With the Met Office issuing a rare Red weather warning earlier today for parts of the UK including London and the South East, I hope everyone is managing to keep safe and warm. The alert has moved back to Amber this afternoon but the advice remains to stay at home and avoid travelling if possible. The council is working with our partners across the borough to help keep residents safe, and while most key council services are still operating some have had to be stood down for today. The latest information is on the council news site. Weather updates can be found on the Met Office website.
Improving our Early Years services
This week we have launched a survey to help shape and improve services we provide for young children up to the age of five. We would really like to hear from parents and carers as their views will be vital in making sure we provide the very best services for their children. You can do this by filling out the survey, which closes on 6 March. There are lots of services in Croydon to support children and their families but it is really important that we are able to regularly review and improve them, in turn improving outcomes and experiences for all the borough’s children and their diverse needs.
Supporting our older residents
We know the winter can be a difficult and sometimes lonely time for some of our elderly residents. We are pleased to support three local charities – Age UK Croydon, Asian Resource Centre Croydon and Croydon Neighbourhood Care Association – with funding to reach out to 1500 elderly people over the ages of 65 who don’t currently receive care services. These personal and informal check-ins will help identify any unmet support which either the council or the charities can provide. Calls are already under way and feedback from our partners has been very positive so far. All three charities do great work, please do reach out to them if someone you know is in need of assistance during the winter months.
Covid–19 update
It is great that so many of you have been playing your part to keep Croydon safe from Covid-19 and help prevent the virus spreading. However, the virus is still with us which is why the council’s Keep Croydon Safe (KCS) champions continue to be out every day on our streets offering residents assisted rapid lateral tests, even if you are asymptomatic, handing out home-testing kits and reminding people about the public health guidance to protect themselves and others. You will see our KCS champions either in their rapid testing vans which have now been in operation for two months or at one of the pop-ups sites in Croydon.
Webinars with Croydon health professionals are continuing for anyone wanting to know more about Covid-19 and vaccinations. Next week, the South-West London NHS is also hosting a webinar for pregnant women and another focusing on fertility.
Stay safe
Hamida
Councillor Hamida Ali, Leader of the council
#MyNameIs Hah-mee-dah
