Exceptional times...

As I write this blog we are in the middle of some of the most exceptional times.

I am trying to avoid using the dark and negative words as this only makes us feel more dark and negative so ‘exceptional’ will do for now!

The Chancellor’s statement rings loudly in our ears currently:

"When this is over, and it will be over, we want to look back at this moment and remember the many small acts of kindness done by us and to us. We want to remember how we thought first of others and acted with decency. We want to remember how, in the face of a generation-defining moment, we undertook a collective national effort - and we stood together"

And this is what we are hanging onto here.

Over and above everything else I must champion the actions of our hard-working staff team.

With their eyes firmly on the welfare of our Rose Road families they are doing everything in their power to keep moving forwards and keep us providing a service that is urgently needed now, and in the next few months.

Managers are re-writing schedules and work plans daily, and sometimes hourly, support workers are putting their own fears aside and continuing to deliver the kind of care for which ‘social distancing’ is not possible, and all staff are picking up tasks that are not now, and never have been, in their job descriptions. It is an honour to work with this team. COVID19 is a great leveller. We are all equally scared.

But we are here, and we will continue to be here for as long as we safely can be.

We are deeply grateful for the support of the Government. We know there are still gaps, we have to address what happens for our valued bank and overtime staff and whether we furlough people and reclaim the 80% or retain staff fluidity and engagement and hope our commissioners will look well on paying us for ‘planned’ services rather than ‘delivered’ services. This is essential as we are paying vastly increased food and PPE costs and the 80% reclaim cannot help us with that.

You will have seen our fundraising campaign, we are desperate to remain open and there is a lot of financial uncertainly currently, if you are able to support us – we would be very grateful on behalf of our families.

We will muster our greatest efforts to be here for as long as our families need us to be.