1

VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK

V1.0 – MAY 2020

Lancaster District Support Line markwaddington@lancastercvs.org.uk

Information and guidance to help you volunteer safely and effectively.

2

Working in Partnership

3

Table of Contents Welcome ......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Our Promise to You ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Our Commitments to You .......................................................................................................................... 6

What We Expect ............................................................................................................................................ 7

Equality ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

General Expectations ............................................................................................................................. 7

Staying Safe ................................................................................................................................................... 8

Government and NHS Guidance ................................................................................................................ 8

Can I Help? ............................................................................................................................................. 8

Who can I Help? .................................................................................................................................... 8

How Can I Help Safely? .......................................................................................................................... 9

Help with Food Shopping ...................................................................................................................... 9

Collecting Medication .......................................................................................................................... 10

Stay in Touch by Phone or Social Media .............................................................................................. 10

Share Trusted Sources of Information ................................................................................................ 10

What Should I Do if I’m Worried About Someone’s Health? .............................................................. 10

How to Stop Infection Spreading ......................................................................................................... 10

Processes ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

How it All Works ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Volunteer Roles ........................................................................................................................................... 12

What Will I Be Doing? .............................................................................................................................. 12

General Advice .................................................................................................................................... 12

Helping With Shopping ........................................................................................................................ 13

Collecting and Delivering Medication .................................................................................................. 14

Electronic prescriptions from a pharmacy on behalf of someone else .......................................... 14

Collecting a paper prescription from a GP or a pharmacy on behalf of someone else ................. 15

Collecting 'controlled medicine' from a pharmacy on behalf of someone else ............................. 15

Insurance When Using Your Vehicle .............................................................................................. 16

Before Driving ................................................................................................................................. 16

4

Driving Emergencies ....................................................................................................................... 17

Vehicle Accident ............................................................................................................... 17

Home Based Roles ............................................................................................................................... 18

Phone Calls ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ......................................................................................................... 19

Do I Need PPE? ......................................................................................................................................... 19

Face Masks .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Gloves .................................................................................................................................................. 19

Volunteer Wellbeing ................................................................................................................................... 20

Ensuring Your Wellbeing .......................................................................................................................... 20

Confidentiality and GDPR ............................................................................................................................ 21

Confidentiality .......................................................................................................................................... 21

GDPR ........................................................................................................................................................ 21

What to Do if You Have Concerns About Someone You Have Helped ...................................................... 22

Expenses ...................................................................................................................................................... 24

Can I Claim Expenses? .............................................................................................................................. 24

Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................................................................... 25

Contacts and Links ....................................................................................................................................... 29

5

WELCOME Introduction

Thank you for registering to volunteer. The Lancaster District Support Line has been set up in partnership between Lancaster City Council, Hope Church, and Lancaster District CVS to coordinate volunteer responses to the support needs arising from the Coronavirus outbreak. This could be something that is continued after the pandemic is over, so you will have an opportunity to continue volunteering should you wish.

Throughout this Handbook we will refer to the Support Line team. To contact the team for any of the issues covered in this document, you can text the number that you will receive information from, talk to the supervisor you will be put in touch with, or you can call the Support Line number in Contacts, which is the Lancaster District CVS number. We are all part of the Support Line team. If you contact us regarding a specific task you have been given, remember to give us the task ID number.

This handbook aims to provide you with some of the knowledge, information, and resources you may need to volunteer safely and effectively. It will be complemented by some training resources, available either online or via PDF, which will be given to you separately.

There will be things missing from this handbook that you might feel you need. If you have any questions, please use the Contacts section at the end of this handbook to get in touch with one of the Support Line team.

This handbook draws on a wealth of up-to-date advice from the Government and NHS. We are in an evolving situation and will update you as advice from the Government and the NHS changes. But this is a fluid document, and your feedback is just as important, so please do let us know if you feel there is anything missing, confusing, or if there is something we could do to help you more effectively, and we will do our best to incorporate it.

Please have a read through the handbook. We won’t expect you to memorise it, but we hope that it will prove helpful as you go about your volunteering. You may wish to follow the various partners on social media using the links in the Contacts and Links section to stay in touch.

6

OUR PROMISE TO YOU The Lancaster District Support Line wants your volunteering experience to be rewarding, enjoyable, and safe.

