Still here to support people through tough times

As Covid-19 continues to impact on all of our lives, Derventio continues to do all we can to keep the people we work with and all of our staff safe.

Supported housing

The people living in our supported housing have been particularly impacted by this situation. They may have poor health or be experiencing increased anxiety. We have stayed in touch with every resident through phone calls and socially distanced visits. During lockdown we provided distraction packs to give people meaningful things to do at home and outside while sticking to the government guidelines.

Thanks to your support, we’ve also been able to provide phones so that people can stay in touch with family and friends.

Throughout all of this, we have continued to work with residents to work towards their goals and prepare to move on to independent living. We’ve even launched a new project, Home4Me Burton, which works with people facing significant challenges by providing housing and support.

Growing Lives

After temporarily closing during the first lockdown, we are pleased that Growing Lives is back up and running. There are new measures in place to keep the project safe for everybody. These include limited numbers of people, weekly deep cleaning and a one-way system. Since we’ve reopened people have been spending a lot of time in garden and making early Christmas decorations in the workshop.

Employability

Our employability services work with people who are facing barriers that mean they have struggled to find a job. We help with everything from interview advice to connecting people with local employers.

Because of the social distancing rules, we have had to reduce face to face contact. However, we are continuing to stay in touch and support people to take the next steps towards training or employment. We also help people to address their specific barriers to help become ready to do training and look for work.

Regular welfare checks over the phone are a simple way to check that people are OK and that they understand the current guidelines around social distancing.  This situation has disrupted some of the learning and volunteering people were taking part in. These conversations give us a chance to catch up on people’s progress or difficulties and give support and guidance. For people who have their own laptops, we are sending information about online courses they can do at home.

We have also been able to provide more general support, including emailing activity ideas to help people stay busy during the lockdown, and dropping off food parcels to people who need them.

Continuing to provide a crucial service

Our staff are key workers, providing a crucial service in the health and social care sector. We have taken steps to reduce the risks for employees, including limiting physical visits, home working wherever possible and using best practice to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in the office.

Derventio works with people who have limited support networks, physical health conditions and poor mental health. The one-to-one support we provide is as important now as it has ever been. If you would like to help during this challenging time, please make a donation. Your support will directly benefit people who have faced homelessness and need some support and stability. Thank you.