Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what support or funding they are giving to support sheltered-housing providers, including information, training, personal protective equipment and other provision to ensure the safety of staff and residents, particularly those who have difficulty understanding or complying with the Government’s COVID-19 advice and associated regulations; and whether they are considering introducing further measures in relation to supported-housing providers to address the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Government deeply values and applauds the hard work of supported and sheltered housing providers and workers in supporting vulnerable people across the country during this pandemic.

The Government has published guidance issued by Public Health England on working practices in supported living during the pandemic. This can be found (attached) at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-for-supported-living-provision

We have also given councils an additional £3.2 billion of funding so they can continue to provide essential services and support vulnerable people.

We have extended testing to all front line essential workers which includes those working in supported, extra-care, sheltered and retirement housing, and we have provided additional supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) for local distribution to a broad range of essential front line workers.

For those supported and retirement housing residents who may be shielding, the Government is helping shielding individuals who request our support with free deliveries of weekly parcels of food and household essentials, help with delivery of medicines, and help with social contact and basic needs.

My Department continues to engage regularly with sector stakeholders.