COVID-19 previous updates - 8 April

8 April 2020

Thank you, carers | Care workers - we’re recruiting | Business rates and rent protection | Council staff, contractors and utility staff | Specialist teams responding to COVID-19 | YMCA North London appeal | Update on services for rough sleepers | Help and guidance for residents with pets

Thank you, carers

The work our carers do in the community is essential. Because of you, the most vulnerable people in our community, our parents, grandparents, children and friends, have a friendly face near them to help them through their day.

Our carers are cooks, cleaners, a friend to talk to, a shoulder to cry on and often experience the frustrations of the people you care for. You have the patience to talk with someone, even though that person may not remember your face, and you help our most vulnerable people to perform daily activities, such as bathing, brushing their teeth and combing their hair.

Carers uphold a great strength of character, working round the clock to provide vital support to the people who need, and their families. The effort of carers improves the quality of life for the whole community and is a lifeline to people who rely on your support.

Even more so at this time, during the coronavirus outbreak, our carers are supporting our loved ones in their own homes, where many of us are now unable to, and are playing a vital role in relieving pressure on the NHS.

To all of the amazing and hardworking carers in Haringey and across London – thank you, we are truly grateful.

Cllr Joseph Ejiofor
Leader of Haringey Council

Care workers - we’re recruiting

Haringey Council is working collaboratively with our neighbouring boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield and Islington to actively recruit urgently needed care workers, to provide care and support for our elderly and most vulnerable residents.

During the COVID-19 crisis, social care, alongside the NHS, is vital to helping people to recover and stay home.

Proud to Care posts local jobs as well as recruiting for new care workers needed for a variety of roles both on a temporary and permanent basis.

To find out more; please visit the Proud to Care website (external link).

Business rates and rent protection

All retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, as well as nurseries, will receive 100% discount on business rates for 2020/21. This means that they will not have to pay business rates for the coming year.

The council are in the process of setting up a system for automatic re-billing, which we aim to have in place by mid-April. The reissued bill will show a zero balance to pay for these businesses.

Find out more on our Business support page.

How council staff, contractors and utility staff are working

Haringey Council is following government guidelines to ensure the safety of our community and our staff as vital work is carried out in the borough at this time. 

• Street works: The works taking place are vital in order to keep key workers and emergency services moving, deliveries flowing, and to ensure the safeguarding of utility services supporting the NHS, local communities, homes and businesses.
• Civil Enforcement Officers: Our officers are still working to ensure that roads and streets remain safe so that essential workers and the emergency services are able to move through the borough safely and easily. Here is a reminder of changes to parking restrictions during the outbreak.
• Construction on highways: Our staff are working to ensure our street lighting is working correctly and maintenance issues with roads and streets are fixed - creating a safe environment for the public.  Everyone working on the highway is performing a critical role for the borough.  

Specialist teams responding to suspected COVID-19 cases

You may notice new specialist teams in full hazmat suits, but they are operating across the country as they respond to suspected COVID-19 cases in the community. 

The aim of the new units, called Pandemic Multiagency Response Teams (PMART), is to ensure a safe response to COVID-19 deaths that may occur in the community at home, in a care home or hospice and to help reduce demand on the London Ambulance Service, enabling them to prioritise emergency cases. 

YMCA North London appeal

YMCA North London works hard to assist some of the most vulnerable young people in our community, offering support for up to 154 young people and shelter in their hostel in Crouch End. They’re facing challenges at the moment and need help from the public.

If you’re able to assist, please donate to help provide protective equipment, extra food and things to occupy the hostel’s residents:

Donate now (external link)

If you have items you’d like to donate such as TV & radios, game consoles, outdoor games, tables and chairs, gardening supplies, arts and crafts materials, books and games, please contact lucy.brotherston@ymcanorthlondon.org.uk.

Update on services for rough sleepers

Everyone identified as rough sleeping in Haringey has been made an offer of accommodation. This is thanks to the great work of our Street Outreach Team, helpfully provided by Thames Reach and the Homes for Haringey Housing Needs Team.

Our Cranwood night shelter in Muswell Hill remains open, with guests staying in self-contained rooms to allow for isolation. We have also just opened 20 additional rooms, in partnership with local hotel The Green Rooms who have set up a fundraiser so they can provide free meals to everyone who is placed there.

The Mulberry Junction resource centre is currently closed, but is providing daily welfare support and coordinating food and subsistence deliveries for everyone we’ve placed.

All of our supported housing services remain open, with telephone assistance replacing face-to-face support where appropriate.

If you are worried about someone who you think is rough sleeping, please contact Streetlink on 0300 500 0914. 

Help and guidance for residents with pets

Our pets are really important to us, so we want to make sure that they also stay safe during these difficult times. The Government has provided some basic guidance for people with pets (external link). If you have pets, you are urged to be prepared and identify family or friends who can care for them if you need to self-isolate or are hospitalised.

The RSPCA has been working closely with a range of other leading animal welfare organisations to put in place best guidance and advice for pet owners which will go some way to protect your animal’s welfare. They have published help and guidance for residents (external link).

Please also look at this infographic with key information (external link) which you may also find helpful if you own a pet.

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Previous updates:

• 7 April:
  • Business Interruption Loan Scheme | Waste collections | Avoid being scammed | Haringey Together helps hundreds
• 6 April:
  • Support for people living with dementia | Bulky waste collections | Mental health and wellbeing support
• 5 April:
  • Help for your young ones
• 4 April:
  • Haringey Giving COVID-19 Appeal
• 3 April:
  • Spurs Stadium food hub | Act like you’ve got it | Keep your distance, whatever the weather
• 2 April:
  • Haringey Together - call for supplies | Guidance on shielding | Dealing with stress? | Food waste and recycling collections for flats
• 1 April:
  • Domestic abuse services | Guidance for care of the deceased | Free School Meals voucher scheme | Support for rough sleepers
• 31 March:
  • Calling all businesses - donations needed! | Leader’s letter to residents | Food takeaway and delivery guidance | Business grants update | Mental health support | Dogs on leads
• 30 March:
  • Social distancing in parks | Tottenham & Wood Green Cemeteries | Bury Road car park
• 29 March:
  • Kooth - wellbeing support for children and young people
• 28 March:
  • Waste collection services update | Mall Wood Green car park now free
• 27 March:
  • Social distancing | Proud to care | Access to food in Haringey | Increase in military vehicles visible in London | Home moves put on hold | Haringey claps our NHS and social care staff | Shielding the most clinically vulnerable from coronavirus
• 26 March:
  • Changes to parking restrictions | Coronavirus Scams | Bruce Grove Youthspace | Keep your distance
• 25 March:
  • Using public transport | Business closures enforcement | Parking changes - update | Managing the impact on Community Organisations
• 24 March:
  • Reuse and Recycling Centres | Price hiking | New rules on social distancing | Translations of Government advice and guidance | Previous updates
• 23 March:
  • Wood Green Library and Customer Service Centre | Parks | Waste | Stop all unnecessary travel | Library closures | Parking restrictions
• 22 March:
  • S-cool online resources for remote learning
• 21 March:
  • Marcus Garvey Customer Services Centre and Library | Changes to parking restrictions
• 20 March:
  • Haringey parks | Support for businesses | Update from London Fire Brigade Haringey | Cancellation of marriage appointments | ‘Key Workers’ list published | Free School Meals
• 19 March:
  • Social distancing | Schools | Transport | Museum and Archives | Energy industry support
• 18 March:
  • Schools | Business support | Service update
• 17 March:
  • Government advice to stop spreading the virus | What to do if you feel unwell
• 4 and 13 March:
  • What can I do?

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