Norfolk County Council's emergency team has busiest Christmas on record

Social workers in Norfolk had a busier Christmas and New Year than ever, with more than 800 calls coming in over the festive period.

The council's Emergency Duty Team, which helps respond to out of hours social care emergencies, was available 24/7 over the holiday period, supporting some of the county's most vulnerable people.

Christmas day was the busiest on record with 71 calls. The previous record was 50 calls in 2021, due to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the Christmas bank holiday weekend, the team dealt with 414 calls and the New Year bank holiday weekend saw the team deal with 377 calls.

Requests ranged from formal mental health assessments, safeguarding children referrals and community care calls, such as elderly residents needed an increase in care or night visits.

County council leader Cllr Kay Mason Billig, said: "The Christmas period of 2023 was record-breaking for the emergency duty team, who all worked tirelessly to ensure our services were still available for those vulnerable and who needed our support. A special thanks to the staff who came in to cover sickness, as this ensured we continued to provide a high level of service.

"Social care continues to be put under extreme pressure, including financially. The number of calls taken over the festive period demonstrates the endless increase in demand services are facing."