'Happy Boxes' bring a smile to Shropshire residents while adult services shut
Those who usually attend council day services throughout Shropshire have received a special gift while stuck at home.
Teams at Shropshire Council have been adapting their work while the usual provision of day services are placed on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Staff from care venues across the county have been making welfare calls to people who normally use the services, along with their parents and carers, and assisting with practical tasks where possible.
The teams have this week been putting together and delivering ‘happy boxes’ to the people they would usually be supporting at the centres.
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change, said: “While we miss being able to provide the help and support of a day service, these new activities are going a long way to provide company and support to the people that we’d usually see in our centres.
"I’m very proud of the way the teams have flexed and adapted to the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in; despite the obvious challenges of social distancing, they’ve continued to do what they do best, caring for and supporting those in need.
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“The happy boxes have gone down a storm. They put smiles on the faces of many of our service users and we’ve received some wonderful thank you notes for both the happy boxes and the phone calls. I’d like to thank Tesco for donating some goodies to go in the boxes.”
One of the day services run by the authority is Greenacres in Baschurch.
James Davies from Greenacres said: “Thank you so much, very kind of you, I miss Greenacres.”
Tanya Miles, Shropshire Council’s assistant director of adult social care and housing, said: “We’re seeing many examples of, ‘out of adversity comes opportunity’. The day services teams are working with partners on our Good Things to Do at Home project.
“It turns out that all the organisations that usually support people face to face, in their homes or in a community setting are also coming up with ideas about how to do this differently, and we are going to work together to develop a brilliant programme of activity packs, online material and technological ways of connecting with people in their homes.
“So many ideas have come forward covering visual arts, music, cooking, exercise, gardening, mindfulness and relaxation and we’ll be working with artists and musicians to create a fantastic, high-quality Shropshire offer for people who are missing coming out to their usual place in the community, and for their families too.”
