This is to briefly update you on how the Fulfilling Lives South East teams are responding to the pandemic and how you can get in contact with us.

Client facing local service delivery teams continue to operate. We are continuing to support the people on our caseload across Brighton & Hove, Eastbourne and Hastings who have multiple and complex needs. We are obviously concerned about the health and wellbeing of our clients during this outbreak – many of them have physical health problems which makes them at higher risk of serious illness should they contract the Covid-19 virus. We are finding ways to provide support to clients without meeting face to face if possible; or limiting contact to brief interactions. We are working closely with partner agencies  to share information and ensure  clients have somewhere safe to stay and are able to meet their basic needs. We are also working with Homeless Link, frontline network and other frontline support agencies to contribute to the national frontline worker response to the pandemic.

Our service user involvement and coproduction work has been reviewed and will continue to enable those with lived experience to engage with the project. Local Action Groups across Brighton & Hove, Eastbourne and Hastings are continuing remotely, via video call and WhatsApp. All Fulfilling Lives’ volunteers have been contacted within the past few days. We are mindful of the potential negative impact of isolation on wellbeing and are looking at creative ways to help our network of great volunteers to stay well.

Our systems change and research work continues, and we are confident the majority of our planned work can continue remotely. We are mindful of the pressures on statutory services and will be slowing down some projects for now so as not to over-burden these systems; and will be bringing forward other areas of work that are better suited to remote working. We will ensure our work remains useful and if you feel the project’s system change team could support you with a new piece of work during this time, please do get in touch with us – we are keen to think creatively and respond flexibly.

If you would like to contact us:

• For overall queries about the project, Jo Rogers, Senior Project Manager 07584 206153 jo.rogers@bht.org.uk
• For systems change project queries, please contact Rebecca Rieley, Systems Change Lead 07824 545688 rebecca.rieley@sefulfillinglives.org.uk
• For service user involvement / co-production queries, please contact Nelida Senoran-Martin, Service User Engagement Coordinator 07785 970917 nelida.senoran-martin@sefulfillinglives.org.uk
• For service delivery / local client queries, please contact:

Brighton & Hove – Lindsay Horler 07469 147576 lindsay.horler@sefulfillinglives.org.uk

Eastbourne – Jake Alexander 07712 528483 jake.alexander@sefulfillinglives.org.uk

Hastings – Laura Torrance 07712 528498 laura.torrance@sefulfillinglives.org.uk

We have been really heartened by colleagues, volunteers and partners’ responses offering help and sharing useful information – thank you.

With best wishes

FLSE