News 23 November 2020

Looking after our staff and service users during the coronavirus pandemic

Forward are committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our staff and service users during the coronavirus pandemic.

Forward are committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our staff and service users during the coronavirus pandemic. We want to keep people safe, while ensuring we continue to provide whatever support we can to our service users, many of whom will need it more than ever.

Risk assessment

Our processes are informed by our Covid-19 risk assessment. You can read our full assessment here.

Here are the steps we are taking. We will of course review these on an ongoing basis, in line with Government and Public Health England guidance:

Community-based substance misuse services

We have called a halt to face-to-face group work – i.e. service provision in group settings – in order to protect communities. However, we have adapted our services and most support is now available by phone and online. We have also made changes to enable you to attend some necessary face-to-face appointments.

If you have any of the following COVID-19 symptoms, please do not to attend any appointments at our service, contact your allocated worker to inform them and to follow NHS guidance:

High temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you have noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Staying connected

During this period where many are self-isolating, it is even more important that you stay connected and access support, so we are looking at ways for service users to stay in contact by phone and online.

Forward Connect is a support group set-up for anyone who is part of the Forward Trust family. You can access support by emailing forwardconnect@forwardtrust.org.uk or by calling our freephone number 0300 124 0440.

Many fellowships (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) are creating daily online meetings, which is great for people to maintain contact and support from home. For those who do not have the equipment to go online, or join meetings, there are helpline numbers available. Please see below for contact information.

Join an online community or support group

These online communities give you the chance to get support from others going thought similar things to you, and share your experiences too.

SMART Recovery online meetings run five days a week

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous offer online meetings

SoberRecovery.com is a community of more than 168,000 people, with discussion forums for drug and alcohol users, and their friends and family

StopDrinking on Reddit is a busy online support group for people trying to control or stop their drinking

HealthUnlocked has free, moderated support communities for people with anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions

Helplines and other sources of support

NA Helpline number 0300 999 1212
https://online.ukna.org/
https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
gotomeet.me/ukna

AA Helpline number 0800 917 7650
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
https://join.skype.com/ha1lqThJFPwo

CA Helpline 0800 612 0225
https://cocaineanonymous.org.uk/
https://meetings.cocaineanonymous.org.uk/downloads/

Al-Anon UK Helpline 0800 0086 811
https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/

If you live in East Kent and are worried about your drug or alcohol use, we are here to help. Please call 0300 123 1186 to speak to a member of the team to find out how we can support you. However, if it is an emergency (for example if you are worried someone has overdosed) please call 999.

We are now providing a prescribing service for all clients in East Kent and supporting them with telephone consultations from their key workers as well as medical reviews with their prescriber. Pharmacists are also giving them support at this difficult time.

Our alcohol detox service has also reopened for all East Kent clients.

We appreciate being released from prison at this time can be particularly difficult. For prison releases, we have an excellent system of communication with the medical services in the prisons, meaning that we can co-ordinate continuity of care for clients who are already on a prescription for drug treatment, so that their care can continue in the community on release. We will also be providing them with regular phone support.

A weekly text is also going out to all our service users in East Kent offering reassurance to some of the concerns we have received throughout the week and an update about service provision.

Pharmacies should be open, but you may like to call ahead to your local pharmacy to check their opening times and to be aware of any unexpected reductions in services, given this rapidly changing situation.

Our Hull ReNew service and programmes are now operating using online and digital channels. Our residential rehab The Bridges is operating at business as usual.

Advice for staying safe and looking after yourself

Forward have created a leaflet for people who inject drugs, with advice on how to stay safe during the pandemic. It can be downloaded here.

Crew Scotland have advice on staying safe and hygienic if you drink or use drugs. There is important information about reducing harm and preventing coronavirus transmission when smoking, drinking, snorting, injecting, dabbing or bumping drugs.

Drugs and Me is an online harm-reduction guide to safer drug use.

Calm is offering a selection of online relaxation exercises and meditation tools.

