Care Act Easements As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the government has made provision for councils to temporarily ‘ease’ certain social care responsibilities if necessary, to help manage any extreme pressures. This would allow the council to respond to a major increase in requests for urgent social care support and a corresponding reduction in the availability of social care staff. Easements must only be triggered if it becomes absolutely essential, as local authorities must do everything possible to meet their existing duties under the Care Act without taking these new measures. What does this mean in Dudley? At the current  time we are at level 2 and do not need to trigger easements to our existing responsibilities under the Care Act. Services continue to be delivered albeit in some cases in a different way. For example face-to-face visits may have been replaced by phone calls and we have had to close some of our facilities Our services are being closely monitored to ensure we continue to meet the needs of local people. We will continue to adapt services as required to ensure we minimise any potential risks in providing our social care services....

A Dudley Council welfare benefits advice helpline has been set up for people living in Dudley borough affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Call 01384 815002, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9.30am – 1.00pm,  2.00pm – 4.30pm, for information, advice and guidance as to the welfare benefits available. ...

Direct payments – Advice and guidance for people during the Coronavirus crisis Dudley Council has issued Advice and guidance for people regarding direct payments and employing staff during the coronavirus outbreak. Many...

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Switch and save on energy bills Residents can sign up to Dudley Council’s Big Switch and save up to £500 a year on their home energy bills – Register by 10 February. The council-run Big Switch has been running for several years and growing in popularity as a result of the great savings that can be made on home gas and electricity bills.  Energy bill savings of up to £500 a year are typically made when registering for the Big Switch and market leading deals are on offer, not available elsewhere. With gas and electricity bills on the rise and research indicating that people are reluctant to switch because they find it too confusing, the Big Switch is the perfect solution. Part of a national government initiative, the Big Switch scheme sees councils coming together and taking part in a collective energy switching auction. By joining together they are able to get the very best energy deals through the power of bulk buying. Households on a standard variable tariff are likely to see significant savings through the Big Switch. Suggestions are that the energy prices will continue to rise throughout this year, so it’s well worth getting the very best deal possible. To register with Dudley’s Big Switch, visit the council’s website – www.dudley.gov.uk/bigswitch.  Alternatively people can register simply and easily by calling Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345, they will then be guided through the simple process. They will need to have their current tariff details and fuel usage (shown on their most recent bill) to hand. This auction will run until 10 February and then people will have the option of switching energy supplier to the company offering the very best deal. There is however no obligation to...

Please see attached link for your information. Direct payments cafe – 16th January 2020Download...