CROYDON SOCIALP OFFER

Croydon SocialP have been mentoring and supporting Croydon Link Workers and PCNs to connect patients to local non clinical support for over 2 years. As a team, it has been decided that we will not let this current crises prevent us from supporting patients’ health and wellbeing.

Therefore we want to offer GP surgeries, patients and communities support over the telephone and connection to online groups, support, donations and a way for us all to maintain our mental health during this period of isolation.

We are supporting Link Workers and PCNs to be able to identify and contact vulnerable or isolated patients to local support including:

• Food Banks

• Food delivery

• Croydon COVID 19 mutual support networks

• Online social groups and events

• Online exercise sessions

• Virtual Mindfulness sessions

If you wish to take up this offer:

• Please identify isolated and vulnerable patients from your surgery’s database.

• Provide your Link Worker with telephone numbers for patients (many of whom do not have access to IT or the internet).

• Many Link Workers will be working from home or do not have access to EMIS so this will need to be performed over the telephone or via email, if permission is given.

If you wish to offer support directly to patients please see useful links below:

• Croydon Council: Welfare rights advice call free advice line on 0800 7315920 or email:

welfare.rights@croydon .gov.uk. Food Shops in New Addington, Selsdon and Thornton

CROYDON SOCIALP CSP REACHOUT MAR 2020

Heath (£20 worth of food for £3.50) Email: anita.konczack@croydon.gov.uk. Homelessness: Council’s Gateway service. Email: gcc@croydon.gov.uk (Email a mobile number and they will call you back).

• Croydon COVID Mutual via Facebook.

• Online exercise and activity sessions. These will be updated daily on the Croydon

SocialP Facebook. For example, Mindfulness sessions live feed on YouTube, to help ease anxiety through these times.

• Gas [card] meters and electricity [key] meters https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-agrees-measures-with-energy-industry-to-support-vulnerable-people-through-covid-19

The guidance asks residents to contact their energy suppliers, to discuss options for keeping them supplied. This could include nominating a third party for credit top ups, having a discretionary fund added to their credit, or being sent a pre-loaded top up card so that their supply is not interrupted.

OFGEM have just added the information below to their website https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-and-your-energy-supply

• Residents can access over 6 million audio books and 700 magazines online via