In response to the ongoing lockdown due to Covid-19, Southway Housing has set up a Community Support Task Force. The Task Force is made up of existing staff from various teams across the organisations, providing the team with a broad range of experience and knowledge.

Role of the Taskforce:

  • To check on the welfare of our tenants who are aged 70 and above and those under 70 who are vulnerable (such as those with a longstanding illness).
  • To identify where additional resources are required to deliver the aims of the Task Force.
  • To ensure tenants can access services and support to keep them safe and reduce feelings of isolation.
  • To ensure every tenant contacted receives an adequate follow up, to reduce risk of isolation.
  • To identify and have knowledge of the support provided by statutory and voluntary services in our neighbourhoods during the pandemic.
  • To take food orders and give advice during the phone contact with tenants.
  • To provide a befriending service, ‘Check and Chat’, to tenants who require regular contact throughout the 3-month advisory self-isolation period.
  • To link tenants to support in their local neighbourhood and keep them connected.
  • To keep in contact with local support groups and understand their offer capacity and any resource requirements.
  • To respond to safeguarding concerns via the Tenancy Support Team.

The Task Force are being supported by around 30 staff volunteers, in addition to one of our Board Members, Tony Powell. They have been working to contact all of our tenants aged 70 and above, as well as tenants who have self-declared a vulnerability (such as a long-standing illness) with us.

Check and Chat

So far, Southway has directly contacted over 1350 tenants who qualify as vulnerable or are aged over 70, to check in and let them know about the support we can offer.

We already have around 140 requests for regular contact, so are now providing tenants with a weekly Check and Chat call back service to see if there are any new support needs – or simply just to check in and have a chat!

We have delivered around 15 emergency food packs for tenants who were without food whilst waiting for a regular food parcel to be provided, as part of Manchester City Council’s emergency response.

We are now focusing on: 

  • Maintaining regular with tenants contact via Check and Chat.
  • Addressing the issues raised in our initial calls.
  • Contacting our most vulnerable tenants, starting with those aged over 90 and then over 80, to ensure their needs are still being met.

Here to help

If you think you could benefit from our support at this time, regardless of your age or whether you have any health conditions, please get in touch. Contact us here or call us on 0161 448 4200.