Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
Additional costs covered by the fund
We understand this is a very challenging time for schools. We encourage all
schools to continue to manage their budgets in the most effective way
possible, and to redirect their existing resources to best support all their
pupils, particularly vulnerable children and children of critical workers, in
the current circumstances.
We have identified areas where we believe is it most likely that schools may
face additional costs, as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
These are:

increased premises related costs (including utilities and resources needed to keep the school open, such as hygiene services) associated with keeping schools open during the Easter and/or summer half term holidays, for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, over and above the costs that schools would have faced in other circumstances
support for free school meals (FSM) for eligible children who are not attending school , where those costs are not covered by the FSM national voucher scheme - this covers:
costs to schools arising before the introduction of the national voucher scheme
costs where schools are providing free meals to children for whom the national voucher scheme is inappropriate (for example, because there are no participating supermarkets locally or schools are providing meals directly)

additional cleaning – required due to confirmed or suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, in line with COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements

If a school faces other, extraordinary costs to deliver appropriate support to
their pupils through this period that are not covered by this list and cannot
be met by existing budgets, they should contact
DfE.CoronavirusHelpline@education.gov.uk.
Other queries should continue to be directed towards central enquiry channels.


Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
Funding allowances
Where they need to, schools will be eligible to claim up to the limits set out
below. Schools will need to provide assurance that costs are legitimate
additional costs incurred due to coronavirus (COVID-19) by taking necessary
measures and should consider the following before submitting claims:

schools should keep records of all expenditure relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), as is usual with all spend, these records will be necessary for local audit arrangements
the headteacher or school business manager who submits the claim should give due consideration to their financial duties when doing so, including signing their name against any claim
we would expect schools to be able to identify this income, and the related expenditure, when reporting their accounts

We want the claims process to be as simple and as user friendly as possible,
recognising the additional work schools are already facing.
We will not be asking for detailed information of the individual items on a
claim routinely, but schools should hold a record of what has been covered, in
case of individual enquiries.
As usual, we reserve the right to audit the expenditure and clawback money if
claims have not been made in accordance with the guidance, in order to protect
public spending.
Limits for schools
Mainstream schools
250 pupils or fewer
£25,000
Mainstream schools
251 to 500 pupils
£30,000
Mainstream schools
501 to 1000 pupils
£50,000
Mainstream schools
Over 1000 pupils
£75,000
Mainstream schools
Special schools and alternative provision
Mainstream schools
All schools
£50,000
Pupil numbers will be defined by the following data:

2 to 4 year olds – headcount of funded places from January 2020
5 to 16 year olds – headcount from October 2019 census
16 to 19 year olds – pupil numbers from 2019 to 2020 academic year allocations

These limits have been set to ensure that few schools will be likely to exceed
them, and we do not expect there to be many schools who need to spend up to
these limits.
There may be some exceptional instances where individual schools will face
additional costs that are higher than these limits. In these circumstances,
schools will be able to make a case for increasing the limit when they submit
a claim for additional funding.


Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
Expectations of schools
Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual,
regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure, and this will ensure
they are able to continue to pay for staff and meet their other regular
financial commitments, while delivering the provision required during this
unprecedented period.
Costs that are part of schools’ expected expenditure for the year but that
will not provide a benefit to the school or its pupils (such as exam fees,
where exams will not now take place) are not covered by the funding set out in
this guidance. This funding is focused on additional costs that schools face,
over and above their expected expenditure, in delivering appropriate support
for their pupils through this period.
We recognise that staff will need to be in school over the Easter and summer
half term holidays when they would usually not be working. In order to protect
staff wellbeing, and minimise any need for existing staff to work additional
hours in order to cover the holiday periods, schools should consider:

adopting rota systems to cover holidays, and offering staff time off in lieu for this
approaching the local authority or academy trust to check whether staffing support is available from other institutions
making appropriate use of their supply budget

If schools still have unavoidable additional staffing costs they should
discuss these with their Regional School Commissioner who will support them to
resolve the issue.


Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
Short-term support with costs
We recognise that some schools may be unable to make up-front payments to
cover the additional costs due to coronavirus (COVID-19) because of cash flow
issues. In these circumstances, schools should follow the normal process for
seeking short-term advances to support their cash flow by contacting the ESFA
if they are an academy, or their local authority if they are a maintained
school.
Any non-maintained special school with a cash flow difficulty should seek
advice from the ESFA in the first instance.


Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
Eligibility for this funding
Funding will be available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools,
and alternative provision, including:

primary, secondary and all through maintained schools, academies and free schools
16 to 19 academies and maintained schools
maintained special schools
special academies and free schools
non-maintained special schools
pupil referral units
alternative provision academies and free schools
maintained hospital schools and academies


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
If you have pets in the household
At present, there is very limited evidence that companion animals or pets such
as dogs and cats can be infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK is spread by human to human transmission.
There is emerging evidence that some animals can become infected with SARS-
CoV-2 (which causes coronavirus (COVID-19)) following close contact with
infected humans. At this time, there is no evidence that pets can transmit the
disease to humans.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Main messages
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, OR you have
received a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, the clear medical
advice is to immediately self-isolate at home for at least 7 days from when
your symptoms started. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You
should arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to
testing to arrange.
Consider alerting the people that you have had close contact within the last
48 hours to let them know you have symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19.
Following a positive test result, you will receive a request by text, email or
phone to log into the NHS Test and Trace service website and provide
information about recent close contacts
After 7 days, or longer, if you still have symptoms other than cough or loss
of sense of smell/taste, you must continue to self-isolate until you feel
better.
You do not need to self-isolate if you only have a cough or loss of sense of
smell/taste after 7 days, as these symptoms can last for several weeks after
the infection has gone. See the ending
isolation section below for more information.
If you live with others and you are the first in the household to have
symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), then you must stay at home for at least 7
days. All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not
leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the
first person in the household became ill. See the explanatory
diagram.
Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of
infection that people in your household could pass on to others in the
community.
If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they must stay at
home for at least 7 days from when their symptoms appeared, regardless of what
day they are on in their original 14-day isolation period. The ending
isolation section below has more information, and
see the explanatory
diagram.
If you have symptoms, you should stay as far away from other members of your
household as possible. It is especially important to stay away from anyone who
is clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable with whom you
continue to share a household.
Reduce the spread of infection in your home by washing your hands regularly
for 20 seconds using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser, and cover coughs
and sneezes.
If you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets
worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use the NHS 111
online coronavirus (COVID-19) service. If you do not
have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.
If you develop new coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms at any point after ending
your first period of isolation (self or household) then you must follow the
same guidance on self-isolation again. The section below (After ending self-
isolation and/or household-isolation) has further information.
*[GP]: general practitioner (family doctor)


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when you cough or sneeze. If
you do not have a tissue, sneeze into the crook of your elbow, not into your
hand. Dispose of tissues into a disposable rubbish bag and immediately wash
your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use a hand sanitiser.
If you have a carer, they should use disposable tissues to wipe away any mucus
or phlegm after you have sneezed or coughed. Then they should wash their hands
with soap and water for 20 seconds.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
What you can do to help yourself get better
Drink water to keep yourself hydrated. You should drink enough during the day
so your urine is a pale clear colour.
You can use over-the-counter medications, such as paracetamol, to help with
some of your symptoms. Use these according to the instructions on the packet
or label and do not exceed the recommended dose.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
What do we mean by possible or confirmed coronavirus infection (COVID-19)?

