Tag: letter

Call Centre Workers Still Putting Their Lives On The Line

Covid-19 still a major threat to call centre workers’ health

Workers call for more action to protect staff

Covid-19 still presents a major threat to contact centre workers and action needs to be taken to protect them, according to a letter from the STUC to the Scottish Government.

The letter is a response to the work of the Scottish Government’s Working Group for Contact Centres and urges them to audit Scottish call centres and ensure employers are following guidelines and revising risk assessments.

The letter comes after new variants of the disease have been confirmed and a major outbreak in DVLA Swansea confirms the danger presented in large workplaces. The letter argues that the conditions in sealed buildings with mechanical heating and ventilation systems magnify the problem.

The letter has the backing of Call Centre Collective- a trade union-backed grassroots organisation formed in response to the pandemic- who have organised a petition in support.

Craig Anderson from Call Centre Collective said: “The Scottish Government needs to listen and take active steps to protect workers. We know there are some employers cutting corners and taking unnecessary risks with the safety of their staff.

“It would be unforgivable, after seeing what happened in Swansea, if no lessons are learned from it. We urge anyone who with an interest in protecting workers to sign our petition supporting the STUC’s letter and keep up the pressure.”

Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, added, “Throughout this pandemic one of the largest sources of complaints to unions and MSPs has been from call centre workers.

“The new evidence on transmission and the risks inherent with new variants makes it absolutely essential that we see action now.”

Season’s greetings

This year has been a difficult year, because we all miss our usual means of support, the comfort of gathering with friends and family, Shattering of plans, and not being part of our traditions, etc.

Challenging times often make people reflect on the importance of the people in their lives and the gratitude for those who helped them get through the year.

As 2020 comes to a close, I would like to send you a heartfelt Thank you for all your support in 2020, which we know has been a challenging year.

Our best wishes to you and your family for health and happiness in the coming year.

Thank you.

Kind Regards

Puneet Dwivedi

World of Books and Red Cross seek to reunite piece of World War 2 history with its owner

  • World of Books Group have discovered a moving and poignant hand-written letter from a British World War 2 soldier serving in Italy.
  • The note, written to thank a schoolgirl who had spent time knitting mittens for troops in the trenches, was found tucked away inside a book.
  • During the War, those on the home front were encouraged to knit comforts for serving soldiers, with widespread initiatives run by organisations such as the British Red Cross.
  • World of Books and the British Red Cross are now looking to reunite this piece of World War 2 history with its owner and discover more about the soldier who penned it.

On a winter’s day in February 1944 from Italy, a Lance Corporal named ‘John’ took to pen and paper to thank a schoolgirl in High Wycombe for her small yet valuable contribution to the war effort – knitting mittens for anonymous troops in the trenches.

76 years later, this piece of World War 2 history was rediscovered by World of Books, the UKs largest seller of used books and media, tucked away inside a book being prepared for resale.

The letter’s recipient, ‘Miss Pat’ of Hatters Lane Senior School in High Wycombe Buckinghamshire, would have been one of many civilians on the home front who were encouraged to do their bit to support the British War effort, according to the British Red Cross who were approached by the company for help – and who themselves ran a number of initiatives to get Britain knitting.

The British Red Cross has been helping people in crisis for 150 years, providing support to those who need it most, no matter who or where they are. During the First and Second World Wars, the organisation gave relief to sick and wounded members of the armed forces, prisoners of war and civilians.

It also connected the kindness of those at home to the war effort by publishing knitting patterns of essential items in the Joint War Organisation’s The Prisoner of War magazine. The magazines were for the families of prisoners of war and these patterns could have been used as part of a school project to send to ‘John’.

Items made through these types of activities are on display on the British Red Cross online exhibition, 150 voices. The exhibition was launched to mark the 150th anniversary and features 150 objects that recognise those who have played an important part in the history of the British Red Cross.

Now, World of Books and British Red Cross are teaming up to try and reunite this precious letter with its owner and to celebrate the small acts of kindness from home that provided such comfort to soldiers serving overseas.

Graham Bell, CEO of World of Books Group says: “Over 75 million used books come through our business each year, and we occasionally come across forgotten personal items tucked away inside them.

“It’s incredibly common for people to place memories inside books for safe keeping, whether it be family photographs or letters from loved ones. But this find is particularly poignant, especially as we approach Armistice Day – and is a first for World of Books. The letter undoubtedly holds great sentimental value. We’d love to reunite it with its owner or their family.

