COVID 19

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All Orchards services are open and are operating within government Covid-19 requirements and guidelines. This is an ever changing landscape.  

We are delighted to report an excellent collaboration between Orchards and our residents in terms of meeting and working with any restrictions the government impose.

When restrictions have been in the lockdown phase and face to face support has not been possible, we have been able to facilitate these sessions remotely by using Skype.  When staff have attended houses, PPE has been worn at all times and the ‘hands, face, space’ mantra observed throughout the whole time spent on site.

We have been able to reassure the ‘mums’ within our service by finding a way for continued contact with their children.  Where possible, they have gone to stay with their children and continued support is provided electronically.

Residents are aware of their own personal responsibility towards their behaviour in relation to the virus and what, potentially, they could be bringing into the house.  It is important to note that residents in a house count as one household.  Therefore, if anyone presents with symptoms, this means the whole house has to self-isolate.  However, as testing becomes more efficient, time spent in self-isolation potentially will become shorter.

At the time of this being published, we have just entered into a month’s lockdown, to be reviewed at the beginning of December 2020.