One of our day centre users said recently about coming to Bramley Hill Day Centre:                                   ‘It feels like home’

Due to Covid-19 and following closure of Bramley Hill Day Centre and Rutherford School, The Garwood Foundation has continued to support clients and their families through these particularly challenging times and have developed an outreach service. Some of the things we are doing:

• Essential shopping and medication delivery to clients who live alone and to clients living with their families who are vulnerable, self-isolating and staying home to stay safe.

• Staff make daily phone calls to clients and their families to provide moral support and help them overcome loneliness.

• Food parcels delivered to all the school pupils families across three boroughs. It was a great idea and all families met us at their doors with a happy smile and a big thank you to the Garwood Foundation for thinking of them in such difficult times.

• Kitchen staff at Bramley Hill cook and deliver meals to clients who live on their own and depend on the centre for their freshly cooked meals

• Puzzles, word searches etc. dropped off to clients at home to keep them motivated.

• Bramley Hill carers are working regular shifts at Jean Garwood House, our residential home, to cover the shortage of their own carers due to sickness and self-isolation.
• Our physiotherapist is making regular phone calls to all clients and families providing advice, exercise recommendations and wheelchair repair guidance. There is continued reinforcement and encouragement for families and care homes to support clients to maintain their general health as much as possible in the knowledge that the current lockdown could have detrimental health effects associated with immobility and possible poor positioning practice both wheelchair and bed that may lead to increased service needs in the near future.
• Bramley Hill exercise equipment has been moved over to Jean Garwood House, so clients can continue to maintain their physical well-being while supported by staff.

• Our Family Support Worker is keeping in regular contact with our unpaid carers (clients families) to reassure them of our presence so they do not feel isolated and without support from their 24/7 caring role and to keep them updated with the latest government guidance for unpaid carers during Covid 19. Benefit advice due to changes in circumstances is also available.

• The Garwood Foundation is volunteering with Guiding Hands Organisation using the Centre drivers and minibuses to help deliver food packages every Friday for those in isolation or vulnerable adults over the age of 55 in the local community. We will also volunteer when the scheme extends to a Tuesday delivery.

• We are also volunteering with Asian Resources Centre every Tuesday, again using the Centre drivers and minibuses to help deliver food packages for those in isolation or vulnerable adults in the local community.

• Bramley Hill has registered with Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) who has suggested we work in partnership with Croydon Council to assist the elderly and vulnerable to attend essential hospital and GP appointments, again using our minibuses and drivers.

• We have signed up with Croydon Covid-19 Mutual Aid to offer our driver and minibus services

• We have contacted Age UK offering our minibus and driver services for volunteering.