An update from Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Mike Coupe

I wrote to you last week to update you on how we are supporting elderly and vulnerable customers with access to groceries online. I wanted to share some progress we have made on this over the past few days.

When I wrote last, we had offered 450,000 elderly and vulnerable customers priority booking to online delivery. At the end of last week we received the government database, which includes details of all the people in England who have registered with the government to say that they are vulnerable and need help getting a food shop.

Since then we have been able to match almost 150,000 additional customers against our database. We have already contacted almost 30,000 of those and so we are now contacting almost 120,000 additional customers to offer them a priority delivery slot.

We are waiting for the databases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will contact vulnerable customers in those areas as soon as we are able.

We know many elderly and vulnerable people who need to self-isolate are relying on the kindness of family, friends and local communities to shop on their behalf and we encourage this.

You wrote to tell me that product limits were a barrier to being able to shop for other people. We understand that it can be difficult to buy what you need and shop for someone else with the 3 item product limit.

We have now lifted buying restrictions on thousands of products and hope that this will help more of you to shop for others. I also want to reassure you that stock levels are now much better right across the store.

We are keeping limits on the most popular items for now, including pasta, UHT milk, antibacterial products and some tinned and frozen foods. But you can now feel confident in shopping in our stores at any time of day and being able to find most of what you need.

To help people shop for others easily, we will be introducing a new volunteer gift card and online voucher in the next week or two. I will share more information on this soon.

Many of you have also written to me to tell me about food banks and community groups near you that are struggling in this crisis. We know from our ongoing support of food banks that this is a particularly tough time for them right across the country.

To help with this, we have donated £3 million to Fareshare, who will use that money to distribute donated food to the people who need it the most.

We are also partnering with Comic Relief and the BBC on The Big Night In which aims to raise money for people impacted by COVID 19. We’ll be sharing more information on this in stores and online.

Best wishes

Mike

Voiceover artists say: Keep Talking

Over 70 male, female and child voiceover artists have donated their voices to a specially-made radio commercial to encourage listeners to ‘keep talking’ whilst the UK is in lockdown.

“Voiceovers United” is a project created, written and produced by Voiceover Artist and award-winning Radio Commercial Producer, John Calvert. The message encourages listeners to ‘stay at home, protect the NHS, stay safe… And Keep Talking.”

John Calvert said: “Voiceovers often spend hours and hours cooped up in a small booth or room. Most of us in the trade are perfectly used to that. But for those who aren’t so used to isolation, the long lonely lockdown could have adverse effects on mental health. We all know talking is a great way to get things off your chest and who better to promote this than voiceovers?”

Some of the UK’s leading voiceover artists have joined the project. These include X Factor voice Peter Dickson; ‘Voice of the Balls’ Alan Dedicoat; film trailer voice Redd Pepper; Big Brother Voiceover Marcus Bentley; Flash Gordon, Blackadder and Star Wars character actor Brian Blessed and many more familiar voices from the world of TV, radio, film, advertising, gaming, animation and automation. Everyone who participated, including voiceover agents, animation companies and music publishers gave their services for free.

The voiceovers were sent a script and recorded the lines in their own studios. The audio was then sent back to the studio at Airforce Radio Commercial Production in Wiltshire and seamlessly mixed together.

John Calvert added: “So many leading voices uniting for something like this has never been done before, and the response to the initiative was far beyond anything I expected.

“What we have ended up with is a very powerful, yet entertaining message. I hope everyone will feel reassurance from hearing the message, share it with others and … Keep Talking.”

Voiceover Artist Emma Clarke (voice of ‘mind the gap’ and ‘Avalon’ in the Hollywood blockbuster feature film ‘Passengers’) said: “During this unprecedented period, we’re all alone together.

“I love the idea of lone voices coming together to create a whole in this gorgeous piece of audio. It reflects what’s happening in the world – that we all have to play our part as individuals to help the whole world.

“Everyone I speak to is feeling the same – tired, scared, overwhelmed, angry, powerless… and also joyful, connected, needed, loved, hopeful. We’re all feeling the same vulnerabilities. There’s something very powerful in that shared experience and for me, that’s what this piece of audio is about.”

The Voiceovers United project is inviting radio stations across the UK to broadcast the commercial at any time they see fit. It is available to download for free on Soundcloud.

