Mutual Aid Guidebook

What is self-isolating?

Who needs to do it?

All of the following guidance has been provided by the NHS and Government websites and is correct on 12 October 2020 “Self-isolation is when you do not leave your home because you have or might have coronavirus (COVID-19).” - NHS Self-isolation is different to ‘shielding’ (remaining home because you are at ‘high risk’ from COVID-19) and ‘social distancing’ (guidelines on how to remain distant from people outside your household).

Self-isolation includes: • Not going to work, school, or any public place • Not using public transport or taxis • Not leaving your house for food or medicine (you should order online where possible, or ask friends, family, or the UCASU Mutual Aid scheme to collect these for you) • Not inviting anyone into your household, unless they are providing essential care • Not leaving your home to exercise (you must do this in your own home) According to NHS guidelines, there is no reason why you should leave your home while self-isolating except to attend a pre-booked appointment for a COVID-19 test.

Who needs to self-isolate?

You need to self-isolate immediately if: • You have symptoms of coronavirus* • You have tested positive for coronavirus • You live with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive • Someone in your support bubble** has symptoms or has tested positive • You are told to self-isolate by the official Test and Trace or COVID-19 app (this will happen if the app has identified you as having come into contact with someone who has coronavirus) • You have travelled from a ‘non-exempt’ country into the UK*** * Go to nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms for the most up-to-date information about symptoms. If you aren’t sure about your symptoms, you can use the NHS 111 online service for advice: 111.nhs.uk/covid-19 ** A ‘support bubble’ is for people who live alone (or are the only adult in their household). The ‘bubble’ is made up of you and one other household. More guidelines around bubbles can be found at: gov.uk/guidance/making-a-supportbubble-with-another-household *** A list of exempt countries can be found at: gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

Self-isolation to-do list •

Book a coronavirus test* (you must be tested within 8 days of noticing symptoms)

•

Tell people you have been in close contact with in the past 48 hours - ‘close contact’ is defined as any contact under 1 metre apart, more than 15 minutes of contact between 1-2 metres apart, or if they have been in your home for a long period of time. If you have coronavirus, they must self-isolate - if you have symptoms but no confirmed coronavirus, they simply need to be more cautious about social distancing.

•

Inform UCA that you are self-isolating. You can do this by emailing your Programme Director and Campus Registry (campusregistry_____@uca.ac.uk - insert your campus name in the space). They should also be able to talk to you about how your studies are being affected, and your options.

•

If you have any concerns about how COVID-19 is affecting your studies, please contact our Advice and Representation Manager at molly.new.su@uca.ac.uk or 0782731614.

•

Book an online grocery shop (this is more information about how to do this in the ‘Food’ section) or contact the UCASU Mutual Aid scheme to help you get groceries

•

Sign up for the UCASU Mutual Aid scheme if you don’t have any friends or family nearby who can help you access groceries or medicine - you can do this by signing up at ucasu.com/mutual-aid

•

Come up with an agreement with your household about how you will avoid spreading coronavirus within the household. Consider making a kitchen and bathroom schedule so that you can each clean between your visits to any shared spaces. Be understanding of each other if for some reason you need to break out of the schedule urgently. You should have a way of letting people know you are in the shared space - this may include hanging something on the doorknob, or writing on a whiteboard.

•

Keep an eye out for any coronavirus symptoms, and treat them at home**

•

If your symptoms get worse, use the NHS 111 online service: 111. nhs.uk/covid-19

•

Take care of your mental wellbeing. There is more advice on this in the ‘Wellbeing’ section.

•

Remain in self-isolation for 14 days

* You can book a test on the Government website at self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service. gov.uk/antigen/condition ** The NHS recommends rest, lots of water, painkillers, honey (to soothe a cough) and breathing exercises to remain calm.

Call 999 for an ambulance if you or someone you care for: • • • • • • • •

are struggling to breathe are coughing up blood have blue lips or blue face feel cold and sweaty, with pale or blotchy skin have a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it collapse or faint become confused or very drowsey have stopped peeing or are peeing much less than usual

Tell the operator you might have coronavirus symptoms.

UCASU Mutual Aid scheme The Students’ Union are running a Mutual Aid scheme, to provide support for UCA students who have to self-isolate.

UCA students and staff are volunteering to provide these forms of support: • Purchasing groceries • Collecting medicine or other essential supplies • Doing ‘wellbeing checks’ over the phone

Purchasing groceries If you request a grocery delivery, a volunteer will call you to confirm your shopping list, and how you plan to pay them back. They will then purchase the groceries, drop them outside your home, and collect payment in the way you have pre-agreed.

Wellbeing checks If you request a wellbeing check, a volunteer will call you and discuss how you’re coping, and some possible support options if you need. You can request a wellbeing check regardless of you mood, you do not have to be in crisis to want a check-in.