Our Commitments to You

• A safe, respectful, fair and inclusive volunteering environment

• A clear outline of the tasks involved (see the section on Volunteer Roles)

• A clear explanation of what is expected of you

• Full support to you in all circumstances related to your volunteering – from tasks and roles to your personal wellbeing – from the Support Line team

• Reimbursement of any out of pocket transport expenses you might incur whilst volunteering

• Permission to stop volunteering with us without judgement – this is important. Nobody should feel they cannot stop. If you need to step back, for yourself or your family, talk to the Support Line team

7

WHAT WE EXPECT There are certain things that we expect from our volunteers and they are listed below.

Equality

You will be helping a wide range of people across our diverse communities. You have a responsibility to treat everyone with respect. Nobody should be excluded or treated less favourably because of a belief, their race or ethnicity, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their age, their physical or mental health status, or anything else.

If you feel someone is being treated less favourably or excluded by others, please let the Support Line team know so that appropriate action can be taken.

General Expectations

In addition to treating everyone with respect, we expect the following:

• You will do your best to complete any task you agree to do quickly and efficiently, taking into account all of the advice given in this handbook, and to the best of your ability

• You will follow all safety and safeguarding guidance

• You will be accountable for your actions

• You will not accept any gifts, monetary or otherwise, from people you are supporting

• You will respect and maintain confidentiality (see the section later in this handbook on confidentiality and GDPR) even after you stop volunteering

8

STAYING SAFE Government and NHS Guidance

What follows is Government advice and guidance around helping people during the Covid-19 outbreak. We will follow these same instructions. (You can view the full Government guidance HERE)

Volunteering is proving crucial in the response to coronavirus and people have not been stopped from doing this.

However, volunteering that requires going out of the house is now only permitted in certain circumstances. If you are well and are not at risk from coronavirus you can undertake essential activities including:

• Delivering food

• Helping people with their medical needs, such as picking up prescriptions

• Providing essential care or help to a vulnerable person or person(s), including through essential public and voluntary services, such as food banks, homeless services, and blood donation sessions

Can I help?

You can only provide support to people who are in isolation if you fulfil ALL of the conditions below, UNLESS you will only be offering befriending/telephone contact support:

• You are well and have no symptoms like a cough or high temperature and nobody in your household does

• If you have had symptoms, it is at least 14 days since they ended

• You are under 70

• You are not pregnant

• You do not have any long-term health conditions that make you vulnerable to coronavirus

Who can I help?

You can help households who are isolating. For our purposes this means vulnerable people in our communities who are isolating and who have either contacted or been referred to the Support Line for help.

9

How can I help safely?

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection and save lives. This remains the case when you are helping others.

You must not go inside the homes of anyone you help, especially vulnerable people or people who believe they may be infected and are isolating themselves. Breaking these rules could put you at risk of infection, or risk of spreading it to others.

If you are picking things up for others, try to limit the amount of time you spend outside of your home by picking up essential items for them when you do your own shopping or collect their medicines during the same trip. Fit the volunteering in around your own schedule – limit the trips and limit your time spent out of your own home.

You should stay 2m or six feet away from anyone you do not live with at all times.

You should also regularly wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds.

Do not place yourself in a position where you may feel unsafe, for instance helping late at night, in a very isolated area, or an area you are unfamiliar with.

You must also always adhere to our advice on how to stay safe.

If you or someone in your household has shown symptoms, or if you are more vulnerable to coronavirus yourself, then you must stay at home. You could still play an important role but will need to do this from your home.

Food shopping

If people staying at home because of coronavirus need basic necessities, you could do their shopping for them and leave the groceries on the person’s doorstep. Try to limit the amount of time you spend outside of your home by picking up essential items for others when you do your own shopping.

Or you could help those who are unfamiliar to online shopping by placing an order for them or by talking them through the process over the phone. (See under Volunteer Roles for more detail).

10

Collecting medication

You can pick up medicines on someone else’s behalf. People should only request medication that they need, in the usual quantity. Remember to keep a safe distance when leaving any item on the person’s doorstep or drop-off area, and make sure that they have collected the medication before leaving (see section below for more detail).

Stay in touch over the phone or via social media

Staying at home for a long time can be a lonely experience and may impact on people’s wellbeing. Just saying hello and regularly checking in over the phone or by video-chat is important, or you could help people by recommending resources produced by organisations like Every Mind Matters (see links and contact info).

Share trusted sources of information

It’s easy to become worried by online information, some of which may be deliberately designed to mislead people. Help your community by sharing trusted information from the NHS, Public Health England or the Department of Health and Social Care. If you’re unsure of what information to share, check in with the Support Line team for advice.

