Download our weekly update on social care here. It includes information for both care home and domiciliary care on how to work safely.
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Alternatively, you can read the update here:
A) COVID-19: How to work safely in a Care Home – Updated 20 July
Guidance for those working in care homes providing information on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19. Click here for more information.
B) COVID-19: How to work safely in Domiciliary Care – Updated 20 July
A resource for those working in domiciliary care providing information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Click here for more information.
C) Face coverings mandatory in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and enclosed transport hubs from Friday 24 July 2020
New regulations, made under the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984, meaning that from Friday 24 July face coverings will be mandatory in additional enclosed public spaces including shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and transport hubs. Venues such as restaurants, pubs and gyms will be exempt, however, face-covering is required in takeaways.
You do not need to wear a face-covering if you have a legitimate reason not to. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Young children under the age of 11 (Public Health England do not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)
- Not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
- If putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
- If you are travelling with or assisting someone who relies on lip-reading to communicate
- To avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
- To avoid injury, or to escape the risk of harm, and you do not have a face-covering with you
- To eat or drink if reasonably necessary
- To take medication
- If a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering
QCS have updated the face-covering exemption cards so that they can be used in shops or on public transport. QCS members can access them in the Resource Centre and they are available via our website as a free download.
E) Update on policies for visiting arrangements in care homes
Guidance has been issued on how care homes can re-open to visitors. This long-awaited document only covers care home and nursing homes and the guidance for supported living has not yet been published. Guidance for visits out of a care home, for example to a family home, is being considered by the Department of Health and Social Care and is not included in the current document. QCS have published a new policy for customers to support this guidance and this includes additional tools for dynamic risk assessments, visitor codes and visitor information.