Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Case Policy & Procedure

1. Introduction

We have a duty to ensure, as far as practicable, the health and safety and welfare of our employees, volunteers and service users, and the public at large. To this end we commit to taking all reasonable action to minimise the risk of the transmission of Coronavirus within our organisation and services, balancing this with the risks to the health and wellbeing of our service users and their carers from not having access to our services.

2. Process

2.1 Preventation

2.1.1. Thorough risk assessments, based on the current advice, guidance, and good practice, will be developed, and implemented by the relevant manager to minimize the risk of the transmission of Coronavirus to those engaged in our services. These will be regularly reviewed and updated.

2.1.2. Staff, placement students and volunteers will be advised, where there are no health risks, to get fully vaccinated against Coronavirus and take up the offer of boosters. Service Users will be encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.

2.1.3. Staff and placement students will be credited for time taken to receive Coronavirus vaccinations and boosters, and for PCR tests when these relate to contacts they have had through their role in our organisation.

2.1.4. Staff, placement students and volunteers who are not working from home, will be required to take lateral flow tests every morning before attending, and confirm their results via the staff team WhatsApp group.

2.1.5. Everyone engaging with our face-to-face services will be asked on admission, if they are displaying any symptoms or have tested positive for Coronavirus, or if any of their close contacts have. Where this is the case, they will be asked to leave and self-isolate.

2.1.6. Where it is identified that someone within our face-to-face services has been in contact with, or tested positive for Coronavirus, this must be reported immediately to the CEO.

2.1.7. All centre staff will be trained in infection control.

2.2. If someone directly involved in our services, feels unwell or tests positive, they should:

• Not attend our face-to-face services;

• access a Coronavirus PCR test, if they haven’t already, and self-isolate;

• stop self-isolating if they receive a negative PCR result;

• continue to isolate until they return 2 lateral flow tests within 24 hours from day 5 onwards. They should isolate up to day 10 if their lateral flows continue to be positive.

2.3. Where someone engaged in our face-to-face service has been within 2 metres contact of someone, inside, for more than 15 minutes, within 2 days of them developing symptoms, or testing positive for Coronavirus, they should:

• not attend our face-to-face services;

• access a coronavirus PCR test as quickly as possible;

• return to our service if they receive a negative PCR result;

• continue to isolate if their PCR is positive until they return 2 lateral flow tests within 24 hours from day 5 onwards. They should isolate up to day 10 if their lateral flow tests continue to be positive.

Service User Coronavirus Policy

Where there are no health risks, we would encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated against Coronavirus and take up the offer of boosters.

Where possible we would be grateful if service users could carry out a lateral flow test on the day they come to our service, beforehand, and check this is negative.

If you, feel unwell, or test positive for Coronavirus, you should:

• not attend our service;

• access a Coronavirus PCR test, if you haven’t already, and self-isolate;

• stop self-isolating if you receive a negative PCR result;

• continue to isolate if your PCR is positive until you return 2 lateral flow tests within 24 hours from day 5 onwards. You should isolate up to day 10 if your lateral flow tests continue to be positive.

If you have been within 2 metres contact of someone, inside, for more than 15 minutes, within 2 days of them feeling unwell, or testing positive for Coronavirus, you should:

• not attend our services;

• access a coronavirus PCR test as quickly as possible;

• return to our service if you receive a negative PCR result;

• continue to isolate if your PCR is positive until you return 2 lateral flow tests within 24 hours from day 5 onwards. You should isolate up to day 10 if your lateral flow tests continue to be positive.

While in our services, please wash or sanitise your hands regularly and wear a mask when moving around indoors.