What should I do if I’m worried about someone’s health?

See the section below - “What to do if you have concerns about someone you have helped”.

How to stop infection spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus.

Do

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds

• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

• wash your hands as soon as you get home

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze

• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Don't

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth

11

PROCESSES How it all works

We are using an online system that is self-managed and it will be your responsibility to check the volunteering tasks that need to be done via a web-based ‘jobs board’ here: https://www.hopelancaster.co.uk/coronavirus-support/current-requests/

Nobody will call or email you to ask you to do something, it is your responsibility to check the website and indicate what you can do.

You can also be added to the closed volunteer Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/LancasterSupportLineVolunteers/ which provides more information, guidance and an opportunity to share information, but if you are not on Facebook don’t worry, you won’t miss out on any important information, it will be sent to you as required.

The Support Line will be the referral point for vulnerable people in need of support from the City Council and other local partners which could include the NHS, the County Council, and other local support organisations. Once a referral is made, the details of the task will be added to the website above. You can then offer to help with any task that you are able and willing to fulfil.

Once you have offered to take on a task, it needs to be formally assigned to you by a member of our team. Other volunteers might have also offered to do the same task, so please don’t be disappointed if it isn’t assigned to you despite your offer.

Once the task has been assigned you will receive a text message with the information you will require, including relevant contact details.

If you have any queries you can reply to that text. Likewise, once the task has been completed you simply need to send a confirmation text to the team on that same number. Where the task is to provide regular help e.g. weekly support, we ask that you send a text back to confirm you have successfully made contact for the first time, but do not need to send a message to confirm every time you complete a repeat shop or phone call for that person.

12

VOLUNTEER ROLES What Will I be Doing?

As you have already read, the Government has been clear about the sole reasons that people are allowed to volunteer at the moment and those are:

• Delivering food

• Helping people with their medical needs, such as picking up prescriptions

• Providing essential care or helping a vulnerable person or person(s), including through essential public and voluntary services, such as food banks, homeless services, and blood donation sessions

General advice

Whatever you do to help, please bear the following in mind.

• Do not accept gifts, either of cash, items, or in kind

• Do not share personal details (such as your address) or your own financial information – HOWEVER you may wish to share your mobile number. Other volunteers have reported that this is helpful, but you are not obliged to do this

• Do not discuss the details of anyone else that you have helped, even if the person you are helping seems to know the other person/people involved

• Carry out the assigned tasks promptly, politely, and with as little contact as possible – follow all the rules on distancing and hygiene

13

Working from Government advice, we can identify the following volunteer roles:

Helping with Shopping

This could be doing some shopping on someone’s behalf, collecting and delivering shopping, or collecting and delivering pre-prepared food/essentials packages provided by, for example, local food banks.

Some general points:

• Under no circumstances should you enter a person’s house

• Deliveries should be left on the doorstep. After making your delivery, knock on the door to alert the person, then leave or move to a safe distance (2m plus) while you wait to ensure that the item(s) are picked up

• Avoid handling cash where possible – examples of payment options can be found in the FAQs

• Check whether the service user will accept substitutions should their preferred items be unavailable, or whether they’d prefer nothing at all if you can’t get what they have asked for

• Please be respectful of people’s belongings and property. We will report anyone who abuses this voluntary position to the appropriate authorities and will take such abuses extremely seriously

(The following information is from Communities Prepared - www.communitiesprepared.org.uk)

Vulnerable persons doorstep check:

• Have they got enough food?

• Are they warm/cool enough?

• Are friends and family helping them?

• Do they have enough medicines to last over the next few days?

If the shop can take over-the-phone payments, here is a way to do that:

• Self-isolator/vulnerable person gives shopping list to Support Line/volunteer

• Volunteer phones the self-isolator/vulnerable person and agrees a ceiling figure for the cost of the groceries

• Volunteer picks up the shopping from the store shelves and goes to check-out

• Volunteer phones self-isolator/vulnerable person at home and hands phone over to cashier

14

• Self-isolator/vulnerable person gives card details, for over-the- phone payment, to cashier

• Volunteer leaves shopping, with receipts, on doorstep

You might also find the following resource helpful: http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/information/local-services. This has been produced by the City Council and is useful for finding places that people can access food. You might want to share this with the people you help.

