Homeless charity welcome Covid-19 vaccine availability for staff

The charity says it has faced many challenges during the pandemic including the closure of its Foyle Haven day centre on Derry’s John Street.

However, the charity says it has been able to keep all of its accommodation and community based services operational throughout the pandemic.

In the case of Foyle Haven, the service switched to providing ‘in-reach’ support for people who would have accessed the day centre on a regular basis.

On the vaccine availability, Depaul’s Senior Services Manager for Northern Ireland, Deirdre Canavan, said: “It is a huge positive for our staff to have the vaccine made available to them. Staff in our services are very much on the frontline in terms of protecting vulnerable people’s health. The measures we’ve put in place and the efforts given by our staff to date have no doubt saved lives.

“We will continue to keep strict measures in place within our services and ensure both service users and staff are adhering to public health advice at all times. It is a testament to all our staff that we have been able to keep all of our services operational through this pandemic.”

The vaccine has been made available to persons who are registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and others working in the social care sector through an online booking system. Those registered can book their vaccine at https://niscc.info/arrangements-for-booking-the-covid-19-vaccine/