Local News
Issue 1148
Call 0114 283 1100
14th January 2021
www.looklocal.org.uk
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Lack of Coronavirus checks for Adult Day Support Workers is ‘unacceptable’, says High Green charity A HIGH Green charity which provides Adult Day Care for individuals with brain injuries and motor disorders says the lack of Coronavirus testing available for the support workers providing the service is ‘unacceptable’. Paces, which works with dozens of adults every week, has now launched a petition to call for urgent action to address what the charity says is a missing part of the system and tell government it’s time to test. Currently, no regular Covid-19 testing is available for Adult Day Support Workers which impacts tens of thousands of vulnerable people across the UK who rely on the care they provide to allow them to live their lives to the full and achieve their potential. The petition calls for regular, weekly testing of Adult Day Support Workers to ensure the lifeline the vital services provide can continue safely. It can be signed at www.timetotest.co.uk and says: ‘Individuals with dementia, learning difficulties and mental health conditions rely on the care provided by Adult Day Support Workers, as do their families. ‘But those Adult Day Support Workers are currently unable to access regular testing for coronavirus, putting them, the adults they care for and the families of both at risk. ‘This is both unfair and hard to understand when the country’s testing capacity has been dramatically expanded in recent months
with lateral flow tests being rolled out to communities, schools and care homes.’ Dr Spencer Pitfield OBE, Chief Executive of Paces, said: “Individuals who need adult day care to live their lives, and the support workers who provide that care, are one of the forgotten groups of this pandemic. “It cannot be emphasised enough how important adult day care is – to provide respite for the family and friends of those caring for these individuals and for the individuals themselves who are nurtured and develop in an environment that helps them achieve their potential. “None of that support can happen without Adult Day Support Workers and it is unacceptable that we are still unable to access regular testing for them - unacceptable for the support workers who want to keep themselves and their families safe, and unacceptable for those being supported who are being unwittingly and needlessly put at risk. “I know the Health and Social Care Secretary is incredibly busy, but I ask that he urgently addresses this missing part of the testing system, to ensure the lifeline these vital services provided by Adult Day Support Workers, can continue safely. This petition is designed to show the strength of that support.” The online petition can be found at www.timetotest.co.uk
Calls for Government to lift pub takeaway ban SHEFFIELD City Council is working with the Sheffield and District Branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) to urge the Government to revise their policy on restricting pubs and bars from providing takeaway alcohol products during the national lockdown. Currently, hospitality venues are only able sell alcohol via delivery. Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, said: “The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic, with many businesses having been unable to operate as normal for nearly a year. “Having spoken to many local businesses in Sheffield, I know that they have faced the challenges Covid-19 restrictions have brought as best they can by quickly adapting their sales model to trade online, changing their offerings and making their
venues Covid-secure. However I also know that for many pubs and bars one of the lifelines in the last lockdown was the ability to offer take-away alcohol products, as this gave the opportunity to keep their doors open, continue to employ staff and welcome their customers safely. “The new lockdown restrictions state that takeaway alcohol can still be sold in supermarkets and other shops but not pubs, putting them at an unfair disadvantage and effectively shutting down their only livelihood. Pubs are the lifeblood of communities and this is especially true in Sheffield, where our eclectic mix of excellent independent pubs and breweries is one of the great highlights of the city. “With Sheffield and District CAMRA, we are calling on the Government to reconsider their ban on the sale of takeaway alcohol in
hospitality venues. Pubs and bars are essential to our local economy and we should be doing all we can to support them to survive through these difficult times, not hindering them.” Councillor Julie Grocutt, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development at Sheffield City Council, said: “We have worked with businesses throughout the pandemic to ensure that they are able to trade safely and are up to date with most recent Covid-19 guidance and regulations. “Whilst we appreciate the assessed risk of people congregating outside venues, our landlords are taking every effort to trade responsibly putting the necessary measures in place, and we will continue to support them to make sure they remain Covid-secure while operating.” Dave Pickersgill, Pubs Officer for Sheffield and District CAMRA,
said: “It is essential that pubs are treated fairly and given the same opportunities as other hospitality venues and supermarkets during the lockdown. Business owners have worked very hard to continue trading in extremely difficult circumstances, but many may face closure, resulting in further in-
crease of unemployment, if they are unable to offer any kind of service in the months ahead. “The Government must review this policy as a matter of urgency to ensure that Sheffield’s night time economy will be in a position to once again thrive when restrictions are lifted.”
