PLATFORM
Liverpool Communities Link has been involved with public and we want to work for you, we need to create more living wage jobs, improve our schools, and make public safety - especially getting guns off the streets, a top priority. With nearly a decade of government experience, we know what it takes to find solutions, navigate the complicated governmental agencies, and get things done."
LIST OF ISSUES
Education
There are a wide range of issues affecting the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff right now. We have developed these tips to help you look after yourself in these extraordinary times.
Keep things in perspective
These are extraordinary times, and everyone is dealing with a lot of different issues now, and just getting safely through the day will be an accomplishment sometimes:
I am still an educator, even if I am not working directly with my students/pupils right now. I have an important role to play in keeping a sense of connection between my pupils and the school community.
I cannot fix the international economic and social issues that will arise from this crisis, so I will choose to not dwell on these issues.
I can’t fix the home circumstances of the students for whom I worry, so I will not focus on those concerns today.
I will attend to things that really matter what I can meaningfully do for work, staying well myself, and staying connected to the people I love and care about.
If you do find yourself catastrophising or caught in worry loops, then write down the worries to give yourself some space. You might also try analysing evidence for and against the worry and seeing if you can problem solve them.
Housing
Finance, housing and unemployment worries during the coronavirus outbreak
These are unprecedented times. Many of us are facing daily challenges relating to the coronavirus epidemic – both in terms of health but also in terms of finance, job security, housing and caring responsibilities.
Our sense of time is out of shape – events in the news seem to move so fast – and everyday sees another problem or a possible solution. At the same time the days at home, or the nights can seem to drag.
Whatever is happening to you, or to us, there is an impact on our mental health. For now, the best thing to do is to focus on the here and now, this minute.
We are in the first phase of an emergency – lots of people are coming to terms with a rapidly changing situation. It may seem today that the problem you are facing with your bills, your landlord, your childcare or your job is unsolvable.
Everyday there are new solutions – from government, from our communities, and from the businesses in our lives. Sometimes we must find a way to take a breath, look at the issue from a different angle, and reach out. There isn’t always an answer today - but the only way is through
Diversity
Responding to a crisis
The diversity dilemma of COVID-19: why diversity and inclusion is more important than ever
COVID–19 is a virus that does not discriminate and does not respect international borders.
The spread of the virus has shown us that we have a lot more in common than we usually admit to. The effects of the virus are impacting everybody – from health to economics – without prejudice.
While businesses globally are figuring out how to respond to the pandemic crisis, a lot of their energy and focus is on managing their finances, ensuring that products and services can still be delivered, and employees are safe.
This is, of course, the right thing to do. But what I am also seeing is that a number of people principles we have invested in since the last global economic crisis, like diversity and inclusion, are unfortunately falling off the priority list.
Healthcare
The unexpected and unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted tremendous strain on health care resources, even in developed countries. The sheer magnitude of numbers coupled with high virulence of the infection has triggered country wide lockdowns across vast swathes of the globe. One group expected to work as usual in these trying times are health care workers and, therefore, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of frontline health care workers is gaining legitimate attention. In this regard, we point out a few moral and ethical dilemmas that can be faced by health care workers (HCW) while attending the call of duty:
1.Dilemma 1 – How to balance my ethical duty to care for my patient against genuine concerns of contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to my family? These concerns are likely to be more pronounced among health care workers with aged parents or young children. To some extent, these concerns are also fuelled by limited availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), inequitable distribution of available equipment and limited and constantly changing recommendations on usage of masks and other PPE.
2.Dilemma 2 – Should I retain ventilatory support for a critical patient who is unlikely to survive or use the ventilator for a less critical patient with better prognosis? As much as doctors are bound by the Hippocratic oath that entrusts every doctor to treat all sick patients to the best of their abilities, in times such as these, triaging of finite resources is a pragmatic consideration. Consequently, frontline HCW’s may find themselves in an unpleasant situation where they have to make a choice of allocating scant resources for those who need them the most.
Environment
As the world struggles to contain a rapidly spreading pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people are fighting for their lives and the global economy is in danger of lurching to a halt — putting billions of livelihoods in danger.
At Liverpool Communities Link, our top priorities amidst the COVID-19 crisis are the health and well-being of our staff and their families and the community as a whole in acting in solidarity with the most vulnerable in our global community. Like many of you, we are now working from home and doing everything we can to contribute to the measures we all must take to reduce the daily impacts of this crisis on human lives. This disaster touches all of us, and we are responding with empathy and care for the common good.
In that vein, our work continues. Never has the need to build a more sustainable, inclusive economy been clearer or more urgent. This pandemic is a painful reminder of our universal interconnectedness, our vulnerability to the seismic risks and sudden shocks our current capital markets systems expose us to, and the need for mass mobilization to tackle a common crisis. While some of our efforts may have to slow, and some tactics may change, we are more committed than ever to transforming the economy to build a just and sustainable future. In fact, it has never felt more important. The need to accelerate the transition to a net-zero emissions economy will grow even more critical in the coming months and years as pollution, rising temperatures, deforestation, unjust power imbalances, and the degradation of our natural resources leave us more vulnerable to future crises, if unaddressed. As we rebuild our economy, we will continue working with investors and companies to help navigate the risks and opportunities embedded in our new reality.
Our policy work will continue as well, and policymakers have a critical role to play in the short- and long-term recovery. It's imperative that lawmakers provide not just the immediate life-saving medical and economic relief that so many millions need, but that they look to refashion our systems and policies so that future crises are prevented. Economic recovery packages should amount to not just a stimulus, but to a recalibration of our economy to protect against systemic threats — and they should include policies that protect workers now and into the future.