£2.9 billion available for local authorities to support vulnerable people
Melanie May | 24 March 2020 | News
The Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have allocated £2.9 billion of funding to local authorities to support vulnerable people, including people who are homeless during the COVID-19 crisis.
The funding is from the £500 billion COVID-19 fund announced in the Budget.
£1.6 billion will go to local authorities to help them respond to other coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures across all the services they deliver, such as increasing support for the adult social care workforce and for services helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people.
£1.3 billion will be used to enhance the NHS discharge process so patients who no longer need urgent treatment can return home safely and quickly.
The funding will cover the follow-on care costs for adults in social care, or people who need additional support, when they are out of hospital and back in their homes, community settings, or care settings.
Responding to the announcement, Rick Henderson, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, said:
“People who are homeless are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and this population is facing severe danger during the COVID-19 outbreak, as they are often relying on communal night shelters, hostels with shared sanitation, or sleeping on the streets. They also have no facilities for self-isolation.
“Now that the country is in a lockdown period and following this investment from government, every local authority area should now move quickly to ensure that:
– No-one is sleeping on the streets
– No-one is sleeping in a communal setting or using shared sanitation facilities
– Local services can arrange people into appropriate groupings to prevent risk
– Everyone who needs to self-isolate in line with government guidance is able to do so
– Staff have the access to testing and the Personal Protective Equipment that they need to operate safely.
“Homeless Link will be supporting our 800 plus members and local areas across the country as they undertake these actions.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.