERABLE RESIDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report informing the Cabinet Member of arrangements made to promote community resilience and to identify and shield extremely vulnerable residents at risk from Covid-19, and seeking approval and endorsement of the continued promotion of the arrangements.
In response to the emerging Covid-19 outbreak, central government issued daily instruction and guidance to the public and public bodies throughout the latter half of March 2020. Decisions to change a range of community functions and divert resources to supporting vulnerable residents had been communicated through the council website and social media channels. The report focused on the council’s ongoing arrangements for promoting community resilience and shielding extremely vulnerable residents.
Also during March 2020, the government announced plans to shield approximately one and a half million people nationally who were identified as extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 as a consequence of specific underlying health conditions. Locally, 4,621 residents were identified within the NHS Shield cohort. The expectation on councils was to make arrangements for people made extremely vulnerable through social isolation – both within this ‘NHS Shield’ cohort while national arrangements were implemented, and also within the wider population.
The report set out how the council was responding to the above expectations.
Resolved – (a) That the arrangements in accordance with the council’s Scheme of Delegations to promote community resilience and to identify and shield extremely vulnerable residents at risk from Covid-19 be noted and endorsed, and (b) that the continued promotion of community resilience and shielding arrangements for those extremely vulnerable residents, be approved and endorsed.