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There's a lot of information in this weekly update, please take the time to read and stay informed of changes that are relevant to you.
Click on the links below to be taken directly to the stories:
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New ways of working
Like other organisations in this historic time, the way we work and deliver services has in many ways altered beyond recognition and our imagination of a year or even three months ago.
Hafod has moved from the initial stages of crisis emergency planning, to an environment where new ways of working have started to solidify and embed into daily practice. It is often hard to remember that there was a time when the pandemic wasn’t so consuming, tragic and difficult for so many people.
Whilst we are all facing our own challenges, whether personal or work related, it can also be useful to reflect upon the progress that has been made across Hafod. How people have risen to the challenge to form a unified front against some of the most uncertain and fluctuating circumstances we will ever experience together during our working life.
This is exactly what the Hafod New Ways of Working (WoW) project is all about. It's focused on capturing the best bits of working differently, and building them into ongoing and future systems, infrastructure, policy and practice. The point being that we don’t lose the hard work and ground we have already gained - we turn negative circumstances into positive action and changes for improvement.
More specifically, the purpose of New WoW is to ensure that:
- Hafod emerges as an agile organisation that is flexible and adept at change
- Colleagues can work to the best of their ability in and out of the physical space
- Services and systems are reinvigorated into a model that transcends organisational and physical boundaries
- We redesign and maximise the use of resources and assets in order to enhance One Hafod and our customer experience.
Currently the project is broken down into three workstream areas, People, Property, Systems & Infrastructure with a Project Team. The team has recently started to meet weekly and is looking at how Hafod can in the first instance reconsider our use of St Hilary Court during and after the pandemic.
Whilst lockdown measures are still in place and as restrictions ease, it is important that we carefully plan and manage our use of the building to ensure safeguards are in place to facilitate social distancing. However, we also need to adapt to a model that is future proofed post pandemic, allowing for more agile working and improved work/life balance and patterns where able.
We all know this is a unique period, - New WoW seizes this opportunity to learn, re-calibrate, innovate and redesign. If we don’t embrace the positive action of colleagues, tenants, residents and customers at this time of significant uncertainty and duress, I feel we will be failing to recognise these merits and Hafod will be doing a dis-service. If you would like to know more about this project or add your ideas, please contact myself or one of the Project Team.
Similarly, a short survey is being prepared for circulation that asks for feedback on what has worked well or not so well for those who have been working from home during this period. It is noted that working from home means very different things for every individual. We are interested in hearing about your experience and what ways we can assist with adapting to this particular new way of working whether it is linked to the home environment, equipment, training or anything else.
All views are welcomed and will feed directly into the project. Further consultation and feedback from customers is also being gathered through the People workstream to ensure that service design and delivery is built around what matters.
Thank you as ever,
Elke
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"But what they don't see behind a door, a carer a professional and so much more. A counsellor, a friend to wipe away their tears, to be strong and supportive to end all their fears."
Colleagues and residents from Cwmbran House, St Isan, Tŷ Gwyn and Woodcroft are currently featuring in a TV advert on ITV and S4C over the next few weeks as part of the #WeCareWales campaign which encourages people to work in care and to show the difference cares make to people's lives.
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Our Neighbourhood Coaches have worked together to film this video to help promote the help that's out there to those suffering from domestic abuse during this current situation.
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This Friday at 2pm Jas will be holding a Facebook Live Q&A session on our Hafod Colleagues Facebook group, look out for more information on how to get involved in the coming days.
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Lockdown extended in Wales until 28 May
The Government advice in Wales remains to ‘Stay at Home’ with lockdown measures being extended to 28 May. The First Minister announced on Friday 8 May some modest changes to the stay-at-home regulations in Wales, which come into force from this afternoon.
The changes allow exercise to be taken outside of the home more than once a day, however you must stay locally and either exercise alone or with members of your own household.
Travel remains only permitted for essential purposes.
Further modifications allow garden centres to reopen following social distancing measures, and allow local authorities to start planning the reopening of libraries and recycling centres.
For us as an organisation, there will be no changes to our approach during this time. We will continue to follow Welsh Government and Public Health Wales advice and will keep you all updated.
Thank you all for playing your part in helping to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
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Our general Covid-19 risk assessment has been updated. It includes aspects which are applicable to all service areas at Hafod. However, please bear in mind this is an evolving and generic document that will need tailoring to your service area/work activities.
There is no change to government advice, which is to work from home if possible and where this is not possible then social distancing measures must be in place (where practical to do so). St Hilary Court staff to note David Hayhoe’s email sent on Thursday 7 May.
