COVID-19
ASSISTANCE
Jersey Sport supported the response to the pandemic and is proud of its team who collectively stepped-up to work flexibly during challenging circumstances.
The following team members were seconded to the Government of Jersey to support the COVID-19 response in specific roles on a part-time, full-time or ‘as required’ basis. Read more below about how they helped assist the fight against COVID-19.
Catriona McAllister
CEO, Jersey Sport
• Department seconded to: Contact Tracing Team, Government of Jersey HR, Facilities and Operations
• Number in team: 55
• Main role: Supporting the team in any way required
• Seconded until: Initially until the end of June
• What learning from the experience: Learning about the critical role contact tracing plays in controlling transmission and breaking the chain of infection
• What enjoying: Meeting new people and doing a completely different job. Feeling like I am doing something to help Jersey during these difficult times.
Cirsty de Gruchy
Head of Move More Jersey
• Department seconded to: Antibody Testing/ Physiotherapy
• Main role: Understanding how Move More Jersey can support and work collaboratively with the physio team to support islanders. Undertaken training to administer the Antibody Testing should there be a greater need for testing in the community.
• Seconded until: Cirsty has been placed on a bank contract for the Jersey General Hospital Physiotherapy, so available to be mobilised should the need arise.
Georgina Connor
Move More Referral Instructor
• Department seconded to: Firefighter, Jersey Home Affairs
• Number in team: 6 (including myself) within the crew
• Main role: To protect the local community within a Fire and Rescue context: fire, correspond, road traffic collisions, boat and cliff rescue
• Seconded until: end June 2020
• What learning from the experience: I have learnt what a day in the life of a full time firefighter is like. Each day we train, I have developed my knowledge in rope rescue, manning the boat if called upon, hazmat incidents, topography and much more
• What enjoying: I enjoy having the structure within each day, the ability to help others and learn something new every day, whether that is on an incident or training on station.
Dan Garton
Community Programmes Officer
• Department seconded to: Schools Sport
• Number in team: 17 (Community Coaches and Schools Physical Literature Coaches)
• Seconded until: as long as required!
• Main role: Co-ordinate schools Covid support, ensuring that schools are supported with additional coaches to take on the roles of delivering games/challenges and general school activities. Other parts of the role has been liaising with external stakeholders (headteachers and CYPES) to ensure policies and procedures are in place. From the sports side I have been making welfare calls and speaking to various sports about how we can support them and how this has effected them.
• What learning from the experience: I’ve learnt how much I miss social contact, the day to day job is all about speaking to various people and I’ve really missed this. I have learnt not to take things for granted during this pandemic, the smaller things are really important.
Marilee Picot
Move More Referral Instructor
• Department seconded to: States of Jersey Ambulance Service
• Number in team: Multiple
• Main role: Assisting States of Jersey Ambulance Service and Health teams from Hospital Departments. Assisting Frontline Response, Swabbing and Immunity testing teams and driving GP’s working from the Urgent Treatment Centre
• Seconded until: 30 June 2020, then reviewed
• What learning from the experience: Working closely with a wide variety of health professionals from different departments
• What enjoying: Having the ability to utilise the medical skills I have acquired through training and voluntary duties as a First Responder and supporting frontline services. Working closely together with others from different departments and learning about their roles. Meeting and assisting a variety of members of the public from all age groups.
Move More Jersey Team
• Team redeployed to: make courtesy calls to Referral clients, Pay As You Go customers and Health Walkers on a weekly basis to support those isolated, particularly those living alone. Calls now made every 2-3 weeks. The team also host 12 Live Zoom exercise classes per week.
• Number in team: 9 (including Nigel Parry, Move More Jersey Adult Programme Officer pictured). The team also received support from our swim team to make courtesy calls.
• Main role: To support the development of the various new initiatives from idea to reality, throughout lockdown
• What learning from the experience: How important it is to provide support to clients and team members who maybe struggling with the current situation. Team building at this time is vital.
• What enjoying: The response from clients to the calls and how important they are to them, building the rapport with people and the team ethos within the Move More Referral team.