“As a circular economy business, we’re focused on finding used items new homes. In this case, it would be wonderful to bring this letter back full circle to its original owner.”

Mezebhin Adam, Curator at the British Red Cross said: “The letter is a lovely find and is a perfect first-hand example of how kindness can keep people connected during a crisis, something the British Red Cross has been doing for 150 years.

“During the Second World War, the British Red Cross encouraged people to knit comforts for sick and wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. We provided knitting patterns to those on the home front and we even have examples of some of the knitted items in our museum collection. The stories of these activities are always lovely to hear, especially from such a personal heartwarming letter.”

If you have any information that could help World of Books and the British Red Cross reunite this letter with its owner or their families, contact press@worldofbooks.com

Letters: BHF needs your help

Dear Editor,

We want to start a national conversation about heart disease – but we need your readers’ help to make it happen.

At BHF Scotland, we’re developing the new recommendations that we want to see the Scottish Government take forward over the next five years to improve care for people in Scotland who are living with heart disease.

We’ve been listening to healthcare professionals and people living with heart disease to help us identify the key issues and work out a series of priorities and actions, and now we’re opening a wider consultation to shape our final proposals. 

If you are living with heart disease, or you are a clinician working in this area, we’d like to hear from you.

You can share your thoughts and ideas at www.bhf.org.uk/scotheartplan or by contacting me at barclayk@bhf.org.uk or on 07471 902521 before the consultation closes on 4 September 2020.

Have your say to help us develop an ambitious and innovative plan with patients at its heart.

Yours sincerely,

Kylie Barclay
Policy and Public Affairs Manager
British Heart Foundation Scotland

Letter: Commemorating VE Day and Europe Day this weekend

Dear Editor, 

This weekend we commemorate two truly historic events: On Friday the 75th anniversary of VE day marking the liberation of Europe from fascism and war and on Saturday Europe Day, celebrating the foundation of a united Europe that would make another war among our nations unthinkable. 

On Saturday the European Movement in Scotland will mark the anniversary of the 1950 signing of the Schuman Declaration. At its core is the recognition that the way forward must reflect an unyielding willingness to live together peacefully and cooperate to bring to fruition the aspirations of all Europeans. Freedom of movement – allowing EU citizens to work, learn, travel and make friends without restrictions – grew out of this. 

We know there is much to be done to continue to realise the vision of founders of the Council of Europe and European Union, including Winston Churchill.

However, we take hope from the European Commission’s global pledging event this week #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus. World leaders came together – including Boris Johnson – to raise €7.4bn to support the ongoing research and development of treatments and vaccines for all, leaving nobody behind. 

The European Movement believes only countries working together can defeat this common threat. This co- operative effort will develop solutions that will be critical to fully restoring our way of life, just as it did in the dark days of the War. 

Yours sincerely, 

Edinburgh4Europe,

affiliated to the European Movement in Scotland 

 

First Minister urged to put wellbeing at the heart of economic recovery

Poverty Alliance and Wellbeing Economy Alliance have written to the First Minister to urge her to task the recently appointed Advisory Group on Economic Recovery with putting social justice at the heart of their work.

Their letter says:

Dear First Minister,

Economic Recovery and Covid-19

Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, we have witnessed in action the values that we all share. We have seen the compassion, kindness and solidarity that will be required to make it through this crisis.

But we have also seen that our economy is failing to live up to these values. Our social security system and labour market have failed to protect too many of us: particularly women, disabled people and people from black and minority ethnic communities.

It is clear that as we move through and beyond the current phase of the crisis, we must commit to redesigning our economy and systems to better reflect our shared values of compassion and justice. Instead of returning to the economy we had going into the Covid-19 crisis, we must build back better by creating a wellbeing economy that puts our collective wellbeing first.

We therefore welcome that the Scottish Government’s Covid-19: framework for decision making recognises the need to look at the “social and economic reforms necessary to achieve the best future for Scotland” and commits not to repeat the mistakes of austerity.

This commitment is most welcome but must be made real.