Possible infection is where a person has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and is currently awaiting a test result.
Confirmed infection is where a person has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Living with children
We are aware that not all these measures will be possible if you are living
with children, but keep following this guidance to the best of your ability.
What we have seen so far is that children with coronavirus (COVID-19) appear
to be less severely affected. It is nevertheless important to do your best to
ensure that all members of your household follow this guidance.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Ending self-isolation and household isolation
Ending household isolation
After 7 days, if the first person to become ill feels better and no longer has
symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste they can return to
their normal routine.
If you live with others, then everyone else in the household who remains well
should end their isolation after 14 days. This 14-day period starts from the
day the first person in the household became ill. People in the household who
remain well after 14 days are unlikely to be infectious.
If anyone in the household becomes unwell during the 14-day period, they
should arrange to have a test to see if they have COVID-19 – go to
testing to arrange. If their test result is positive, they must follow
the same advice for people with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms – that is,
after 7 days of their symptoms starting, if they feel better and no longer
have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste – they can also
return to their normal routine. However, if their test result is negative,
they must continue with isolation as part of the household for the full 14
days.
Should someone develop coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms late in the 14-day
household isolation period (for example, on day 10 or later) the isolation
period for the household does not need to be extended. Only the person with
new coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms has to stay at home for at least a further
7 days, and should arrange to have a test to see if they have COVID-19 – go to
testing to arrange.
At the end of the 14-day period, anyone in the household who has not become
unwell can return to their normal routine.
If any person in the household with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms has not
had any signs of improvement and has not already sought medical advice, they
should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus (COVID-19)
service. If they do not have internet access, they
should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency, they should dial 999.
A cough or anosmia (a loss of, or change, in the sense of taste or smell), may
persist for several weeks in some people, despite the infection having
cleared. A persistent cough or anosmia does not mean someone must continue to
self-isolate for more than 7 days.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Why staying at home is very important
It is very important that people with symptoms that may be due to coronavirus
(COVID-19) and their household members stay at home. Staying at home will help
prevent the spread of the virus to family, friends, the wider community, and
particularly those who are clinically extremely
vulnerable.
Controlling the spread of the virus will help us to protect the NHS and save
lives.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) and you live alone you must
remain at home for at least 7 days after the onset of your symptoms (see
ending self-
isolation below). This will reduce the risk of you
infecting others.
If you or anyone in your household has symptoms that may be caused by
coronavirus (COVID-19), then you must avoid contact with other household
members as much as possible.
The other members of your household, including those who do not have any
symptoms, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. You must not
go out even to buy food or other essentials, and any exercise must be taken
within your home. This 14-day period starts from the day when the first person
in your house became ill. There is more information in the ending self-
isolation section below.
Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of
infection the household could pass on to others in the community.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Stay at home
You and everyone else in your household must remain at home. Do not go to
work, school, or public areas, and do not use public transport or taxis.
Nobody should go out even to buy food or other essentials, and any exercise
must be taken within your home.
If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up
medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively,
you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online. Delivery
drivers should not come into your home, so make sure you ask them to leave
items outside for collection.
Further guidance on accessing food and essential supplies is available at
Accessing food and essential
supplies.
If you are unable to work due to coronavirus (COVID-19), please refer to this
guidance from the Department for Work and
Pensions to find out
about the support that is available to you.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
If you have a clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable person living with you
Where possible, arrange for anyone who is clinically
vulnerable or clinically
extremely vulnerable to
move out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of your
home isolation period.
If you cannot arrange for vulnerable people to move out of your home, stay
away from them as much as possible, following the guidance
here. For the clinically
extremely vulnerable please follow the Shielding
guidance.
Those who are clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable should
be supported to take precautions to minimise their contact with other people
in your household, regardless of whether others have symptoms or not. They
should minimise time spent in shared spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and
sitting areas. Any shared spaces should be well ventilated.
If they can, clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable people
should use a separate bathroom from the rest of the household. If this is not
possible, consider drawing up a rota for bathing, with the clinically
vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable person using the facilities
first. They should use separate towels from the rest of the household, both
for drying themselves after bathing or showering and when washing their hands.
If they can, clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable members
of the household should have their meals in their own rooms. If you have one,
use a dishwasher to clean and dry the family’s used crockery and cutlery. If
this is not possible, wash them using your usual washing up liquid and warm
water and dry them thoroughly. If the clinically vulnerable or clinically
extremely vulnerable person is using their own utensils, remember to use a
separate tea towel for drying these.
We understand that it will be difficult for some people to separate themselves
from others at home. You must do your very best to follow this guidance and
everyone in your household should regularly wash their hands, avoid touching
their face, and clean frequently touched surfaces.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Symptoms
The most important symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any
of the following:

a new continuous cough
a high temperature
a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. However, if
you have any of the symptoms above you must stay at home and arrange to have a
test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to
testing to arrange.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Looking after your wellbeing while staying at home
We know that staying at home for a prolonged period can be difficult,
frustrating and lonely for some people and that you or other household members
may feel low. It can be particularly challenging if you don’t have much space
or access to a garden.
It’s important to remember to take care of your mind as well as your body and
to get support if you need it. Stay in touch with family and friends over the
phone or on social media. There are also sources of support and information
that can help, such as the Every Mind
Matters
website.
Think about things you can do during your time at home. People who have stayed
at home for a week or more have kept themselves busy with activities such as
cooking, reading, online learning and watching films. If you feel well enough
you can take part in light exercise within your home.
Many people find it helpful to remind themselves why what they are doing is so
important. Hopefully, none of your family will experience anything more than
mild symptoms, but some people are badly affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).
By staying home, you are helping to protect your friends and family, and other
people in your community, as well as making sure the NHS does not get
overwhelmed.
There are things that you can do to help make self-isolation easier. These
include:

planning ahead and thinking about what you will need in order to be able to stay at home for the full duration of isolation
talking to your employer, friends and family to ask for their help to access the things you will need while staying at home
thinking about and planning how you can get access to food and other supplies, such as medications, that you will need during this period
asking friends or family to drop off anything you need or ordering supplies online, but make sure these are left outside your home for you to collect
ensuring that you keep in touch with friends and family over the phone or through social media
thinking about things you can do during your time at home. People who have successfully completed a period of staying at home have kept themselves busy with activities such as cooking, reading, online learning and watching films
planning out the full 14 days, such as on a make-shift calendar, which many people find helpful. You may also find it helpful to plan in advance what you will do if, for example, someone in your household were to feel much worse, such as having difficulties breathing
remembering that physical exercise can be good for your wellbeing, when you are feeling better. Look for online classes or courses that can help you take light exercise in your home


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
If you are breastfeeding while infected
There is currently no evidence to suggest that the virus can be transmitted
through breast milk. Infection can be spread to the baby in the same way as to
anyone in close contact with you. The current evidence is that children with
coronavirus (COVID-19) get much less severe symptoms than adults. The benefits
of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks of transmission of the virus
through breast milk or by being in close contact; however, this will be an
individual decision and can be discussed with your midwife, health visitor or
GP by telephone.
If you or a family member are feeding with formula or expressed milk, you
should sterilise the equipment carefully before each use. You should not share
bottles or a breast pump with someone else.
You can find more information at the Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists website.
*[GP]: general practitioner (family doctor)


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
If you or your family need to seek medical advice
Seek prompt medical attention if your illness or the illness of someone in
your household is worsening. If it’s not an emergency, contact the NHS 111
online coronavirus (COVID-19) service. If you have no
internet access, call NHS 111.
If it is a medical emergency and you need to call an ambulance, dial 999 and
inform the call handler or operator that you or your relative have coronavirus
(COVID-19) symptoms.
All routine medical and dental appointments should usually be cancelled while
you and the family are staying at home. If you are concerned or have been
asked to attend in person within the period you are home isolating, discuss
this with your medical contact first (for example, your GP or dentist, local
hospital or outpatient service), using the number they have provided.
*[GP]: general practitioner (family doctor)


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Do not have visitors in your home
Do not invite or allow social visitors, such as other friends or family, to
enter your home. If you want to speak to someone who is not a member of your
household, use the phone or social media.
If you or a family member receive essential care in your home, then carers
should continue to visit. Carers should follow the relevant
guidance to reduce the risk of you passing on the
infection.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Avoid contact with other members of your household as much as possible
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), it is important to reduce the
spread of infection to others in your household as much as possible.
You should stay in a well-ventilated room with a window to the outside that
can be opened, separate from other people in your home if this is possible.
Keep the door closed.
Use a separate bathroom from the rest of the household, if available. If you
have to share these facilities, regular cleaning will be required. If a
separate bathroom is not available, consider drawing up a bathroom rota for
washing or bathing. You should use the facilities last, before thoroughly
cleaning the bathroom. You should use separate towels from other household
members, both for drying yourself after bathing or showering and for hand
hygiene purposes.
You should avoid using shared spaces such as kitchens whilst others are
present. Take your meals back to your room to eat. Use a dishwasher (if
available) to clean and dry your used crockery and cutlery. If this is not
possible, wash them by hand using detergent and warm water and dry them
thoroughly, using a separate tea towel.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Ending self-isolation and household isolation
Ending self-isolation
If you have had symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), then you may end your
self-isolation after 7 days and return to your normal routine if you do not
have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste. If you still
have a high temperature, keep self-isolating until your temperature returns to
normal.
After 7 days, if you just have a cough or anosmia (a loss of, or change in,
your sense of taste or smell), you do not need to continue to self-isolate.
This is because a cough or anosmia can last for several weeks once the
infection has gone. The 7-day period starts from the day when you first became
ill.
If you continue to feel unwell and have not already sought medical advice, you
should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus (COVID-19)
service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS
111. For a medical emergency dial 999.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
Will my household be tested if we think we have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms?
Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) must immediately self-isolate
and arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to
testing to arrange.
If you develop symptoms you may wish to alert the people that you have had
close contact with over the last 48 hours to let them know that you might have
coronavirus (COVID-19) but are waiting for a test result. At this stage, those
people should not self-isolate. Alerting those that you have been in contact
with means they can take extra care in practising social distancing and good
hand and respiratory hygiene. They can also be more alert to any symptoms they
might develop.
People who have tested positive will receive a text, email or phone call
requesting that they log into the NHS Test and Trace website to create a
confidential account where they can record details about their recent close
contacts. If you do not have access to the web, then you will be phoned by a
contact tracer working for the NHS Test and Trace service. The information you
provide will be handled in strict confidence and will enable the NHS Test and
Trace service to contact those people and provide them with advice on whether
they should go into self-isolation. This will help stop the spread of
coronavirus (COVID-19). The people contacted will not be told your identity,
but by alerting them when you first develop symptoms, you can help make sure
that they are prepared for being contacted by the Test and Trace service.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Laundry
To minimise the possibility of dispersing virus through the air, do not shake
dirty laundry.
Wash items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. All dirty
laundry can be washed in the same load.
If you do not have a washing machine, wait a further 72 hours after your
duration of isolation has ended when you can then take the laundry to a public
launderette.
Do not share towels, including hand towels and tea towels.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Face coverings
Used correctly, a face covering may help to protect others by reducing the
transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you have possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) and you live with
others, consider using a face covering inside your home when spending time in
shared parts of the household, in addition to avoiding contact with other
members of the household as much as possible. You must still stay at home for
at least 7 days from when the symptoms started and wearing a face covering
does not replace this.
Further guidance on the use of face
coverings is available along
with instructions on how to make your own face
covering.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
After ending self-isolation and/or household isolation
What to do if you have another episode of coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms
after the end of your first period of self-isolation or household isolation
If you develop new coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms at any point after ending
your first period of staying at home (self-isolation or household isolation)
then you must follow the same guidance on self-
isolation again.
This means you must stay at home for at least 7 days from when your symptoms
started if you live alone and arrange to have a test. If you live in a
household, you must stay at home for at least 7 days from when your symptoms
started, arrange a test for yourself, and all other household members must
stay at home for 14 days.
This will help to ensure that you are continuing to protect others within your
household and in your community by minimising the amount of infection that is
passed on.
If you previously tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and have
another episode of symptoms, do you need to self-isolate again?
If you have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), you will probably have
developed some immunity to the disease. But it cannot be guaranteed that will
happen in all cases, nor exactly for how long that will last.
If you have previously tested positive but develop symptoms again, you must
self-isolate for at least 7 days from onset of symptoms and be tested. If you
live in a household, all other household members must stay at home for 14
days.
If you are concerned about your new possible coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms,
use the NHS 111 online coronavirus (COVID-19) service.
If you do not have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial
999.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Wash your hands often
Clean your hands frequently by washing them with soap and water for 20 seconds
or using hand sanitiser. This will help protect you and the people you live
with. This is one of the most effective ways of reducing the risk of passing
infection to others.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
For those with learning disabilities, autism or serious mental illness
We are aware that not all these measures will be possible if you, or those you
are living with, have significant conditions such as learning disabilities,
autism or serious mental illness. Please keep following this guidance to the
best of your ability, whilst keeping yourself and those close to you safe and
well, ideally in line with any existing care plans.


Guidance Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
While you are self-isolating, make sure you do the following things
Cleaning and disposal of waste
When cleaning you should use your usual household products, like detergents
and bleach, as these will be very effective at getting rid of the virus on
surfaces. Clean frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, handrails,
remote controls and tabletops. This is particularly important if you have a
clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable person in the house.
Clean a shared bathroom each time you use it, for example, by wiping the
surfaces you have touched.
Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be
stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed
into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This
should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual
external household waste bin.
Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Staying at home
It is still very important that people stay home unless necessary to go out
for specific reasons set out in
law. These include:

for work, where you cannot work from home
going to shops that are permitted to be open – to get things like food and medicine, and to collect goods ordered online or on the phone
to exercise or spend time outdoors for recreation
any medical need, to donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape risk of harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

Where parents or someone with parental responsibility do not live in the same
household, children under 18 can be moved between their parents’ homes to
continue existing arrangements for access and contact.
The government has also identified a number of critical
workers whose children can
still go to school or their childcare provider. This critical worker
definition does not affect whether or not you can travel to work - if you are
not a critical worker, you may still travel to work if you cannot work from
home. However, if you, or a member of your household are unwell with symptoms
of coronavirus, you should isolate and should not travel to or attend the
workplace.
Critical workers and parents or guardians of vulnerable children may leave
their home to take children to and from school or their childcare provider.
You can also attend the funeral of a close family member or member of your
household (or, of a friend, if no one from their close family or household is
attending). Religious ministers or leaders can leave their homes to go to
their place of worship, but these should remain closed to the public
You may also leave or be outside of your home in order to access other
critical public services, such as social services, support provided to
victims, services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, to fulfil
a legal obligation, or to move home in line with the government’s
guidance.
A fuller list of the reasons you can leave home is set out in the
regulations.
When you do need to go out, you should follow the guidelines on staying safe
outside your home. Most importantly, this includes the key advice that you
should stay two metres apart from anyone outside of your household. Face
coverings can help us protect each other and reduce the spread of
the disease if you are in an enclosed space where social distancing isn’t
possible and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally
meet. This is most relevant for short periods indoors in crowded areas, for
example on public transport or in some shops. You should be prepared to remove
your face covering if asked to do so by police officers and staff for the
purposes of identification.
It is still not permitted to leave your house to visit friends and family in
their home. The government is looking at how to facilitate greater contact
with close family or friends, and will explain how this can be done safely in
the coming weeks.
By following this guidance, you are helping to protect yourself, your family,
the NHS and your community.
Further guidance on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus
(COVID-19) has been issued.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Going to work
You should travel to work, including to provide voluntary
or charitable services, where you cannot work from home and your workplace is
open.
With the exception of the organisations covered above in the section on
closing businesses and venues, the government has not required any other
businesses to close to the public – it is important for business to carry on.
All workers who cannot work from home should travel to work if their workplace
is open. Sectors of the economy that are allowed to be open should be open –
such as food production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution
and scientific research. As soon as practicable, workplaces should be set up
to meet the new COVID-19 secure guidelines. These will keep you as safe as
possible, whilst allowing as many people as possible to resume their
livelihoods. In particular, workplaces should, where possible, ensure
employees can maintain a two-metre distance from others, and wash their hands
regularly.
At all times, workers should follow the guidance on self-
isolation if they or anyone in their household shows coronavirus
symptoms. You should not go into work if you are showing symptoms, or if you
or any of your household are self-isolating. This is consistent with advice
from the Chief Medical Officer.
There is specific guidance in relation to work carried out in people’s
homes – for example by
tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, cleaners, or those
providing paid-for childcare in a child’s home.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Businesses and venues
For the time being, certain businesses and venues are required by
law to stay closed to the
public. These include:

