Coronavirus daily round-up: Thursday 23 April
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, April 23, 2020
A children's services worker in Liverpool has died after contracting coronavirus, the city council has said.
- Each day, CYP Now will summarise the key issues affecting the children and families sector as it tackles the effects of the pandemic. The daily update signposts children’s services practitioners and leaders to the latest developments, expert views, advice and resources.
Updates for 23 April:
Tributes to Liverpool children's services worker
Tributes have been paid to a member of the leaving care team at Liverpool City Council who has died after contracting coronavirus.
Carol Challoner had worked at the council for 17 years and was a "central member" of the leaving care team, Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said.
.@mayor_anderson has led tributes to Liverpool City Council worker Carol Challoner who has died after contracting #COVID19.
— Liverpool City Council | #StayHomeSaveLives (@lpoolcouncil) April 22, 2020
The popular and much-loved member of staff, who has worked for the council for more than 17 years, will be sadly missed.
Read: https://t.co/EL4ZMxWnXj pic.twitter.com/VysGIQVihV
He added: "Carol was a dedicated, hard-working and popular colleague, who served our city for 17 years and played a central role in the leaving care team. All of us at the council are devastated by the news that she has passed away. Our thoughts are very much with Carol’s loved ones at this sad time and I shall be writing to the family to offer them my sincerest condolences.”
Mental health charities unite to support frontline workers
Leading mental health charities are uniting for the first time to provide round-the-clock mental health support to those working on the frontline against coronavirus.
Mind, Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation have launched Our Frontline, a combination of 1-2-1 support and online resources for NHS workers, carers, emergency services workers and key workers.
To coincide with the launch, the Duke of Cambridge chaired a roundtable call with representatives from the emergency services sector and the NHS to hear about the mental health challenges impacting key workers in the UK, and how the scheme can support them.
Councils ‘can switch funding between early years settings’
Local authorities are encouraged to switch funding for “free” childcare places between early years settings if it creates more places for key workers’ children, updated government guidance states.
The Department for Education has said it will be updating official guidance to “set out how local authorities can use their free entitlement funding differently, redistributing it – in exceptional cases and in a clearly focused and targeted way – in order to secure childcare for the children of critical workers and for vulnerable children, where their usual arrangements are no longer possible”.
LGA launches domestic violence advice for councils
The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched new resources aimed at supporting councils to help domestic abuse victims during the Covid-19 pandemic, and tackle perpetrators’ abusive behaviour.
Tackling Domestic Abuse During the Covid-19 Pandemic states: “The emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic may exacerbate and escalate domestic abuse. The isolation of families could exacerbate domestic abuse, as perpetrators will be more likely to be at home with the victim, and the traditional routes to help and support such as schools, GPs and workplaces may be closed.”
Digital interventions ‘less effective’ in supporting vulnerable children
New research from the Early Intervention Foundation on virtual and digital interventions used to support vulnerable children during the Covid-19 pandemic, has found there are serious challenges to making them work as effectively as face-to-face interventions.
A review of existing studies found digital interventions to be less effective or no more effective than traditional approaches, in terms of improving outcomes for children.
The findings also highlight that many of the challenges faced by public services, such as access and continued participation in therapy, are likely to increase if services are delivered remotely.