Headspace is offering free meditations, exercises and healthy sleep activities during the pandemic.

Prison-based substance misuse services

Our frontline staff in prisons provide a vital service to prisoners who have issues with drugs and alcohol. As the safety and well-being of our staff and service users is of paramount importance, group work has been paused and all prescribing is continuing as normal. All one-to-one appointments are being held in line with appropriate social distancing measures. However, we are aware that this is a fluid situation and that things are subject to change. We are working with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services (HMPPS) to keep our service delivery levels under daily review and will be guided by the decisions of Government, prisons and health authorities.

Housing services

The Resettlement service is still operating. We will be providing telephone assessments only for any new referrals. We are working with our landlords to ensure viewings can still take place safely. We are also providing telephone and online support, as well as assistance to all of our housing clients. We have telephone mentors in place to help those that require additional support.

Family support services

If you are a family member or friend needing support as a result of someone else’s substance misuse, we understand that this is likely to be a worrying and stressful time for you. Currently our community based family support groups are not being delivered as a result of Government guidance. However, our Family Support Team at our Hull ReNew service is continuing to operate phone and online support for family and friends on 07836 526520.

If you are based in East Kent, you could contact the Forward Connect Team by email on forwardconnect@forwardtrust.org.uk or by calling our freephone number 0300 124 0440 and our Recovery Team will do their best to signpost you to any HUB services that may be able to support you at this time via telephone.

Please visit our Family Support page for information on coping and where else you might look for help. You can also complete a request for support enquiry or email us at FamilySupport@forwardtrust.org.uk

National online and phone support is available from the Al-Anon Fellowship (0800 008 6811 or www.alanonuk.org.uk) or Families Anonymous Fellowship (0207 498 4680 or www.famanon.org.uk) who are still operating their support helplines during this time and have information on their websites in relation to online meetings in certain areas.

Employment services

All Forward staff who work in our 11 prisons delivering the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) information, advice and guidance (IAG) are either working in prisons or working from home. All staff working in prison are following public health guidelines on social distancing and also adapting delivering methods including using Virtual Campus and/or in-cell learning.

All community contract staff (including Adult Education Budget, GLA YLF and enterprise support) are providing virtual support via Zoom, phone and our e-portfolio system) and some socially distanced induction support from specific Forward offices.

We are still working with employers and apprenticeship providers virtually and planning for future recruitment.

Our enterprise support is still in place and operating through virtual support

Blue Sky Services, our social enterprise is still delivering some services where our staff are key workers, and social distancing rules can be observed.

For questions, please contact: employment@forwardtrust.org.uk

Trew Era café

Our café in Hackney is now permanently closed.

Supporting our staff

We are communicating regularly with our staff to ensure they are safe and have the answers to any questions they may have. This includes information on all HR (including sick pay and childcare arrangements) and operational matters, as well as updating and circulating Covid-19 Manual that contains guidance, posters and flowcharts regularly – following advice from Public Health England, the NHS, Gov.uk and the World Health Organisation. We are proud that all our staff are acting with professionalism and pragmatism at this time and cannot thank them enough.

– Head office and administrative offices – non client-facing staff

We have followed Government advice to close down our administrative offices and have made arrangements for all staff in these offices to work from home.

– Staff working in the services – client-facing staff

We are constantly looking at ways to keep our service-based staff safe through adapting working practices, including phone appointments and temporarily suspending group work. If government and HMPPS advice is to withdraw staff from the work place, we will implement this advice promptly.

More information

• More information on our services can be found at https://www.forwardtrust.org.uk/our-services/
• More information on coronavirus from the NHS can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• More information on coronavirus from Public Health England can be found at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
• If you are worried about the impact of COVID-19 on your mental health, the NHS has some useful tips for dealing with the anxiety you may face. It can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/

We will continue to monitor the situation and make any necessary adjustments, in line with Government guidelines and with the aim of doing all we can to protect and support.