restaurants and cafes, other than for takeaway
pubs, cinemas, theatres and nightclubs
clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons; and outdoor and indoor markets (not selling food)
libraries, community centres, and youth centres
indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, gyms, arcades and soft play facilities
some communal places within parks, such as playgrounds and outdoor gyms
places of worship (except for funerals)
hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use, excluding use by those who live in them permanently, those who are unable to return home and critical workers where they need to for work

Food retailers and food markets, hardware stores, garden centres and certain
other retailers can remain open. Other businesses can remain open and their
employees can travel to work, where they cannot work from home. The government
has also allowed outdoor sports facilities – such as tennis and basketball
courts, golf courses and bowling greens – to open, but you should only use
these alone, with members of your household, or with one other person from
outside your household, while keeping two metres apart at all times.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Communicating with the public
The government will continue to keep the public informed of the impacts of
coronavirus on the UK, and the law and guidance that is in place to protect
the public.
The measures set out will be kept under constant review, and formally
revisited at the end of May. They will be relaxed if the scientific evidence
shows that this is possible. If people begin to act recklessly, which could
impact on the transmission of coronavirus in our communities, further
restrictions will have to be implemented again.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Clinically vulnerable people
If you have any of the following health conditions, you are clinically
vulnerable, meaning you are at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus.
You are advised to stay at home as much as possible and, if you do go out,
take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household.
Clinically vulnerable people are those who are:

aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (that is, anyone instructed to get a flu jab each year on medical grounds):
chronic (long-term) mild to moderate respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebral palsy
diabetes
a weakened immune system as the result of certain conditions, treatments like chemotherapy, or medicines such as steroid tablets
being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
pregnant women

As above, there is a further category of people with serious underlying health
conditions who are clinically extremely vulnerable, meaning they are at very
high risk of severe illness from coronavirus. You, your family and carers
should be aware of the guidance on shielding which provides information on how
to protect yourself still further should you wish to.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Public gatherings
To ensure people are social distancing, the government has prohibited by law
all public gatherings of more than two people, except for reasons set out in
the regulations. These include:

where the gathering is of a group of people who live together in the same household – this means that a parent can, for example, take their children to the shops, although you are advised to do so only if there is no option to leave them at home
where the gathering is essential for work purposes – but workers should try to minimise all meetings and other gatherings in the workplace

It is important that everyone continues to act responsibly in public places,
as the large majority have done to date. The infection rate will increase if
people begin to break the rules.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Visiting public places
You can exercise outside as often as you wish and you can also sit and rest
outside – exercise or recreation can be alone, with members of your household,
or with one other person from outside your household, while keeping two metres
apart at all times.
You may drive to outdoor publicly accessible open spaces irrespective of
distance, but should follow social distancing guidance whilst you are there.
You should plan ahead to ensure that, where you are visiting places like
National Parks, you have checked that they are open and appropriately prepared
for visitors. You should not go to ticketed outdoor leisure venues, where
there is a higher risk of close contact and touching surfaces.
When travelling to outdoor spaces, it is important that people respect the
rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different
parts of the UK where their intended activities there would be prohibited by
legislation passed by the relevant devolved administration.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Enforcing the law
The police and local authorities have the powers to enforce the requirements
set out in law if people do not
comply with them. The police will act with discretion and common sense in
applying these measures, but if you breach the law, they may instruct you to
go home or leave an area, or arrest you where they believe it necessary. They
may also instruct you to take steps to stop your children breaking these legal
requirements if they have already done so.
The government has introduced higher fines for those who do not comply, to
reflect the increased risk to others of breaking the rules as we begin to ease
the restrictions, and people return to work. If the police believe that you
have broken the law – or if you refuse to follow their instructions enforcing
the law – a police officer may issue you with a fixed penalty notice for £100
(reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days). If you have already received a fixed
penalty notice, the amount will increase to £200 and double on each further
repeat offence, up to a maximum of £3200.
Similarly, a business or venue operating in contravention of the law will be
committing an offence. Local authorities (for example, Environmental Health
and Trading Standards officers) will monitor compliance, with support from the
police if appropriate. Businesses and venues that breach the law will be
subject to prohibition notices and fixed penalty notices. Businesses that
continue to contravene the law will be forced to close down.
For both individuals and companies, if you do not pay, you may also be taken
to court, with magistrates able to impose potentially unlimited fines.


Guidance Staying alert and safe (social distancing)
Protecting different groups of people
This guidance is for the general public who are fit and well. There is
separate, specific guidance on isolation for households with a possible
coronavirus infection.
Some people, including those aged 70 and over, those with specific chronic
pre-existing conditions and pregnant women, are clinically vulnerable, meaning
they are at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus’. As we begin to
ease restrictions, this group who are clinically vulnerable – see section 8 –
should continue to take particular care to minimise contact with others
outside their household.
There is a further group of people who are defined, also on medical grounds,
as clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus – that is, people with
specific serious health conditions. They are advised to continue
shielding measures to keep
themselves safe by staying at home and avoiding all contact with others,
except for essential medical treatment or support.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Work from home if you can
With the proper equipment and adjustments, many people can do most or all of
their work from home. Your employer should support you to find reasonable
adjustments to do this. However, not all jobs can be done from home. If your
workplace is open and you cannot work from home, you can travel to work.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Avoid crowds
You can lower the risks of transmission by reducing the number of people you
come into close contact with. For example, avoid peak travel times on public
transport, where possible.
Businesses should also take reasonable steps to avoid people being gathered
together. For example, by allowing the use of more entrances and exits, and
staggering entrance and exit, where possible.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Keep your hands and face as clean as possible
Wash your hands often using soap and water, and dry them thoroughly.
Where available, use sanitiser outside your home, especially as you enter a
building and after you have had contact with surfaces.
Avoid touching your face.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
When at work, follow the advice given to you by your employer
Employers have a duty to assess and manage risks to your safety in the
workplace. The government has issued guidance for employers and businesses on
coronavirus. This includes guidance on how to make adjustments to
your workplace to help you maintain social distancing.
It also includes guidance on hygiene, as evidence suggests that the virus can
exist for up to 72 hours on surfaces. Therefore, frequent cleaning is
particularly important for communal surfaces like:

