Coronavirus - How my south Swindon constituency office is working to support local residents

We are all facing significant challenges due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. With more people being asked to self-isolate, it is vital that we follow the advice of the Government’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer and also look at what we can do to support our neighbours and the most vulnerable in our society. Many local residents shave been in touch to ask what I am doing to help here in Swindon, so I wanted to give a summary.

My South Swindon constituency office team has been focussing on supporting all those constituents and local businesses who require assistance and advice, prioritising the most vulnerable and urgent cases. I have set up a Coronavirus page on my website with all the latest up to date NHS and Government advice for residents, health professionals, local businesses, charities and community organisations. As well as national information, this webpage also contains useful local information and details of the support available. There has been a lot of misinformation circulating on the internet and social media about Coronavirus and fraudsters have also been using the virus to scam vulnerable people. Therefore, I aimed to provide residents here in South Swindon with a webpage full of trusted and reliable sources in order to avoid these scams. You can find this page by visiting https://www.robertbuckland.co.uk/coronavirus-covid-19

My South Swindon office has been facing an unprecedented demand with hundreds of emails coming in daily and more than 1,000 individual cases opened since 1st March. Many residents have required urgent financial assistance due to Coronavirus, and my team has been working closely with the Department of Work and Pensions to assist those making claims for Universal Credit and other benefits. We have also been assisting those residents who have been having issues with supplies of groceries, including those on the vulnerable list, those who are self-isolating and those who are in financial difficulty. We have signposted residents to local agencies including Swindon Borough Council, Voluntary Action Swindon, Royal Voluntary Service, The Harbour Project, Swindon Scrapstore, Swindon Food Collective and the newly formed Swindon Supports group.

I have been working with all local supermarkets to ensure that they are aware of vulnerable residents who require assistance and online delivery slots.

I am also assisting local schools who are experiencing difficulties with the free school meal voucher system, recently introduced by the Government, by referring those in immediate need to Swindon Food Collective.

Many parents have contacted me for advice and information about cancelled GCSE and A-level exams. My team has provided up to date information from the Department of Education and addressed the concerns raised.

This is a particularly difficult time for parents, and I have assisted those parents who have been in touch with my office by providing support and information about charities such as Action for Children who are on hand to support them through this period. Their website contains lots of guidance for parents concerned about Coronavirus, with tips on where to go for help and advice, as well as specific resources to aid mental and emotional wellbeing. There is also the option to chat with parenting coaches online and to read articles featuring their suggestions for keeping children of all ages engaged and entertained. This can be found here: www.parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/

I am in regular contact with the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that our medical staff have the PPE equipment that they need. I have also signposted NHS staff, health and social care workers and NHS volunteers (critical care workers) to a new website created to help find free parking locations quickly and easily, supporting the Government’s Coronavirus free parking scheme for critical workers. Details can be found here www.parkopedia.co.uk/nhs-covid19-parking/

For those who are in hospital, I am pressing Hospedia, the company providing a phone and television service to patients at Great Western Hospital, to temporarily drop their charges to assist those financially affected by Coronavirus.

My team has also been providing support and assistance to those residents stranded abroad due to Coronavirus, prioritising the most vulnerable who have required urgent assistance to return home and helping to find flights.

We have had around 55 repatriation cases and assisted people stranded in countries including Peru, America, Dubai, India, Australia, Goa and Egypt. My team also provided support and assistance to a local running club who had six members stranded in Cyprus. We contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hotline number for regular updates about what was happening in the country and signposted runners to the public helpline, as well as Consular services so they could register themselves. We also regularly checked flights to see what was available and ensured that the group were aware of these. We were in close contact with other MPs’ offices at this time to share information and tips on what had been done to help people in a similar situation.

Many local businesses, large and small have contacted my office during this time. We’ve also received a high volume of emails from self-employed residents and dealt with lots of queries about which government support scheme they come under. Many employees have been in touch to seek advice about furloughing and what support the government and their employer can offer them. My office has also been helping small businesses liaise with both Swindon Borough Council and banks when it comes to applying for business interruption loans and small business rate relief.

I have also been contacted by local businesses and individuals who have offered their support to the local community at this time by providing food donations and other help and assistance. I have put these fantastic local businesses and residents in touch with the relevant local support agencies, including Voluntary Action Swindon.

I have been working closely with Wiltshire Police to ensure that those who are not following the current Government guidelines are reprimanded and issued with fines. I have also been working closely with the Neighbourhood Policing Teams here in South Swindon, passing on information and the concerns of the local residents who have contacted me.

Sadly, domestic violence has increased due to the current restrictions and not every house is a safe one. 

I have been working hard to ensure that those with concerns about their safety are aware of the local support available to them and encouraging them to reach out to services such as Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Services which can be found online https://swadomesticabuse.org/ or by ringing the 24-hour helpline on 01793 610610.

Over recent weeks, I have also received a series of complaints from residents about bonfires. I contacted Swindon Borough Council about this issue, and they have since published the following guidance: “Bonfires should be avoided at all costs during this time of crisis as they can: cause difficulties for residents with breathing problems as well as those displaying symptoms of Coronavirus; release toxic smoke when some items are burnt; upset neighbours who want to open their windows and enjoy their gardens; and quickly get out control and put additional pressures on emergency respondents.”

In accordance with Government guidance, my team have been working from home as much as possible. We are operating a telephone voice message system and picking up messages promptly. We are facing an unprecedented workload due to coronavirus, as well as continuing with ongoing casework from before the outbreak, which is unrelated. My staff are voluntarily working many extra hours, despite facing their own challenges, like many of us, with children home from school and staff members having to self-isolate due to Coronavirus symptoms.

Along with my team, I will continue to do all that I can to support local residents, key local agencies, local businesses, charities and community organisations at this difficult time.