The Crescent providing community support during Covid-19 pandemic
The Coronavirus pandemic has been a challenging time for many businesses and the community. At The Crescent providing care to the West Yorkshire community we have adapted and continued to provide our high standard of Luxury Care, with a minimum call time of 3 hours to provide time to care and provide support to those in need.
Paula Chamberlain, Founder said “My priority was keeping our clients’ and carers safe which meant increased risk management and weekly welfare meetings to check on mental health of the team. During the first six weeks of the pandemic, during lockdown, we adapted our procedures, increased risk assessments, and moved the core office-based team to home working.
Whilst there has been a shortage of PPE, at the beginning of the pandemic we increased stock levels to ensure we could continue to protect our clients and carers’ and this meant we have been able to maintain supplies of PPE throughout the pandemic.”
The increased risk management procedures, particularly for some of The Crescent’s ‘extremely vulnerable’ clients have meant, full infection control measures and strict handwashing policy, a full change of clothes for carer’s on arrival at the clients’ home, wipe down with sanitiser of anything going into the clients’ home including mobile phones, bags etc. Going the extra mile as usual.
The Crescent’s premises in Batley are usually a buzz as a community hub with events, hosting afternoon tea’s as well as being the offices for the care business. Founder, Paula Chamberlain’s vision for the business is to combat isolation and loneliness by bringing people together.
So, The Crescent has been providing food packages, Afternoon Tea’s for delivery as well as seeing an increase in the need for their new wellbeing checks providing food shopping, prescription delivery, helping with food preparation or just a cuppa and a chat.
Founder, Paula Chamberlain said “Many of the elderly, those with pre-existing health conditions or having to isolate may not have family locally so our wellbeing checks have been a vital service and provide the family with reassurance their loved ones are provided for and have that social interaction vital for mental health and happiness.”
Research shows that there is an increase in isolation and loneliness in our society which has led to many initiatives to reimagine the care sector to provide an increased standard of care and ease the pressure on existing NHS services. Following the Covid-19 pandemic the needs of the community for these care and wellbeing services are increasing and changing, The Crescent are responding to this with exciting and innovative plans being developed.