door handles
lift buttons
communal areas like bathrooms
kitchens
tea points

You can see the guidance for employers and businesses on
coronavirus on gov.uk and can ask your employer if you have
questions.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Face coverings
If you can, wear a face covering in enclosed public spaces where social
distancing isn’t possible and where you will come into contact with people you
do not normally meet. This is most relevant for short periods indoors in
crowded areas, for example, on public transport or in some shops. You should
be prepared to remove your face covering if asked to do so by police officers
and staff for the purposes of identification.
Evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you. However,
if you are infected but have not yet developed symptoms, it may provide some
protection for others you come into close contact with.
Face coverings do not replace social distancing. If you have symptoms of
COVID-19 (cough, and/or high temperature, and/or loss of, or change in, your
normal sense of smell or taste - anosmia), you and your household must isolate
at home: wearing a face covering does not change this.
A face covering is not the same as the surgical masks or respirators used by
healthcare and other workers as part of personal protective equipment. These
should continue to be reserved for those who need them to protect against
risks in their workplace, such as health and care workers, and those in
industrial settings, like those exposed to dust hazards.
Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 2 or those who
may find it difficult to manage them correctly. For example, primary age
children unassisted, or those with respiratory conditions.
It is important to use face coverings properly and wash your hands before
putting them on and taking them off.
You can make face-coverings at
home. The key thing is it should cover the mouth and nose.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Keep indoor places well ventilated
Evidence suggests that the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-
ventilated buildings and outdoors.
In good weather, try to leave windows and doors open in areas where people
from different households come into contact, or move activity outdoors if you
can.
Use external extractor fans to keep spaces well ventilated and make sure that
ventilation systems are set to maximise the air flow rate.
Heating and cooling systems can be used at their normal temperature settings.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Wash your clothes regularly
There is some evidence that the virus can stay on fabrics for a few days,
although usually it is shorter. Therefore, if you are working with people
outside your household, wash your clothes regularly.
Changing clothes in workplaces should only be considered where there is a high
risk of infection or there are highly vulnerable people, such as in a care
home. If you need to change your clothes, avoid crowding into a changing room.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Keep your distance from people outside your household
Whilst recognising this will not always be possible, it is important to be
aware that the risk of infection increases the closer you are to another
person with the virus, and the amount of time you spend in close contact with
them. Therefore, you are unlikely to be infected if you walk past another
person in the street.
Public Health England recommends trying to keep two metres away from people as
a precaution. However, this is not a rule and the science is complex. The key
thing is to not be too close to people for more than a short period of time,
as much as you can.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Reduce the number of people you spend time with in a work setting
You can lower the risks of transmission in the workplace by reducing the
number of people you come into contact with regularly, where you can. Your
employer can support with this (where practical) by:

changing shift patterns and rotas to match you with the same team each time
splitting people into smaller, contained teams


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
If you have to travel (for example, to work or school), think about how and when you travel
To reduce demand on the public transport network, you should walk or cycle
wherever possible. If you have to use public transport, you should try to
avoid peak times.
Employers should consider staggering working hours, expanding bicycle storage
facilities, providing changing facilities and providing car parking.


Guidance Staying safe outside your home
Avoid being face-to-face with people if they are outside your household
You are at higher risk of being directly exposed to respiratory droplets
(released by talking or coughing) when you are within two metres of someone
and have face-to-face contact with them. You can lower the risk of infection
if you stay side-to-side rather than facing someone.


Guidance Supplier relief due to COVID-19: Procurement Policy Notice (PPN) 02/20 – additional post-16 educational sector guidance
Determining if you are a contracting authority
Reviewing and responding to supplier requests
All contracting authorities, including the Department for Education (DfE), are
working to implement PPN 02/20 to support suppliers at risk, and we realise
this is a complex area for us all to manage.
When reviewing and responding to supplier requests, contracting authorities
should take a pragmatic risk-based approach based on the advice within the
PPN.
[DfE]: Department for Education
  [PPN]: Procurement Policy Notice


Guidance Supplier relief due to COVID-19: Procurement Policy Notice (PPN) 02/20 – additional post-16 educational sector guidance
Background to PPN 02/20
To ensure service continuity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, all
public sector contracting authorities have been advised by the government to
support their at risk suppliers in a range of ways to ensure business and
service continuity and to protect jobs. The measures set out in the PPN 02/20,
issued on 19 March 2020, are to ensure suppliers are in a position to resume
normal contract delivery once the COVID-19 outbreak is over. The PPN is time-
limited and applies through to 30 June 2020.
The PPN is for contracted goods, services and work contracts, such as for
building works, where there is a direct relationship between the contracting
authority and its suppliers under a contract procured pursuant to the Public
Contracts Regulations 2015 (or equivalent regulations). It does not apply to
other funding mechanisms such as grants, or contracts supported by private
income such as for transport provision.
While contracting authorities have a responsibility to their own suppliers,
PPN 02/20 is advisory only, it does not bind contracting authorities to do
anything other than what they feel is appropriate under these challenging and
complex circumstances.
*[PPN]: Procurement Policy Notice


Guidance Supplier relief due to COVID-19: Procurement Policy Notice (PPN) 02/20 – additional post-16 educational sector guidance
Determining if you are a contracting authority
The Department for Education’s 5-stage approach
The DfE has chosen to take a 5-stage approach to evaluate its own suppliers
who fall within the scope of PPN 02/20. This approach, which reflects the
complexity and scale of the DfE’s commercial arrangements, is intended to
provide you with some overarching guidance and principles as to how you could
choose to implement the PPN.

stage 1: Assessment of whether the supplier has considered other measures announced by the government: This involves asking if they have explored and applied for, as applicable, all other forms of support available to them, including the wider government business support schemes. This is to avoid duplication of funding, such as providing both supplier relief under PPN 02/20 and payment of related workers that have been furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
stage 2: Assessment of whether they are a critical supplier to your organisation: The main consideration here is whether you feel the supplier provides services, goods or works that are critical in the medium and long term, and are important to business continuity to provide relief against the contract
stage 3: Assessment of whether the supplier is financially ‘at risk’ as a result of COVID-19: In principle, a supplier is deemed at risk where they are unable to fulfil the contractual obligations of a contract due to COVID-19 and are experiencing financial difficulties as a result
stage 4: Commercial interventions to manage supplier: It is important that commercial judgement is used when considering the type of support available pursuant to the PPN, which could include:
payments for previously anticipated volumes (even if not met), or for the advanced order of materials where appropriate
continuing to pay for services to suppliers who give their best endeavours to continue delivery despite performance being somewhat affected
considering an extension of time for contract performance (for example, revised milestones or delivery dates)
adjusting agreed lead times which despite best endeavours might not be met by suppliers and ensure their payments are not negatively affected by that
consider supplementing service delivery through your own resources, though this is likely to be difficult, but may help alleviate the challenges the supplier is suffering as a result of COVID-19

stage 5: Financial interventions: As with the commercial interventions, financial judgement should be used when considering any of the suggested options below:
variation of payment mechanism - specifically beneficial where contracts are based upon the delivery of outcomes or outputs, you can vary the payment mechanisms to provide greater short term cash flow to the supplier, for example, moving from payments on delivery of services, works or goods to aligning payments to the costs being incurred by the supplier, or breaking down milestone payments into multiple smaller payments
increasing speed of payment - this PPN seeks to expedite this process and adjust normal financial controls, such as paying reconciled invoices before their due date
prepayment of up to 25% of contract value - this specifically targets immediate cash flow issues, but potentially creates a cash flow issue at a later date in the contract, so should be considered accordingly. For example, releasing a proportion of retained funds on capital projects, ahead of actual defects being identified and remedied

It is important that any commercial or financial changes or variations to
contracts should be agreed in accordance with the change control clauses
contained in the contracts, and documented, even if this takes place
retrospectively. The Cabinet Office has developed a series of model clauses
pertaining to
COVID-19.
There are a number of other important points to note when considering how best
to implement PPN 02/20 for your organisation:

whatever approach you decide best meets your needs, you need to ensure you apply the necessary financial and governance controls applicable to your organisation
the PPN is very clear about the importance of transparency, and suppliers agreeing to act on an open book basis and make cost data available to you during this period, so please ensure they do so where relevant
keeping a record of your agreed approach and supporting rationale, along with details of any payments made, assessment of risks or contractual changes, is important to show that you have an audit trail. This needs to be maintained throughout the period the PPN applies and retained afterwards for any future audit purposes.