REMEMBER TO OBTAIN AND KEEP ALL RECEIPTS. WE ALSO SUGGEST THAT YOU TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF ALL RECEIPTS.

Collecting and delivering Medication

Some people need regular medication and at the moment not all pharmacies are delivering or, if they are, their capacity to deliver items may be reduced. This is where volunteers can be very helpful in collecting and delivering medications and possibly medical equipment or other essentials to people in isolation. This could also include collecting and delivering high-value, controlled substances. The following information is from the NHS.

I’ve been asked to pick up a prescription direct from a pharmacy, what do I need to do?

You will need to be able to confirm the name and address of the person you are collecting this for, so make sure you know this information. It is also helpful to confirm how many items you are collecting, as the pharmacist will often check this with you. It is worth checking whether the prescription will need paying for.

Do prescriptions need paying for?

There are many people who are exempt from prescription charges including anyone over the age of 60. See https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/get-help-with-prescription-costs/. If in doubt it is worth checking with the person you are collecting it for, before you go to the pharmacy.

If a patient has to pay prescription charges, a means of payment/reimbursement needs to be arranged between the volunteer and the patient. The pharmacist will check the back of the FP10 form to make sure that is has been signed and that the appropriate category is ticked if the person is exempt from paying charges, and you're acting on their behalf and have their permission.

15

Electronic prescriptions from a pharmacy on behalf of someone else

Most prescriptions are sent electronically - direct to a pharmacy from the GP surgery. So, there is no need to hand in a paper prescription. The person who the prescription is for can choose the pharmacy or dispenser where their prescription is sent.

You can collect the medicine on someone else’s behalf if that person has told the pharmacy that they are happy for you to do so.

Collecting a paper prescription from a GP or a pharmacy on behalf of someone else

Occasionally a GP surgery will issue a paper prescription. A paper prescription can be taken to any pharmacy or dispenser.

You can collect another person’s paper prescription from a GP surgery if that person has told the surgery they're happy for you to collect it. You'll usually be asked to confirm the name and address of the person you're collecting the prescription for.

The GP surgery is not legally required to check your identity, but some surgeries may ask for proof of identity to prevent the wrong prescription being given out.

You can take a prescription to the pharmacy to collect someone else's medicine for them. The patient must complete part 1 of the prescription form (FP10) and the person collecting the medicine must complete parts 2 and 3.

If a patient has to pay prescription charges, the correct amount must be entered in part 2. If they're exempt from paying prescription charges, you may be asked to provide some evidence (a document with their date of birth or a pre-payment certificate for example).

The pharmacist will check the back of the FP10 form to make sure that it has been signed and the appropriate category is ticked if the person is exempt from paying charges, and you have their permission to act on their behalf.

Collecting 'controlled medicine' from a pharmacy on behalf of someone else

Controlled medicines include morphine, pethidine and methadone, amongst others. These types of medicines are sometimes misused so they have stricter legal controls on their supply. For this

16

reason we would suggest that anyone who needs this type of medication regularly, signs up with Pharmacy2u at www.pharmacy2u.co.uk.

If this is not possible, or if a patient has no other option than to ask a volunteer to collect a "controlled medicine" for them, then the patient must phone their pharmacy in advance, to explain who will be collecting their medication. When the volunteer collects the medicine the pharmacist will request proof of identity from the volunteer, before releasing the paper prescription and/or medication. The pharmacist may also phone the patient for further verification.

Pharmacy2u

Pharmacy2u is an online pharmacy that allows a person to order their medicines from their computer, tablet or smartphone, and have them posted to their home free of charge.

When the person signs up they will be asked to enter their personal details, including their address, GP surgery and debit card details. They can then add their medicines to their account and request repeat prescriptions on the Pharmacy2u website. Their medicines will be posted straight to their home, with no charge for delivery, and they usually take 5-10 days to arrive.

If you need help advising on how to set up an account with Pharmacy2u please ask the Support Line team, and someone will be able to help you over the phone.

Insurance when using your vehicle

Those who are volunteering to help their communities during the coronavirus outbreak do not need to contact their insurer to update their documents or to extend their cover, the Association of British Insurers have said. You can see up to date advice here: https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/motor-insurance/

If you are using your own car for volunteering purposes to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact your insurer to update your documents or extend your cover.

Before Driving

17

The following advice is relevant for all tasks where you intend using your vehicle, whether shopping, delivering medications, or providing transport.

1. Ensure your vehicle is safe, road worthy, taxed, has a current MOT 2. We recommend that you carry drinking water, hand sanitiser and a

mobile phone in your vehicle at all times 3. Please make someone aware of where you are going and what

time you are expected to return 4. If lifting heavy items into the vehicle, please make sure you lift with

bent knees, to protect your back 5. Wear a seatbelt and you should not use a hand-held mobile phone

whilst driving 6. Please do not leave any medication or equipment in the vehicle for

any length of time. Where this is unavoidable – for example, where you may be delivering to a number of locations – please hide medication and other items from view. If you are unable to complete a planned delivery please return items to the pharmacy on the same day

Driving Emergencies

The following is taken from the advice and guidance given to NHS volunteers by the Royal Voluntary Service. We have felt it prudent to issue the same advice to our volunteers, should your tasks include driving and in the unlikely event that you encounter an emergency.

If you are involved in a road traffic accident or an incident which results in damage to your vehicle, loss or damage to property, or injury to any people you must tell the Support Line team.

Vehicle Accident

Follow the guidance below if you are involved in a vehicle accident:

1. Use hazard warning lights and switch off your engine and if possible exit the vehicle if safe to do so and stand in a safe place

2. Do not move injured passengers unless they are in immediate danger of further injury from other vehicles or from fire or explosion

3. Call the emergency services immediately; provide them with information about the situation

4. Determine the extent of and damage to both vehicles and/or property

5. Record as far as you are able, the details of the accident 6. Exchange information with others involved as detailed, but do not

under any circumstances apologise, admit blame or accept liability

18

7. If possible take photographs of the incident, and obtain statements from any independent witnesses

8. Report the accident/incident immediately to the Support Line team

Home-based roles

Not all volunteering roles will require you to leave your home, and therefore they can be done without breaking any of the Government’s current restrictions on movement outside of the purposes outlined above. Tasks could include – befriending, by phone or online; checking in with someone; helping someone complete forms; in fact anything that could be done at distance.

The advice on confidentiality still applies in all cases (see section on confidentiality and GDPR below).

Phone calls

• Be cheerful and make general conversation.

• Think beforehand about questions you might ask, or suggestions you might make, to help the person come up with ideas for things to do

• Make sure that you listen more than you speak, ask open questions (those which can’t just be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’), don’t speak too much about your own life but take the time to really listen.

• Do not over-commit yourself or make promises that are unrealistic.

• Do not commit to anything that involves physical contact with people.

• Never promise confidentiality. If you need to pass information on, please reply to the support line or the relevant authority.

If you are concerned about someone’s health, encourage them to check the advice at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or to phone 111.

19

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

Do I Need PPE?

Facemasks

According to national NHS guidance, the only current circumstances where a single use of a specific type of facemask – a fluid resistant, type IIR surgical mask - would be recommended is if you are using your own vehicle to transport a person with a possible or confirmed case of Coronavirus, within a 2m distance. We do not anticipate anyone will be doing this. Therefore, we are not recommending the use of facemasks at this time and will not be providing them. If you have your own facemask and would feel more comfortable using it, please do. If the NHS or Government guidance changes, we will update you.

Gloves

Again, going off national guidance from the NHS, disposable gloves are only recommended in clinical settings, therefore we are not recommending that you use gloves. The evidence shows that thorough handwashing and/or regular use of an appropriate gel offers the best protection. Gloves can still carry germs, so if you touch your face while wearing them you can still be infected, and in turn infect others, even whilst wearing them.

We therefore urge you to wash your hands regularly, for 20 seconds at a time, covering all hand, finger, and nail surfaces and use hand sanitising gel as appropriate, rather than wearing gloves, even if you have gloves.

20

VOLUNTEER WELLBEING Ensuring Your Wellbeing

You are important. We know that you want to help but sometimes our instinct can be to overlook our own needs when we are helping others. We want to make sure that you are taken care of while you are volunteering, so we ask that you consider the following:

• Don’t take too much on. Because of the way this system works, you will be responsible for deciding what jobs you can do. There are a lot of people registered so don’t put too much responsibility on yourself. Don’t worry that if you don’t do it, it won’t get done – it will.

• Think about your own life and circumstances and fit volunteering in around that, not the other way around. You and your family come first, always.

• Contact us if you need to. You are not alone. The Support Line team is here to help, whether you have a specific query about a task you are carrying out, or would just like a chat with someone.

• Eat as well as you can. Don’t skip meals because of volunteering. Make time for yourself.

