Supportive health and wellbeing charity the Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) has been working hard behind the scenes this past month to aid the NHS and the region-wide community responses to the Covid-19 outbreak.
During this challenging time PCP teams have adapted quickly to offer a wide range of support to ensure that vital local services can effectively meet the needs of our communities.
Some staff members have been redeployed and are working seven days a week to support vulnerable people and those who are ‘shielding’ to ensure they receive essentials and to help them to access key information and advice.
PCP’s Healthwatch teams, covering five local authority areas, continue to provide vital information and signposting, and PCP continues to make donations to local foodbanks and provide virtual support through social media platforms.
In Newton Aycliffe, PCP were forced to close the doors of the Pioneering Care Centre to the general public, but have been working with Jubilee Medical Practice to repurpose some areas of the centre to provide a safe clinical space for Covid-19 assessments or treatment for those don’t require hospital admission.
The organisation’s chief executive Carol Gaskarth said: “Working in partnership to complement the community response is a key element of PCP’s approach to supporting people during this worrying time.
“The majority of our staff are working from home and I am very proud of the resilience shown by those who are providing direct support to people in immediate need and distress.
“Being friendly, supportive and making a difference are pillars of how we work with local people; these values have been demonstrated even more acutely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our offices may be temporarily closed, but we will be back as soon as we can and we will be ready to help with the recovery efforts.
“In the meantime, I urge people to continue to show kindness and compassion to those who are trying to keep us all safe and healthy, look after your wellbeing and please stay home and stay safe.”