Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents
If you’re in the UK and your leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 July 2020
Your visa will be extended to 31 July 2020 if you cannot leave the UK because
of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19).
You must request an extension by updating your records with the Coronavirus
Immigration Team
(CIT) if
your visa is expiring and you cannot leave the UK at present but are not
planning to stay in the UK in the long term.
If you have already had your visa extended to 31 May 2020 you visa will be
extended automatically to 31 July 2020.
You will be expected to return to your home country as soon as it is safe and
possible to do so.
If you’re applying to stay in the UK long-term
You can apply from the UK to switch to a long-term UK visa until 31 July 2020
if your leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 July 2020. This includes
applications where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home
country.
You’ll need to meet the requirements of the route you are applying for and pay
the UK application fee.
This includes those whose leave has already been extended to 31 July 2020.
You can apply online. The terms of your leave will remain the same until your
application is decided.
Application and Service Centres in the UK
Some UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres (UKVCAS) will reopen for
existing customers on 1 June 2020. You can check which UKVCAS centres are
open.
Service and Support Centres (SSCs) are temporarily closed because of
coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you’ve already made an appointment
We have contacted you if you made an appointment to attend a UKVCAS or SSC
that is still temporary closed to let you know it has been postponed. You’ll
be contacted when you can book a new appointment.
Your immigration status in the UK will not change as a result of you not being
able to attend an appointment.
If you are on a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa and your business has been
disrupted
You no longer need to employ at least 2 people for 12 consecutive months. The
12 month period you are required to employ someone for can be made up of
multiple jobs across different months.
Time when your employees were furloughed will not count towards the 12 month
period.
If you have not been able to employ staff for 12 months by the time your visa
expires, you will be allowed to temporarily extend your stay to give you time
to meet the requirement.
These arrangements will continue for applications made after 31 May 2020,
where the jobs you are relying on were disrupted due to COVID-19.
If you’ve applied for a Tier 4 visa and are waiting for a decision on your
application
You can start your course or studies before your visa application has been
decided if:

your sponsor is a Tier 4 sponsor
you have been given a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS)
you submitted your application before your current visa expired and you show your sponsor evidence of this
the course you start is the same as the one listed on your CAS
you have a valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if required

If your application is eventually rejected as invalid or refused you must stop
your course or studies.
If you’ve applied for a Tier 2 or 5 visa and are waiting for a decision on
your application
You can start work before your visa application has been decided if:

you have been assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
you submitted your application before your current visa expired and you show your sponsor evidence of this
the job you start is the same as the one listed on your CoS

If your application is eventually rejected as invalid or refused your sponsor
will stop sponsoring you and you must stop working for them.
If you need more information about the measures in place for students and
their sponsors
You can read detailed guidance on the temporary measures in place for Tier 4
sponsors, their students and short-term students in response to the COVID-19
outbreak.
[UKVCAS]: UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres
  [SSC]: Service and Support Centres


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) is a government-backed loan scheme administered by commercial lenders
viable UK-based businesses, with a turnover of more than £45 million per year, will be able to apply for up £25 million of finance. Firms with a turnover of more than £250 million will be able to apply for up to £50 million of finance
loans backed by a guarantee under CLBILS will be offered at commercial rates of interest
read more about the scheme and how to apply

*[CLBILS]: Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) relief for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

the government has introduced a rebate scheme to allow small and medium-sized businesses to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for staff sickness absence due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This refund will cover up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because they have been ill with the virus or have had to self-isolate because of it
employers must maintain records of staff absences
read more about the scheme

*[SSP]: statutory sick pay


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Independent schools
Independent special schools
The majority of pupils in independent special schools have been placed there
by local authorities under an EHC plan, funded from the high needs block of
the DSG.
As noted above, local authorities will continue to receive their high needs
budgets and should continue to pay top-up and other high needs funding to
independent special schools, so that the employment and payment of staff
supporting children and young people with SEND can continue. Some independent
special schools also have pupils who are funded privately instead of under an
EHC plan. These institutions should only access the support schemes identified
above in relation to the proportion of staff that is not supported through
public funding, and only to the extent that the school is facing a loss of
income because the children have been withdrawn by their parents leading to a
loss of fee income.
[EHC]: education, health and care
  [DSG]: dedicated schools grant
  *[SEND]: special educational needs and disability


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
Children’s social care providers
Ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is a top priority for
government. Our aim is to ensure that children’s social care providers are
able to continue to provide care to vulnerable children and to operate
effectively during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
We are asking providers to remain open and to continue to deliver care and
support to their vulnerable children and young people. We would anticipate
local authorities continuing to fund any contracted or commissioned providers,
but where appropriate, providers may wish to consider accessing support
measures for which they may be eligible to help them remain operational during
this period, such as the business interruption loan schemes. Please refer to
the respective guidance page as linked above for more information.
As placements will continue to be needed, local authorities will continue to
pay fees to children’s social care providers. As these payments for essential
services will continue, we would expect providers not to furlough staff, and
for provision to remain available to support vulnerable children. The
government has also announced £1.6 billion of extra funding for local
authorities to help address pressures arising from coronavirus (COVID-19),
including in children’s social care.
In the rare circumstances that providers feel they have no choice but to
furlough staff, they should only seek support through the Coronavirus Job
Retention Scheme if they meet the following conditions:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and whose salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
the employee is not required to deliver provision for a vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not duplicate other public grants received and would not lead to financial reserves being created.

Residential provision
State-funded residential children’s social care provision is offered in state-
maintained schools, non-maintained special schools and independent schools.
While the educational costs are funded from the DSG, the residential costs are
met from social care budgets. Local authorities will continue to receive
funding for social care provision and should continue to pay residential costs
so that the employment and payment of staff supporting children and young
people who require residential provision can continue.
Some independent schools have joint registration as a children’s home, and are
effectively funded by local authorities that place the children in those
settings. This funding should continue.
*[DSG]: dedicated schools grant


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Business Interruption Loan Scheme

the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will help to support long-term viable businesses which may need to respond to cash-flow pressures as a result of the virus by seeking additional finance
the scheme supports SMEs with access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to 6 years
the scheme is administered by commercial lenders, designed for UK-based organisations not classified as public sector
read more about the scheme and how to apply


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility

the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) is a facility designed to support liquidity among larger firms, helping them to bridge coronavirus (COVID-19) disruption to their cash flows through the purchase of short-term debt in the form of commercial paper
the CCFF provides funding to businesses by purchasing commercial paper of up to one-year maturity, issued by firms making a material contribution to the UK economy. This facility will primarily provide bridging support to businesses to see them through the temporary nature of coronavirus (COVID-19)-related disruption
read more about the scheme and how to apply

*[CCFF]: COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Independent schools
Special post-16 institutions
As noted above, local authorities will continue to receive their high needs
budgets and should continue to pay top-up and other high needs funding to
special post-16 institutions, so that the employment and payment of staff
supporting young people with SEND can continue. The ESFA will continue to
provide high needs place funding. Similarly, local authorities should continue
to support the residential costs of those students that are in residential
provision.
As with colleges, special post-16 institutions may rely on non-grant income
for young people with EHC plans. If such income has ceased or reduced, it may
be appropriate for special post-16 institutions to seek support from the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to furlough staff who are working on
activities relating to those non-grant income streams, in the same way as
providers as set out above.
[SEND]: special educational needs and disability
  [ESFA]: Education and Skills Funding Agency
  *[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Higher Education
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Schemes (CLBILS) and COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF)
If HE providers meet the published criteria for the Coronavirus Business
Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), or the Coronavirus Large Business
Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), they should consider approaching their bank
to apply for the scheme, if they judge that is needed. Some HE providers may
also meet the criteria for the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF)
and should liaise with their bank to discuss eligibility. If their bank does
not issue commercial paper, UK Finance has published a list of those banks
that are able to assist.
[HE]: higher education
  [CBILS]: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  [CLBILS]: Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  [CCFF]: COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
High needs funding
Local authorities have an important role in making sure that the high needs
funding they receive as part of their DSG is used effectively in making
educational provision for children and young people up to the age of 25 with
Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, and other vulnerable children and
young people. Authorities will continue to receive their high needs budgets
and should continue to pay top-up and other high needs funding so that the
employment and payment of staff supporting children and young people with
special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those requiring
alternative provision, can continue. High needs funding will therefore
continue to be paid to the following types of setting, whether from local or
central government:

local authority-maintained schools (mainstream, special and pupil referral units)
academies and free schools (mainstream, special and alternative provision)
non-maintained special schools
independent schools, including independent special schools
independent alternative provision
high needs places in further education (FE) colleges and sixth form colleges
special post-16 providers
hospital schools

