County council takes lead in assisting citizens during Covid-19 crisis
Offaly County Council is spearheading a dedicated Covid-19 Community Response Forum to assist citizens during the current crisis.
A dedicated community support helpline has been established to assist at risk members of the public in accessing non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice during the current public health emergency.
The confidential free phone line service 1800-818181 and email covidsupport@offalycoco.ie is being established by the new COVID-19 Offaly Community Response Forum, which includes over a dozen agencies and organisations. The helpline is focused primarily on ensuring that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access deliveries of groceries, medicine and fuels. The role of the Forum is to ensure that there is a co-ordinated community response and to enable all voluntary statutory agencies to collaborate in support of our communities and particularly of our most vulnerable members.
Included in the COVID-19 Offaly Community Response Forum are:
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The new phone line 1800-818181 is just one aspect of the Forum’s work. Its core aim is contributing to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Offaly County Council, through this group, will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across the county to assist those in need, will do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way. The Council’s COVID-19 Community Response Forum is there to ensure the very best use of the many resources assisting vulnerable persons with their daily needs at this unprecedented time, whether that is collecting medication, food shopping, social support and contact.
Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Anna Marie Delaney explains: “There are a number of agencies currently doing excellent work in delivering care to older and vulnerable people in our communities. These groups are currently operating independently of each other and Offaly County Council’s role is to provide a targeted, integrated and coordinated approach to the delivery of these much needed services to our more vulnerable citizens across the County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offaly County Councilis ideally placed both statutorily and regionally to channel this great work and provide the governance structure in partnership with all stakeholders. This public health crisis has changed life for so many, and we are there to help with that change.
“Our own staff whose day-jobs have changed due to this crisis, will be a key resource in the management and operation of this community support programme along with our partner agencies/groups. The lines will be open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week.”.
Contact details of this new service phone 1800-818181 and email covidsupport@offalycoco.ie will be promoted on www.offaly.ie and on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. An information leaflet including the new freephone number and other information will be distributed around the county, particularly to vulnerable households, over the coming days.