Coronavirus

Gosforth Park Out of School Club

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Policy

Gosforth Park Out of School Club recognises the importance of advanced planning in order to maintain services and limit the spread of the new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, within our setting.

COVID-19 is a viral infection similar to flu, spread from person to person by close contact. It typically causes fever and a dry cough, and in some cases may progress to viral pneumonia which cannot be treated by antibiotics. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

Cough Sore throat
Fever Tiredness
Difficulty breathing

The initial symptoms are not dissimilar to other colds and flu-type illnesses, so the key question is whether the patient has also travelled to a high risk Category 1 area in the last two weeks, or been in close contact with a person who has.

Category 1 areas are published here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-specified-countries-and-areas/covid-19-specified-countries-and-areas-with-implications-for-returning-travellers-or-visitors-arriving-in-the-uk

 

The government definition of a contact includes:

  • any pupil, student or staff member in close face-to-face or touching contact including those undertaking small group work (within 2 metres of the case for more than 15 minutes)
  • talking with or being coughed on for any length of time while the individual is symptomatic
  • anyone who has cleaned up any bodily fluids of the individual
  • close friendship groups
  • any pupil, student or staff member living in the same household as a confirmed case, or equivalent setting such as boarding school dormitory or other student accommodation

Contacts are not considered cases and if they are well, they are very unlikely to have spread the infection to others.

 

Any child who becomes ill with symptoms which could be COVID-19 while at the Club will be isolated from the other children by at least two metres until the child can be collected by his or her parents. Most suspected cases turn out to be negative so the Club will remain open unless or until advised otherwise by the local Health Protection Team, but parents and staff will be informed, especially those in high-risk groups.

Should any children or staff experience a cough which lasts for more than 4 hours or a fever they should stay away from the club and self isolate for 7 days as per the government guidelines.

 

If any staff or children have returned from a high risk area they will be asked to stay away from the Club for 14 days from their date of return.

Infection control

Like the common cold and other flu viruses, COVID-19 is spread by:

·       Infected people passing the virus to others through large droplets when coughing, sneezing, or even talking within a close distance.

  • Direct contact with an infected person: for example, if you shake or hold their hand, and then touch your own mouth, eyes or nose without first washing your hands.
  • Touching objects (eg door handles, light switches) that have previously been touched by an infected person, then touching your own mouth, eyes or nose without first washing your hands. Viruses can survive longer on hard surfaces than on soft or absorbent surfaces.

We will limit the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 at the Club by:

  • Regular handwashing by staff and children
  • Minimising contact between our hands and mouth/nose
  • Covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing; using a tissue when possible, and disposing of the tissue promptly and carefully (bag it and bin it)
  • Cleaning hard surfaces (eg door handles, light-switches, tables, etc) with sanitizer frequently
  • Encouraging the children at the Club to follow the guidance above
  • Instructing staff to remain at home if they display any relevant symptoms, or sending them home if they first display symptoms while at work.

At Gosforth Park Out of School Club we will promote infection control through the methods above, and in addition we will:

  • Display posters and information to promote infection control
  • Ensure that adequate supplies of cleaning materials are available within the Club
  • Dispose of waste promptly and hygienically
  • Provide tissues and suitable facilities for their disposal.

Closure

The latest advice is that closing individual settings is of limited benefit in stopping the spread of the disease. However, there may be some occasions when we will have to consider temporarily closing the Club because we have too few unaffected staff to run sessions safely. If this occurs the manager will contact Newcastle Early Years service] for further support and guidance.

The Club will also have to close if advised to do so by the local authority in the interest of safeguarding the children in our care.

In the event of closure, the manager will notify parents or carers as soon as possible. The manager will also inform Newcastle Early Years as well as other relevant parties, eg feeder schools, other users of shared premises, etc. The manager will also notify Ofsted of the closure.

Advance planning

In preparation for dealing with COVID-19, the Club will ensure that all contact details for staff, children and parents are up to date.

We will prepare letters of notification for parents and staff, so that they can be distributed immediately if an outbreak occurs. Replace this with we will ensure all mobile contacts are up to date so parents can be notified by text immediately if an outbreak occurs

We will endeavour to build a bank of relief or supply staff who are able to provide cover should staffing levels fall below the required legal minimums. Any relief staff will be DBS checked at the time of joining our team, so that they are legally able to work with children should the situation arise. If there has not been time to complete a DBS that member of staff will be allowed to work until the clearance is received but will not be allowed unsupervised contact with any children.

The Club will regularly update its information regarding COVID-19, by checking the latest guidance from Public Health England and the local authority and will inform parents and staff of any changes to our emergency plans.

Useful contacts

Newcastle Childcare and Early Years Service: 0191 277 4618

Ofsted: 0300 123 1231

Health Protection Team (HPT): 0300 303 8596 option 1