Professional support given at time of need

HEALTH and social care workers at Livewell Southwest also played their part in responding to last week's major incident.

The evacuation of residents was the largest that Plymouth has seen in peacetime. More than 10,000 people were told to leave their homes, after an unexploded Second World War bomb was discovered buried in the back garden of a house in Keyham, where building works were being carried out.

The residents were advised to go to rest centres which Livewell Southwest was instrumental in setting up. The first was the Beacon Centre, in North Prospect. The second was at the Life Centre in Central Park.

Teams from Livewell Southwest worked with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Community Homes to establish and manage the emergency rest centres.

They were staffed by teams from across Livewell Southwest, including registered community nurses, mental health nurses and wellbeing practitioners. Many worked extra hours to support residents.

Kelly Hollingworth, a community mental health support worker said: "There has definitely been a lot of emotional distress, and it has brought up some difficult memories for people in Keyham. It just goes to show what community is. Everyone can pull together when they are needed and support each other, no matter what."