• Try to exercise, keep active

• Wash your hands

• Don’t do anything you are not comfortable with

• If you begin to feel unwell, STOP. If you think you might have symptoms of Coronavirus, follow the Government advice: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

• You will be given contact information for a member of the Support Line team, who will be available if you need any support, guidance, advice, or mentoring, but general contact number is also in the Contacts section

21

CONFIDENTIALITY AND GDPR

Confidentiality

Many of the people that you will be helping are going to be vulnerable, because of age or health or any number of other factors. You may, through volunteering, come to know things about a person that you are helping that are considered confidential – from their contact information to what medication they use or even a food allergy that they might have.

TREAT EVERYTHING YOU LEARN AS CONFIDENTIAL. Do not share any information about the people you are helping with anyone, except the Support Line team if that is warranted – see the section below on what to do if you have concerns about someone that you have helped.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. They have issued the following advice about GDPR and Coronavirus.

The ICO recognises the unprecedented challenges we are all facing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

We know you might need to share information quickly or adapt the way you work. Data protection will not stop you doing that. It’s about being proportionate - if something feels excessive from the public’s point of view,

then it probably is.

You as a volunteer do not need to be concerned about GDPR, provided that you follow our advice, above, around confidentiality. If you do need to bring to our attention something like an additional need for a service user, you should follow the guidance in the next section.

22

What to do if you have concerns about someone you have helped

We understand that when you are carrying out tasks associated with

your volunteering, you might be told things by service users, or you

might notice things, that cause you concern. If this happens, please

follow these steps:

1. In the words of Douglas Adams in Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy –

DON’T PANIC

2. Do not enter anyone’s home, even if they ask you to go inside

3. If you come across an emergency situation – for example someone

experiencing a medical emergency, call 999. The NHS defines

medical emergencies as:

a. loss of consciousness

b. an acute confused state

c. fits that aren't stopping

d. chest pain

e. breathing difficulties

f. severe bleeding that can't be stopped

g. severe allergic reactions

h. severe burns or scalds

4. You may come across a non-emergency situation of a medical

nature, and in these cases the NHS advises the following:

a. self care at home

b. calling NHS 111

c. visiting www.111.nhs.uk

d. talking to a pharmacist (by telephone)

e. calling your GP (do not visit during lockdown)

5. If the circumstances are not covered above, report your concerns

to the Support Line team using the contact information below. Our

team is in contact with professionals from the NHS, the city

council, the police and fire services, adult and children’s social

care, and others

6. If you do have cause to call, or advise on calling, 999 or 111, still

report that back to the Support Line team so that we can keep a

record and keep a check on the individual concerned

7. Support Line number – you can contact the Support Line by calling

Lancaster District CVS on 01524 555900 (any option)

23

EXPENSES Can I Claim Expenses?

Reimbursing volunteer expenses is an important factor in making volunteering open to all. We are committed to meet reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by volunteers, within available resources. We advise you to check with your Job coach if you are in receipt of benefits – expenses are allowed, but you don’t want any confusion.

Expenses will include:

Travel between places of volunteering activity (e.g person’s home) and venue (e.g. supermarket, pharmacy) and return. This includes public transport or a mileage allowance. If traveling by public transport, the ticket must be retained, by way of a receipt. If you are using your own transport, a record of all mileage must be kept. There are a number of free apps to help you track your mileage depending on your mobile device, so check your app store.

The mileage allowance paid will be based on the following rates:

• Cars and Vans – 40p per mile

• Motor cycles – 24p per mile

• Bicycles – 20p per mile

If a journey is in excess of 15 miles (round trip) volunteers are required to check with Lancaster District CVS.

Car parking charges. The car park ticket must be retained, by way of receipt. Postage costs. We don’t anticipate you will need this, but it is something covered by expenses should it occur.

You will be given an expense form to allow you to detail your claim and you will be instructed on how to make the claim, where to return the form and how. Once we receive your claim it will be processed and paid by BACS, so we will need your bank details. If payment by BACS is problematic, speak to our team and we will offer another way of payment. Expenses will be paid the following week after we receive your expense form.

24

FAQS A page on the Hope Church website, HERE, is regularly updated with practical tips and FAQs to help with the various activities that you might be asked to complete.

How do I introduce myself?

We recommend giving your first name only and making it clear that you are calling on behalf of the Lancaster District Support Line. Then give whatever information you know about the request e.g. ‘I understand you would like help getting some shopping’. Then ask how you can help.

