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Sefton Council leader, Cllr Ian Maher has welcomed ongoing signs that the country is beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic but has urged caution after the Government announced this week it is ending most of the current precautions.

Grip

Cllr Maher said: “Of course, it is good news that the country is continuing to emerge from the grip of COVID but just last week the Office for National Statistics reported that as many as one in 20 people in England are infected with coronavirus.

“Therefore, like many people across the country, I am concerned that Boris Johnson is scrapping some of the measures in place to keep us all safe, too soon.

“The Prime Minister’s decision to remove the legal requirement for people who test positive to self-isolate at home from Thursday this week but still recommend they still do so until 1st April is likely to cause confusion.

Pressure

“This contradictory advice combined with Mr Johnson’s announcement he is scrapping the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment scheme and the payment of Statutory Sick Pay from day one of being infected with coronavirus, is likely to pressure people into going out to work when they are unwell and infectious to others.

“This could result in people who are most at risk and immune-compromised feeling pressured to go out, possibly out of economic need, despite them being highly vulnerable to the still-serious effects of COVID-19.”

A YouGov survey carried out earlier this month showed that 75% of the 4451 British adults surveyed thought that people testing positive for COVID-19 should be required legally to self-isolate at least for the next few months. Almost 50% thought this should be the case permanently.

Cautious and considerate

After previous Government relaxations of measures to help keep people safe, Sefton Council has advised people to remain cautious and considerate to others. Advice includes continuing to wear face coverings in busy indoor areas and on public transport and maintaining distancing where necessary.

Cllr Maher added:
“I have said how grateful I am for all the sacrifices our Borough’s residents and businesses have made throughout the pandemic to look after each other and the most vulnerable. I remain confident that despite the Government now pulling the plug on much of the remaining support that is still needed, this caring approach will continue in Sefton.”

Sefton Council has been leading the way in raising awareness on the menopause and its effects on the workplace.

The Local Authority’s dedicated, Active Workforce team works with local organisations across Sefton to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees.

Following the launch of Sefton’s new Menopause policy in 2020, Active Workforce set to help foster a more open and positive approach to the condition within workplaces across the Liverpool City Region.

Active Workforce have received praise from the University of Liverpool following the delivery of interactive and informative workshops around the menopause and its symptoms.

Joy Vogt, Executive Officer at University of Liverpool said, “I lead the University’s Menopause Support Network but believe it’s important that colleagues and managers from across the organisation are educated on this subject. The sessions delivered by Active Workforce have been informative and well received by all attendees.

“The sessions explain what menopause is, its symptoms, how it affects women and those around them, and importantly how to support colleagues in the workplace.

“There was a fantastic case study shared that really helped provide context and bring the information we’d learnt into reality. I was quite well informed about menopause due to my role in the support network, however this case study surprised me, and it was interesting to see how other colleagues responded.

“I feel the training has helped raise awareness of this topic within the organisation and I would love to see more sessions run over the course of the year, allowing more people to have the opportunity to attend. The sessions have given those who attended the tools and confidence to have conversations with colleagues, friends and relatives, which is a fantastic step forward.”

Active Workforce is Sefton Council’s award-winning health and wellbeing programme for businesses to help their staff to be active and healthy during working hours and reduce their absence through sickness and poor health.

The menopause workshops are delivered online and are available to employees of all organisations across Merseyside. The half-hour sessions focus on educating men, supporting managers, and preparing younger employees to recognise the symptoms. In addition, there is a monthly, hour-long menopause group, offering employees the chance to discuss their experiences with others in the same situation, and listen to topical speakers from the local area.

Orgainisations can find out more about the seminars and how Active Workforce can help them by contacting the Active Workforce team at active.workforce@sefton.gov.uk