SCC Community Helpline

22nd March 2020

Further Health Advice

Surrey County Council has set up a Community Helpline number, which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

0300 200 1008

The community helpline has been set up to direct residents to services that can help during the coronavirus pandemic:

  • To help direct residents to services that can help provide support to those who need it, such as picking up shopping, prescription collections or having someone who can be a telephone friend.
  • To provide advice on where to register your offer of help to support your community

The helpline will NOT be able to provide any public health advice (for that please use existing service NHS 111).  It will also NOT answer general enquiries relating to council services.

Please do pass this number onto vulnerable or elderly friends. This advice help help line is focussed on five key things:

  • Keeping up to date and following the official advice at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
  • Sharing only official information and guidance from trusted sources – not spreading rumour or panic
  • Staying sensible – washing hands regularly, keeping physical distance from each other
  • Thinking about what help you need or how you can help
  • And making sure we’re keeping in touch with each other and keep our minds healthy

Further  detail on all aspects can be found at the main SCC webpage here: www.surreycc.gov.uk/coronavirus

SCC also recognises the need to get this information out with printed  materials for those who are not online.  But just putting out leaflets and posters in public buildings is not going to work at this time so methods of distribution are being considered.

Going forward, I anticipate the core focus of the campaign will be on the following two aspects:

LOCAL ACTION. Last time I mentioned that our local Parish Councils – Pirbright Parish Council – Normandy Parish Council and Worplesdon Parish Council are all doing their best to support community efforts. There is also some great “neighbour help neighbour” volunteer work going on via the Jacobs Well Residents Association, The Fairlands Community Association and The Wood Street Village Association. So a big “thank you“ to all involved. Whereever you live do bear those in mind – either if you need help or want to volunteer help to others.

A reminder from last time, there are two other good local links to access information:

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/surrey-matters/wellbeing/coronavirus-5-things

and

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/emergency-planning-and-community-safety/coronavirus

ALL OTHER SCC SERVICES
For  guide to ALL OTHER Surrey County Council services, the best link is http://www.surreycc.gov.uk

Again, do keep safe and well.

Keith Witham

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