The current situation surrounding Coronavirus (Covid-19) is constantly changing. There’s so much information in the media and there’s a lot of uncertainty what this will mean for us all going forward.
Right now we all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in society. The best way that we can help as an organisation is to do our part in preventing the wider transmission of the virus.
Safer London supports young Londoners and their families affected by violence and exploitation. We will continue to be there for them during this time. We will monitor the situation closely, ensuring that Safer London is doing our part to delay the spread of the virus, whilst continuing to provide the best possible service to those we support and our staff.
As advice around public health evolves and we continue to better understand how to slow the spread of Covid-19, we’ll adapt how we work and deliver our support. Therefore, Safer London has put the following contingencies in place to ensure that we’re as prepared as possible to continue delivering services and support as the situation develops.
- As of 17th March Safer London transitioned to a remote way of working. This means all staff who aren’t required to directly work in the community are now working from home.
- All staff are equipped with the necessary equipment to carry out their work remotely with no disruption. This includes laptops, mobile phones and we have moved to a virtual office environment, using tools such as video conferencing.
- Our frontline staff will continue working with young people out in their communities wherever possible. We’re increasing the use of alternative channels to communicate with the young people and families we support, such as the use of video-calls and direct messaging.
- Safer London has organised a virtual roundtable with the leadership of other significant community and voluntary services delivery partners in London. We will use this forum to share our learning and good practice, and also to establish mechanisms for mutual aid between the organisations should this become necessary.
By taking these steps we’re ensuring the health and safety of the young Londoners we work with, their families, our employees and wider society.
We want to say thank you to our funders and partners for their support. The solidarity across the sector gives us reassurance that we can all get through this together.
The next few weeks and months are going to be challenging for us all. We don’t yet know what impact this will have on communities across London. Please keep in mind your family, friends and neighbours. Check in on them, make sure they’re ok and look out for those who need it the most.
Wishing everyone the best,
The Safer London Team
If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@saferlondon.org.uk.