Key national information sources
Scottish Government Covid-19 hub
The Scottish Government has specific advice for people with a rare condition and a wider set of tailored advice for specific medical conditions here.
Support
The national Covid-19 helpline puts people in contact with their local authority. You can call 0800 111 4000 for free. It is open Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00. The helpline will remain open even now shielding has paused.
Details of how to access support can be found here.
Shielding and Vulnerable People
Shielding is a measure to protect people who are clinically at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus. Those in the shielding category will have received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland or been contacted by their GP.
The shielding programme in Scotland was paused on 31 July 2020. From 1 August those shielding can now follow the general public health rules, and are advised to stringently follow current physical distancing and hygiene guidelines.
Scottish Government has produced an infographic to help those shielding understand risk around particular activities.
As shielding people will now be able to visit shops and supermarkets, the food box scheme is ending from 31 July. However, the wider network of support that was available to those shielding will remain. Access priority supermarket delivery slots will continue, provided people register by 31 July, and people will be able to go to their Local Authority for support for food provision if necessary.
This advice will be kept under review and if transmission levels increase, Scottish Government may need to consider advising the shielding group to take extra precautions and measures to protect themselves in the future.
Returning to work
Information and guides for returning to work, for both employees and employers, can be found at Healthy Working Lives, a website from Public Health Scotland.
From 1 August 2020, those who have been shielding can return to work. The Scottish Government has developed risk assessment guidance and tools to support employees and employers to have constructive conversations to identify individual risks and take appropriate action to make the workplace safer. Guidance on the assessment tools can be found here.
Education
Scottish Government have announced that schools will return, full-time, from 11 August 2020. New guidance for preparing for the start of the new school year has been published, and a shorter summary of the guidance is available here.
Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. Enquire has produced resources on the impact of Covid-19 on education and offers a helpline for support.
ParentClub also offers information and resources for home learning and childcare.
Carers
Mencap have pulled together resources and advice for carers who may be affected by Covid-19.
PPE for Unpaid Carers
If you are an unpaid/family carer and think you require PPE due to your caring role, and the routes you normally use to access it are unavailable, you should contact your local carers centre and they will advise you on how to access supplies locally.
You can find a list of local carers centres and young carer services on the Care Information Scotland website. If your local carers’ centre is unavailable, you can call the Social Care PPE Support Centre on 0300 303 3020 and they can provide you with information.
Condition Specific Support
The Scottish Government has specific advice for people with a rare condition and has produced a wider set of tailored advice for specific medical conditions here.
Information for Charities in Scotland
The SCVO provides a hub of information for charities concerned by the Covid-19 pandemic, including information on emergency funding and human resources considerations.