Funding will be maintained and should not be reduced because some or all
children and young people are not in attendance (because of sickness or self-
isolation, or where the institution has temporarily or partially closed).
Similarly, where settings pay top-up or other funding for pupils attending
alternative provision, or pay for other SEND or alternative provision
services, these payments should continue to be made so that teachers and other
staff in all types of setting can be paid in accordance with their existing
employment contracts. If placements and services for the summer term have not
yet been agreed, settings should be willing to fund on the basis of previous
patterns of placements and commissioning. Where changes to the delivery of
special provision and alternative provision are required, the first response
should be to redeploy existing resources, if necessary between settings and
other institutions as well as within settings.
Teaching and non-teaching staff (administration, operations, maintenance and
catering) should not be furloughed where they are funded from continued high
needs funding, and where necessary and feasible, should be available for
redeployment within settings and in other settings to assist in maintaining
provision for vulnerable children and young people, and the children of
critical workers.
[DSG]: dedicated schools grant
  [EHC]: education, health and care
  [SEND]: special educational needs and disability
  [FE]: further education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Independent schools
Further education and apprenticeships
Further education and apprenticeship providers include further education
colleges, sixth form colleges, designated institutions, independent training
providers, adult and community learning providers, and higher education
institutions to the extent that they provide further education or
apprenticeships. They are funded in 3 main ways: by grant; under a direct
contract for services with ESFA; or through a funding agreement with the ESFA
(where provision is delivered under a contract for services between a levy
paying employer and an apprenticeships training provider, or advanced learner
loan funded learning).
Where the provider is continuing to receive public funding through any of
these routes they should continue delivering this provision where feasible,
including through remote delivery. They should not furlough staff whose
salaries are paid from continuing Education and Skills Funding Agency (or any
other public) income. This applies to both teaching and non-teaching staff.
We recognise that many providers rely on funding from a mix of public sources
and other income streams such as fees, employer contributions and commercial
income. Where public income has reduced or non-public income has ceased or
reduced, it may be appropriate for providers to seek support from the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to furlough staff. Providers should only
furlough employees if they meet the following conditions:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and whose salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
(where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not duplicate other public grants received and would not lead to financial reserves being created

If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded through continuing
public funding, for the purposes of meeting the first 3 conditions listed
above, then the total proportion of teaching and non-teaching staff (based on
gross payroll) that are retained (for example, not furloughed) should, as a
minimum, be equivalent to the continuing public income, as a proportion of all
income that the provider usually receives. For example, if the only source of
public funding is through a grant, and non-grant income makes up 25% of total
income, then this should be the total maximum proportion of staff (based on
gross payroll) that could be furloughed.
Where providers consider furloughing staff, they should ensure that they take
a fair and reasonable approach to part-time, sessional and temporary staff,
reflective of good HR practice and legal requirements.
Where a provider receives Adult Education Budget (AEB), or apprenticeship
funding, as part of a direct contract for services with ESFA, and is at risk
financially, they may be eligible for support (subject to meeting additional
criteria) as part of DfE’s response to the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy
Note 02/20. Support provided through that mechanism would count as public
funding for the purposes of conditions covering the Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme.
Further guidance on the operation of any supplier relief scheme for providers
funded under a contract for services with ESFA will be published when
available. Providers should email
ESFA.PPN220Queries@education.gov.uk
to register their interest in the scheme.
In instances where public funding is not delivered under a contract for
services with the ESFA, the Cabinet Officer’s Procurement Policy Note 02/20 is
not applicable.
The DfE is considering appropriate measures to monitor use of these schemes in
order to detect any duplication of funding, and will be considering potential
options to recover misused public funding as required.
Some providers may also be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption
Loan Scheme or Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme. For more
information on eligibility, please consult your commercial bank or refer to
the financial support for businesses
guidance.
[ESFA]: Education and Skills Funding Agency
  [DfE]: Department for Education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Which options should be used
Due to the variety of organisations in the education, early years and
children’s social care sectors and the different types of support on offer, it
may be appropriate for organisations to access a mixture of different support.
However, we expect that all relevant organisations should first consider any
potential options to reduce their operating cost and secure commercial loans
(including CBILS, CLBILS and CCFF outlined above) before seeking to access
grant paying schemes like the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or seeking
specific support from the Department for Education (DfE).
For organisations that are classified as public sector, and where there is
continued public funding, staff that are supported by that public funding
should not be furloughed. For public sector organisations where there is also
private income which ceases or has reduced, it may be appropriate to furlough
staff who would typically be paid from that private income, subject to the 5
conditions below.
We would encourage organisations to first consider how they would be able to
redeploy their existing workforce to help support the coronavirus (COVID-19)
response. Educational settings that are in receipt of some public funding
should only furlough employees, and therefore seek support through the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, if they meet the following conditions:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and where their salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
(where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not lead to financial reserves being created

It is also essential that the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
should not be duplicative of other public grants that your organisations may
receive. DfE is considering appropriate measures to monitor use of these
schemes in order to detect any duplication of funding, and will be considering
potential options to recover misused public funding as required.
We are also developing an online tool that will support the education, early
years, and children’s social care sectors, in working through this guidance,
and understanding the different funding and financial measures available to
support them, and their workforce, through this period of disruption caused by
coronavirus (COVID-19).
[CBILS]: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  [CLBILS]: Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  [CCFF]: COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility
  [DfE]: Department for Education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
State-funded schools
This includes maintained schools, academy trusts, alternative provision, non-
maintained special schools, state funded boarding schools and school-based
nursery provisions. Maintained nursery schools should refer to the early years
section above.
Mainstream state-funded schools
Local authority maintained schools (including pupil referral units) and
academies (including free schools) will continue to receive their budgets for
the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete
closure. That will ensure that they are able to continue to pay their staff,
and meet their other regular financial commitments, as we move through these
extraordinary times. We know that schools may face additional costs as a
result of coronavirus (COVID-19). We have put in place additional support to
help schools meet these costs; guidance is
available on this additional funding.
We do not, in general, expect schools to furlough staff. However, we
understand that, in some instances, schools may have a separate private income
stream (for example, catering, sports facilities lettings, or boarding
provision funded by parents in state boarding schools). Where this income has
either stopped or been reduced and there are staff that are typically paid
from those private income streams, it may be appropriate to furlough staff.
Schools should first seek to make the necessary savings from their existing
budget or consider options to redeploy these staff before furloughing them.
Only after all other potential options have been fully considered should
schools furlough those members of staff and seek support through the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
The following conditions need to be met:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and whose salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
• the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
(where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not duplicate other public grants received and would not lead to financial reserves being created

