Clare Community Response Helpline goes live

A dedicated community support helpline (1890 252943) has been established in Clare County Council to assist at risk members of the public in accessing non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice during the current public health emergency.  The helpline and support email (covidsupport@clarecoco.ie) are operational seven-days-a-week from 8am to 8pm.

The confidential phoneline service has been established by the new COVID-19 Clare Community Support Response Forum, which includes over a dozen agencies and organisations. The Helpline is focused primarily on ensuring that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access deliveries of groceries, medicine and fuels. The role of the Forum is to ensure that there is a co-ordinated community response and to enable all voluntary statutory agencies to collaborate in support of our communities and particularly of our most vulnerable members.

Included in the COVID-19 Clare Community Response Forum are:

• Clare County Council
• Health Service Executive (HSE)
• An Garda Síochána
• An Post
• Community Welfare Service
• Community Champion
• Tusla and FRCs
• Clare Volunteer Centre
• Clare Local Development Company
• Red Cross
• Civil Defence
• GAA
• Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
• Public Participation Network
• Age Friendly Alliance Network
• Clare Local Link
• Citizen’s Information
• Alone
• Migrant Forum
• Religious
• Other community, voluntary and sports representatives

The new telephone line is just one aspect of the forum’s work. Its core aim is contributing to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Clare County Council, through this group, will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across County Clare to assist those in need, will do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way.  The Council’s COVID-19 Community Response Forum is there to ensure the very best use of the many resources assisting vulnerable persons with their daily needs at this unprecedented time, whether that is collecting medication, food shopping, social support and contact.

An information leaflet including the new Freephone number and other information will be distributed around the county, particularly to vulnerable households, over the coming days.