By KLTV Newsdesk –
Kirklees Council has announced today that they have brought in a new team of dedicated Covid Community Support Officers (CCSO) to work across the borough as part of their Covid response.
The council says these officers’ roles are to provide reassurance and advice to residents and to work closely with essential businesses to provide support in making sure they are Covid secure.
The CCSOs are currently working in all 23 wards including the town centres.
There are currently 16 who are actively out in the community visiting businesses.
From Monday 8 March a further 14 Covid Community Support Officers will be joining the team and this will again be increased at the end of March with a further 13 being brought in.
What will they be doing?
The CCSOs aim to provide an ‘approachable, visible presence in communities’ to encourage Covid safe behaviour and are currently visiting around 100 business per day.
The first set of officers has visited every place of worship in Kirklees to assist in making sure that they are able to provide a Covid safe environment for their worshipers and congregations.
The council added that CCSOs will focus on COVID-19 related issues but will also be aware of broader community safety issues that can be identified.
Supporting Businesses and Residents
Cllr Paul Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture & Greener Kirklees, said: “The extra recruitment of officers will be significant in assisting our businesses as we move through the roadmap which the government has proposed.
“As we begin to see non-essential shops and the hospitality sector open once again it’s vital that we have the resources in place to support those businesses so that they can operate to the best of their ability while keeping our residents safe.
“The officers who have been visiting businesses over the previous weeks have been welcomed by business owners and we are thankful for the cooperation we have seen from the majority in Kirklees.”