Where these conditions are met, schools should receive a grant from the CJRS
which is in line with the proportion of its paybill which could be considered
to have been funded by a school’s private income.
To illustrate:
If a school’s average monthly private income stream (for example, from parent-
paid school meals) provides 4% of the schools’ overall income, the school
could claim support through the CJRS for up to 4% of its paybill, after
exhausting options to meet costs from existing budgets and redeployment This
would be done by furloughing staff (for example, catering staff) whose usual
salary or combined salaries are linked with the income lost and come to no
greater than 4% of the provider’s total paybill.
Schools are not expected to consider each stream of private income separately
so a school should consider its total income from private sources, as a
proportion of its overall income, and the pay of all the staff it proposes to
furlough, as a proportion of its total paybill.
The DfE is considering appropriate measures to monitor the use of this scheme
in order to detect any duplication of funding, and will be considering
potential options to recover misused public funding as required.
[CJRS]: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  [DfE]: Department for Education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Support for business that pay business rates
In addition to existing business rates reliefs, the government has outlined
further support via the business rate system which may be relevant to the
education, early years and children’s social care sectors:

an additional Small Business Grant Scheme to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBRR), rural rate relief (RRR) and tapered relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible properties
a business rates holiday for many nurseries in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Properties that will benefit from the relief will be occupied by providers on Ofsted’s Early Years Register, and wholly or mainly used for the provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Billing authorities may not grant the relief to themselves

Any enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of, the grants or holidays
should be directed to the relevant billing authority.
[SBRR]: small business rate relief
  [RRR]: rural rate relief


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
Residential special schools
State-funded residential special provision is delivered in various types of
setting, including state-maintained schools, non-maintained special schools,
independent schools and special post 16 institutions. While the educational
costs will continue to be funded from the DSG, the residential costs are met
from social care budgets. Local authorities will continue to receive funding
for social care provision and should continue to pay residential costs so that
the employment and payment of staff supporting children and young people who
require residential provision can continue.
*[DSG]: dedicated schools grant


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Higher Education
During and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, our aim is for Higher
Education (HE) providers to continue to:

deliver HE provision
support the needs of students, both on and off campus

We will work with HE providers to help them access the range of measures on
offer to:

support financial viability and sustainability
safeguard jobs (including those staff on casual, hourly paid or fixed-term contracts)

We have confirmed that the Student Loans Company is planning to make Term 3
tuition fee payments as scheduled.
We expect that in most circumstances, HE providers will be able to continue
paying their staff as usual because HE delivery has largely moved online, and
staff are maintaining key services, including those for students remaining on
campus.
*[HE]: higher education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Continued government funding for activities
For many programmes, government will continue to provide funding at normal
rates, for example core funding for schools through the Dedicated Schools
Grant (DSG), to ensure business continuity and payment of staff. Local
authorities will also continue to receive high needs funding as part of the
DSG and should continue to pass this on to providers (including the top-up
funding in respect of individual children and young people) at the normal
rates.
Where funding continues to be paid, we expect providers to continue to provide
that service in so far as is possible, and in accordance with the relevant
guidance. Where activities have changed, staff should be redeployed as best
supports the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and should continue to be paid as
normal, even if typical duties cannot be carried out.
*[DSG]: dedicated schools grant


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Independent schools
Mainstream independent schools
In line with other settings, independent schools have been asked to remain
open for the children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children.
Independent schools are, in general, funded by fee income paid by parents.
Since schools have closed to the majority of pupils, they, like other
businesses, may be facing a sudden and substantial loss of income. These
institutions should access the support schemes referred to above, in order to
retain staff and enable the school to reopen fully in due course.
However, if there are any activities for which schools continue to receive
public funding, such as looked after children placed by a local authority, or
local authority support for pupils with EHC plans, we expect schools to use
that money to continue to pay those staff in the usual fashion – and therefore
not furlough them or seek support via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
*[EHC]: education, health and care


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for furloughed workers

the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) by providing them with a grant to help them to continue paying part of their employees’ wages who would otherwise have been laid off during this outbreak
the scheme will ensure furloughed staff receive up to 80% of their usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contribution and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contribution on that wage
the scheme is available to all UK employers, including charities, which had created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020
the government expects that the scheme will not be used by many public sector organisations, as most public sector employees are continuing to provide essential public services or contribute to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
where employers receive public funding for staff costs, and that funding is continuing, we expect employers to use that money to continue to pay staff in the usual fashion – and correspondingly not furlough them. This also applies to non-public sector employers who receive public funding for staff costs
organisations that are receiving public funding specifically to provide services necessary to respond to coronavirus (COVID-19) are expected not to furlough staff
in a small number of cases, for example where organisations are not primarily funded by the government and whose staff cannot be redeployed to assist with the coronavirus response, the scheme may be appropriate
find out more about the scheme

*[CJRS]: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
Early years
This section will be relevant to early years providers that are employers, and
that usually have a mix of public income (largely this will be funding for the
free early education entitlements, also known as ‘DSG funding’) and private
income (largely this will be the fees that parents pay for childcare beyond
the free entitlements).
Childminders are less likely to be employers, and therefore are less likely to
be eligible for support via the CJRS. Childminders may find the Self
Employment Income Support Scheme more
relevant. Maintained nursery schools should take account of the guidance in
this section. For school-based nursery provision, please refer to the
‘schools’ section below.
On 17 March 2020, the Chancellor confirmed that the government will continue
to pay local authorities for free early years entitlement places for 2, 3 and
4 year olds to support providers at this time. On 18 March 2020, the
government also announced a business rates holiday for many nurseries in
England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Read the
guidance.
Early years settings should remain open where they are needed to provide
childcare for the children of critical workers who cannot be cared for safely
at home, and vulnerable children.
A private provider should only furlough employees, and therefore seek support
through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, if they meet the following
conditions:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and where their salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded (free entitlement funding)
(where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not duplicate other public grants received, and would not lead to financial reserves being created

If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded through free
entitlement or private income for the purposes of meeting the first 3
conditions as listed above, then an early years provider can access the CJRS
to cover up to the proportion of its paybill which could be considered to have
been paid for from that provider’s private income. This would typically be
income received from ‘parent-paid’ hours, and excludes all income from the
government’s free entitlements (or ‘DSG income’) for all age groups. In line
with the conditions of the scheme listed above, providers should initially use
the month of February 2020 to represent their usual income in calculating the
proportion of its paybill eligible to be covered by the scheme. Providers
should adjust these proportions in subsequent furloughing applications if
their income from the government’s free entitlements changes, but are not
expected to make any adjustments in relation to changes in parent-paid income.
To illustrate:
If a provider’s average monthly income is 40% from DSG and 60% from other
income, the provider could claim CJRS support for up to 60% of their paybill.
This would be done by furloughing staff whose usual salary / combined salaries
come to no greater than 60% of the provider’s total paybill.
These proportions could change in subsequent furlough applications as a result
of DSG income changing (but not where income from parents increased or
decreased). For example, if this provider subsequently receives additional DSG
income from a local authority as a result of providing additional hours of
childcare, such that its new DSG income would represent 55% of its total
income in February 2020, then its maximum use of the furlough scheme should,
from that point, be reduced to 45% of its paybill.
Some early years settings may also be eligible for the Small Business Grant
Fund (SBGF). The details and eligibility criteria for SBGF can be found in
the
guidance. For more information, and to find out how to apply for the
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme, please refer to the Financial
support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)
guidance.
Further guidance for early years
providers is available.
The DfE is considering appropriate measures to monitor the use of these
schemes in order to detect any duplication of funding, and will be considering
potential options to recover misused public funding as required.
[DSG]: dedicated schools grant
  [CJRS]: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  *[DfE]: Department for Education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support for businesses
Public Procurement Note 02/20

in March 2020, the Cabinet Office published the ‘Procurement Policy Note 02/20 – Supplier relief due to COVID-19’. This confirmed that contracting authorities would act to support critical suppliers ‘at risk’ due to coronavirus (COVID-19) on a continuity and retention basis so they are better able to cope with current challenges and to resume normal service delivery and fulfil their contractual obligations when the outbreak is over
it covers procurements carried out under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 and the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016
contracting authorities will need to ensure that spending is regular, proper and value for money and conduct appropriate and proportionate due diligence is carried out to ensure any relief is necessary for the continuity of supply of a critical service
read more about the Cabinet Office PPN 02/20 guidance

