The £10,000 that was awarded to les Amis has helped immensely in offsetting some of the IT costs we incurred due to the Covid pandemic in 2020/2021.
Due to the pandemic, Les Amis was forced to invest heavily in IT hardware such as iPADS, laptops and mobile devices to ensure the staff teams and office staff could continue to provide the essential care and support to our service users. Staff teams were able to access Care Plans, Risk Assessments, company information etc and complete daily checks and notes online. Les Amis also set up an ordering system online so that houses could order food, PPE and medication safely, without having to access the community during the various lockdowns and restrictions.
The equipment not only enabled us to reduce footfall in houses and thus reduce risk of infection, but also enabled our Head Office staff and mangers to work remotely.
The IT investment also meant that the people we support were able remain in contact with not only family members, but also maintain social contact with friends and other services users. Regular Zoom, WhatsApp and HouseParty events were booked in weekly to facilitate games, quizzes and just general catch ups between houses. Les Amis also ran a remote tea party for some of our houses in partnership with one of our Corporate Partners.
Due to the reliance on, and increase of, IT and online services, Les Amis also invested in cloud-based servers and up to date cyber security, provided by an external company. This is ongoing, but we are rest assured that the data we use and handle is protected by up to date security systems; essential when dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
I would therefore like to offer Les Amis’ sincere thanks and gratitude to the Association of Jersey Charities and the Channel Islands Lottery for granting us the £10,000 that helped us as an organisation and, more importantly, supported the wellbeing and mental health of those we support by enabling continuity of contact with family and friends through challenging times.
JasonLoveless
Head of Support Services
