Friday 13 November – New updates to government coronavirus volunteering guidance.

New government guidance reflecting the changes to coronavirus volunteering during the second lockdown has been published. Please see Coronavirus: How to help safely and Coronavirus (Covid-19) volunteering for further information.

Where possible, people should volunteer from home. If they cannot do so, they can volunteer outside their home if they follow the social distancing guidance and no-one in their household has symptoms of coronavirus or has tested positive for coronavirus.

People over the age of 60 and those who are clinically vulnerable do not face any specific restrictions on volunteering and should follow the same guidelines as above. However, as this group could be at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus, they may need additional support to follow social distancing rules and minimise contact with others.

Clinically extremely vulnerable people can volunteer from home, however they are advised not to volunteer outside their home.

Where volunteers are able to volunteer outside their home (see above) they can:
• meet in groups of any size indoors or outdoors while volunteering
• travel to volunteer or while volunteering

Volunteer-involving organisations must ensure their workplaces meet coronavirus safety standards.

For further information on how to support volunteering during lockdown please see the resources listed below

• If you would like to volunteer to support your local community and others please read our ‘how to’ guide.
• Our Community Support North Yorkshire service have outlined here the support they are offering to Volunteer Involving Organisations, along with producing Volunteer Involving Organisations FAQs.
• Our Community Support North Yorkshire service has produced guidance for community groups to help with the increase in people wanting to help their community through volunteering their time.
• The government has an extensive guide on planning the coordination of spontaneous volunteers and a factsheet on safeguarding community volunteers during the outbreak.
• North Yorkshire County Council has provided advice for how you can help your community.
• Through Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK you can find your local mutual aid community group to help out in your area.
• The team who run our Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) have produced this statement on how their work continues and any changes made.
• The government has issued guidelines on how to stay safe and protect yourself from the coronavirus while volunteering.
• For resources on safeguarding and supporting volunteers in your organisation visit our Community Gateway.

• Our employment support advisors have produced guidance on the extension to the Job Retention Scheme that came into place on 1 November. Download it here to understand how it will work and the eligibility criteria.
• NHS Test & Trace has issued guidelines on what information you need to keep in your staff, customer and visitors log.
• North Yorkshire County Council have released their outbreak control plan and information on the Test & Trace scheme. You can access the page here.
• The government timeline to begin re-opening non-essential retail businesses from the 15 June includes charity shops. Find out what you need to know to make it safe on their website.
• The Department for Health & Social Care has developed a package of materials on the new NHS Test & Trace service, including guidance for employers and employees.
• North Yorkshire County Council’s Workplace Wellbeing website has a wealth of Covid-19 related guidance for the workplace. You can also enter the Workplace Wellbeing Awards on this site.
• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) keep updated information for charities and volunteer organisations.
• Our employment support advisors have written advice for staff, guidance on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in relation to self-isolation and updated guidance for holiday for furloughed employees.  
• Support for Community Interest Companies (CICs) – government advice includes continuing to deliver community benefit, filing accounts and annual reports and business support.
• The government has released guidance for the charity sector.
• ACAS has information and webinars on subjects such as managing mental health and furloughing. 
• CIPD also have a range of webinars available for employers including guidance on returning to the workplace and how to lead through a crisis. 
• For more webinars and digital resources to support your organisation visit our Community Gateway.

• New guidance 4 November 2020: See here for how the new four-week lockdown effects village halls and community buildings.
• You can download posters for your venue on the new tier restrictions here.
• You can find all guidance, information and resources for preparing for life after lockdown after lockdown on our re-opening page.
• In April we produced a village halls & community buildings FAQ for shutting down. We have now produced a second round of FAQs for the re-opening of village halls & community buildings. 
• The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health have produced useful guidance on legionella’s disease if your building has been mothballed for a while.
• Allied Westminster issued a statement about insurance and village halls and community buildings.
• ACRE have released guidelines on the eligibility for support from the government for village halls and rural community buildings.
• Download venue posters from Public Health England.
• Further useful information can be found in our funding and financial advice section.

If you have a specific query please contact communitybuildings@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk

• The Coronavirus Act, which the government introduced on 19 March, postpones any elections that were due to be held in May 2020 until 6 May 2021. Any other electoral events, such as the council or parliamentary by-elections, will also be postponed until May 2021.
• Councils have been given new powers to hold meetings remotely.

For more information on coronavirus issues affecting local councils, please visit the National Association of Local Councils and Yorkshire Local Council Association.

Information for carers and people with health conditions

• North Yorkshire County Council has collated information and include advice for community care, schools and educational settings.
• Carers UK have useful information on protecting the person you care for and making contingency plans.
• Healthwatch North Yorkshire are collating information relating to specific health conditions.
• RNIB have essential information for those who are blind or partially sighted on shopping in supermarkets at this time.

• North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board have compiled easy-read guidance for people with autism and/or learning disabilities and their families.
• North Yorkshire County Council have a range of easy read and communication packs in different languages available here.
• Doctors of the World and the British Red Cross have put together advice in a number of languages. So far there is English, Albanian,  Dari, French, Pashto, Portuguese, Bengali, Vietnamese, Kurdish Sorani, Mandarin, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Spanish, Turkish and Farsi, with others coming soon.
• Migration Yorkshire have launched a Migrant Information Hub offering information and resources to migrants, and those supporting them.
• You can find a range of translated documents on social distancing on the government website.  It was reported by some local authority Arabic speakers that the Arabic translation was not adequate, so North Yorkshire County Council have produced this Arabic translation and a poster in Arabic for the prevention of spreading and catching the virus.
• Healthwatch North Yorkshire have provided us with various translated documents in Nepalese, particularly useful for our Ghurka population in Richmondshire. They include advice on hand washing, hand sanitising, isolation and universal credit.
• North Yorkshire Partnership have gathered together a wide range of easy read and accessible documents and resources here.