The
ELC COVID-19 Guidance has recently been updated and some aspects have also transferred into the Childminder Services Guidance (CSG), providing more detailed advice and tools to support you with the action should be taken when a child or childminder tests positive for COVID-19.
What has changed?
- The ‘Safety Measures’ section has been updated with reference to ‘Identifying Contacts’ and ‘Warn and Inform’ letters.
Within this, a new flowchart summarises the actions required if there is a positive case in a setting, plus there is a link to new ‘Warn and Inform’ letters which should be issued when a setting is informed of a positive case. This replaces the previous ‘Warn and Inform’ Information sheet.
We know that childminders will already be maintaining good communication with parents, and this remains vital. These documents are intended to support you with following the correct processes and informing service users.
Read the full update here
- An update has been made to the ‘Physical Distancing’ section regarding ‘Play visits to and from other childminding settings’.
While there are no longer any restrictions on household visits in the context of our private lives, it remains important to limit these during the provision of registered childcare services. This reflects the importance of keeping these important services to children and families open and operating safely. For the time being, any such visits should take place with the permission of parents/carers of children and should take place outdoors rather than indoors.
The mitigations that should be applied in respect of visits from parents/carers should also be applied to visits with other childminders and children: physical distancing; keeping visitors to a minimum; childminders making use of universal testing offer; consider delaying if adults are identified as close contacts.
Read the full update here
Please do take the time to read the full updates within the Childminder Services Guidance using the links above to ensure that you continue to operate as safely as possible.