The guidance below is intended to offer a view of the likely suitability of
each of the schemes above, based on provider type. For further guidance on
eligibility criteria of the above support packages, please refer to their
respective guidance page as linked above.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Higher Education
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
Where the above schemes are not appropriate, HE providers are eligible for the
CJRS. HE providers should only furlough employees and seek support through the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme if they meet the following conditions:

the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and whose salary is not covered by public funding
the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
(where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not be duplicative to other public grants that the HE provider receives and would not lead to financial reserves being created

Any grant from the CJRS should not duplicate other sources of public funding
where these are being maintained, such as UK home student tuition fees.
However, we do recognise the complexity of HE revenue and the role that cross-
subsidy plays. If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded
through public or commercial income for the purposes of meeting the first 3
conditions as listed above, and some staff will be funded through multiple
sources, as a guiding principle, HE providers should not seek to furlough a
higher proportion of their wage bill than could reasonably be considered to
have been generated through commercial income, including from non-public
research grants and contracts.
It is likely that decisions on whether to furlough staff will need to be taken
on a case by case basis. To be eligible for the CJRS, when on furlough, an
employee cannot undertake work for, or on behalf of, their employer.
Where research work has been paused (for example, where grant holders have
requested a no-cost extension to UK Research & Innovation grants) and
therefore providers are not able to receive payments towards staff costs for a
period, resulting in a loss of income due to ceased or reduced delivery of
research programmes, providers should consider their eligibility and apply for
the wide range of financial support that HM Treasury has already announced for
businesses, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in line with the
above conditions.
The DfE is considering appropriate measures to monitor the use of these
schemes in order to detect any duplication of funding, and will be considering
potential options to recover misused public funding as required.
We will continue to engage with the sector and update this guidance, and
provide further clarification as necessary.
[HE]: higher education
  [CJRS]: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  *[DfE]: Department for Education


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Sector-specific guidance
Supply teachers and other contingent workers in state-funded schools
The below guidance sets out the general principles that state-funded schools
(hereafter referred to as ‘schools’ in this section) and employment
intermediaries (hereafter referred to as
‘agencies’ in this section) should follow for contingent workers during the
coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Where schools are the workers’ direct employer
Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual,
regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This will ensure
that they are able to continue to pay for staff and meet their other regular
financial commitments.
Hence, we expect schools to ensure any employees funded by public money
continue to be paid in the usual fashion from their existing staff budgets,
and correspondingly not furloughed, in line with the HM Revenue and Customs
guidance for public sector organisations.
Where schools have live assignments with contingent workers, and where the
school is the workers’ employer, schools should continue to pay these workers
from their existing school budgets and not furlough them.
Where schools have terminated contracts with contingent workers due to
coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier than the original terms set out, and where the
school was the workers’ employer under that contract, schools should reinstate
these contracts on the terms previously agreed, as long as the contractor is
not already accessing alternative support through another government support
scheme.
Where schools are not the workers’ direct employer
Schools are advised to refer to all parts of the Procurement Policy Note
02/20 (PPN 02/20), which provides
guidance for public bodies on payment of their suppliers for the purposes of
ensuring the continuity of critical service during and after the coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak.
Where schools have agency workers on live assignments who can continue to
work, they may continue to make previously agreed payments for the supply of
workers in line with the approach set out in PPN 02/20. Agencies who receive
money for workers in line with this guidance should not furlough these
workers, and should follow the open book accounting rules set out in PPN 02/20
to provide schools with proof that workers are continuing to be paid as
normal.
Where schools have agency workers on live assignments who cannot continue to
work due to coronavirus (COVID-19), schools and agencies should refer to the
guidance set out in Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Contingent Workers
Impacted by
COVID-19.
The supplier relief
guidance covers the length of existing live
assignments up to the end date that had been previously agreed. It does not
require these assignments to be extended further if the resource will not be
required.
Where agency workers are not on live assignments with schools, or where a
previously agreed assignment is due to end, schools and agencies should
discuss any further demand for the worker. If there is no further demand, the
employer can apply to furlough the worker via the Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme.
Once a worker has been furloughed, they become unavailable to work and cannot
provide services for their employer for a minimum of 3 weeks. Schools and
agencies should bear this in mind when discussing ongoing resource
requirements and agencies should keep this under regular review. Please refer
to the supplier relief
guidance for more information.
Where a worker is self-employed
Self-employed workers who are unable to work because of coronavirus (COVID-19)
will be able to access support through the Self-Employment Income Support
Scheme.
Starting new temporary contracts
We expect schools will use their existing staff to maintain necessary
provision, but schools may also continue to need supply teachers and other
temporary workers throughout this period. We encourage schools and agencies to
continue to liaise about any potential need to ensure workers are available
where required.
School workforce employers can find additional guidance on the school
workforce in the guidance on temporary school
closures.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested
Who can be tested
If you’re in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and have any of the
symptoms of coronavirus, you can ask for a test through the NHS
website.
The following groups of people can access priority testing through GOV.UK:

essential workers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
anyone in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over 5 years old who has symptoms of coronavirus and lives with an essential worker
children under 5 years old in England who have symptoms of coronavirus and live with an essential worker (this test must be performed by a parent or guardian)

See the guidance on testing for essential workers and the list of essential
workers below.
Tests for essential workers are prioritised over the tests available for the
wider public through the NHS.
In England, you can get tested if you’re a social care worker or resident in a
care home whether you have symptoms or not. See the guidance below on testing
for care home residents and workers.
There is further information available on tests in
Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested
Care home residents and workers (England only)
If a care home suspects a resident has coronavirus symptoms
You should contact your local Health Protection Team
(HPT) if:

you suspect your care home has a new coronavirus outbreak
it has been 28 days or longer since your last case and you have new cases

Your HPT will provide advice and arrange the first tests.
For testing in other situations, you should apply for testing kits following
the instructions below.
How to test care home residents and workers
You can apply for coronavirus testing kits to test the residents and staff of
your care home. You can apply whether or not any of your residents or staff
have coronavirus symptoms.
This testing is currently only available in England.
At the moment, you can only get tests if your care home looks after older
people or people with dementia.
Apply for coronavirus tests for a care home
Workers with symptoms
Care home workers with symptoms should be self-isolating and can access
testing through the self-referral or employer referral portals, above.
See a visual guide to adult social care
testing
(PDF, 68.4KB, 1 page).
Information about testing kits
There are 2 types of test kits delivered to care homes:

Randox test kits
all other types, known as Kingfisher test kits

The test kits look similar and test for whether someone currently has
coronavirus in the same way. You will be told which test kits you will be
using when you receive confirmation of your delivery. All of these kits are
throat and nose swab tests and will tell a person whether they had coronavirus
at the time the test took place. They cannot tell a person if they have had
coronavirus in the past.
Watch a video on how to administer nasal and throat swabs for residents:
Coronavirus test tutorial for care homes with Dr Sarah
Jarvis
Carers and nurses who will be swabbing residents in care homes should complete
the online care home swabbing competency assessment before carrying out
swabbing.
Individuals can register at
www.genqa.org/carehomes or care home
managers can create an organisational account by contacting
info@genqa.org.
*[PDF]: Portable Document Format


