The Isle of Wight has recently received a Silver award from the Institute of Excellence in Public Service for the way in which it responded to the COVID crisis.
As previously reported, the submission was made by the Isle of Wight Council on behalf of the community as a whole. It highlighted the way in which the Council worked with 27 local community ‘hubs’, its Voluntary and Community Sector partners, and the NHS to respond to community needs during the pandemic. The Council is now working with other organisations on the Island to consider how the lessons learned from this experience can be used to improve the quality of everyday services.
These plans were revealed at a recent workshop organised by the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils (IWALC), in conjunction with Community Action IW.
IWALC Chair, Diana Conyers, explained:
“The purpose of the workshop is to ensure that the partnership working established during Covid continues.”
Gill Kennet, Freshwater parish councillor, described how local parish and town councils worked with other organisations and volunteers in their communities and how these community ‘hubs’, were coordinated with the Isle of Wight Council, NHS and Island-wide voluntary organisations through regular ‘hub’ meetings that she chaired.
The workshop was held at Sandown Town Council’s Broadway Centre on Saturday 25 September. Participants included representatives from local councils and community organisations, the Chair of the National Association of Local Councils, the IW Council, the NHS Trust, Citizens Advice, Age UK and Healthwatch. It was sponsored by CCLA Investment Management and Hovertravel.
Diana continued:
“We asked Hovertravel because of the critical role they played during the pandemic and Neil Chapman, Hovertravel’s Managing Director, was quick to respond.”
Neil said:
“We are delighted to be able to support your efforts,’ he said. Refreshments were provided by Aspire Ryde, a community-based organisation that played a major role during the crisis.”
Lora Peacey-Wilcox, the IW Council leader, opened the workshop. She said:
“I can’t thank you enough for all the work you did during the crisis. We have learned from this and are determined to listen to you and work with you in the future.’
Participants welcomed the recent news that the IW NHS Trust has been taken out of special measures. NHS representatives, Nicola Longson and Kirk Millis-Ward, also stressed the importance of partnership working. They emphasised that the Trust could not have got through the pandemic without everyone’s support.
A steering group has been formed to follow up on the workshop’s recommendations.
What can we learn? That doctors are very lazy
“what can we learn from the way we respond from covid ?”
Build a few more hospitals and don’t trust the Chinese.
Hovertravel, wow, is that the same Hovertravel that had all their staff vaccinated BEFORE any hospital staff ? Yes well done to the NHS, but Hovertravel and Wightlink and Red Funnel did nothing to prevent the pre-christmas influx from tier 4 Portsmouth and Southampton on to our tier 1 island, after that we jumped from tier 1 to tier 4 overnight. Just sayin’
people at work applauding each other, this is bonkers they are just doing the jobs they are paid to do.
So the hospital was invited (who have done about 2,000 vaccinations), but primary care where they have given out 200,000 vaccinations were not. I bet a pound to a penny Nicola Longson didn’t raise that point.