[DfE]: Department for Education
  [PPN]: Procurement Policy Notice


Guidance Supplier relief due to COVID-19: Procurement Policy Notice (PPN) 02/20 – additional post-16 educational sector guidance
Determining if you are a contracting authority
When considering how to implement the PPN, you first need to determine whether
you are a contracting authority and, if you are, which of your suppliers may
be at risk and fall within the scope of the supplier relief measures proposed
in PPN 02/20.
Educational establishments such as in HE and FE (covering FE corporations,
sixth-form college corporations, and likely bodies which conduct institutions
designated under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 as
being within the statutory FE sector) where the majority of income (more than
50%) is derived from state funding, will likely be ascribed the status of a
contracting authority.
Additionally, the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 definition of a
contracting authority relevant to the education sector is that of ‘bodies
governed by public law’, meaning bodies that have all of the following
characteristics:

they are established for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest, not having an industrial or commercial character
they have legal personality
they have any of the following characteristics:
they are financed, for the most part, by the state, regional or local authorities, or by other bodies governed by public law
they are subject to management supervision by those authorities or bodies
they have an administrative, managerial or supervisory board, more than half of whose members are appointed by the state, regional or local authorities, or by other bodies governed by public law

Some HE and FE may be delivered by the voluntary organisations, community
groups and social enterprises (VCSE) sector, such as charities and other non-
profit-making entities, and derive more than 50% of their funding from state
resources. In that case they may be contracting authorities within the PCR
definition above, and so would be required to comply with the PCR and would
fall within the scope of the PPN.
If you are in any doubt about your status as a contracting authority, you may
wish to seek your own legal advice.
[PPN]: Procurement Policy Notice
  [HE]: higher education
  [FE]: further education
  [PCR]: Public Contracts Regulations


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Actions for all educational providers in case of non-attendance
Where vulnerable children and young people do not attend, educational
providers should:

follow the steps outlined above, including following up with the parent/carer and notifying the social worker, where appropriate
follow the specific guidance on attendance outlined in Actions for educational and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Specific attendance considerations for alternative provision providers
Alternative provision (AP) settings should follow the same principles and
guidance as mainstream schools and welcome back, from the week commencing 1
June, all children in reception, year 1 and year 6.
AP settings do not have a year 12, so they should also offer some face to face
contact for students in year 10 and year 11 to supplement their remote
education, as they are approaching key transition points. Children and young
people who are considered to be vulnerable - as per the definition in section
1 above - should be encouraged to attend provision regardless of their year
group, where attendance is appropriate.
In line with the advice for mainstream provision, as much as possible,
protective measures should be adhered to and class or group sizes should be
small, as set out in implementing protective measures in education and
childcare settings
guidance.
*[AP]: alternative provision


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Addressing safeguarding concerns, including as a result of increasing numbers of children and young people returning to on-side provision
Addressing safeguarding concerns
As set out in more detail in separate safeguarding
guidance, schools and colleges, led by a
designated safeguarding lead or deputy wherever possible, should review and
revise their child protection policy as circumstances continue to evolve. This
guidance supports schools and colleges to continue to meet their safeguarding
responsibilities as set out in Keeping children safe in
education.
Early years settings should continue to take all necessary steps to keep
children safe during this period and have regard to the government’s statutory
guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015. The safeguarding and
welfare sections of the early years foundation stage framework still apply,
including requirements relating to child protection arrangements. For further
advice, read Actions for early years and childcare providers during the
coronavirus outbreak.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Attendance of children and young people who are otherwise vulnerable
This group includes children and young people across all year groups who have
been assessed as being otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local
authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could
therefore benefit from continued attendance. This might include children on
the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services, adopted
children, those at risk of becoming NEET, those living in temporary
accommodation, those who are young carers and others at the provider and local
authority’s discretion.
Educational providers - together with other relevant partners such as local
authorities, where appropriate - should:

identify children or young people who may fall into this ‘otherwise vulnerable’ category - noting that the examples given above do not constitute an exhaustive list of children and young people who might be ‘otherwise vulnerable’
contact these children and young people and their parents/carers to make them aware that they are eligible for a place
encourage their attendance, where it is appropriate, and if absent, follow up with the parent/carer to explore reasons for absence

*[NEET]: not in employment, education or training


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Attendance of children and young people who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
This group includes children and young people with an EHC plan attending all
educational settings. For all children and young people with EHC plans, we are
asking local authorities to follow the guidance to conduct a risk
assessment - in consultation with educational
settings and parents/carers - to determine whether children and young people’s
needs can be met as safely or more safely in the educational environment. We
are asking local authorities and educational providers to keep risk
assessments under review, in case circumstances change and a different
decision is more appropriate.
For children and young people with an EHC plan in mainstream settings:

those in year groups specifically targeted for return should return to school, where medical advice suggests they are not clinically vulnerable to coronavirus, informed by their risk assessments, and are not shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as clinically extremely vulnerable
those in other year groups should continue to attend or not depending on their individual risk assessments

Schools, colleges and local authorities should ensure risk assessments are
kept up to date so that pupils and students can be brought back in, in any
year group, where circumstances change, for example if it is becoming
unsustainable for parents and carers to care for their child week-round.
This includes children and young people who are placed in special units and
resourced provision attached to a mainstream school, since they are recorded
on the roll of the mainstream school.
Schools, colleges and local authorities have latitude to use special
educational needs and disability (SEND) risk
assessments also for children and young people who
have SEND without an EHC plan, where they feel it would be beneficial, for
instance for children on SEN support who have complex needs. This means they
can use this as a mechanism to bring back pupils and students with SEND who
need it, in other year groups, even if they do not have an EHC plan.
For all children and young people with an EHC plan in special educational
settings, such as special schools, special post-16 institutions and hospital
schools, settings should encourage attendance based on the child’s risk
assessment and on the ability of the setting to provide for their needs, and
not using the child’s year group as a primary deciding factor, both because
all children and young people in these settings are considered vulnerable and
because year groups may not be indicative of key transition points. In line
with the guidance on implementing protective measures in education and
childcare settings
and the guidance for special schools, specialist colleges, local authorities
and any other
settings, special schools and special post-16
institutions should:

consult risk assessments conducted and where children and young people are attending their specialist setting, they should continue to do so
work with local authorities and families to continually review risk assessments and bring children and young people back to face to face education where circumstances change, for example where it is becoming unsustainable for a family to care for a child week-round
consider how to increase the numbers of children and young people accessing on-site education from the week commencing 1 June, including where appropriate by considering what the key transition points are, and ensure that as many children as can be safely catered for are able to attend their setting
consider a range of options to enable as many children as possible to benefit from attending their setting, such as creating part-time attendance rotas

Hospital schools should:

aim to provide educational services for as many pupils in these settings as is possible, in line with risk assessment and social distancing guidelines and where headteachers agree with medical practitioners that it is safe and feasible to do so
use their discretion in considering how to provide education services - taking into consideration issues of safety, capacity and so on - and how to prioritise pupils if this is required, including through a phased return approach
work closely with hospitals and NHS trusts so that children and young people in hospital schools are able to receive their education, including through access to classrooms where appropriate