How do I prevent my phone number becoming available to the person I am calling?

If you use your mobile you should check whether there is a code for your handset or service provider, like 141, that you can input prior to dialling the person you are calling and will ensure that your number will not be disclosed to them (though having done so, you may not always be able to get through, as some people have their lines set up not to accept withheld numbers). Many handsets also offer the option to withhold your number during a call in the settings menu. If you use your landline you might want to check with your telephone line provider whether there is a mechanism for your number to be withheld.

Someone is requesting shopping; how do I pay for this?

There are a few different options here:

1) Help the person to connect with a local shop that is able to take orders and payment by phone, and ideally can deliver for them (e.g. some Londis stores). See the Contacts and Resources section of https://www.hopelancaster.co.uk/coronavirus-support/ for shops that offer this

2) As above, but – where the shop does not deliver – collect the shopping for them

3) Go shopping for the person, then ask the cashier to phone and take payment. Booths offers this as well as other places like Country Style Farm Shop. If you know of more, let us know

4) Volunteer shopping card schemes are also in place at Sainsbury’s, M&S and ASDA. You may want to familiarise yourself with these schemes and suggest one as an option. This might work best for

25

people who are tech-savvy enough to order one of these and either print it out or email it to you

Full details of all useful contacts and businesses are on the Hope Church website. Have a look through to find the right one that can help you:

https://www.hopelancaster.co.uk/coronavirus-support/knowledge-base/

You may wish to ask people to pay you back in cash – this is particularly relevant for many older residents. If choosing to do this:

1. As a volunteer you need to pay for the items initially (try to avoid expensive orders where you rely on cash being paid back)

2. Places shopping etc along with receipt on the door step. 3. Ask the resident to place the correct cash on the receipt in an envelope or plastic bag on the door step. 4. Remember the virus can live on cash like other surfaces, so leave somewhere safe for 24 hours and always remember to wash your hands.

What does ‘Call for chat’ involve?

We are offering this service to provide extra, informal support and a listening ear to those who might be affected by loneliness and isolation and other issues related to the impact of the Coronavirus. Remember: you are not, as a volunteer, in a position to provide health advice, counselling or other professional support - even if you have a professional qualification in one or more of those areas. That is because the Support Line is not in a position to assume responsibility for the consequences of any advice given. It is essential to respect this, so if the service user needs these additional services, let the Support Line team know and we can refer them appropriately.

It is likely that callers to this service may raise issues like loneliness, depression, family or financial problems, bereavement, worries about their loved ones, fears about their own health and wellbeing etc. Some people may require specific information and signposting. If you are not able to provide that yourself, then make that clear to the caller, then let the Support Line team know so that we can refer them appropriately.

To reiterate, the main purpose of the ‘Call for Chat’ service is to provide a listening ear. Whilst we may not able to provide all the answers, we can show that we care and that each person matters. Some useful tips & principles may include: being sensitive, showing empathy (attempting to

26

see the situation from the caller’s perspective), being non-judgemental (respecting views that may be radically different from our own) and being non-directive (rather than giving advice, providing space for the person to talk through their concerns – which, in itself, can make things clearer).

Using an open question (one which starts with ‘how’ or ‘why’ or ‘what’) can help a person to open up about what is worrying them. Some people might be happy just to chat while others might find it more difficult or become upset - you can acknowledge silence with “just take your time” or “I’m listening” or “I feel this may be really difficult for you”.

Here are some possible ‘starter questions’ you might consider:

• Have you always lived in this area? • What did you do for work? • Where have you been on holiday? • Have you got any children? • Have you been enjoying the sun? • Who else lives with you?

We would encourage you to keep your anonymity. When calling you might want to introduce yourself by your first name but it might be advisable not to disclose too much personal information. Remember: the main focus should be on the caller.

Should I offer confidentiality when talking to people?

The content of your conversation should remain confidential though you should never promise total confidentiality as there may be an issue that will require you to pass some information on to others, such as if someone talks about harming themselves or others. If you come across an issue that you feel is beyond your competence or requires specialist input, for example imminent suicidal tendency, you might want to clarify – for example, “Are you saying that you are thinking about killing yourself?” and also explain your responsibility to call for an ambulance if you identify somebody in immediate danger and they disclose their location to you. You should also feed back to the Support Line team if you experience a call that is difficult or concerning so that support can be given to you.