You can register for Mutual Aid at ucasu.com/mutual-aid, and then submit requests for the specific support that you need.

If for whatever reason we cannot fulfil your request, one of the Mutual Aid assistants will get in touch with you as soon as possible to let you know. Hopefully this guide can provide some ideas for how to take care of yourself, in the event that your mutual aid request is not met.

If you have any questions about the Mutual Aid scheme, feel free to contact Sophie Jackson at sjackson.su@uca.ac.uk

Medical Care There are a few different ways of accessing medical care, depending on the issue and how severe it is.

Please do not go to your GP or any other medical facility without first calling the appropriate phone number. This is due to COVID-19 restrictions. If your medical issue can be managed by phone or video appointment, that is likely how you will be treated. The relevant phone numbers for different services are included in this section.

GP How they can help: You can book telephone appointments with a doctor or nurse, and they can provide medical advice and treatment for non-urgent issues.

Some GPs are also able to offer video call appointments.

Doctors and nurses at a GP surgery can monitor long-term health issues, whereas most other medical services will not do this as they are for more urgent issues. This is why it is important that you are registered with a local GP. Most GPs are discouraging people from coming in to the GP surgery. If you have coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, you absolutely should not go to a GP surgery in person.

How to access: Once you’ve moved in, you should register with a local GP as soon as possible. You can find a GP by googling ‘GP (your local area)’ and checking their websites to see if they are accepting new patients.

Different GPs have different registration processes, so you should call or email them to find out how to register.

Once you are registered, you can book appointments with a doctor or nurse by phoning the GP. Some GPs offer online booking systems. You usually need to register separately for online booking, so you should check when you register whether they offer online booking and how you can sign up

111 How they can help: NHS 111 is a helpline for urgent medical advice. You should use 111 if your issue cannot wait for a GP appointment. If the issue is lifethreatening, you should call 999, the emergency number.

How to access: There is an online 111 service at 111.nhs.uk and a COVID-19 specific service at 111.nhs.uk/covid-19. You should try the online service first. If your issue is not resolved, you can call 111 and speak to an advisor.

When you call 111, they will usually direct you toward one of the other medical services in this list; they might: • Advise you to see your GP • Have an out-of-hours GP call you back to speak to you • Book you an appointment at an urgent treatment centre • Tell you to go to Accident and Emergency (A&E) if they feel you are in immediate danger.

The 111 advisor will usually tell you which service you need to see, and give you a timeframe for how quickly you should try to see them.

Urgent treatment centres How they can help: An urgent treatment centre is in-between a GP and A&E. You would go to an urgent treatment centre if your issue cannot wait, but is not life-threatening.

The nurses and doctors at a UTC can provide medical care, such as dressing wounds, prescribing medication, and more. They do not provide long-term treatments.

How to access: Because of COVID-19, most urgent treatment centres require you to book an appointment before going in. You can book an appointment by calling 111 and discussing your issue with an advisor.

A&E How they can help: Accident and emergency departments provide emergency medical treatment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are staffed by paramedics, nurses, emergency medicine doctors, and more.

A person would go to A&E if they had severe breathing problems, unstoppable blood loss, severe burns, major trauma, or a severe allergic reaction (or any other life-threatening injury or illness).

How to access: You can either go to A&E by yourself, or by ambulance (if the situation is an emergency). You can search online for your nearest A&E. When you first arrive, you will be asked to register (or your ambulance crew will register for you if you have travelled by ambulance). You will then have an initial assessment called “triage�.

The next step depends on the outcome of your triage. You will either be seen at A&E and provided medical care there, or you will be sent to an urgent treatment centre or GP if your issue is not considered urgent enough.

999 How they can help: 999 is the emergency number. If you call them, they can help you access emergency medical care.

How to access: You should call 999 if you have a medical emergency. They will ask you: • Where you are • What phone number you are calling from • What has happened They may dispatch an ambulance, or might advise you to visit A&E yourself, or some other medical provider.

Depending on the emergency, they may ask you to stay on the line.

You can then provide them with further information about the emergency, such as the medical history of the patient. The person handling your call may also advise you on how to provide first aid while you wait for an ambulance to arrive.

If the person’s condition worsens or anything about your situation changes, you should call back 999.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, you may not be able to accompany the person to A&E. You can find all of this information and more in the “NHS Services” section of the NHS website.

Food While self-isolating, you will need to have food delivered to your home. This section will provide a list of places you can purchase groceries or meals, as well as how to make an effective meal plan.

Where to shop Supermarkets: Search for what supermarkets are in your area, such as Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco.