In the months ahead we urge you to maintain your ambitious climate agenda to ensure the post-Covid-19 economy is a sustainable one, and to ensure it is socially just we urge you to prioritise:

  • Building a labour market that works for everyone: Too many people, particularly women and younger people, are trapped in poverty by low-paid and insecure work. Fair Work has been central to the Scottish Government’s approach to labour market policy, but more must be done to make it a reality for workers in Scotland.
  • Designing a more just taxation system: While this crisis is impacting every person across the country, the disproportionate impact on people on low incomes has highlighted the very real consequences of our deeply unequal society. It cannot be right that the wealthiest 1% of households in Scotland own more wealth than the poorest 50% at a time when almost 1 in 4 children are living in poverty. We must inject justice and fairness into our taxation system.
  • Securing adequate incomes for all: We have seen positive steps taken by the Scottish Government as it has started to deliver social security assistance. However, Covid-19 has highlighted that this support must not only be dignified, but should help deliver an adequate income too. The Scottish Government must use its powers creatively and to their fullest extent to ensure that our social security system can keep any one of us afloat during difficult times.

Even at this moment of crisis we must begin the task of investing in a better future, to ‘build back better’, with every policy decision we make helping us move towards a just society that’s in step with our values.

We must not return to the pre-Covid 19 economy that locked so many people into poverty.

The Advisory Group on Economic Recovery must not, therefore, simply seek to replicate the unsustainable and unjust economy that went before.

Instead, it must focus on the steps we can take to create an environmentally sustainable economy that ensures a just distribution of income and wealth.

We urge you to task the recently appointed Advisory Group on Economic Recovery with putting social justice at the heart of their work. In doing so the Advisory Group should liaise with the Poverty and Inequality Commission and the Just Transition Commission and collaborate with existing Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) partners to show leadership in creating a wellbeing economy.

This time calls on us to reflect on the kind of country we want to live in. We believe in a Scotland in which wealth is justly distributed, our life chances are not determined by how much we earn, where our labour market guarantees Fair Work for every worker, and where everyone has enough money to get by.

We hope you share this vision and will take the decisions in the weeks and months ahead to make it a reality.

We would welcome an early discussion with you regarding the role of the Advisory Group, as well as the broader concerns of our members regarding the long-term social and economic reforms we require.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Kelly, The Poverty Alliance
Dr Katherine Trebeck, Wellbeing Economy Alliance

Remember families who receive care at home, urges charity

A social care charity is appealing to the Scottish Government to remember families who receive care in their own homes, and the carers who provide that care, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to Jeanne Freeman, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, the chief executive of the Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network (SPAEN), Colin Millar (pictured), calls for action to urgently address what he describes as a “crisis”.

He writes: “We are writing on behalf of SPAEN’s 500 Direct Payment employers and the 1,500 or so others throughout Scotland who have chosen to use a Direct Payment or Option 1 to meet their social care needs.

“We are receiving frequent requests for information, advice, support and calls for SPAEN to raise these continued concerns and matters with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and CoSLA as the body representing the local authority councils distributing these funds to PA employers.

“The experience of Direct Payment users in Scotland is harrowing and deeply concerning.

“They continue to report that they have little or no access to PPE and they are getting no information or updates on when or how this will be resolved.

“They continue to be fearful for themselves, their families and loved ones and their employees, their employees’ families and loved ones, all of whom risk their own health and welfare on a daily basis to provide key social care services to people in their own homes and who are placed at unnecessary risk of transmission of this virus due to a lack of PPE.

“Direct Payment employers want to follow, fully, the Scottish Government’s published guidelines on the use of PPE but they cannot do so without being given access to the vital equipment they need.

“Some callers to local authority councils are being advised to use their ‘current supply chain’ to access this. Many Direct Payment employers will not have a ‘supply chain’, they will be purchasing PPE on an ad hoc basis as and when required and permitted through the Direct Payment agreement.

“The normal suppliers are not able to meet the demand as commissioning is done at a strategic level either through the HSCP or the Scottish Government, resulting in a scarcity of PPE for people who are not supplied via these statutory bodies.

“We are aware that a number of other charities and organisations have made similar representations to the Scottish Government.

“While we do not represent unpaid carers, we have seen a huge increase in contact from these groups who are also deeply concerned that they are unable to access support or PPE.

“While we are in a period of crisis, and this is without doubt such a period, we are calling for a fundamental review into how Direct Payment recipients in Scotland are represented and supported at national and regional level at the earliest opportunity.