What do I do if a phone call feels abusive, inappropriate or manipulative?

Please discontinue any phone call that becomes abusive/inappropriate or manipulative in any way and please report to the Support Line

27

straightaway - your wellbeing is important to us and any abuse of this service is not acceptable.

What do I do if I have phoned someone for a chat but they have a practical need like shopping?

If this is the case, you have two options:

1) If you are willing and able, you can fulfil this request yourself (there is no obligation to do this)

2) You can submit the request to https://www.hopelancaster.co.uk/coronavirus-support/new-request/ for another volunteer to follow through. Please let the caller know that you are doing this and make sure they have the details of the support line so that they can submit any future request via the webform or text number.

Someone wants me to speak to them on a regular basis, what shall I do?

You are under no obligation to do this and in some cases we might be able to signpost people wanting/needing this to a more appropriate agency, such as Lancashire Volunteer Partnership.

If you would like to offer a follow up call, or regular chat, you are welcome to, but try to plan how much support you are able to give ahead of that phone call and also think about your own wellbeing. If for any reason your situation changes and you are not able to follow up on an arrangement you have made, try to inform the line coordinators so that somebody else can be allocated to the request.

If you’d rather not commit to further calls, make sure the caller knows that they are welcome to submit further requests to the support line, and understands how to do this.

There is a problem I am not sure how to handle, what should I do?

If you have a problem or query related to a task you are considering volunteering for, reply to the text from the support line and summarise the issue. If there is a straightforward resolution, you will receive a response by text. If there is something more complicated that needs resolving or discussing, one of the Support Line team will give you a call.

How do I report that a task is completed?

28

Once the task is complete please reply by text simply stating the task number and that it is completed. We will then update our records.

What if I become ill and can no longer fulfil a task I’ve agreed to?

If you agree to a task, but circumstances mean that you cannot complete it, please let the Support Line team know as soon as possible so that it can be reallocated.

29

CONTACTS AND LINKS Helpful Contacts and Links

For straight forward queries or updates relating to a task simply reply by text to the message you got from the support line. You should include the task ID number in your text.

Lancaster District Support Line Contact Number – 01524 555900 (any option – 1 is Chief Officer, 2 is Development, 3 is Volunteering – they are all part of the Support Line Team)

Mark Waddington, Lancaster District CVS Volunteer Centre Manager – 01524 555900 – option 3 or email markwaddington@lancastercvs.org.uk

Yak Patel, Lancaster District CVS Chief Officer – 01524 555900 option 1 or email yakpatel@lancastercvs.org.uk

Useful Links

Age UK – Call 0300 303 1234 or email advice@ageuklancs.org.uk

North Lancashire Citizens’ Advice Bureau - They may still be able to offer advice via email: enquiries@northlancashirecab.org.uk, or by phone: 03444 889 622 (10am - 4pm, Monday - Friday). If a Food Bank voucher is needed please call their admin-only line on: 01524 400404

Children and family wellbeing service – Call 0800 51 11 11 for the extended Talkzone service, to offer support, advice and information to families as well as to young people. It will be staffed from 8.30am-10pm each weekday and continue at weekends between 2pm and 10pm. You can contact the service with a free phone number, text, email and web talk.

Lancashire MIND – A variety of resources for people struggling with their mental health: https://www.lancashiremind.org.uk/pages/40-get-help-now

Every Mind Matters – For help and support with mental health issues, visit https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

NHS – Call 111 for non-emergencies, or visit www.111.nhs.uk.

30

Lancaster City Council – 01524 582000, or email customerservices@lancaster.gov.uk

Lancashire County Council - General enquiries, call 0300 123 6701 or email enquiries@lancashire.gov.uk

Lancashire Volunteer Partnership Telephone Befriending Service – Referrals can be made by calling 01772416417, open 8am-4pm Monday-Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturday. Please get the person’s permission before submitting their details.

Independent Me - Advice, guidance and support to disabled citizens and carers in Welfare Benefit claims and appeal, advice and support in accessing social care, financial management - contactus@independent-me.org.uk

Social Media

Lancaster City Council - https://www.facebook.com/lancastercc, https://twitter.com/LancasterCC

Lancaster District CVS - https://www.facebook.com/LancasterCVS, https://www.twitter.com/LancasterCVS

Hope Church - https://www.facebook.com/hopechurchlancaster/,

Lancashire Volunteer Partnership - https://www.facebook.com/lancsvp, https://twitter.com/LancashireVP