Digesting Cases to Local Groups

This protocol is under review, and has not been accepted.

We are currently gathering feedback and editing this protocol, and there may be errors or bad wording. Please only use this protocol with caution, and if other organisations have definitive protocol, use that instead.

Please see #protocols on Slack to discuss this protocol further.

This protocol is part of a system of protocols. These describe a system for doing dispatch from ingest to instructing volunteers and safeguarding, for doing dispatch safely and transparently for all involved. These are the Covid dispatch protocols part of the larger Covid protocols effort from QueerCare.

This page is specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our covid protocol still focuses on somewhat older science relating to droplet transmission. We are currently reviewing this. It will be updated rapidly.

When processing care tickets, some will be handed off to local QueerCare-affiliated mutual aid groups. This should be done as standard practice fo non-urgent tickets and also can be used for urgent tickets where no suitable volunteers are available from central dispatch. If you are from an affiliated group and looking for how to process cases coming from QueerCare national, please see "Ingesting a case from Queercare national"

1. You should message the person requesting support informing them of the intention to transfer their ticket to a local QueerCare-affiliated Mutual aid group. If they are uncomfortable with this, follow central dispatch protocol
2. You should contact the QueerCare-affiliated mutual aid group. If this is an urgent case, the message should be tagged (Urgent Dispatch) otherwise the message should be tagged (Dispatch Soon). The body of the message should including the following information:
   • The name of the person
   • Their contact details
   • Their postcode
   • The kind of support they need

   Remember that this information constitutes personally-identifiable information so you must be very careful not to share this information with people who do not need to know it.

3. If the ingesting group is able to assist, the person being supported should be informed of the handover and the ticket should be marked off with the group they have been linked with.
4. If the injesting group is unable to assist, or does not respond in the time frames established in "Ingesting a case from Queercare national" aditional affiliated groups can be contacted in the same manner detailed above, or it can be dealt with using central dispatch protocols.

Intention To Transfer Form Message

"Hi, This is [Name] from QueerCare. We are looking to pass your request to [name of group], a mutual aid group in your area who have agreed to QueerCare protocols. Are you willing for us to do so?"

Digest Form Message

"(Urgent dispatch)/(Dispatch soon) Support Request [ticket number]

Hi, We have recieved a support request from [name] in [postcode], please let us know if you are able to take ownership of this request. [pronoun] can be contacted on [contact details] and is in need of:

• [support need]"

An example of how this may look in practice is:

"(Dispatch Soon) Support Request 00

Hi, We have recieved a support request from Rebecca in [postcode], please let us know if you are able to take ownership of this request. Xe can be contacted on [phone number] via whatsapp after 10am and is in need of:

• Some soap, bleach and clean cloths,
• Getting some microwavable meals prepared and dropped off (vegitarian)"

Hand-over form message

Hi, this is [Name] from Queercare. This is just to let you know that [name of group] are now looking for volunteers to support you and will be in touch. If they don't get in touch within 24 hours, or it becomes more urgent, please reply to us here.