COVID-19 Response: We Are Here For You
“I have received excellent support via zoom and email, I have found the service of extreme help to me during this time” – Yellow Door Client during lockdown
In these difficult and uncertain times, Yellow Door is here to help. We have remained open throughout the lockdown and as it eases. Of course, we are doing things differently – flexibly and creatively – respecting the government guidelines on social distancing and related requirements, but we are providing remote support across all our services and we have expanded our Helplines to take more calls for advice and support during this time.
We know it is not the same as face-to-face support, but our approach is to work together with our service-users to minimise disruption to the support they previously received and to offer help in a way that best suits their individual circumstances. In some instances that is a regular telephone call to check on their welfare or to give reassurance that coping or parenting strategies are going ok. In others it is the full counselling or education sessions but delivered by telephone or video-calls.
We recognise the additional pressures and adverse impacts of Covid-19 on our service-users, some of whom may not be living in a safe place and others who are struggling with the impact of trauma and abuse and for whom our services provide vital support after the abuse ends. Our Helplines and advice services including ISVA have been able to offer advice, including advice about staying safe in this time. We are pleased that most of our existing service-users have retained contact with us and we are now receiving new referrals. Feedback from service-users suggests together we are making the most of the current situation:
“I’ve really appreciated the support I have received especially over the Covid-19 crisis just having a telephone call to see how things are and if there is anything they can help with”
“It isn’t as good as meeting in person but it is the best possible to do in the circumstances. I am still being supported through quarantine.”
“You did the best you can at the present time and I felt valued and validated”
We have also tried hard to be creative and imaginative in our new ways of working from inviting expert ‘guests’ from other parts of the UK to join our groups via zoom, to providing art packs for children and young people to use. The drawing below illustrates the creative potential of remote working as often people think this will be a lost medium for therapy if you do not work in-person – here group members made this drawing together by all adding to the zoom whiteboard:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGSvzeFAuRA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqLzM7-V27U&feature=youtu.be
If you need our help please contact us or make a referral. We are here and operating most of our services albeit remotely. If you feel the support you are receiving from us at this time needs to change or adapt please talk to us.