On behalf of the team at SCL, I would like to express our thanks for everything you are doing to respond to the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19. It has been a challenging term as we all learn more about the new Omicron variant, but a strong team effort to ensure we have considered ways to keep our learners and staff safe.
The Department for Education has stated keeping education open is their top priority:
“The Government is clear on the critical importance of not disrupting the education of children and young people and the Government will prioritise keeping all education and childcare settings open.”
Department for Education
It is therefore essential we continue to work collectively to enable all learners access to their education by keeping sites open safely, while managing the Covid transmission risks. All education sites have a Covid Risk Assessment in place which we must all follow.
Risk Assessments remain ‘live documents’ and as such you are required to update as the Government advise or the club measures change. There is always line manager, HR, and Health and Safety support available as and when required.
Over the festive period we will continue to learn more about the impacts of the Omicron variant. To prepare for any possible changes to Public Health advice, some members of the SCL Team will meet on the 31st December 2021 to review any changes which carry potential impact to our January 4th return. Could we kindly ask that you check our website prior to returning, to ensure you are up to date with any changes or measures we have had to implement if the government amends its guidance.
Please ensure, where possible, that all students have everything required to move to online learning should this be required.
If there are any site closures, they will be communicated to team members via text, as well as a website update so that you can plan and make any appropriate arrangements that you need for your learners in advance.
To minimise any potential risk upon our return, we have communicated with all learners, parents, and our education partners highlighting the minimum control measures which are required on site. We are delighted to learn that many of our education partners continue to exceed these standards implementing their own additional control measures. We will continue to monitor any changes as outlined by the Government to ensure the safeguarding of our learners and staff is at the forefront of everything we do.
As a reminder of the measures we already have in place, we ask you to continue to encourage the following:
- Learners and staff to self-test a minimum of three times per week. Our recommendation is: Sunday and Wednesday evening and each Friday morning. Priorto returning to in January, each student must LFT test at home registering their test result to enable staff to verify.
- All sites to request that parents and visitors take a LFT (lateral flow test) test before attending site. We strongly encourage external visitors are kept to a minimumwhere possible
- All staff and learners to wear masks on access/egress to buildings, inside corridors, travelling between rooms or toilets etc.
- Staff and learners are not permittedto attend site if showing any symptoms of Covid-19. A PCR test must be booked; a return to site is only then permissible once the result of the PCR test has been received
- All staff and learners are to follow Government isolation advice; ensuring both vaccinated and unvaccinated risks have been fully assessed
- Good, regular hand hygiene is to be followed by both learners and staff. Sufficient hand sanitisers in key locations, in addition to soap for hand washing within toilets, must be available at all times
- Both the club and SCL staff must continue to identify close contacts when a positive case occurs: Government guidance must be followed. It is no longer a requirement for fully vaccinated adults or children under 18 years 6 months to isolate if in contact with Omicron, instead daily LFT testing is recommended.
- Ventilation should be increased to allow sufficient air to disburse covid particles. Clubs with rooms without windows, have been encouraged to purchase Co2 monitors. If you have concerns regarding a classroom, please raise with your line manager.
- Both the club and SCL staff must continue to identify close contacts when a positive case occurs. Government guidance must be followed. It is no longer a requirement for fully vaccinated adults or children under 18 years 6 months to isolate if in contact with Omicron. Instead LFT testing daily is recommended.
We hope as we go into the Christmas break that everyone stays safe and well, but we ask that is any team member who tests positive for Covid-19 during the festive period, that they advise their line manager as per our normal absence reporting procedure at the earliest opportunity.
Once again, we thank you for your support in these efforts, and hope that you have a restful festive break with your family and loved ones.