1. Create an account on your preferred supermarket website.

2. Choose a delivery slot, and be prepared to pay a delivery fee.

3. Begin shopping for what you need - make sure to complete the purchase before your time runs out (usually you have a few hours from the point where you choose your slot).

4. Try to book delivery slots in advance, so you know you are not going to run out of food. If this is not possible or if delivery slots are hard to find, make sure you have non-perishable food as a backup while you wait for a slot.

5. If you need groceries urgently, some supermarkets are available on delivery apps like Deliveroo or Uber Eats - be warned that you will usually pay more for the items and for delivery than when going directly to a supermarket website.

Online supermarkets: • Vegan Kind supermarket - vegan-only • Starry Mart - Chinese, Japanese and Korean • FODAL Oriental Supermarket • Olumo Foods - Afro-Caribbean • Red Rickshaw - Indian • Veenas - Asian, Indian and Afro-Caribbean Takeaways Another way to get food quickly is to order from takeaways. Over time, this is much more expensive than shopping at the supermarket, so try to be balanced. If you are sick and unable to cook for yourself, takeaways may be one good option to ensure you are still eating proper meals.

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat These apps offer delivery from both local and chain restaurants.

Depending on your area, they often sell McDonald’s, Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, and many more. You will usually find a variety of Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian and other cuisines on these apps.

You can also order directly from some restaurants, such as Papa Johns, Dominos, Pizza Hut, and many local restaurants. Go to their website or call them up to place an order.

How to meal plan

Shopping list

Week

Weekly meal planner MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

PANTRY STAPLES

SUNDAY

EGGS • DAIRY

BREAKFAST BOTTLED • CANNED

LUNCH

MEAT • FISH • POULTRY

PRODUCE

DINNER FROZEN

SNACKS

OTHER

in any form without the Ltd. The contents may not be reproducedto www.healthyfood.co.nz © Copyright Healthy Life Media go For more healthy tips and recipes written permission of the publisher.

When planning a grocery shop, you need to consider: • Your budget - make sure you make the most of any food you have and nothing goes to waste.

• Your cooking ability - particularly if you are unwell, you may want to opt for simpler meal options such as ready meals, noodles, sandwiches, and so on.

• How long your food needs to last - if you are struggling to get a delivery slot or have to wait for a Mutual Aid volunteer to bring you groceries, you may need to make your food last. Consider purchasing tinned foods (baked beans, spaghetti, chilli) or frozen food (vegetables, pre-made meals) that will keep for longer.

• How much space you have - if you have limited space, you may need to buy fewer items and make a larger batch of the same meal.

• How many people are eating - if you are shopping with your housemates, this can maximise kitchen space because you will be sharing staple foods like rice or pasta rather than owning lots of

duplicates. However, you also need to make sure that any recipes you are planning to make are large enough to serve all the people that the grocery shop is for.

Tip: If you are without fresh food for a while, search for ‘store cupboard recipes’ online and choose your favourites. These recipes will usually only use non-perishable foods, so can be made with things you have leftover in your cupboard.

Example list of self-isolation staples:

Non Perishables

Perishables

Oil Rice and grains Nuts and seeds Flour Beans and legumes Long life or plant-based milk Tinned vegetables or soups Sauces and condiments Spices and herbs Salt and sugar Peanut butter Cereal Coffee and tea Chocolate

Milk Tofu, meat or meat alternatives Frozen fruit and vegetables Eggs and cheese

Flavours Garlic Stock Nutritional yeast Miso

You should only need to order your ‘staple’ items every few weeks.

Your staples may look different to this list, depending on what kinds of things you like to eat. You can Google ‘self-isolate grocery list’ to get more ideas.

If you are able to get regular grocery deliveries, you can top up your staples with fresh foods like vegetables, fruit, bread, biscuits, etc. You should try to get fresh foods delivered around once per week.

Financial support The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in various ways, with many people struggling financially after losing their jobs or having their hours cut. This section includes advice on what to do if your job is affected while you are self-isolating, and some possible sources of financial support.

if your job is affected If you are self-isolating and need to inform your employer, you can get an ‘isolation note’ from the NHS at 111.nhs.uk/isolation-note This may mean that you receive Statutory Sick Pay rather than your usual pay. You can check if you are eligible for SSP at gov.uk/ statutory-sick-pay/eligibility. In some cases, you can also apply for Universal Credit (a monthly benefit that helps cover your living costs) at the same time as receiving SSP. If you are on a low-income or have no work, you can apply for Universal Credit. You are eligible if you are between the ages of 18 - 65, live in the UK, and meet certain financial criteria.

