Working for you during the crisis

Things are going to be very different for a while as we are all asked to change our day-to-day behaviour in response to the evolving public health crisis.

Putting health and wellbeing at the top of the agenda is vital for everyone, and we are all being asked to exercise a large amount of patience and goodwill while the country gets to grips with this ‘new normal’.

Most businesses are making changes to help protect their staff and customers, mainly from face-to-face contact in order to reduce transmission of the disease. But it is also crucial for many businesses to continue operating as they provide services that people rely on.

At Vincents we have sent almost a third of our staff home with laptops and mobile phones to work from there. We have the IT systems in place so that they can access all of the information that they need, and clients can contact them just as easily as usual.

We are asking clients not to come to our offices without an appointment, and then to rearrange if they feel unwell in any way. We are suspending sending out post unless this is unavoidable, to minimise potential contact risk, and those working from the office will also be conducting most of their communications by email, telephone and video call.

For those clients where a face-to-face meeting is absolutely necessary, we will be taking additional precautions and will be asking them to do the same.

But what we absolutely cannot do is stop working, far too many people rely on us for that.

Every day we support older people, injured people, and those facing a dementia diagnosis to make plans for their future, whether that is putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place or an emergency Court of Protection order, discussing a Will or establishing a Trust.

Every day we help children in care and their families, holding their hand through an unfamiliar and often traumatic process dealing with social services and the courts.

Every day we fight for victims of Road Traffic Accidents, accidents at work, medical negligence, and injuries in public places, taking on the insurance companies to get them the financial and medical support needed to rebuild their lives.

Every day we work with separating couples going through the most difficult and distressing time, ensuring a fair future for them and their children. We’re also there to give victims of domestic abuse the support they need to walk away with confidence.

Every day we advise companies across Lancashire, giving them the information and documentation they need to continue to the provide jobs, services and products the community, and the economy, rely on.

And every day we answer the phone to hundreds of people who find themselves in a situation out of their control and who simply don’t know what to do, and we help them.

We will do everything we can to continue operating as normally as possible. There may be some disruption, we may have to be flexible in our arrangements, and we hope everyone will be understanding in the coming weeks. But we will still be here, and we will still be fulfilling our responsibilities to our clients.

So, keep in touch, look after yourselves and others and stay safe.