Welcome to the latest edition of our?newsletter.?At this time many of us will be thinking about our children returning to school and child care settings.? Our schools and child care settings have been absolutely amazing in ensuring vulnerable children and children of keyworkers have been able to attend throughout lockdown, whilst also providing education material and on line resources and support to enable children to continue to learn at home.? Our schools and child care settings are developing plans to enable our children, teachers and early years staff to gradually return safely; this is a massive task and I cannot thank all those involved enough for the time and attention they are giving to this.? To every school and child care setting - thank you for all that you have done and are doing.
I am reaching out to everyone to say 'do the right thing' to protect everyone in our great city.
I am also urging communities to social distance and stay alert.? The coronavirus has?not gone away, and, unless we follow the guidelines, infection?rates will increase,?leading to more deaths.
We need people to understand that if they leave their home to take outdoor exercise, they?must?stay at least two metres away from anyone not in their household. In addition, if they go outside to meet up with anyone not in their household, they can only meet one other person, and they?must?stay at least two metres apart. It is still?not allowed?to invite visitors into your home, including friends and relatives.
If we all?follow this guidance,?rates of infection will stay under control, and the government may be able to make further changes to the lockdown measures.?It will protect you, your family and friends, and all the fantastic people in the health, education and care sector who are caring for our loved ones.? If?we?ignore the rules,?we will face a second wave of the virus?and a tightening of the lockdown measures.?
Wendi Ogle-Welbourn
You can watch my recent vlog here.
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 Communities urged to support NHS Test and Trace
From today people across Peterborough are being urged to support a new NHS Test and Trace programme which will aim to track every single case of coronavirus in our communities to stop the infection spreading.
NHS Test and Trace aims to gradually replace the national lockdown with individual isolation for those who have been in contact with the virus and local action where it is necessary to respond to a flare up of coronavirus cases.
As we move out of the national lockdown, we are asking those who have been in contact with anyone who might have the virus to isolate themselves. Peterborough City Council will also be able to take robust action where a number of people have or are suspected of having caught the virus.
From now on, everyone is being asked to follow this three-step plan:
Step 1 - If you have one or more of the symptoms of coronavirus - a fever, a new continuous cough or a loss of taste or smell - you and the people you live with must immediately self-isolate.
Step 2 - You then must book a test on the www.NHS/coronavirus website and if you don't have internet access dial 119. Do not leave home for any other reason. If you test positive, you will then be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service within 24 hours.
Step 3 - If you do test positive, NHS Test and Trace will help you establish who you have been in contact with and might have infected. This could be members of your own household already isolating or someone you have been within 2 metres of for more than 15 minutes. You will also be given clinical advice and support for dealing with the virus. NHS Test and Trace will then contact those contacts anonymously. If you are one of those contacts, you will be advised to isolate for 14 days, even if you don't have symptoms or feel perfectly well. If you developed symptoms, you would be required to get a test.
Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: "The Government has made it clear that until there is a cure or a vaccine, NHS Test and Trace is a crucial part of being able to slow the spread of the virus even further and to be able to release us gradually from lockdown.
"It is all our duty to follow the instructions set out by the Government - to self-isolate immediately if you get symptoms and to get a test. If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, instructing you to isolate, you must do so.
"We know it might be difficult for people to self-isolate, particularly if they don't have support from friends, family or neighbours. There is a network of services provided through local hubs that support and help those, if required, who are self-isolating."
People who need help whilst isolating should visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus or call 01733 747474.
 Coordination Hub helping more than 1,000 residents
More than 1,000 residents across Peterborough who have needed help and support during the Coronavirus public health emergency have been in contact with the Peterborough Resource Group hub.
The hub includes representatives from the public, private, charitable, voluntary, community, independent and faith sectors; parishes, registered social landlords, such as Cross Keys Homes and Peterborough City College. They are all working together to support those who are vulnerable and in need of help and support, but are not classed as being high risk (shielded). Those who are at highest risk and therefore identified as shielded are being supported by the countywide co-ordination hub.
Since its launch on 2 April, more than 1,000 people have been in touch asking for help and lots of others have been helped by agencies, organisations and volunteers in their local communities. The requests to the hub vary from support with food parcels, shopping, delivery of medication, gardening and house maintenance, virtual youth clubs and events, family support and support with skills development and education; also providing comfort calls to those who feel alone and socially isolated.
Wendi Ogle-Welbourn, executive director for people and communities, is leading the work of the hub and the SaferPeterborough Partnership is overseeing the work.