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested
List of essential workers and those prioritised for testing (England only)

all NHS and social care staff, including:
doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff, including volunteers and unpaid carers
the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector
those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines, and medical and personal protective equipment
NHS Blood and Transplant frontline staff (blood donation staff, specialist nurses for organ donation, staff running therapeutic apheresis services in NHS hospitals)
those providing ancillary support to NHS workers (such as hotel accommodation for NHS staff)
personal care assistants

essential public services staff, including:
prisons, probation, courts and tribunals staff, judiciary
religious staff
charities and workers delivering critical frontline services
those responsible for the management of the deceased
journalists and broadcasters covering coronavirus or providing public service broadcasting
public health and environmental staff, such as specialist community public health nursing

public safety and national security staff, including:
police and support staff
Ministry of Defence civilians, contractors and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of critical defence and national security outputs and critical to the response to the coronavirus pandemic), including defence medical staff
fire and rescue service employees (including support staff),
National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas
British Transport Police and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency

transport workers, including:
those who keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus response
those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass

education and childcare workers, including:
support and teaching staff
social workers
specialist education professionals

critical personnel in the production and distribution of food, drink and essential goods, including:
those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery
those critical to the provision of other essential goods, such as medical supply chain and distribution workers, including community pharmacy and testing (such as PHE labs), and veterinary medicine
workers critical to the continuity of essential movement of goods

local and national government staff critical to the effective delivery of the coronavirus response, or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits
public and environmental health staff, including in government agencies and arm’s length bodies
funeral industry workers
frontline local authority staff and volunteers, including
those working with vulnerable children and adults, victims of domestic abuse, and the homeless and rough sleepers (and hotel staff supporting these groups)
voluntary sector organisations providing substance misuse treatment

utilities, communication and financial services staff, including:
staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus response
essential staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 essential services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors

Read the privacy notice on coronavirus testing for essential
workers.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested
The testing process
The test involves taking a swab of the nose and the back of the throat, which
can be done by the person themselves (self-administered) or by someone else
(assisted).
The different ways you can get tested are covered below.
Regional testing sites
We are establishing a network of drive-through regional testing sites.
Watch a video explaining the process for drive-through testing:
Coronavirus tests for essential workers
Home testing
Home test kits can be delivered to someone’s door so they can test themselves
and their family without leaving the house. Home test kit availability will be
initially limited, but more will become available.
If you have been delivered a home testing kit or have been given a self-test
kit at a regional test site, here is a tutorial video that supports the
written instructions in your pack, from Dr Amir Khan:
How to take a coronavirus self-test
swab
Mobile testing units
Mobile testing units travel around the UK to increase access to coronavirus
testing. They respond to need, travelling to test essential workers at sites
including care homes, police stations and prisons.
New units are being brought into operation each day.
Satellite centres
NHS capability is being increased by providing test kits directly to
‘satellite’ centres at places like hospitals that have a particularly urgent
or significant need.
NHS facilities
Testing within an NHS facility such as a hospital is available for patients
and some NHS workers.
Across all these testing methods, there is a network of couriers who collect
the completed samples and deliver them safely to one of our laboratories. The
swab samples are analysed at our labs and the result is communicated back to
the individual.
We aim to return test results within 48 hours of a swab being taken, or within
72 hours for a home test.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested
Arrange a test if you’re an essential worker
The self-referral and employer referral test booking routes for essential
workers are available for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Self-referral
Apply for a coronavirus test if you’re an essential
worker
You should be able to choose between a drive-through appointment and home test
kit.
Book a drive-through test appointment if you have a verification
code
Employer referral
The employer referral portal allows employers to refer essential workers who
are self-isolating either because they or member(s) of their household have
coronavirus symptoms, for testing.
The employer referral portal is a secure portal for employers to use to upload
the full list of names and contact details of self-isolating essential
workers.
If referred through this portal, essential workers will receive a text message
with a unique invitation code to book a test for themselves (if symptomatic) or their
symptomatic household member(s) at a regional testing site.
In order to obtain a login, employers of essential workers should email
portalservicedesk@dhsc.gov.uk with:

organisation name
nature of the organisation’s business
region
names (where possible) and email addresses of the 2 users who will load essential worker contact details

Once employer details have been verified, 2 login credentials will be issued
for the employer referral portal.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on drivers’ hours relaxations
Drivers’ hours relaxations
If a journey doesn’t fall under the emergency provisions the drivers’ hours
rules must be complied with. If the situation is still urgent and an operator
believes a temporary relaxation of the drivers’ hours rules would be
applicable, they should contact in the first instance an organisation
representative of their part of the broader supply chain. Temporary, urgent
relaxations will only be put in place on a systematic basis and only when
other measures in the supply chain cannot be used.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on drivers’ hours relaxations
Emergency relaxations
Both the GB and EU drivers’ hours rules automatically cease to apply in
emergency situations where immediate preventative action is needed to avoid,
amongst other things, danger to the life or health of people. The definition
of an emergency is contained in domestic legislation (The Drivers’ Hours
(Goods Vehicles) (Exemptions) Regulations
1986 and the Drivers’
Hours (Passenger Vehicles) (Exemptions) Regulations
1970).
The department’s advice about emergency situations is if your journey is
necessary to enable someone to:
1) provide goods or services to protect public health, and/or
2) meet their or others’ basic needs for day to day living, and/or
3) provide medical treatment
and there is a risk of danger to the life or health of people if your journey
is not carried out; then you should make use of the emergency exemption.
Operators do not need to ask the department for a temporary ‘urgent’ exemption
for these type of journeys. The emergency exemptions cease to apply once the
situation is under control and there is no longer a need for immediate
preventative action.
The department would not normally expect drivers in emergencies to:

drive for more than 11 hours in one day
have less than 9 hours of daily rest
work for more than 7 days before the start of the regular or reduced weekly rest (if operating under the EU rules), or
have less than 24 hours weekly rest

In addition, drivers operating under the EU drivers’ hours rules should ensure
they take a 45 minute break after 4.5 hours driving.
The relevant provisions of the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations
2005 will not
apply, to the extent that they conflict with the requirements of responding to
the emergency. Drivers will, however, remain subject to all other requirements
of the Working Time Regulations in an emergency event.
The practical implementation of any changes should be through agreement
between employers, employees and (where available) driver representatives.
Employers must, where possible, agree any extension of working time with
employees or other workers, before that work starts.
The drivers in question must note on the back of their tachograph charts or
printouts the reasons why they are exceeding the normally permitted limits.
This is usual practice in emergencies and is, of course, essential for
enforcement purposes.
Operators should maintain records of when standard drivers’ hours have been
deviated from, along with a justification of why this was needed. The
responsibilities of operators, transport managers and the wider supply chain
may be examined after the current events. It is important that on subsequent
inspections and checks it can be clear that a relaxation was used
appropriately, was well implemented and in a way to reduce fatigue (for
example in relation to shift patterns).
[GB]: Great Britain
  [EU]: European Union


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on drivers’ hours relaxations
Drivers’ hours rules for goods vehicles
For journeys within Great Britain (GB), either the GB or EU rules may apply.
For international journeys either the EU rules or the European Agreement
Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road
Transport (AETR) may apply. Which set of rules applies depends on the type of
driving and the type of vehicle being used, and, in the case of international
journeys, the countries to be visited.
Most vehicles used for the carriage of goods by road and with a maximum
permissible weight (including any trailer or semi-trailer) of over 3.5 tonnes
are in scope of the EU rules.
Detailed information is available covering the GB, EU and AETR rules.
Information is also available on working time rules. The working time rules
that apply depend on whether you drive a vehicle in scope of the EU or GB
domestic drivers’ hours rules.
[GB]: Great Britain
  [EU]: European Union
  *[AETR]: European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on drivers’ hours relaxations
Health and safety legislation
As well as the drivers’ hours and working time rules, transport operators, as
employers, are required, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the
health and safety of their employees while at work and others who may be put
at risk by their work activities. In addition, they have a legal duty as an
employer to manage risks from fatigue.
That is why when the department does relax the drivers’ hours and working time
rules we remind operators, in our notification of the relaxation, that as
employers, they remain responsible for the health and safety of their drivers
and other road users and that they must ensure that driver safety is not
compromised by expecting them to drive whilst tired.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued
advice on managing the risks of fatigue and this includes good practice advice
on shift lengths. HSE guidance on managing shift work advises that employers
should avoid shifts that are longer than 8 hours where work is demanding,
safety critical or monotonous and that they should limit shifts to a maximum
of 12 hours (including overtime). It also advises that they should encourage
and promote the benefit of frequent and regular breaks to reduce the risk of
fatigue.

