Care providers in Harrow will receive a five per cent increase in council support payments to help manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

Harrow Council approved plans to spend around £600,000 in total to help offset costs to carers brought on by the outbreak.

It also earmarked an additional £750,000 if there are second and third spikes covering needs associated with coronavirus.

The funding, which is part of the Government’s allocation to the council to help manage the impact of Covid-19, will cover the period from March 23 to the end of June.

According to a council report, it will help with things such as extra staff costs, additional training and payments for more personal protective equipment (PPE).

Cllr Simon Brown, responsible for adults and public health at Harrow Council, said: “We wanted to get it out as quickly as possible as some care providers might be under financial strain.

“We want to make sure we are doing as much as we can to support them and help cover any extra expenses as they are an essential part of our social care provision.

“Staff have been undervalued and it’s now coming to light how valuable they are in caring for elderly people in our community, of which Harrow has a large population.”

He added the council has been supporting care homes by providing additional PPE and set up a testing centre at Alexandra Avenue Health Centre for staff and their families.

Cllr Brown also called on the Government to allocate more funding to local authorities across the country to help them manage the impact of coronavirus on “essential” services.

His words echoed those of Harrow Council leader Cllr Graham Henson, who wrote to Boris Johnson urging him to stand by the claim the Government would provide “whatever funding is needed for councils to get through this and come out the other side”.

So far, the Government has given the borough more than £13 million worth of covid-19 support as part of a £3.2 billion nationwide emergency funding package.