The 2019/2020 financial year was a “game of two halves,” so they say. The first six months, SCS tracked well, servicing those in need with regularity and efficiency. The second half of the year was, like every corner of the planet, knocked off course by the pandemic. However, SCS remained strong and agile.
The number of SCS services delivered came in at a staggering 30,526 in 2019-2020 despite the anticipated, enormous impact of the pandemic.
8428 Home Nursing visits took place across 2019-2020.
Almost 22,000 Home Delivered Meals left the SCS kitchens in 2019-2020. Meanwhile, food runs boomed during the pandemic lockdown, increasing by 30% and prompting the rental of two freezers for the Lane Cove Hub.
The end-of-year figures for Social Support Groups tell an interesting story. In 2018-2019, 25,746 hours were delivered. In 2019-2020, that number fell 25% to 19,150 hours. However, social support group numbers have been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic, with most groups forced to remain ‘in hibernation’ since late January/early February.
Despite the constraints of lockdown, the Linen Service saw an increase in uptakes, and 838 beds were changed with fresh linen. This figure was reached with the help of the nurses who were able to step in for volunteers deemed “vulnerable” during lockdown, and therefore unable to help.
Similarly, despite the pandemic, Podiatry Visits increased from 2144 in 2018-2019 to 2395 this year.
The Advisory Service delivered 500 hours of assistance to clients, and client’s families, who were keen to know how to access the services by SCS.
Social Support for Individuals (which includes the Shopping Service and Phone Shopping) registered 4,278 hours of service this year.
Home Modifications fell slightly from 319 in the previous year to 274 in 2019-2020, owing to the fact that lockdown prevented Occupational Therapists from conducting in-home assessments.
The Carers Support service delivered 1734 hours of help this year, once again despite the effect of the pandemic.
SCS was proud to deliver 11,504 hours of Disability Support. From late March onwards disability groups resumed their Social Club, Different Degrees Drama and Creative Movement classes via Zoom, and operating under COVID-19 safety recommendations, the social and recreational group, walking groups and 184A Art Group.
The Reach Higher Program, which aims to support and empower young people and their families who have difficulty accessing basic supports due to extenuating factors such as isolation and financial disadvantage, continued. SCS continued to implement material aid-based supports prior to the occurrence of crisis points.
During the pandemic, there was a 10-fold increase in the number of families in need of crisis supports. SCS worked in partnership with local grocers, churches and community members to source and deliver food and necessities such as toiletries. The Pandemic Support Program was quickly overhauled so that it functioned in a COVID-19 safe manner, which included mandatory social distancing and sanitisation. Due to the exemplary efforts of staff, all families in need received support in a safe and helpful manner.