80 second version: https://soundcloud.com/airforce-co-uk/voiceovers-united-keep-talking-final-80

60 second version: https://soundcloud.com/airforce-co-uk/voiceovers-united-keep-talking-final-60

30 second version: https://soundcloud.com/airforce-co-uk/voiceovers-united-keep-talking-30

Home Schooling: Parents worry that children will fall behind

Two thirds of parents say their child’s education is more important than their job during lockdown
Average parent can only commit 3 hours a day to home schooling
A third of parents worried their children will fall behind in modern subjects they don’t feel comfortable teaching

A new study has revealed that 1 in 5 UK parents will only be able to spend up to two hours each day on home schooling their children during the current school closures, leaving them worried that youngsters will miss out on learning certain subjects.

In research commissioned by BT to launch its Code a Cake online experience, it was found that on average parents of children aged 5-11 would be able to dedicate three hours a day to home schooling, despite 66% saying that their children’s education takes priority over their job.

As parents across the country find themselves thrust into juggling full time work with full time teaching for the foreseeable future, more than a third (32%) are worried that their children will fall behind in certain subjects as no one in their household is confident enough to teach them.

Of the subjects to be cut from the domestic curricula, subjects such as computer sciences – including coding – are most likely to be scrapped first as parents weren’t taught them at school: just 24% of those questioned feel comfortable teaching IT and computer science, while coding is the subject parents feel least comfortable with (only 8% do). In comparison, the subjects parents feel most comfortable teaching at home are maths (62%), English (58%) and P.E. (43%).

BT Code a Cake is a new online experience which introduces children aged 6-11 to the art of coding through a simple baking analogy, allowing parents to teach their children coding in a simple and fun way.

Kerensa Jennings, Digital Impact Director, BT, said: “With the UK facing such extraordinary hardship, BT wants Code a Cake to play a small, yet important role in inspiring and supporting parents and children at this challenging time.

“Families need more help than ever as they try to keep their kids educated and entertained at home. Our Skills for Tomorrow initiative is here to help people make the most of technology, and we want to do our bit to help children have fun and keep on learning.”

Presenter and father, Joe Swash, who has been using BT’s Code a Cake to teach his kids coding, added: “Code a Cake has been amazing for helping me keep the boys occupied at home, it’s an even bigger bonus that they’re learning a new skill, particularly something so important such as coding.

“I am quite out of my depth when it comes to teaching digital skills, so anything that can help is invaluable. It is simple, fun, and I’m sure will come in handy for lots of parents over the coming weeks.”

More on BT’s Skills for Tomorrow initiative can be found here: bt.com/skillsfortomorrow

Code a Cake is available here: bt.com/codeacake

Top tips to keep your hands in good health

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Dermatology team has issued some top tips for the public to keep their hands healthy in response to COVID-19.

With people washing their hands more than they ever have before, many of us will experience symptoms of dermatitis, manifesting in dry, chapped, itchy and swollen skin on our hands which can be very painful.

However, following some basic and practical advice can go a long way to ensuring we are able to keep hands clean – in line with national guidance – while also maintaining good hand health along the way.

Here’s some top tips for following guidance, treating dermatitis and mitigating the chances of it occurring:

Wash hands regularly with soap, paying attention to areas between the fingers and around the nails, for 20 seconds. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
Apply moisturisers after drying your hands. These should be fragrance-free. Use a greasier moisturiser at bedtime under cotton gloves (or socks) if hands are particularly chapped.
Avoid any wet work if your skin is very dry or splitting.
Try to wear gloves for household chores.
Avoid unnecessary tasks that add extra stress to the hands eg. use of bleach, painting and decorating, gardening, car washing etc.
Mild topical steroids can be purchased over the counter from community pharmacies and can be useful if skin itchy or inflamed. Use twice a day for a week whilst adhering to good hand care rules.

Con Gillespie, lead nurse for Dermatology at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “While it’s crucial for us all to be washing our hands more often, as a result, many of us will also have experienced symptoms of dermatitis such as dry, itchy skin, rashes and swelling.

“This change occurs due to skin being irritated by cleaning products such hand sanitiser and soap, and even water. It can be quite painful if untreated so following these basic but effective tips will help minimise any irritation, and help your keep your hands healthy throughout COVID-19.”