If you want any further advice about what to do when your job is affected by self-isolation, you can check the Coronavirus section of the Government website, or get in touch with our Advice and Representation Manager for support.

if you are self employed Alternative sources of income • • • •

From UCA - financial assistance fund, bursaries, postgrad info on uca website Locally - universal credit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ coronavirus-covid-19-what-to-do-if-you-were-employed-andhave-lost-your-job Self employed grant https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronaviruscovid-19-what-to-do-if-youre-self-employed-and-getting-lesswork-or-no-work Use creative talents - fiver, etsy, depop

Wellbeing Ensuring you take care of your mind as well as your body is really important if you are self-isolating. You might be feeling worried or anxious about the virus, how it is going to affect your course or how you’re going to make friends whilst at UCA. It is important to note that these anxieties are all perfectly valid and there are fantastic support networks readily available for you to use.

The NHS are running a support volunteer group to help people all over the UK to stay safe throughout the pandemic. Volunteers help with a number of different tasks such as helping with grocery shopping, giving lifts to medical appointments and being a friendly person to chat too. The volunteers working with the NHS aim to build community for those that need it most by running support groups to ensure no one is left feeling alone whilst going through the pandemic.

You can find more information on the NHS Volunteer group at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/ and sign up either as a volunteer or as someone who needs support whilst in self-isolation.

At UCA there are a number of Wellbeing resources available to all students. Gateway services have counsellors and specialist advisors who can help you manage things from mental health to time management and finances. Every Wednesday you can find Wellbeing Wednesday broadcasted on MyUCA. Wellbeing Wednesday is a safe, friendly environment where UCA’s wellbeing Coordinator Kathryn is joined by UCASU’s Advice and Representation Manager, Molly to discuss certain topics related to wellbeing. There is a live chat function where students watching can ask questions or give input to the session. Guest speakers from local charities, counsellors and other wellbeing organisations join the sessions to provide students with tools to support their mental health and wellbeing.

We all know that looking after your mental health and wellbeing is more than a few self care tips however, it is still very important!

Young Minds are a charity which supports all young people’s mental health and they have come up with great tips that fall outside of the stereotypical self-care tips. Some including: •

Maintaining a routine: Navigating your way through a global pandemic has undoubtedly changed your routine. Ensuring you establish a new routine whilst in self-isolation can be a great way to maintain your health and wellbeing.

•

Stay connected: It is so easy for us to be glued to our phones, looking at social media to ‘connect’ with our friends and family.

However, looking at their posts on Facebook and Instagram doesn’t necessarily mean we are ‘connected’. Set the time to call those closest to you and really connect! Utilise your time in selfisolation to rekindle relationships and to learn more about your family and friends!

You can find more great self care tips on the Young Minds website at www.youngminds.org.uk/blog/young-peoples-self-care-tips-forself-isolation/ If you need urgent mental health care and support the NHS have local helplines which are open 24/7. Do not suffer alone or in silence.

There are people and charities that are here to support you no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in. Information for the NHS Mental Health for Urgent care can be found here: www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/ where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/ If you need to talk any time of the day or night, there are free listening services available such as the Samaritans that will always be there for you. Call 116 123 to speak to someone at the Samaritans or text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line. If you are under 19 text “YM” to 85258.

Should you find yourself in a Mental Health Crisis, Mind have a number of great coping techniques to help you manage the situation from making plans to get you through the next few hours, relaxing and calming exercises and tips for coping with dealing with scary thoughts. More details of specific techniques can be found here: www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/what-can-i-do-to-help-myselfcope/ Self-isolation can be a scary and lonely place. At the University for the Creative Arts Students’ Union we care and want to be there to support you. Molly is our Advice and Representation Manager and can support you with your mental health. Please email her on molly.new. su@uca.ac.uk or call her on 01372202443 or 07827316142. Even if it’s just for a friendly chat, we are all here to help!

Activities The Students’ Union offers a range of activities, some of which are available online.

Communities On the Activities page of the UCASU website, you can find out which Communities are available on your campus. When you sign up, you can contact the Community leader to help you join in their meetings or activities online.

There are also Communities events throughout the year, some of which are being run or streamed online. If you follow @ucasu on Instagram, you will see event announcements as they come up.

Clubs and Societies If you are a Farnham student, you will have clubs and societies rather than Communities. Clubs require participation in person, but if you join a society, the committee should be able to help you take part online.

There are also a variety of online activities you can participate in, that are run by people and organisations around the world. New activities pop up all the time, from life-drawing classes to club nights and more.

There are lists of online activities available if you search online, or look at the ‘explore’ section of the Events page on Facebook.

Contact Molly New Advice and Representation Manager molly.new.su@uca.ac.uk 01372 202443

Admire Ncube President Kent kent.su@uca.ac.uk

Stefan Renas Gutierrez Yildirim President Surrey surrey.su@uca.ac.uk

Or head over to our website at:

ucasu.com/mutual-aid