Drivers’ hours: rules, guidance and list of temporary relaxations

*[HSE]: Health and Safety Executive


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on drivers’ hours relaxations
Relaxation of drivers’ hours rules
This document provides advice on the relaxation of drivers’ hours rules, in
the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. This document should be considered in
conjunction with the extensive existing guidance provided on drivers’
hours.
The drivers’ hours and working time rules are in place to protect road safety
and the working conditions of drivers and to reduce the risk of drivers being
involved in fatigue-related accidents. As such, any relaxation of these rules
should only be considered where genuinely necessary and when other supply
chain management interventions are unable to alleviate issues. The Department
for Transport wishes to make clear that driver safety must not be compromised.
Drivers should not be expected to drive whilst tired - employers remain
responsible for the health and safety of their employees and other road users.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
Maintaining good hygiene practices
Keep up to date with announcements and advice on GOV.UK and follow the latest
advice set out in the guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK
and protecting older people and vulnerable
adults, which includes tips on how to help
protect a vulnerable person you live with.
Cleaning your hands frequently throughout the day by washing with soap and
water for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser is one of the most
effective ways of reducing the risk of infection for you and other people.
This includes when you arrive at the home of the person you care for, if you
do not live with them, or have been out.
The stay at home
guidance provides information on washing your hands, cleaning and disposing
of waste, and cleaning laundry, as well as other information for those living
with a vulnerable person. You should also refer to the guidance on hygiene on
the NHS website.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Supporting the person through change
Communication
Changes in routines and care can be particularly stressful for people with
learning disabilities and autistic people, and it is important that accessible
information is provided to support them to understand the outbreak and the
measures introduced. You may also need to consider how to manage behaviour
that challenges, particularly if usual techniques are not appropriate or
possible during the outbreak.
There are some steps you can take and guidance you can follow to support the
person you care for through change:

Try to explain in simple and familiar terms why things are changing, emphasising what will remain normal and how long change will likely last for.
Consider where you can support them to continue doing what they enjoy and that can support their wellbeing. The guidance on mental health and wellbeing offers examples of activities that can be done at home.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has helpful resources, including a visual summary of what to do if the behaviour of the person you support changes and begins to challenge.

It is important to use resources which are accessible and can best explain the
outbreak and latest guidance to the person, such as:

easy read overview of COVID-19
easy read explanation of social distancing
easy read overview of shielding the clinically ‘extremely vulnerable’
MENCAP resources
World Health Organization guide to effective hand-washing
Music video made by people with learning disabilities to support effective handwashing


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
Planning in case of an emergency
As set out in the guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or
family, we advise all carers to create an emergency
plan with the person they care for, to use in circumstances where other people
may need to help deliver care. Depending on the circumstances, this could be
help from family or friends, or a care provider.
In order to create an emergency plan that fits the needs of the person you
care for, you will need to set out:

the name and address and any other contact details of the person you look after
who you and the person you look after would like to be contacted in an emergency
details of any medication the person you look after is taking
details of any ongoing treatment they need
details of any medical appointments they need to keep
details of their preferences and usual routine

You should also ensure that it is in a format that can readily be shared with
other people who will need to discuss the plan with the person you care for.
For more support on contingency planning, see Carers UK
guidance on practical support and planning in an emergency, including
information about local carer organisations. You can also find information out
about local services on the Carers Trust website.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Supporting the person through change
Social distancing
The guidance on social
distancing sets out
the restrictions in place during the COVID-19 outbreak and the reasons for
which you can leave your home.
It is important that the person you care for understands why it is important
to maintain a social distance, and what may happen if they do not. An easy
read
explanation
of the current guidance is available.
However, if the person in your care has a specific health condition which
requires them to leave their home to maintain good health – including if that
involves reasonable specific travel beyond your local area – then they can do
so. This could, for example, include where people with learning disabilities
or autistic people require specific exercise in an open space 2 or 3 times
each day – ideally in line with a care plan agreed with a medical
professional.
Wherever possible, you should support the person to continue their usual
activities outside, in line with the guidance on social
distancing. If it
is not possible to continue their usual activities outside, alternative
arrangements should be considered. These may include accessing online services
such as food delivery or online prescription orders.
You may be able to access help from COVID-19 Mutual Aid
UK which provides voluntary support to those who
are in need. You may want to approach your local authority, who are
strategically supporting these groups, so you can access safe, appropriate
support.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
If you have symptoms of COVID-19
If you or someone in your household has symptoms, you should follow the stay
at home guidance. The guidance provides detailed advice on when and how to self-
isolate and information on cleaning and hygiene.
However, we appreciate that the advice above may not be easy to achieve where
you provide close contact care for a spouse or relative such as washing and
bathing. Where possible and needed, ask friends and family who can support you
in providing care, or find out about local carer organisations at Carers
UK or
through your local authority
You should also review the guidance on social distancing for everyone in the
UK and protecting older people and vulnerable
adults for
information about those people who are considered at increased risk of severe
illness from COVID-19. These people are not being advised to follow the
guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable
groups, but should be
particularly stringent in complying with social distancing guidance.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
If the person you care for is concerned about their usual paid carer coming in and out of their home
The government has issued guidance to home care
providers to ensure that appropriate levels of hygiene are achieved to reduce
the risk of infection. Speak to the care provider about the processes they are
following to maintain good hygiene.
If the person you care for receives regular health or social care from an
organisation, either through your local authority or paid for by themselves, inform their care provider that they
are reducing social contacts and agree on a plan for continuing their care,
identifying essential care tasks that should continue.
As a carer, the guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and
protecting older people and vulnerable
adults provides
advice on the extra precautions you can take to help keep the person you care
for safe.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
If you are clinically ‘extremely vulnerable’
If you are in the group clinically defined as ‘extremely vulnerable’, you
should follow the measures set out in the guidance for clinically extremely
vulnerable groups. The
advice should still be followed even if you do not have symptoms.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
Caring for someone who is clinically ‘extremely vulnerable’ (shielding)
Some people with learning disabilities or autistic people may have a specific
health condition and may be clinically defined as ‘extremely vulnerable’. The
guidance on shielding and protecting the clinically extremely
vulnerable and the
guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or
family provides detailed advice on how to care for
someone who falls into this category.
The NHS in England is directly contacting people with these conditions to
provide further advice. If you think the person you care for falls into the
clinically ‘extremely vulnerable’ group and they have not received a letter or
been contacted by their GP, you should discuss your concerns with their GP.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
If the person you care for has symptoms of COVID-19
If the person being cared for has symptoms or is part of a household that is
isolating, you must follow the advice set out in the stay at home
guidance and the Guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or
family.
If you do not live in the same home as the person you care for, you should
provide information on who the person should call if they feel unwell, how to
use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service and
leave the number for NHS 111 prominently displayed.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Supporting the person through change
Coping with bereavement
It is possible that the person you care for may experience the death of
someone they know during this period or may experience anxiety at deaths
reported in the media. In this instance, it is important to have open and
honest discussions about death and coping with the person you care for.
The links below provide accessible resources to support communicating death to
people with learning disabilities and autistic people:

