Thousands of letters sent to most vulnerable in Swansea

Swansea Council staff are being retrained and redirected to support thousands of vulnerable people who’ll be told by the NHS to shield themselves from Coronavirus.

Letters will be dropping through letterboxes to those identified by the NHS as being most at risk which will call on them to self-isolate for 12 weeks.

An initial 3,000 letters will be going out across Swansea in the coming days with others receiving them over the coming weeks. Anyone who thinks they might be at risk should stay at home.

It’s anticipated that many of those affected will have friends and family to take care of them and there are many voluntary groups out there helping under the umbrella of the Swansea Council for Voluntary Service.

In addition Swansea Council is retraining and redirecting staff to provide vital help when it’s most needed.

Council leader Rob Stewart said the council is ready to provide support to those who need it.

He said: “To those people who receive these letters, I want to be clear. Your council and its staff are here for you particularly where there are no support networks or friends and family to assist.

“These are unprecedented times and we are providing an unprecedented response. To those who have to self-isolate for 12 weeks, Swansea Council will be there for you if you need us.

“Our staff have been retrained to deal with requests for help from the most vulnerable and staff are being redirected into other roles to support those who have to stay at home and don’t have any support from family, friends or volunteers.”

Over the last week the council has been taking rapid and unparalleled steps to transform its services to meet the challenge of the coronavirus crisis.

Non-essential services have been stopped. Critical services are being maintained, including highways, recycling, child care for NHS and other key workers and social care for the most vulnerable.

At the same time hundreds of staff have been rapidly re-trained to provide dedicated support to those who need it.

Cllr Stewart said: “The people of Swansea need their council more than ever and we are doing everything we can to put vital support in place.

“This means suspending non-essential services so that we can focus our resources where they are most needed.

“At this difficult time we are here for Swansea.”

More on Swansea’s response to coronavirus: www.swansea.gov.uk/coronavirusadvice.