West Sussex response to Covid-19

Protecting the most vulnerable has been at the heart of West Sussex County Council’s response to Covid-19.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 staff across the County Council have worked really hard to support residents.

The council’s Cabinet will meet on April 22 to receive a formal update on the County’s response. The Cabinet will be holding a virtual formal meeting, in line with new Government Regulations, as councillors aren’t currently able to meet in person.

They will hear that following the Government’s official lock-down the council, in partnership with district and borough councils, launched community hubs across the county to make sure those people who are vulnerable, or have been made vulnerable by Covid-19, get the support, supplies and help they need.

Social care staff across the council have been working in hospitals and people’s homes supporting residents with social care and health needs.

Hospital discharge hubs have been set up to manage how people are moving through hospitals and care settings and where beds and support are required. This has been set up in partnership with local NHS organisations. As new patients become ready for discharge, teams are working hard to ensure that they can leave hospital as quickly and safely as possible.

Cabinet will be updated on the economic impact of the virus in West Sussex. A briefing will show that large scale job losses and long closures to business are having a significant impact but plans are in place to support the economy as and when the country starts to move into recovery.

The Cabinet will also receive an update on improvements to the Fire and Rescue Service and details of how improvements to Children’s Services continue despite the challenges of Covid-19. This means the county’s most vulnerable children continue to get the support they need.

Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council said: “This virus has caused such significant disruption to our country both in people’s lives as they struggle to cope with isolation, illness and , for some, losing loved ones. It has also meant many people have not being able to rely on their usual networks of support and help, leaving them vulnerable. That is where we have done all we can to step in and support our residents. We know this is a worrying and difficult time for every single one of us but we hope we can be there for our residents throughout. I want to use this opportunity to pay testament to our dedicated and committed staff who have gone way above and beyond to do everything possible to support our communities. I am confident that West Sussex along with the rest of the country will bounce back stronger than ever from these difficult circumstances but in the meantime I reiterate the plea to stay safe, stay inside and take care.”

The full briefing paper on West Sussex’s response to Covid-19 can be found here. Additional updates will be given on the day due to the fast-moving nature of the situation.

All the councillors and officers are attending via an online conference call, so the public aren’t able to physically attend the meeting. However the meeting is being audio webcast so that the public can listen to the meeting and hear the discussion. You can access the webcast on the day here.

The agenda and papers for the meeting will be published in the usual way, via the County Council website

Our community hubs operate across the county. Wherever you live you can contact the West Sussex hub at www.westsussex.gov.uk/covid19communityhub or call 033 022 27980 from 8am -8pm, 7 days a week. However in some areas there are specific websites: