Help and advice

If you live outside of Southampton, you can contact Hantshelp4vulnerable on 0333 370 4000. This line is currently open from 9am-5pm, weekdays, and 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays (as of 01 August 2020).

If you need medical help, call the NHS on 111. If it is a medical emergency, call 999.

Find local community support

• Southampton Voluntary Services has put together a database of Community links for support during COVID-19 where you can search for help, guidance and services on a variety of topics by postcode. This is continuously updated.
• Love Southampton, an initiative of local churches and organisations are also bringing people together for the good of our city and helping those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
• SO:Linked: Find practical and emotional support available in the city, on the directory. Chat things through and get connected with local support.
• Southampton Coronavirus Mutual Aid Groups are offering neighbourly help for those affected by coronavirus. From picking up shopping lists and prescriptions, to walking the dog and befriending, volunteers are helping people who live nearby.
• City Catering ‘meals on wheels’: Take away the strain of cooking, Monday to Friday - get nutritious hot meals delivered to your door.

If you are interested in how you can help out in Southampton at this time, we will be bringing you more information soon on how you can help. Opportunities include roles for people new to the care industry.

Last updated: 17 August 2022

We are committed to supporting all our residents and providing extra support for the most vulnerable in our community. We will be working to keep providing critical services that need to be available for groups including older people, those who need safeguarding and those in receipt of benefit payments.

Here is a list of the council services and their current status during national lockdown:

Visiting care homes

Visitors are a central part of care home life. It is crucially important for maintaining the health, wellbeing and quality of life of residents. Visiting is also vital for family and friends to maintain contact and life-long relationships with their loved ones and to contribute to their support and care.

• Every care home resident can nominate up to two named visitors who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits (and will be able to visit together or separately as preferred). These visitors should be tested using rapid lateral flow tests before every visit, must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow all other infection control measures (which the care home will guide them on) during visits. Visitors and residents are advised to keep physical contact to a minimum. Visitors and residents may wish to hold hands but should bear in mind that any physical contact increases the risk of transmission
• In addition to their two named visitors, residents with higher care needs can also choose to nominate an essential care giver
• Care homes can also continue to offer visits to other friends or family members through arrangements such as outdoor visiting, rooms with substantial screens, visiting pods, or from behind windows
• We recommend you contact individual homes before visiting to confirm their most up to date visiting policy and any changes to government guidance
• No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak or if a visitor tests positive when completing their lateral flow test

Day services

The return to services from week commencing 5th April is with the expectation that all services will be able to resume their operations in a COVID-19 secure way, similar to how they were operating last Autumn. This means that certain limitations will continue to need to be in place for the time being. These include

• A continuation of robust infection control measures based on the providers’ environmental risk assessments
• Staff and service users not attending if they have symptoms
• A maximum of 15 individuals that use the service in one building at any one time
• Clients and staff being restricted to small bubbles and not mixing across these, and
• People being restricted to choosing to attend just one day service

We will keep the re-opening date under regular review to make sure that the national or local position does not change again – for example if infection rates start to rise again across the city or a new variant of concern emerges.

In the meantime, day service providers have been asked to continue to offer remote support to individuals, in the form of keeping in touch/welfare calls, activity packs and online sessions.

Respite services

You will be able to access respite services. The support available will be limited to caring for people from one household at any one time. We will be prioritising access by reviewing the needs of those being cared for and their carers.

Home care and residential care

Please visit our care homes pages for more information.

Support available to you

If you need to talk to someone about your care and support needs, please telephone 023 8083 3003.

Last updated: 27 April 2021

The pandemic, and associated lockdowns, has had a serious impact on anyone experiencing domestic abuse.

And even though social distancing rules are still place, support services continue to be available to support you, online and over the phone, whenever you need it.

These include local and national refuge services (safe houses for women and children who need to flee domestic abuse) and helplines.

In an emergency always call 999. The ‘Silent Solution’ system is in place if you are unable to speak. After dialling 999, and hearing an automated message, you will be prompted to press 55 which will transfer you to the police. A call handler will then assess your call and arrange help if needed.

• For women and children experiencing domestic violence:
  National Domestic Abuse Helpline
  T: 0808 2000 247
  If you are unable to call the helpline, you can complete an online form, requesting a safe time to be called back.
  
  
• For support, advice, safety information or referral to local services:
  PIPPA (Southampton)
  T: 023 8091 7917 (Monday-Friday). If the line is busy, please leave a message with your name, contact number and safe time to call.
  pippa@southampton.gov.uk
  
  
• For people who need support around sexual abuse:
  Yellow Door
  T: 023 8063 6313 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12-2pm). If you need help in another language please let Yellow Door know.
  info@yellowdoor.org.uk
  
  
• For men who are worried about hurting the person they live with:
  The Hampton Trust
  T: 023 8000 9898
  The team are continuing to maintain victim and perpetrator services; safeguarding, case/risk management and safety planning also remain critical during this time.
  
  
• Respect Phoneline
  T: 0808 802 4040
  info@respectphoneline.org.uk
  
  
• For male victims of domestic abuse:
  Respect Men’s Advice Line
  T: 0808 801 0327
  info@mensadviceline.org.uk
  
  
• For LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse:
  National LBGT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline
  T: 0800 999 5428
  
  
• For children or young people experiencing abuse:
  Childline
  T: 0800 11 11

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been working with partner organisations, charities and faith groups to provide extra support and access to emergency accommodation for people who have been found rough sleeping in the city.

It’s important we do all we can to help, so if you’re worried about a rough sleeper here is some advice about what you can do to support them responsibly.

Call 999 if you see someone who is unwell or distressed; don't put yourself in danger or approach someone behaving aggressively and remember to socially distance for your own and the rough sleeper’s safety.

We appreciate this is a difficult time and people are worried about their finances. We are making regular updates to our information on money, benefits and paying the council during COVID-19. You might also find our information for businesses useful.

Last updated: 29 May 2020

Introduction

The proposed approach to award financial support to providers, responds to how the Council is delivering on COVID-19 - Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care, using the additional funding awarded to local authorities to support providers of care. The financial support recognises the additional cost pressures incurred by our health and social care providers to ensure the safety of Southampton residents in our community and care homes.

On the 4th May 2020 Cabinet agreed to a 10% price uplift for a fixed period 19th March 2020 to 30th June 2020. This financial support award is available to all adult care homes and homecare of clients in receipt of services from Southampton Council.

The current financial package is time limited but will be kept under review as the Government updates on its approach to the management of COVID-19.

Financial support to providers

The financial support has been made available to providers in various ways to best align to their business practices. The breakdown below only includes expenditure made to date, and more is planned to be made over the coming months. As a result, this financial support is set to increase significantly as more payments are made to care homes and home care providers. This support will consider those providers who may require additional support for whom the Council does not contract or currently have Southampton residents in their care homes.

As at Friday, 29th May 2020 Southampton City Council has supported the social care and support market by the sum of £1,264,006. This is in addition to the practical support of advice and training, PPE supplies and other support including changes to care packages to meet increased needs. We are committed to keep this information updated on a monthly basis.

The breakdown of expenditure up to Friday, 29th May 2020 is:

Support to providers that Southampton City Council has contracts with:

Total spent by end of May 2020 on supporting providers that Southampton City Council has contracts with: £1,264,006

Support to providers that Southampton City Council does not have contracts with:

Total spent by end of May 2020 on supporting providers that Southampton City Council has no contracts with: £0

The attached documents provide more details on integrated working across the council and CCG in the city. They provide information on the actions being taken in the city to support the care market, and to sustain the current care capacity during this period of uncertainty. It includes information on infection prevention and control measures, and the support plan for care homes in the coming months.

• Letter outlining range of support to the care market
• Support Plan for Care Homes in the city
• Care Home Market status - Responding to COVID-19

Government advice and details on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19.

If you’re experiencing financial difficulty, or would like some specialist advice, you can access information and support via:

• Citizens Advice Southampton
• So:Linked
• Central Government advice

It is vital that if you are giving, or receiving help, you take precautions to ensure your safety and those of others.

We urge all volunteers to adhere to government’s guidance on how to volunteer safely. For advice and tips, take a look at these videos created by Southampton Voluntary Service.

If you are receiving help, you should follow the Government’s social distancing and hygiene guidance. Do not let anyone into your home, unless you have confirmation that they are a registered professional or representative of a recognised Voluntary / Community sector organisation. Be cautious and curious and ask volunteers for proof of ID. You may also be interested in our advice on avoiding COVID-19 scams.

You can keep up to date with the latest government guidance.

If you’re worried you have Coronavirus, follow the NHS advice.