Adult Social Care winter plan
The Adult Social Care winter plan that was recently published by government had two
additional requirements attached to it regarding care homes. Firstly, a self-assessment
questionnaire to provide assurance with care market sustainability, which we are currently working on. The second relates to Care Quality Commission (CQC) designated COVID Care Homes.
The latter requirement is for each authority to have an identified care home that will care for COVID-positive patients in a secluded area within its establishment, with its own care and support staff who only working with COVID patients. This commissioning request has come to Adult Social Care (ASC) to facilitate and inform CQC of the identified home.
We have a very good relationship with all of our care homes and all have indicated
previously they would not take COVID-positive patients. ASC is therefore working closely
with County and City colleagues to identify homes where we may all be able to facilitate
COVID-positive hospital discharges.

Local Area Coordinators Scheme
Rutland County Council is required to have a Local Area Coordinators Scheme for Test,
Track and Trace. These are people who will knock on doors if people in Rutland have
received a positive COVID test but failed to respond to phone calls informing them they
are positive. All coordinators will be wearing the necessary PPE.
COVID Marshalls
The question of COVID Marshalls has been discussed in detail at RTCG. There is
agreement that COVID Marshals would be beneficial in our towns to remind people about the need to follow social distancing, wear masks and wash their hands regularly. This is in order to be as proactive and preventative as possible.
Contingency planning
RTCG is looking at ways to fund extra resources to enable contingencies, should we are
to enter the second tier in the new government tier system or even the highest third tier.
RTCG has also discussed the possible need to close less business critical areas of the
council if needed, to support business critical services if the second wave continues and
escalates further. Plans are being put in place so we can act quickly if required.
Self-isolation payments
People are now required by law to self-isolate, supported by payment of £500 for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result.
We have now set up a scheme which went live from 12th October to administer self-
isolation payments. We have had six claims to date.
Further details can be found on our website: www.rutland.gov.uk/testandtracepayments.

Finance updates
There have been various announcements this week including the suggestion that we will receive another non-ring fenced COVID-19 grant to support all aspects of work from a further £1bn fund. We await the details on this. A full round up of the COVID-19 funding position will be presented in the November Finance report to Cabinet.
Local lockdown grants
The Council previously received guidance in respect of a Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG). This would involve making payments of up to £3,000 (revised from £1,500) to businesses (not only those who pay rates) which have closed or have been impacted by a local lockdown.
Some initial work has been undertaken and the Council will be stepping up plans to put
arrangements in place so we can respond if the need arise.

1. COVID-19
   a. Latest situation
   As of 4.00pm on Thursday 15 October, 673,622 people have tested positive for
   coronavirus in the UK.
   As of 4.00pm on Thursday 15 October, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 43,293 people have died across all settings within 28 days of a positive test.
   These figures will also be published on the daily dashboard: coronavirus.data.gov.uk.
   Rutland recorded 44 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the latest week (7-13 October). This equates to 110 cases per 100,000 people. The average area in England had 95.
   A total of 24 coronavirus-related deaths have been registered in Rutland as of 2 October.
   b. New COVID alert system
   The government has implemented a new three-tier ranking system for local authority areas across England, indicating the COVID threat level for each area. The three Local COVID Alert Levels are Medium, High and Very High.
   Rutland is currently ranked as Medium-risk, meaning:
    People must not socialise in groups larger than 6, indoors or outdoors (other than
   where a legal exemption applies)
    Businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-secure manner, other
   than those that remain closed in law
    Certain businesses are required to ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and must close between 10pm and 5am
    Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through
    Schools remain open
    Places of worship remain open, subject to the rule of 6
    Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees
    Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors, or
   indoors if the rule of 6 is followed
   This is all in addition to following public health guidance about hand washing, face
   coverings and social distancing.
   People living in England can find the Local COVID Alert Level for their area by using a
   postcode checker on the government’s website.

After the change from Rutland Radio to Greatest Hits radio, RCC have started a project to potentially create a Community Radio station to provide local content for Rutland. Rob Persani has been appointed as the project leader.

A survey has been created to provide input for the project. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, and can be found here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/rutlandcommunityradio?fbclid=IwAR2Q-7CGLXhi2zW1Tjzx2q4y0L7ERCpB-TNyeubhGv-GG6LHwxBOLxBalwk

More information can be found on the RCC web site –

https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-council/council-news/council-to-investigate-potential-for-community-radio-station/

This Post will expire at 7:05am on Monday December 14th, 2020.

We have received a report about the theft of tools from a vehicle parked on the road in North Luffenham in the last week, please be vigilant for suspicious activity

Tabletop Sale
Have you had a good clear out whilst in lockdown? Have items that are too good for the tip? Would like to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer research?
On Saturday July 25th in the South Luffenham Village Hall there will be a tabletop sale from 10am-4pm to raise donations for Macmillan Cancer research as we will not be able to hold the usual coffee morning to support them in September. It will be carried out within the recently published Covid19 guidelines for Village Halls with numbers in the hall at any one time being monitored, gloves available and facilities for hand sanitiser and hand washing in place.
If you would like to donate items, please contact Tracy Steward and arrangements will be made to bring your items to the hall at least 3 days before the event. Tracy 01780 729006 tracy.steward@outlook.com

Local company PennyGuides Ltd have VE Day party packs available to dress up your houses and family for social distancing parties at your home, garden or street.

They have also produced a free “D-Day to VE-day” app at http://gogo2.uk/ve telling the whole story for the 75th anniversary.

Please have a look, everything is in a pack for you to celebrate on one day what our previous generation did for us…follow the app; the surrender document in May is something else.

Order your pack online at www.pennyguides.co.uk and follow PennyGuides on Instagram, Facebook and their YouTube Channel. All at #pennyguides.

Please remember our war winning heroes as well as the NHS.

Have fun…as far as safely possible

An online VE Day celebration is being organised by North Luffenham based small business Penny Guides. Penny Guides, which preserves veteran’s stories within interactive battlefield tours was born of a conversation at @ The FOX pub.  The original plan for VE Day was to celebrate with activities and opportunities to gather and share veteran’s stories at the pub over the long weekend. The event has had to be planned a little differently now, with a combination of online and bottom of garden celebrations, activities for adults and children, joining in with the national toast and clap for veteran’s at 3 pm. A detailed agenda is attached. Let’s get the bunting out!

More details can be found on the PennyGuides Facebook page