“After 20 years’ of representing Personal Assistant Employers across the length and breadth of Scotland, thanks to the support of the Scottish Parliament and contemporary Scottish Governments, this year SPAEN’s services are being retracted, due to funding cuts. This outbreak calls into question the logic behind such a decision and we are calling on the Health & Sport Committee to review this decision at its earliest convenience.

“Without a national body representing PA employers, these and many similar issues will simply not be raised and people electing to exercise their right to use a Direct Payment, as per the current legislation, will be further eroded.

“Ironically, it is in times like these that many people assessed as requiring social care support are seeking Direct Payments as care agencies and local authority run home care services are withdrawn or re-assessed with little or no notice or consultation.

“We’ve had repeated requests from people affected by decisions to remove their existing social care support either through care agencies or local authority home and support services where staff absenteeism has presented significant logistical challenges.

“We have requested and continue to lobby for Direct Payments to be made available to anyone and everyone who has an assessed social care need and specifically as a direct alternative where existing social care arrangements are being withdrawn as a result of Covid-19 or related resource issues.

“Peoples’ social care needs cannot, unfortunately, be abated to accomodate resourcing issues and there has already been assurance from the Cabinet Secretary that no-one should lose the support they’re already assessed as requiring.

“SPAEN represents over 500 individual employers who have equal concerns and responsibilities.

“SPAEN would welcome any invitation to join the discussions being held by the Scottish Government to discuss the current challenges facing all of social care to ensure our membership and the many hundreds of others using Direct Payments are fully and properly represented.”

Letters: Dogs Trust thanks loyal supporters during Coronavirus outbreak

Dear Editor,

As the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust is so lucky to have the support of all of our dog loving friends. We want to say how thankful we are to each and every supporter all year round, but especially with the recent events and the uncertain circumstances we all find ourselves in.

Dogs Trust West Calder has been inundated with offers to foster our dogs, to drop off donations and even offers of cakes and chocolates for our hard-working staff who continue to show up for the dogs who need them in these difficult times.

We appreciate these kind gestures and although for the moment we can’t accept them due to the need to limit social interactions, please be assured, your support is very much at the forefront of our minds.

The staff at the centre will continue to care for the dogs, give them all the love, attention and training they need, while also making sure they’re working at a safe distance from each other.

It will certainly be quieter without visits from the dog loving public, but we promise we will open our doors again as soon as we can and are looking into ways we can do this as a matter of urgency.

We are coping well at the moment, but know it is likely that there may be an increase in demand for our services in the coming weeks.

Although we are unsure how long our centre will be closed for, if anyone does want to support our work caring for dogs in the current crisis, please go to our website and help with a donation; it would make a big difference.

Susan Tonner,

Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust West Calder

Coronavirus: PM writes to the nation

The Prime Minister is to write to every UK household to urge them to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. The letter will land on the doorsteps of 30 million households across all four UK nations from next week.

The Prime Minister will outline the guidance everyone should follow and the measures the government has put in place to fight coronavirus and to support businesses and workers.

He will urge everyone to follow the rules to save lives and thank NHS staff working round the clock as well as everyone volunteering their time to protect others.

The letter reads:

I am writing to you to update you on the steps we are taking to combat coronavirus.

In just a few short weeks, everyday life in this country has changed dramatically. We all feel the profound impact of coronavirus not just on ourselves, but on our loved ones and our communities.

I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason.

If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible.

That is why we are giving one simple instruction – you must stay at home.

You should not meet friends or relatives who do not live in your home. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can.

When you do have to leave your home, you should ensure, wherever possible, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

These rules must be observed. So, if people break the rules, the police will issue fines and disperse gatherings.

I know many of you will be deeplyworried about the financial impact on you and your family. The Government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table.

The enclosed leaflet sets out more detail about the support available and the rules you need to follow. You can also find the latest advice at gov.uk/coronavirus

From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do.

It’s important for me to level with you – we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.

I want to thank everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, in particular the staff in our fantastic NHS and care sector across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour.

Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS – and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. It is with that great British spirit that we will beat coronavirus and we will beat it together.

That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

BORIS JOHNSON

_PM_letter_to_nation_Concoronovirus

Letters: Honour loved ones this Christmas with charity Ribbon Appeal

Dear Editor 

Meningitis Now has today launched its 2018 Ribbon Appeal, which gives everyone an opportunity to remember loved ones this Christmas – and we’d like to invite your readers to dedicate their own ribbon.  Continue reading Letters: Honour loved ones this Christmas with charity Ribbon Appeal