Statement from Selnet
The Covid-19 pandemic is impacting on all aspects of society; its presenting challenges to our organisations, teams and the communities we support – and we’re seeing Lancashire’s phenomenal social enterprises step up, innovate and collaborate to respond to need; whether that’s getting good food out to disadvantaged communities and maintaining critical services for marginalised people, to manufacturing masks for the NHS and providing advice and support for entrepreneurs.
We’re keeping this page updated with resources that you should find useful as a starting point – but please let us know the specific challenges you’re facing, or the help you need and communicate with our members and national partners to try and bring you some answers. We remain active on social media and will share your opportunities, requests, solidarity or news if you can tag @SelnetLtd #SocEntSolidarity
We’ll be issuing special editions of our ‘Selnet Informer’ newsletters regularly to keep you up to date with sector colleagues’ responses to the pandemic – so please send anything you should like to be shared to us via social media or dawn@selnet-uk.com
All the team are now set up with remote connections and able to continue working from home. The office phone 01772 200690 is operational between 10am and 4pm and our mobiles are on – please ask if you need our help.
As ‘people people’, working while social isolating is big challenge! We’re each missing the social and individual engagement that’s so important to our sector, but we’re here making it work, and so are our social enterprise colleagues across Lancashire! This is uncharted territory for us all, but stay in touch and we’ll do everything we can to support you.
Team Selnet
Project updates:
Building Better Opportunities:
We have asked several practical questions of the funder and are pressing for answers to these so that we can feed this back to partners asap. Partners have been asked to talk to Donna or their Project Lead at Selnet if the effects of the pandemic are going to have an impact on your ability to meet your contractual requirements, including project delivery and submission of claims.
Two/Zero Scale Up programme:
We are in the process of contacting applicants and connecting them with coaches to complete a comprehensive needs assessment via video call. This will give us the information we need to identify the programme of masterclasses and seminars that will support scaling in due course… More than ever, Lancashire will need the products and services of our sector to help recover from the current crisis. We will be working with applicants who had identified scaling opportunities to help realise them and achieve their crucial impact and job creation potential in the coming months.
Beyond The EU Projects; What Next For Lancashire?
Unfortunately this event has been postponed and will be rescheduled in due course. In the meantime, on this page and via the Selnet Informer, we will be issuing some information regarding the Shared Prosperity Fund and the implications for Lancashire of ESIF funds coming to an end.
Crisis Furniture Support Service:
Every effort is being made to continue supply and fulfil referrals for customers under the scheme and are managing risk of delivery accordingly:
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- The current national government guidance is being followed at all times to protect everyone and to prevent the virus from spreading. Delivery teams are provided with the recommended protection equipment, resources and sanitising gel.
- A risk assessment is carried out prior to a crisis referral delivery being made; in particular, before entering a customer’s home the team check whether anyone inside has COVID-19 or is self-isolating.
Selnet Ltd – Business Continuation Plan (pdf) updated 30/03/20
Council and Government Guidance
- Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. In the current situation, we have changed our focus from growth to supporting businesses as they feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The #AskForHelp service is available to all Lancashire business owners. They can call us on 0800 488 0057 to discuss all business issues related to the coronavirus outbreak. Our team will advise where possible, as well as directing businesses to expert advisers across Lancashire.
We have also built a dedicated #AskForHelp hub with resilience guides, access to Government updates and partner advice as well information about webinars, virtual drop-in sessions and other support. - A Lancashire-wide relief effort has been launched to support those in isolation by utilising the spare capacity of hospitality businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Coronavirus: Government advice for businesses
Lancashire County Council are continuing to work with colleagues in the NHS and Public Health England to do everything we can to delay the spread of coronavirus and ensure the people of Lancashire are protected.
Blackpool Council – Blackpool Council’s business support team is in the process of setting up a dedicated helpline to ensure that local businesses can access the support announced by the Chancellor. Details will be issued on this website shortly.
Blackburn with Darwen Council – includes guidance on building closures, prevention and business rates.
- COVID-19: support for businesses – The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption. Sign up for email alerts to get the latest government information.
- Go to NHS.UK/coronavirus for information about the virus and how to protect yourself.
- Latest advice and updates via World Health Organisation
Social Enterprise Guidance
- Networks Community and Peer Support – A space to share the issues you face and also to support other social enterprises through this crisis
- Practical responses for social enterprises – Click here for the latest resources and tips to support social enterprises at this time. These will include webinars and documents and will be updated regularly.
- Government engagement and sector voice – Let us know your concerns and we will feed them to Government
- Webinar: Managing People through the Covid-19 pandemic
- Information and guidance about coronavirus and what it means for voluntary organisations and volunteers. This is to help you plan and access the latest up to date advice.
- NCVO have also taken down all pay walls on the Knowhow website. This means that all online content is now free to all to use. So, whether it’s information about governance or online training for staff who are working from home unable to do their jobs, they hope this will provide that little bit of extra support.
Employment Related Services Association (ERSA)
- ERSA is developing a resource bank that all organisations can use when people are self-isolating and/or delivery centres are not open.
- Face to face health assessments have been suspended
- Changes to sick pay
- Coronavirus support for employers, benefit claimants and businesses
School for Social Entrepreneurs
- We want to do everything we can to help you, and the people you support, weather the storm. This blog shares links to resources you might find useful. We’ll update it as new resources become available or visible to us.
- The magazine and news source for social enterprises and the social-impact sector will be sharing news and updates specific to our sector on coronavirus (COVID-19)
Other resources:
- Plunkett Foundation– Information about Community Business and Coronavirus
- Charity Commission– Guidance for the charity sector
- Institute of Fundraising– Information for fundraisers to help everyone in the fundraising community have the right information to guide any action you might need to take
- Charity Finance Group– Coronavirus and your charity – What can you do to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus?
- Good Finance – information, resources and tools designed to support charities and social enterprises navigating COVID-19
- Charity Bank – If you would like to receive our regular updates and newsletters please sign up here. Information about Charity Bank’s response to COVID-19 can be found here.
- Co-operatives UK have put together a guide on HR issues answering questions such as ‘how do we treat employees who follow guidance to self-isolate?’ and ‘what about parents who are off work because their child’s school has closed?’.
National business and employer support
- Chamber of Commerce As the situation surrounding coronavirus / COVID-19 continues to unfold the Chamber is working hard to keep you informed. With advice constantly changing and new support becoming available the Chamber will be sending regular updates to give you the information businesses need.
- This Federation for Small Business (FSB) guide includes sections on if you have to close your organisation, business insurance, advice for employers and measures for the workplace. It’s aimed at small businesses but the advice is also relevant to small charities, social enterprises, community businesses and impact organisations.
- Enterprise Nation– Support for small businesses during Coronavirus
- ACAS– Advice for employers and employees
- CIPD– Understand how to support your business and workforce through this global health emergency
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)– Advice and guidance for small businesses and the self-employed
Communications planning:
- “Crisis communications” might sound scary or extreme, but really it’s just about making sure you’re prepared for different eventualities, and that you keep people up-to-date during tricky times. It might help to plan how you’ll communicate with the people you work with throughout the coming weeks, if you’re expecting your organisation to be affected by coronavirus.
- Charity Comms offers a free crisis communications planning template. The same page includes links to online advice guides.
Looking after your mental health:
- This BBC article offers advice from AnxietyUK and other practical steps for looking after your mental health.
- Mental Health UK has also published supportive tips
These links are external and are provided for information only.
Selnet is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in these links.
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