Charity provides Emergency Supply Packs to Sick Kids’ Hospital

An Edinburgh children’s charity is providing emergency supply packs to support children and families in hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) – which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children – has launched an emergency appeal to help families having to cope with the impact of the outbreak on top of the distress of having a sick or injured child.

The free emergency packs contain non-perishable food products and essential items including nappies, toilet roll, tinned soup, beans and tea bags so parents and carers do not have the additional stress of shopping for their families while their child is in hospital.

As well as emergency parcels, ECHC is working hard to continue to provide its services to the RHSC during the pandemic. The charity’s hospital shop is staying open to fuel NHS staff over the coming weeks; it has launched a telephone support service to give advice and assurance to families; play specialists continue to provide smiles and distraction while the ward playrooms are closed; and it is continuing to provide parent accommodation so families can stay close to their children during lockdown.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “The safety of children, families and NHS staff is our immediate priority. These are unprecedented times for all of us and, just like at home, things are different at the ‘Sick Kids’. Children and families are anxious as the pandemic progresses.

“Right now, people may be feeling scared, stressed, isolated from family and friends or worrying how they will keep themselves and their family fed and occupied. Now imagine if you also had a child in hospital.

“The incredible NHS staff are working round the clock to make sure every child gets exceptional care throughout the crisis and we at ECHC are doing everything we can to help to reduce fear and isolation and to comfort and support families when they need it most.

“This is why we have launched our COVID-19 Emergency Appeal as we urgently need donations to continue to do this. Times are difficult for all of us, but if anyone would still like to give, donations could provide a family with a much-needed food pack, fund a special play session at a child’s bedside or pay for a mum and dad to stay in our parent accommodation and be close to their child at the toughest of times.”

A donation of £10 could fund an emergency supply pack for one family, £15 could fund a special bedside play or creative session and £50 could pay for parents and carers to stay in ECHC’s parent accommodation for one week.

Donations can be made online at https://echcharity.org/support-us/covid-19-appeal

Extra hardship payments for students

A £5 million package of emergency financial support is being put in place to help students facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Extra cash will be available to any university and college students now struggling as a result of COVID-19, including those attending private institutions.

The £5 million includes an additional £2.2 million for Scotland’s Higher Education (HE) Discretionary Fund specifically to address COVID-19-related hardships, which will be available to colleges and universities immediately.

University and college students will be able to apply for any emergency discretionary payments directly to their own institutions.

Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We are ensuring students studying in Scotland should have access to emergency support should they be facing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 or the social distancing and isolation measures that have been introduced.

“All bursaries, grants and loans are continuing to be paid as planned but the current unprecedented situation has resulted in increased hardship. That is why we are making extra funding immediately available for students most in need, to help alleviate concerns around accommodation costs, mental health issues, general living costs and wellbeing.

“Institutions will be provided with specific guidance on the discretionary funding related to COVID-19, to explain all relevant details while students can access the latest information on COVID-19 on the Student Information Scotland website.”

Student Information Scotland (SIS) website

An additional £2.2 million will be available immediately through the Higher Education Discretionary Fund, and will supplement £569,000 already issued. The remaining £2 million emergency student funding has been forward by the Scottish Funding Council from Further Education student support budgets for immediate use.

Other details of the emergency package include:

• £100,000 available to support around 1,000 students studying with private providers, administered by Student Awards Agency Scotland and paid directly to affected students.

a three-month suspension by SAAS of all new debt recovery actions in respect to grants and bursaries, for students whose circumstances have changed and therefore may have to return overpayments – expected to benefit around 600 individuals. Where a student is experiencing difficulties SAAS will work with them to agree the best options, with suspension potentially one of the solutions. Some individuals may still wish to continue recovery with a reduced payment plan.• an extension of the Care-Experienced Accommodation Grant from early April allowing eligible students to access support of a non-repayable grant of up to £105 per week – this is eight weeks earlier than usual benefiting around 200 students worth an estimated £200,000.

FCA confirms temporary financial relief for customers impacted by coronavirus

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today confirmed a package of targeted temporary measures to help people with some of the most commonly used consumer credit products.

