Last updated on June 18th, 2021 at 01:15 pm
Today’s update is below:
- Updated Tier 4 Shielding Guidance
Updated Tier 4 Shielding Guidance
New guidance has been issued regarding shielding measures for those staff that reside in tier 4 areas. Staff that are required to shield will be identified by their GP or hospital specialist to be Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) and will receive a new shielding letter from 30th December 2020 onwards advising you to shield until 1st February 2021. If you receive a new letter please notify your line manager immediately and send the letter to HR via your manager.
Staff already identified as clinically extremely vulnerable that have already received the email to book in or have already booked in for the vaccination are encouraged to still attend. This is classed as a medical appointment and is not covered in the tier 4 restriction guidance.
If you do not receive a new shielding letter from the 30thDecember 2020 onwards you are advised to attend work as normal. Your manager will review your risk assessment and make appropriate adjustments if required. In the meantime if you remain concerned, enhanced PPE will be made available.
Please note if you live in the same household as a CEV person the guidance confirms you can continue to work as normal.
The latest shielding guidance is available on the NHS Employers website
If you have any further queries on the new guidance please contact your line manager.
Guidance for managers
If you have a staff member who meets the following three criteria then your staff member should be advised to work from home if they can:
Received a new shielding letter after the announcement of Tier 4 restrictions on 30th December 2020 onwards that states they are classed as being clinically extremely vulnerable and should shield
From your knowledge they meet the CEV criteria
Their risk assessment confirms they meet the CEV criteria
If the staff member is unable to work from home then shielding will apply and they should be advised to go home. This is to be recorded on the system as per previous guidance issued on 26th November and found at this link https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/e-roster-esr-codes/
Please ensure you send a copy of the CEV letter to HR.
Childcare
As you will be aware the tier system has been updated across England from today and secondary school students are on a phased return from 4th January, with all students expected to return by 18th January. On-site education will be prioritised for vulnerable children and children of critical workers from 4th January, please contact your school to arrange as necessary. Government School Guidance can be found at the link below.
If you are in Tier 4, early years settings and childminders will remain open, including nannies and other childcare activities. If you are in Tier 4 you can also form a childcare bubble for children 13 and under, in accordance with guidelines https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-childcare-bubble-with-another-household.
If you are unable to do this or work from home, please inform your line manager as soon as possible. If you are the only adult who is able to look after your child you have the choice between:
Special leave
Annual Leave
Unpaid Leave
Your Line Manager will follow the usual procedure for recording absence in this situation.
Further details can be found on the Staff Covid website(password STHKcovid19) https://covid.sthk.nhs.uk/school-returners-faqs/