[EHC]: education, health and care
  [SEND]: special educational needs and disability


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Supporting vulnerable children and young people’s learning
Supporting vulnerable children and young people’s learning via home education
The government has put in place several measures to support children and young
people to learn at home, and to use technology to support safeguarding. Some
of these measures, including providing laptops and tablets, are targeted at
those with the greatest need, including children and families with a social
worker who do not already have access to a device, as well as care leavers.
Educational providers and local authorities should refer to Get technology
support for children and schools during coronavirus
(COVID-19) on how to order devices and 4G routers.
Devices ordered through the scheme will be delivered directly to the local
authorities or schools named on the order. They can arrange for them to be
collected by families from a school (with a social worker present where
relevant) or organise for them to be delivered to a children’s and care
leavers’ home.
In addition, Oak National Academy’s
existing online resources are being made more accessible through the addition
of signing and subtitling, and specialist lessons have also been introduced so
more pupils can engage effectively with these resources. There is also a list
of SEND resources for pupils and teachers that has been developed with a
focus on accessibility and inclusivity, based on the recommendations of
trusted organisations, charities, multi-academy trusts and special education
headteachers. For younger children, the government’s Hungry Little
Minds campaign features tips and
practical activities that parents can do at home with children to support
their early learning.
*[SEND]: special educational needs and disability


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Identification of vulnerable children and young people
Vulnerable children and young people for the purposes of continued attendance
during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are those across all year groups
who:

are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and it is determined, following risk assessment, that their needs can be as safely or more safely met in the educational environment
have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued attendance. This might include children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services, adopted children, those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’), those living in temporary accommodation, those who are young carers and others at the provider and local authority’s discretion.

The term ‘all year groups’ in this context for attendance purposes refers to
children under 5 eligible for early years entitlements and children and young
people aged 5 to 18 (or aged 5 to 25 for children and young people with an EHC
plan).
[EHC]: education, health and care
  [NEET]: not in employment, education or training


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Actions in case of provider closure
If an educational provider had closed during the initial period of the
coronavirus outbreak, they should have informed the local authority to discuss
alternative arrangements for vulnerable children and young people. These
providers are now asked to work towards reopening so that they are able to
cater for vulnerable children and young people, alongside children of critical
workers and those in returning year groups.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Staffing, transport and logistics
Transport - arrangements for children and young people with EHC plans who are continuing to attend educational settings
Local authorities should continue to provide transport for children and young
people with EHC plans who are continuing to attend their usual educational
setting. If between now and the week commencing 1 June, children and young
people with EHC plans are accessing an educational setting that is not local
or their usual setting, we would expect the local authority to review
transport arrangements and endeavour to make appropriate provision for
children and young people to reach their educational setting safely.
We will work closely with local authorities to put the necessary arrangements
for more children and young people to begin attending educational settings
from the week commencing 1 June.
*[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Staffing, transport and logistics
Transport - general arrangements
Settings should consider ways to minimise children and young people’s use of
public transport to get to and from school at peak times, in consultation with
local authorities where appropriate. Parents, children and young people should
be encouraged to walk or cycle to their educational setting where possible.
Educational settings, parents and young people should follow the guidance on
how to travel safely when planning their travel, particularly if
public transport is required.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Attendance of children and young people who have a social worker
This group includes children and young people in all year groups who have been
assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 including
those who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a
looked after child.
Being at an early years setting, school or college can be an important
lifeline for children who need or have needed a social worker, and this group
also have worse educational outcomes at every stage, which is why it is vital
that they continue to attend educational provision at this time.
These children and young people are expected to attend provision unless
shielding or clinically vulnerable (see the advice set out by Public Health
England on households with possible coronavirus
infection, and shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as
clinically extremely
vulnerable). In circumstances
where a parent or carer does not want to bring their child to an educational
setting, the social worker and educational setting should explore the reasons
for this directly with the parent or carer. These discussions should focus on
the welfare of the child and the benefits of attending educational settings
for this group.
Where these children and young people are already attending nursery, school or
college, educational providers should:

continue to encourage their attendance across all year groups
notify their social worker if they stop attending

Where these children and young people are not attending nursery, school or
college, educational providers should:

notify the child or young person’s social worker
work together with the local authority/social worker to follow up with the parent or carer to explore the reason for absence, discussing their concerns using supporting guidance
work together with the local authority/social worker to strongly encourage the child or young person to attend educational provision, where the social worker agrees that the child or young person’s attendance would be appropriate
consider how to keep in touch with the child or young person, including through the provision of remote education, particularly where the social worker agrees that attendance would not be appropriate


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Staffing, transport and logistics
Transport - arrangements for children and young people who are accessing an educational setting that is not local
We expect local authorities to review transport arrangements and make
appropriate provision for relevant vulnerable children and young people to
reach their educational setting safely. We will work closely with local
authorities to put the necessary arrangements in place including between now
and the week commencing 1 June.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Balancing vulnerable children and young people’s attendance alongside returning year groups
As outlined in actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for
wider opening guidance, in the coming weeks, educational providers will be asked to
invite increasing numbers of children and young people to return to on-site
provision.
Educational providers should continue to prioritise vulnerable children and
young people across all year groups for on-site provision, where their
attendance is appropriate. This provision should be full-time or the number of
hours they normally attend.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Summary of attendance expectations for vulnerable children and young people
Vulnerable children and young people’s attendance is expected, where it is
appropriate for them (that is, where there are no shielding concerns for the
child or their household, and/or following a risk assessment for children with
an EHC plan) so that they can gain the educational and wellbeing benefits of
attending. Vulnerable children and young people - regardless of year group -
that have not been attending in the recent period are expected to return to
nursery, early years, school or college provision where this would now be
appropriate for them to do so. A brief summary of attendance expectations
across the different groups of vulnerable children and young people is as
follows:

For vulnerable children and young people who have a social worker, attendance is expected unless the child/household is shielding or clinically vulnerable (see the advice set out by Public Health England on households with possible coronavirus infection, and shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as clinically extremely vulnerable).
For vulnerable children and young people who have an education health and care (EHC) plan, attendance is expected where it is determined, following risk assessment, that their needs can be as safely or more safely met in the educational environment.
For vulnerable children and young people who are deemed otherwise vulnerable, at the school, college or local authority discretion, attendance is expected unless the child/household is shielding or clinically vulnerable (see the advice set out by Public Health England on households with possible coronavirus infection, and shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as clinically extremely vulnerable).

For all these groups, educational providers, local authorities, social
workers, parents/carers and other relevant professionals (where applicable)
should work together closely to consider factors, such as the balance of risk,
including health vulnerabilities, family circumstances, risks outside the
home, and the child or young person’s assessed special educational needs,
where relevant. The sections below set out specific considerations that these
partners may wish to consider when determining whether attendance is
appropriate.
Parents will not be penalised if their child does not attend educational
provision. We expect educational providers and other relevant partners to work
with and support the relevant families and pupils to return to school, where
attendance is appropriate.
*[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Supporting vulnerable children and young people’s learning
Supporting vulnerable children and young people’s learning via on-site education
Educational providers are free to determine the type of provision they offer
children and young people during this period. Further information can be found
at Coronavirus (COVID-19): implementing protective measures in education and
childcare settings.
In cases where vulnerable children and young people are returning to
educational provision, including where they have previously been absent,
educational providers should:

consider their pupils’ mental health and wellbeing and identify any pupil who may need additional support so they are ready to learn
assess where pupils are in their learning, and agree what adjustments may be needed to the curriculum over the coming weeks
identify and plan how best to support the education of high needs groups, including disadvantaged pupils, SEND and vulnerable pupils
support pupils approaching transitions (such as those in year 6 moving to year 7, or later year groups) and examinations, including in years 10 and 12

*[SEND]: special educational needs and disability


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Staffing, transport and logistics
Staffing - ensuring there are enough staff in educational settings
Local authorities will need to work closely with educational settings - and in
particular, special schools and other specialist provision - to ensure
sufficient provision is available across the local area.
Local authorities and educational settings may need to redeploy staff (whether
teachers, support staff or other workers) to ensure specialist schools and
specialist colleges have sufficient workforce to operate safely with safe
ratios and may need to do this across the usual boundaries of maintained,
academy, college or other status to ensure staff are where they are most
needed.