Following a short consultation the FCA will be going ahead with the proposals outlined last week, which will give firms the flexibility under our rules to provide temporary financial relief to those facing payment difficulties during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Christopher Woolard, interim Chief Executive at the FCA, said: ‘We know many people are suffering financial pressures brought on as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The measures we’ve announced are designed to provide people affected with short-term financial support through what could be a very difficult time. The changes will provide support for consumers with credit cards, loans and overdrafts, facing temporary financial difficulties because of the pandemic.

‘Customers should think carefully before making use of these measures and only do so if they need immediate help. Where they can still afford to make payments, they should continue to do so.

‘We know there is still more work to be done, and we will be announcing further measures to support consumers in other parts of the credit market in the future, including in the motor finance sector next week.’

The measures include firms being expected to:

offer a temporary payment freeze on loans and credit cards for up to three months, for consumers negatively impacted by coronavirus
allow customers who are negatively impacted by coronavirus and who already have an arranged overdraft on their main personal current account, up to £500 charged at zero interest for three months
make sure that all overdraft customers are no worse off on price when compared to the prices they were charged before the recent overdraft pricing changes came into force
ensure consumers using any of these temporary payment freeze measures will not have their credit file affected

The rule changes will be in force from today and the full range of measures will apply by Tuesday 14 April 2020.

This is to allow firms time to ensure they have the appropriate level of resources available to handle customer requests. All firms will be ready to receive customer requests by 14 April, although some firms including the major banks and building societies, will be adopting the changes today.

Consumers should check firm websites or social media posts for more information, and where possible use online services to request assistance.

This will reduce the pressure on firm call centres who are experiencing a high demand in calls due to the current pandemic situation. If consumers need to get in touch by telephone please be patient and, if you can, wait until after the Easter weekend, even if your lender is offering help sooner than the 14 April 2020.

In response to the consultation, the guidance now includes clarification on which products are in scope. In particular, the FCA are confirming that the following products are covered: guarantor loans, logbook loans, home collected credit, a loan issued by Community Development Finance Institution and some loans issued by credit unions, but only where these are regulated. The guidance also applies to firms which have acquired such loans.

These measures won’t replace normal forbearance rules where these would be more suitable for a consumer in serious and immediate financial difficulty. Consumers in financial difficulty should contact the Money Advice Service (MAS) for further guidance.

The FCA will keep this guidance under review.

Police issue email scam warning

We’re aware of an email scam going around which appears as if from the Government and NHS, asking for charitable donations to help fund their efforts.

Criminals will use any opportunity they can to defraud the public out of money, often impersonating professional and legitimate organisations.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into donating money, and never make donations by cash or gift card, or send money through transfer agents such as Western Union or Moneygram.
Be sceptical if you receive an email, text or WhatsApp in relation to #Coronavirus, and never click on any attachments or links.
Never provide personal data such as your full name, address and date of birth – scammers can use this information to steal your identity.

Further information on dealing with scams and fraud is available from Trading Standards Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland or visit: http://ow.ly/G5yg50yQ4qu

#COVID19
#ShutOutScammers

MPs want to hear experiences of people claiming benefits

Westminster’s Work and Pensions Committee wants to hear about how coronavirus is affecting people who rely on the benefits system as part of its new inquiry into the DWP’s response to the virus outbreak.

The Committee is interested in finding out about the experiences of people who are having to claim benefits for the first time, the experiences of people who were already claiming benefits, and the experiences of people who need support but find they can’t claim any benefits.

The Committee has also published a letter from the Permanent Secretary at the DWP responding to several questions about the Universal Credit application process and how the Department is dealing with the unprecedented increase in applications. The letter reveals that nearly a million new claims were made between 16 March and 3 April this year.

The Chair wrote to the Permanent Secretary following the evidence session on March 25.

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “The DWP’s front line staff are making a herculean effort to deal with the unprecedented numbers of new claims for Universal Credit, and we thank them for everything they’re doing at such a difficult time.

“I know they will be focused on making sure that people who need money urgently get their payments as quickly as possible. But it is disappointing that the Permanent Secretary can’t tell us what proportion of people who’ve asked for an Advance payment have had one, or tell us anything about the delays that people are facing on DWP’s phonelines.

