Wednesday, 25 March 2020

Coronavirus update for residents about council services

This is the latest update on council advice, services and information in the context of the current Cornavirus crisis.

· Following further government guidance, the council has prepared guidance from a Public Health perspective on how to volunteer in a way that reduces any potential health risks, which is available here.

· The council is putting together a shortened, special edition of ‘Lambeth Talk’, entitled 'Here for You'. This will include information for residents around how they can access help and advice.  It is hoped that it can be printed and distributed at some point next week. The edition will contain information in all of the main languages spoken in Lambeth.

· The council is putting in place arrangements to co-ordinate supplies and support to vulnerable people (The Shield) as part of the Government’s plans for councils to lead this work in the coming days.

· The Council has agreed that Adult Social Care’s fees and charges changes will be delayed until October 2020

Advice for volunteers

It is important that anyone volunteering is protected our volunteers, as well as those receiving volunteer support. To protect everyone and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the council is asking that all volunteers follow this guidance:

· Stay at home if you have a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, and follow the NHS guidance.

· Do not volunteer if you, or anyone in your household, is following self-isolation guidance because they have developed symptoms of COVID-19 (a new cough that is continuous, or a high temperature).

· If you live with an extremely vulnerable person who has been advised to following the government ‘shielding’ guidance, you should strictly follow the government guidance on social distancing.

Crowdfund Lambeth

A range of measures and community support partnerships are being put in place, including using a Crowdfund Lambeth scheme to support projects tackling the impact of Covid-19 in their communities. 

Lambeth Council already runs Crowdfund Lambeth, via crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/lambeth helping groups and organisations across the borough to raise funds in order to help turn ideas into reality.

The funding is now being made more easily available through the platform to resource a range of groups including local food banks and those working to strengthen food supply and plan to mitigate anticipated challenges.

This could be around information sharing, signposting and logistical matters such as liaising with supermarkets to acquire surplus foods, appropriate storage for fresh and frozen produce, transport for distribution to groups or home food deliveries. 

To find out more about crowdfunding in Lambeth visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/lambeth. T

o apply for a match fund as part of the crowdfunding https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/lambeth/apply.


Housing repairs

Housing Services teams are now following Government guidance and are currently providing essential emergency repairs only. Essential emergency repairs are as follows:

• Uncontainable leaks leading to flooding
• Back surging drains leading to flooding
• Blocked toilets when it is the only toilet in your home
• Total loss of electrics
• Total loss of heating
• Gas leaks
• Sounding carbon monoxide alarms
• Lift breakdowns
• Total loss of lighting in communal corridors/staircases

Other repairs where serious health and safety problems or severe damage could be caused
Calls are being taken, as usual, to report repairs in these categories on:

020 7926 6000 during office hours (weekdays 9am to 5pm)
020 7926 6666 out of hours.

Any other repair requests should be reported. These will be dealt with as soon as possible, but only once Government restrictions have been relaxed.


Refuse collection and waste

Vale Street and Smugglers Way recycling centres are now closed. The council is asking residents to dispose of any waste responsibly and keep any bulky waste items at your home until the recycling centres can re-open.



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