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Supporting vulnerable children and young people’s learning
Specific considerations for educational provision for children and young people with EHC plans
Due to the unprecedented circumstances presented by the coronavirus outbreak,
the duty to secure the special educational provision specified in EHC plans
has been temporarily modified so that local authorities must use ‘reasonable
endeavours’ to secure the provision. We have published detailed guidance
alongside these temporary
changes.
Local authorities and educational providers will need to work closely together
to consider what can reasonably be provided to support children and young
people with EHC plans. This will include work with health partners to ensure
services for additional support and early help, for example around anxiety,
mental health, behaviour, social care, or changes to mobility, will be
available, being mindful that these considerations could apply to pupils and
students who they did not previously affect. Similarly, they should work
together to ensure key support services - in particular home-to-school
transport - are available.
*[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Additional considerations for vulnerable children and young people not attending their regular setting
For children and young people with an EHC plan, the original institution
should do whatever they reasonably can to provide the receiving institution
with any relevant information. As a minimum, this would include their EHC plan
and essential health and care needs. This should ideally happen before a child
or young person arrives or, where that is not possible, as soon as reasonably
practicable. The educational setting should seek consent to this disclosure
from the child or young person, or where the child does not have sufficient
age or understanding to allow him or her to consent, the child’s parent/carer
may give consent on the child’s behalf. If it is not possible to obtain
consent, the information should still be disclosed as the disclosure will be
in the interests of the child or young person. It is important that teachers
or other educational professionals working closely with the child or young
person have full knowledge of the child or young person’s EHC plan.
For children and young people who have a social worker, additional
safeguarding information would be required. See safeguarding in schools,
colleges and other
providers for further details.
While educational settings must continue to have appropriate regard to data
protection and General Data Protection Regulations, they do not prevent the
sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children and young people
safe. Further advice about information sharing can be found in paragraphs 76
to 83 of the Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory
guidance.
*[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
Staffing, transport and logistics
Personal budgets and access to respite care for children and young people with EHC plans
For children and young people with an EHC plan, the duties relating to
personal budgets remain in place. These are detailed in paragraphs 9:95 to
9:124 of the SEND code of
practice.
A child’s parent, or a young person, has a right to request a personal budget
when the local authority has completed an education health and care needs
assessment and confirmed that it will prepare an EHC plan. They may also
request a personal budget during a statutory review of an existing EHC plan.
Services for disabled children provided under section 17 of the Children Act
1989 typically include short breaks for parent carers. The local authority
remains under a duty to provide these in such circumstances. We recognise that
this may prove challenging during the coronavirus outbreak, but ask local
authorities to ensure every effort is made to continue to provide this
important support for families who need it.
Where it is not possible for local authorities to arrange respite care for
families as a result of circumstances related to coronavirus, we would
encourage parents, carers and young people to discuss this with their local
authority and agree what alternative arrangements can be made. This could
include, for example, local authorities considering whether making a personal
budget available on a temporary basis may enable the family to secure
alternative respite care arrangements.
[EHC]: education, health and care
  [SEND]: special educational needs and disability


Guidance Supporting your children's education during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mental health and wellbeing
The change of routine and staying at home may make this a difficult time for
some children. Public Health England has published advice on how to support
your children’s
wellbeing during the
coronavirus outbreak.
Guidance is also available to help you look after your own mental
health.


Guidance Supporting your children's education during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Advice on helping children continue their education during coronavirus
Help children aged 2 to 4 to learn at home during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Information on making child development a part of everyday life and play.

Help primary school children continue their education during coronavirus
(COVID-19)
How to provide support and feedback and structure the day.

Help secondary school children continue their education during coronavirus
(COVID-19)
How to help your child organise their time.

Help children with SEND continue their education during coronavirus
(COVID-19)
Resources designed to support special educational needs and disabilities.


Guidance Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)
When you return to the UK: protect yourself and others
The rules for entering or returning to the UK are changing on 8 June.
Until 7 June
When you return to the UK from a flight from another country, go straight
home, avoiding public transport where possible. If you can, wear a face
covering if you need to use public transport, and see safer travel guidance
for passengers. Only people living in your
household should collect you on arrival.
If you are remaining in England:

stay safe and alert and only go outside for food, health reasons, exercise and recreation, or work if you cannot work from home
when you go out: always stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from other people, do not touch your face, and wash your hands frequently, including as soon as you get home

If you are travelling on to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, follow the
relevant devolved administration guidance:

Welsh Government guidance and see transport advice
Scottish Government guidance and Traveline Scotland advice
Northern Ireland Executive guidance and Translink advice

If you start to have symptoms
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. However if you
start to have any of these symptoms:

continuous cough
high temperature
loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell

you must go straight home, self-isolate for 7 days and arrange to have a
test to see if you have coronavirus.
See the guidance for households with a possible
infection and call NHS 111 if your symptoms worsen. For further guidance,
visit gov.uk/coronavirus or visit
nhs.uk for specialist medical advice.
From 8 June
From 8 June, there will be new rules for entering or returning to the UK. You
will:

need to provide your journey and contact details when you travel to the UK
not be allowed to leave the place you’re staying for the first 14 days you’re in the UK except in very limited situations (known as ‘self-isolating’)

If you are planning to arrive back in the UK on or after 8 June, you must read
the guidance on entering the UK from 8 June.


Guidance Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)
Our travel advice and consular support
Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice
Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel advice is constantly under review, so
that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British people. Find out
more about how our travel advice works.
Consular help
We publish all our Travel Advice on GOV.UK. Our consular officers cannot provide any additional
information by phone. Read more about the consular support we
provide.


Guidance Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)
If you are waiting to return to the UK
If you cannot leave return to the UK at this time, you should:

follow the advice of local authorities, to help minimise your risk of exposure to coronavirus. Your safety and security is the responsibility of the local authority where you are
stay in accommodation that’s suitable for your needs and keep in regular contact with family and friends at home
keep up-to-date with our travel advice
contact your travel insurance provider: the Association of British Insurers says most providers will look to extend single trip cover for up to 60 days if you are making every effort to return home

Read more guidance if you are waiting to return to the
UK.
If your visa is running out
Some countries have set up new processes to help foreign nationals extend
their visas, and we have negotiated with local authorities in some countries
to automatically extend visas if you cannot return. Check the ‘staying during
coronavirus’ section of the travel advice for the country you are
in and make sure you comply with
the local requirements.
If you have immigration enquiries, you need to contact either the local
immigration authorities in the country or their UK-based
embassy.
Quarantine while you are abroad
If the local authority where you are proposes to quarantine you for your own
protection, you should follow their advice.
If there are suspected cases of coronavirus where you are, you may need to
remain in your hotel room or accommodation for 14 days, move to quarantine
facilities, take tests for coronavirus and, if positive in some cases, be
hospitalised abroad.
You should also contact your airline or travel company, and your insurance
provider as soon as you can. We only organise assisted departure in
exceptional circumstances.