“So we can better understand the issues faced by people who rely on the benefits system, we’d like to hear from people about their experiences getting the support they need. We are keen to hear about any specific problems claiming benefits and also more generally about whether people are getting enough money to support themselves and their families during these immensely difficult days.”

Some of the questions the Committee is interested in are:

How well is the Universal Credit system working for the unprecedented numbers of new claimants?
Has there been any improvement in the significant delays that new UC claimants were experiencing in the second half of March?
How quickly are people who ask for Advance payments of Universal Credit receiving their payments?

What lessons can be learned from the changes that have been made to the processes for verifying the identity of UC claimants? Are there any particular changes that should stay in place after the outbreak ends?
How effective have DWP’s communications with the public been during this period?
How do the needs of people claiming UC for the first time now differ from the needs of groups who’ve claimed UC in the past? How well is Universal Credit working for these new groups of people?
Are there any indications of how well the UC system will work for these claimants as they move into work in the short- to medium-term?

How well is the benefits system working for self-employed people who aren’t able to access the Government’s Self-employment Income Support Scheme? Is there a case for temporarily suspending the capital limits in UC during this period?
How easy is it for people to understand what they’re entitled to claim? For example:

Is it clear enough how the benefits system interacts with other forms of Government support during this period, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme?
Is it clear enough how public health guidance interacts with the benefits system?

How is the assessment process for Employment Support Allowance working? Have there been any difficulties with obtaining medical evidence to support claims?
What impact has the outbreak had on people who were waiting for a Mandatory Reconsideration of a decision, or who were going through the appeals process?
Have people who were already claiming benefits when the outbreak began seen any changes to the support they receive from DWP?
Are people who are claiming benefits receiving enough money to cover their basic living costs during this period?
Are there groups of people who need support but aren’t able to access it through the benefits system? What should DWP be doing to support those people?

Are support organisations and charities able to access the resources they need from DWP to support vulnerable people? What more could DWP be doing to facilitate that support?

GET INVOLVED

If you’re someone with personal experience of the benefits system, you might prefer to complete our short survey. The deadline is Wednesday 15 April.

If you’re responding on behalf of an organisation, or you’re an individual who wants to send us a longer written submission, you can send us your evidence here.

You don’t need to answer all of the questions below, and you can tell us anything relevant, even if it isn’t covered by these questions. The deadline for sending your views is 11am on Thursday 16 April.

University produces face masks for frontline health workers

Edinburgh Napier is rushing out scores of specially-designed visors to protect health workers on the Covid-19 frontline.

Workshop technician Colin Malcolm began churning out the face shields using a laser cutter at the Merchiston campus just hours after hearing about nurses trying to make their own from cotton before going on shift.

The masks – strips of polypropylene sheet plastic fastened to a clear acetate visor– are now being delivered to nurses and care workers who run the risk of infection every time they turn up for work.

The quick turnaround production line was set up on Monday after Ruth Cochrane, Enterprise Lead for the School of Arts and Creative Industries, heard from a relative who works as a community nurse in Ayrshire that she had been trying to make her own surgical mask from fabric.

Ruth also saw a social media post about design technology staff at Edinburgh Academy manufacturing face shields to donate to the NHS, and began discussions with Colin about how the University could modify the school’s design to produce a protective mask on our own workshop equipment.

Two large sheets of plastic, a laser cutter and a rivet gun were enough to inspire Colin’s own version of the design

After getting the go-ahead from University managers to be on the premises during the lockdown period, Colin made 20 of the protective masks during an initial session on Monday and hopes to have produced more than 100 by the weekend.

Ruth said: “The design is rudimentary and the masks are reasonably disposable but they will work as a stop-gap measure until official supply lines get going and I don’t think there will be a shortage of people to deliver them to.

“I have given a batch to a community nursing team, and the efforts of Edinburgh Academy have led to requests from nurses, care homes and hospices.

“We are in a situation where nurses are trying to make surgical masks in their own home, so we can certainly use our skills to create a better solution. Even if it only made one nurse safer at work for one day then it would have been worth having a go.”

Colin said: “At a time of national crisis many people are going the extra mile to make life a little bit more comfortable for others, so we are pleased to be able to use our skills and resources to bring a measure of protection to those who are working so hard in healthcare settings.”