NHS advice on coping with bereavement
Beyond Words guide for when someone dies from coronavirus
CWP NHS Trust bereavement guide for carers
MENCAP guide to dealing with bereavement


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
Collecting prescriptions if you are self-isolating
If you normally collect prescriptions for the person you care for, you will
not be able to do this if you are self-isolating. Most pharmacies provide a
home delivery service. Telephone them to see if this is available or if there
is another scheme running locally to help you access prescriptions.
Pharmacy delivery services will be under pressure at the moment, so it is
important that you order your repeat prescriptions in good time, to avoid
delays in dispensing. Information on repeat prescriptions and delivery
services may also be available via your GP practice website.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Maintaining your own health and wellbeing
It is important that you look after your own health and wellbeing as well as
supporting others you care for, especially given the potential for additional
stresses at the current time and the potential for reduced access to support
such as respite care.
There is information in the stay at home
guidance and the guidance on social
distancing about looking after your wellbeing, as
well as more detailed guidance on self-care and sources of support for mental
health and wellbeing during the
outbreak.
Tips include taking care of your mind as well as your body and getting support
if you need it. Daily physical activity is important for many aspects of
health and wellbeing, including managing stress, encouraging positive
feelings, and promoting good sleep habits. The One You website has suggestions
for exercises you can do at home.
Draw on support you might have through your friends, family and other networks
during this time. Try to stay in touch with those around you over the phone,
by post, or online. Let people know how you would like to stay in touch and
build that into your routine.
Remember it is ok to share your concerns with others you trust and in doing so
you may be able to provide support to them too. There are sources of support
and information that can help, such as NHS recommended
helplines, and the Every Mind
Matters website.
It may also be helpful to contact your local carers support organisation who
can help with contingency planning. You can find out about local carer
organisations at Carers UK. There is also an online forum on Carers
UK.
Accessing alternative care quickly if you are unable to provide care
Having to organise alternative care can be difficult and concerning. Where
possible, you should contact friends and family who may be able to give
immediate help in providing care. You should follow the guidelines set out in
the stay at home
guidance and the Guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and
protecting older people and vulnerable
adults to
protect those coming into the home of the person who needs care.
If you cannot organise alternative care you can contact your local
authority or health care
provider.
If you do not know how to do this, you can contact NHS 111.
If you need time off work to care for a relative who has symptoms or is
self-isolating
You should talk to your employer about your caring needs and what arrangements
can be put in place. Information regarding statutory sick pay entitlements can
be found in the guidance for
employees.
Some people may be entitled to benefits as a carer, such as Carer’s
Allowance.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Protecting yourself and the person you care for
If the person you care for is in a care home
If you have no symptoms, you should keep in contact with the care home to
understand any local arrangement to keep in touch with residents and follow
the guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older
people and vulnerable
adults. This
guidance includes tips on how to maintain contact with relatives or friends
such as staying in touch via phone or post where you are unable, or it is not
advisable, to visit.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Cleaning
Touch points (for example buttons to open doors, hand rails) across the
transport network should be particular areas of focus for increased cleaning.
Organisations should follow guidance on cleaning and waste
disposal and implement cleaning protocols to limit coronavirus transmission
and consider who will carry out the cleaning activity.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Queues and protecting passenger flows
To protect passengers and workers on the transport network, it is essential,
as far as possible, to enable social distancing. These measures should cover
different types of vehicles, car parks, service areas, airports, station
concourses and platforms as well as considering how people act in different
circumstances (for example consider wet weather, indoor, outdoor, security
procedures). Transport operators are also advised to consider and mitigate the
security implications of any temporary interventions to support social
distancing.
Particular attention should be given to queues that may occur, including at
interchanges and busy times of day, or when there are unanticipated delays. It
is important that passengers can queue safely (observing social distancing
where possible) and that workers stay safe while passengers queue.
Organisations could consider:


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Queues and protecting passenger flows
Crowd management

Consider whether queues can be moved to locations with more space for safe queues. Liaise as appropriate with other bodies (such as other transport operators, landlords and local authorities) to safely manage queues and any impact on public spaces. Consider how to provide passengers and services users with information on the service.
If services, concourses or interchanges become too crowded, or queues become too long, operators should consider the full range of operational responses available, recognising the knock-on effects on other transport modes in making these decisions.
Use social media, apps and other digital methods to alert passengers before they leave home, and to help passengers stay away or disperse until there is sufficient capacity available.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Emergency incidents
Emergency procedures
Ensure that your emergency procedures are followed during an emergency or
situation requiring an evacuation. You should consider how to maintain social
distancing in these situations, recognising that people may not always be able
to stay 2 metres apart. Review and update existing queuing, crowd management
and emergency plans and the situations when these are instigated.
What to do if someone develops symptoms of coronavirus in a transport
setting
If anyone becomes unwell with the symptoms of coronavirus in a transport
setting they should be sent home and advised to follow the stay at home
guidance. They should also arrange to have a test to see if they have
COVID-19.
If they need clinical advice, they should go online to NHS
111 (or call 111 if they don’t have internet access). In
an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is
at risk. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.
There is currently no requirement to self-isolate if you have been in
proximity with someone showing coronavirus symptoms in the workplace and have
been following social distancing measures.
Workers should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact
with someone who is unwell.
It is not necessary to close the transport setting or send any staff home.
*[GP]: General Practitioner


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Risk assessment
A risk assessment is about identifying sensible measures to control the risks
in your workplace and the service you provide. Your risk assessment will help
you decide whether you have addressed all necessary points. Review your risk
assessment regularly to ensure that it remains relevant and appropriate under
changing circumstances.
We recommend that your risk assessment identifies risks resulting from
coronavirus and that you use this guide to ensure that your risk assessment
addresses the risks of coronavirus. It will help inform your decisions and
control measures. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) also has guidance on how a coronavirus risk assessment can be
undertaken.
All existing non-coronavirus related health and safety requirements continue
to apply. The Health and Safety
Executive and other transport
regulators can help you comply with health and safety legislation.
Employers have a duty to consult employees on health and safety. Workers
should be involved in assessing workplace risks and the development and review
of workplace health and safety policies in partnership with the employer.
Employees should be encouraged to identify, speak up and feed back on risks
and control measures.
We recommend you consider the following when conducting a coronavirus risk
assessment:

Risks to workers, passengers, customers and the public, along with the control measures required.
The impact of control measures and whether they result in additional, different risks or non-compliance with other requirements (for example health and safety or equalities legislation).
Applying the hierarchy of controls set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Consultation with workers, or bodies representing workers, and the public.
The visibility of the results of any risk assessment.
Service providers have duties to ensure individuals with protected characteristics, for example disabled people, the elderly and pregnant women, are able to access transport networks. Individuals should be supported to comply with social distancing. All equality and discrimination law continues to apply. Organisations need to ensure that the actions taken as a result of the assessment do not disproportionately impact those with protected characteristics.

*[BEIS]: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Ventilation
Organisations should consider how to increase ventilation and air flow. Where
possible, transport operators and businesses should ensure that a fresh air
supply is consistently flowing through vehicles, carriages, transport hubs and
office buildings.
To achieve this, organisations could consider:

Air conditioning. Most air conditioning systems do not need adjustment, however where systems serve multiple buildings or you are unsure, advice could be sought from HVAC engineers.
Fresh ventilation systems can operate as normal, but recirculating air systems may require adjustments to increase fresh air flow.
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration.
Opening doors and windows where possible and safe to do so.