Wendi said: "The hard work that has gone into developing the hub, particularly that of our volunteers, is overwhelming. It is incredible to see the lengths to which our volunteers have been willing to go to, going above and beyond to support our vulnerable residents in our great city.
"I want to thank everyone who has been working as part of the hub - thank you so much. Myself and our communities are thankful for your continued efforts during this difficult time.
"I encourage those needing assistance, and without others to call upon, to get in contact with the hub."
People who need help and support should get in touch with the Peterborough Hub by visiting the coronavirus (COVID-19) information pages or by calling 01733 747474. The hub is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Organisations offering help city-wide can also be found on the Peterborough Information Network.
City College Peterborough nominated for prestigious award
Pupils, teachers and staff at City College Peterborough are benefiting from new digital technology which has transformed working methods and led to the college being nominated for prestigious awards.
The college has worked with Phoenix Software for several years and in 2019 underwent a move to using Microsoft 365. This saw pupils and staff start using the online communication platform Microsoft Teams and portable Surface Go devices were provided for students.
The move has led to a number of improvements and seen Phoenix nominate the college into the Microsoft awards for the following areas: UK Partner of the Year, Surface PC Award and Diversity & Inclusion Changemaker.
Previously, the college used on-site servers with staff and pupils printing off work as paper copies. All students now have access to a Surface Go with work completed on the devices and submitted via Teams - saving print and paper costs as well as time.
So far, they've seen cost savings of around 48 per cent and a 38 per cent reduction in paper usage last year. Many pupils are benefiting from using Surface Go devices, ensuring they can work and get support both in and out of the classroom.
Councillor Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council's cabinet member for education, said: "It's great to see the college benefiting from new technology, they fully deserve their nomination for the awards.
"Most importantly of all, the technology is helping pupils to learn more effectively. They can get help and support whenever they need it so nobody is getting left behind."
Ziah, a student at the college, said: "It's better as I do more work on the computer than writing by hand, which helps me be more independent. I like that I can chat and send messages to my friends in the classroom. It means I can ask for help if the classroom is too busy or noisy. I feel happy as I can complete the course on my own."
To find out more watch a video produced by Phoenix Software here.
Communities urged to social distance and stay alert
Messages urging people to continue following the social distancing guidelines are being translated into other languages to encourage people from Peterborough''s many communities to pull together to avoid a second peak in the coronavirus virus.
The messages are being translated to inform people that although the Government has eased the lockdown measures, there are still strict guidelines in place to control the spread of the virus, which we must all follow. They also advise that coronavirus has not gone away, and, unless we follow the guidelines, infection rates will increase, leading to more deaths.
"Wendi Ogle Welbourn, Executive Director for People and Communities for Peterborough City Council, said: "We need people to understand that if they leave their home to take outdoor exercise, they must stay at least two metres away from anyone not in their household. In addition, if they go outside to meet up with anyone not in their household, they can only meet one other person, and they must stay at least two metres apart. It is still not allowed to invite visitors into your home, including friends and relatives.
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New website supports shielded residents to keep busy?
A new interactive website, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, has been launched for people who are shielding, to help them combat loneliness, keep busy and learn new skills.??
Launched by the Countywide Coordination Hub, it is a collaboration between Cambridgeshire Skills, City College Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Library Service.??
The idea for the website was borne out of the fact that one of the challenges for people who are self-isolating is being able to keep busy in their own home. It?will offer a set of leisure, pleasure and learning opportunities for shielded people to take part in.??
This will include aligning the food deliveries from the hub to a healthy eating class, both online?or?via recipe cards for those that don't have digital access. The food delivery from the hub will include all the ingredients needed to cook the meal that will be taught online or via the recipe card.??
In addition, alongside the food deliveries. there will be sewing classes taught through instruction cards for those who have no internet access.? The sewing kits will include materials and instructions to learn how to sew.
There is also a section of the website which supports families of pre-school children to help their children prepare to start school in September.?
For those people who don't have access to a computer, information that is on the website will be sent through the post. A bid for funding has also been made to set up a scheme where people can loan laptops or to supply those without digital access with tablets to allow them to access the website and engage with friends and family online.?
Adrian Chapman, the council director leading the Hub, said: "As well as providing deliveries of food and medication and offering a befriending service and meeting many other needs, we know that many people who are shielding need help and support to keep busy at home.?
?"This new website will allow everyone who is shielding, regardless of whether they have told us they need help or not, to take part in a whole range of activities and sessions, whether it''s cooking, learning a new skill or supporting our NHS by sewing masks and other items."?
Details of the website and how people can log in will be shared with those on the shielding list.?
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