The most recent Covid-19 PPE risk assessments for care homes, domiciliary care and supported accommodation are available here.
For further guidance, email Paul Spargo, Health & Safety Officer via Health&Safety@hafod.org.uk.
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Follow Hafod’s policies, procedures and guidance
We have adapted our approach to ensure that data is adequately protected. Avoid the temptation to do things in a way you think is more convenient, such as sending emails through your personal account or using the video conferencing app that you use with friends for work calls.
Only use approved technology for handling personal data
Our IT team has provided you with technology to assist you working from home such as hardware or software that we must use. This will provide the best protection for personal data.
Consider confidentiality when holding conversations or using a screen
You may be sharing your home working space with other family members or friends. Try to hold conversations, where they are less likely to overhear you and position your screen where it is less likely to be overseen.
Take care with print outs
In the office, we use confidential waste bins. At home you won’t have that facility. You must safely store print outs until you can bring them into the office and dispose of them securely.
Don’t mix Hafod’s data with your own personal data
If you have to work using your own device you need to ensure you have a minimum of windows 10 and you must log in via Hafod’s secure portal. Our IT department has provided us with secure technology to work with.
Lock it away where possible
To avoid loss or theft of personal data, lock print outs and devices away at the end of the working day if possible.
Be extra vigilant about opening web links and attachments in emails or other messages
Don’t click on unfamiliar web links or attachments claiming to give you important coronavirus updates. There is a rise in scams so follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) guidance on spotting suspicious emails.
Use strong passwords
Whether using online storage, a laptop or some other technology, it’s important to make your passwords hard to guess. The NCSC recommends using three random words together as a password (eg 'coffeetrainfish' or ‘walltincake’). Make sure you use different passwords for different services too.
Communicate securely
Use the communication facilities provided to you e.g. WebEx, Microsoft Teams etc where available. If you need to share data with others then choose a secure messaging app or online document sharing system. If you have to use email, which isn’t always secure, consider password protecting documents and sharing the passwords via a different channel, like text.
Keep software up to date
If you’re using your own equipment, don’t be an easy target for hackers. Keep your security software up to date to make it more difficult for them to get in. As for work equipment, IT will manage the security of your equipment for you to work from home.
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Here's some advice from MetaCompliance about the security of information, especially emails and phishing scams which will help you in both the working and personal environment.
One of the most recent coronavirus hoaxes is an Android app ‘CovidLock’ which claims to provide access to a map that details real-time virus tracking and information, including heatmap visuals and statistics.
 Once installed, the app asks for various permissions which it claims are needed to be able to deliver notifications. However, the app is actually laced with ransomware which can deny the victim access to their phone by forcing a change in the phone’s lock screen password. This is also known as a screen-lock attack and has been seen before on Android ransomware.
The app takes advantage of the fact that people are hungry for information and advice about the spread of coronavirus. The CovidLock app then notifies the user to demand a $100 (approx £80) Bitcoin payment to decrypt data, with the threat that everything will be deleted if payment is not made within 48 hours.
How to stay safe from malicious mobile apps
It’s vital that staff are aware of the potential consequences malicious apps can have and how to avoid them.
- Do not download apps from untrusted and unfamiliar sites.
- Seek information from trusted, official websites.
- Regularly update your device’s software.
- Pay close attention to the permissions requested by an app and think twice before you grant access to sensitive information such as your address book or access to your photo library.
- Install a trusted antivirus solution. If you do happen to download a malicious app or open a malicious attachment, mobile anti-malware protection can prevent the infection.
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- 1,139 new cases have been confirmed in Wales since the last update (Monday 4 May), bringing the total COVID-19 cases to 11,468, although Public Health Wales indicates the true figure is likely to be higher
- 5 further deaths were reported in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total deaths in Wales to 1,116, up from 983 on Monday last week
- UK-wide, lab confirmed cases increased to 223,060, up from 186,599 in the last update and an increase of 3,877 in the last 24 hours
- Deaths have now reached 32,065, up from 28,446 in the last update with 210 deaths in the last 24 hours
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Don't forget this Thursday, quiz master David Heaven is hosting a series of pub quiz sessions.
Each quiz will take place on Zoom so please use the links and meeting details listed below. The more the merrier so please feel free to join in!
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 Sometimes we need a reminder of some of the fantastic, heartwarming things happening in our communities.
If you'd like a reminder of all the great things that are going on then check out or Facebook group where we are celebrating some of the great work our teams are doing or this page on Wales Online which is restricted to coronavirus updates that are strictly good news!
Do you have a good news story to share? Send it to the Comms team via news@hafod.org.uk.
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