Councillors commend humanitarian and welfare response to COVID-19
A decision by Highland Councillors today aims to ensure that “No-one-[gets]left-behind” in Highland from the Scottish Government’s ‘Connecting Scotland’ digital inclusion programme.
The Communities and Place Committee has agreed that the Chair, Cllr Allan Henderson will write to Scottish Government and SCVO (who administer the scheme) requesting that employability clients, disabled people and older people - all on low incomes - are identified as eligible for the 3rd phase of the programme that provides iPads, Chromebooks, connectivity and support to develop digital skills for people who are currently digitally excluded.
Councillors also commended the Council’s emergency response to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the region during which £651,000 grant aid has been claimed from the Scottish Government by the Council to support its statutory role in providing humanitarian assistance to local people.
Cllr Henderson said: “I would like to thank Council staff and the many community groups and volunteers supporting the response to the pandemic and helping those who are most in need among our communities.
“While the demand for support reduced over the summer months, we are now seeing an increase in coronavirus cases in communities across the Highlands in recent winter weeks. The Council now has an increased role in supporting the Test and Protect system and in ensuring individuals can self-isolate by providing support to those who need it focussing on food, fuel and financial insecurity.”
Members were informed that the Council continues to operate local hubs providing food support where required in partnership with FareShare and funded by the Scottish Government. In October, 3,125 bags, equivalent to 13.78 tonnes of food was distributed to 11 different community groups.
The Council also continues to support groups through the Covid Ward discretionary budget. At 9 November 2020, £161,344 or 30.1% funding had been spent on 347 separate awards.
Members commended the response to local outbreaks in Grantown, Kinlochleven, Fort William and more recently Easter Ross. They also welcomed the production of a public support information leaflet produced by the Council initially for Grantown on Spey (with copies in Polish, Latvian and Romanian) which was distributed within the local community. The leaflet has been adapted for further outbreaks and is on the council’s website at www.highland.gov.uk/covidoutbreaks
Since 12 October Highland Council has supported Test and Protect by handling calls to people who have been asked to self-isolate. These calls are to ensure that they have enough food, medicines and supplies and financial support to enable them to isolate and to determine if they are to £500 if they lose income as a result of being required to self-isolate. Between 12 October and 11 November, 391 individuals were referred to the Council. Successful calls were made to 314 of them and a further 331 follow-up calls were made. Sixty-three referrals were made to the Council’s Welfare Team for potential entitlement to the £500 payment.
Members also noted the different supports in place to address financial insecurity which has been on the rise particularly in the west in Fort William and Skye.