Covid: Council staff asked to help in care homes amid shortages

Staff from all areas of the council have been asked to take on shifts

A council has appealed for volunteers among its 30,000-strong workforce to help out in its 23 care homes amid staff shortages due to Covid.

Derbyshire County Council is looking for vaccinated and boosted employees to take on duties such as catering and laundry.

Staff from all areas of the council have been asked to take on shifts.

A council spokesperson said it was under pressure due to large numbers of staff needing to self-isolate.

'Urgent plea'

Helen Jones, the council's executive director of adult social care and health, issued the appeal, asking all vaccinated staff to help with the approval of a manager, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reports.

The LDRS has asked the authority how many staff are currently absent due to Covid.

In her "urgent plea", Ms Jones said no DBS, or criminal record, check was needed as volunteers would not be working unsupervised.

She said: "This is the first time in my working life that I have made an appeal like this to colleagues, and I have never seen the health and social care system under the pressure that it is under now.

"Whilst I know this is an unusual ask, it is a real opportunity to make a huge difference and to help some of Derbyshire's most vulnerable people at this extraordinary time."

A council spokesperson added: "We're doing all we can to put our care staff in the places where they are most needed but we still do not have enough people to provide the support and service that we need to.

"Staff who come forward to help in our care homes will provide valuable assistance to our professional care workers, so they can focus on the more specialist tasks such as personal care and medication."