[HVAC]: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
  [HEPA]: High-Efficiency Particulate Air


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Cleaning
Hygiene – handwashing, sanitation facilities, toilets and showers
To help workers and passengers maintain good hygiene, organisations could
consider:

Use signs and messages to build awareness of good handwashing technique and other hygiene behaviours for example around coughing and sneezing.
Providing paper towels in hand washing facilities.
Sufficient provision of hand sanitiser onsite in addition to washrooms, and for those working away from hand washing facilities.
Configuration of toilet and shower facilities to ensure they are kept clean, with social distancing where possible and with best practice handwashing followed between each use.
Enhanced cleaning for facilities that are heavily used.
Keeping showers and changing rooms closed until clear use and cleaning guidance is set.
Minimising use of portable toilets.
Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection and disposal.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Who should be at work
People who need to self-isolate
Workers who have symptoms of
coronavirus or workers living in a household with someone
showing symptoms of coronavirus should self-isolate, stay at home and arrange
to have a test to see if they have
COVID-19.
Organisations should:

Enable people to work from home while self-isolating if appropriate. See current guidance for employees and employers relating to statutory sick pay due to coronavirus.
Ensure that individuals stay at home for 7 days from when symptoms started. After 7 days if there is no high temperature there is no need to continue to self-isolate. If there is still a high temperature, self-isolate until temperature returns to normal. If living with others and the individual is the first in the household to have symptoms of coronavirus, then they must stay at home for 7 days, but 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.
Encourage workers to apply for a coronavirus test if symptomatic.
Ensure there are processes in place if someone attending the workplace shows symptoms or is infected.

There is currently no requirement to self-isolate if you have been in
proximity with someone showing coronavirus symptoms in the workplace and have
been following social distancing measures. If a worker’s symptoms match those
of coronavirus, encourage them to apply for a coronavirus
test.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Cleaning
Cleaning before increasing capacity or re-opening
Organisations should ensure that any site or location that has been closed or
kept partially open during the coronavirus outbreak is assessed and
appropriate steps taken to prepare for restart or ongoing operation.
Organisations could consider:

Conducting a working environment assessment for all sites that have been closed, before restarting work.
Carrying out cleaning procedures, providing hand sanitiser, adjusting ventilation before restarting work.
Using Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and/or opening windows and doors to encourage ventilation, where possible and safe to do so.
Defining and communicating consistent procedures for standard and deep cleaning.

*[HVAC]: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Workforce planning
Protecting workers arriving at and leaving the workplace
When arriving and leaving the workplace, there may be occasions when workers
are in the same space or are using entrances and exits at the same time. You
should consider opportunities to reduce risk in these situations.
Organisations could consider:

Staggering arrival and departure times at work where possible to reduce crowding on routes to and from the workplace.
Reducing queues, for example by having more entry points to the workplace.
Providing more storage for workers for clothes and bags.
Managing queues, for example through floor markings, signs and introducing one-way flow at entry and exit points, considering the impact on public spaces, and working collaboratively with other operators and local authorities.
Hand sanitation at building entry/exit points and not using touch-based security devices (such as keypads).
Reviewing workplace access points and entry requirements (for example deactivating turnstiles requiring pass checks in favour of showing a pass to security personnel at a distance). Organisations need to make sure that alternative checks provide the same level of security.
Limiting passengers in business vehicles (for example, work minibuses), leaving seats empty.
Collaborating with other organisations that share the premises to minimise people on site.
Assigning fixed groups of workers to the same transportation routes where sole travel is not possible.
Providing additional safe facilities for runners/walkers/cyclists as well as alternative means of transport such as coaches.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Cleaning
Keeping public and private areas and modes of transport clean
Keep public and private areas and vehicles clean and prevent the transmission
of coronavirus as a result of touching contaminated surfaces.
Organisations could consider:

Identifying higher risk areas such as areas that are touched more regularly.
Supplying standard cleaning products for regular cleaning and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for used cleaning products.
Cleaning regularly-touched objects and surfaces (like door handles, handrails and ticket machines) more often than usual using standard cleaning products.
Clearing workspaces, removing and appropriately disposing of waste and removing belongings from the work area at the end of each shift.
Cleaning all workstations, shared vehicles, hand tools, controls, machinery and equipment after use and between each shift and user.
Encouraging a reduction in paper-based processes and replacing these with digital forms of communication where possible.
Encouraging workers to wash hands before boarding vehicles.
Retaining sufficient quantities of hand sanitiser/wipes within vehicles to enable workers to clean hands after each delivery/drop-off.
Using wipes to clean fuel pumps before and after use.
Cleaning vehicle keys before and after handling.
Regular cleaning of work areas consistent with published guidance.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Workforce planning
Protecting workers in the workplace
Where workers are unable to work from home, you should be taking steps to
reduce transmission from face-to-face interaction and enable social distancing
in the workplace.
Organisations could consider:

Making workforce travel plans in advance of workers returning to work.
As far as possible, where workers are split into teams or shift groups, fixing these teams or shift groups so that where contact is unavoidable, this happens between the same people.
Where shift patterns are not already in place, consider introducing these to enable more workers to work during a 24-hour period while having as few workers as possible on-site at any one time.
Identifying areas where people must pass things directly to each other (for example documents, spare parts, cargo, raw materials) or share tools/equipment, and look for ways to remove direct contact through use of drop-off points or transfer zones.
Using remote working tools to avoid meetings with lots of people.
If meetings are necessary, keeping all attendees 2 metres apart, ensure they do not share objects, such as pens and paper, and have hand sanitiser accessible.
Using digital means to communicate shift patterns.
Staggering break times to reduce pressure on break rooms or canteens.
Designating outside areas as common areas if safe to do so.
Creating additional space from other parts of the worksite or building freed up by remote working.
Using protective screening for workers in reception or similar areas.
Using packaged meals or similar to avoid opening canteens.
Reconfiguring seating and tables to optimise spacing and reduce face-to-face situations.
Encouraging workers to stay on-site during working hours.
Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help workers keep to a 2 metre distance.
Avoiding use of hot desks where possible. Otherwise cleaning workstations and shared equipment between different occupants.
Limiting use of high-touch items and shared office equipment (for example, printers, whiteboards).
Only essential meeting participants should attend.
Providing hand sanitiser in workspaces.
Reducing job and location rotation.
Updating first aid training.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Who should be at work
If people can, they should work from home
When deciding who can work from home, organisations could consider:

Who is essential to be on site; for example, office workers should work from home if possible.
The minimum number of people needed in vehicles, on site and/or in the office to operate safely and effectively.
The wellbeing of people working from home and how to help them stay connected.
Keeping in touch with off-site workers on their working arrangements including their welfare, mental and physical health and personal security.
Providing equipment to enable working from home safely and effectively.
Looking at what roles and tasks can be done from home and supporting workers to do this where possible, for example, administrative tasks or customer communications.
Reallocating tasks between workers, to increase the opportunity for home working.
Regularly reviewing how different working arrangements are impacting workers, and how to improve the arrangements.
Let workers know in advance if they are required to travel or not.
Whether support workers are needed to make their networks accessible (for example to operate ramps or lifts) and consider categorising these workers as ‘essential’.


Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer transport guidance for operators
Queues and protecting passenger flows
Social distancing in vehicles and at service areas, stations, stops, ports and airports

Rearranging, limiting or removing seating to try and ensure social distancing is observed and that it can be cleaned regularly using a rota or some other tracker. This may include:
Blocking off seats that are in close proximity to a driver or other workers and passengers.
Removing face-to-face seating.
Maximising separation for example by sitting in back left hand seat of a car.

Using floor tape, signs or paint in passenger areas to help people keep 2 metres apart, where appropriate. Using screens to create a physical barrier between people where appropriate, such as in ticket offices.
Introducing more one-way flow through areas and vehicles.
Revising maximum occupancy for lifts and ways of operating lifts.
Making arrangements for monitoring compliance to assist with further planning (for example appointment of a social distancing marshal).
Keeping in mind particular needs of workers and passengers who have protected characteristics, for example disabled people, the elderly and pregnant women.