Coronavirus FAQ for Employees
All medical questions must be directed to a medical professional. There is an NHS 111 Online portal that has been set up specifically for Coronavirus queries at https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/
Advice given must be consistent with the NHS advice at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
However, the following information may be of use to managers in assisting staff / service users:
What are the symptoms of the Coronavirus?
What should I do if I have symptoms?
What constitutes a “high temperature”?
If a family member/housemate is self-isolating, what should I do?
What PPE equipment do I need and where can I get it from?
Do I need to wear a face mask?
Will I be paid sick leave if I am self-isolating?
Can I work from home?
What can I do about staying off work to look after my children who are off school?
What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
What should I do if I have symptoms?
You should not go to your GP or A&E. Stay at home and contact 111 for medical advice before doing anything else. If you are unable to get through to 111 over the phone, there is an online 111 Coronavirus service at https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/
If you are advised to self-isolate and therefore will not be able to come in to work, please contact Head Office on 0161 236 0829 (24 hours a day) or email coronavirus@creativesupport.co.uk
What constitutes a “high temperature”?
A high temperature is generally considered to be anything over 38 degrees celcius.
If a family member/housemate is self-isolating what should I do?
If you live with someone who has symptoms, you’ll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day their symptoms started. This is because it can take 14 days for symptoms to appear.
If more than 1 person at home has symptoms, stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person started having symptoms.
If you get symptoms, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms start, even if it means you’re at home for longer than 14 days.
If you do not get symptoms, you can stop staying at home after 14 days.
More advice and information on self-isolation is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/
What PPE equipment do I need and where can I get it from?
Head Office in Stockport has some emergency supplies of PPE equipment, which can be delivered to services in the Greater Manchester / North West area if necessary. However, these will be allocated in accordance with highest need – large services with individuals in high risk groups will have to be prioritised.
If you are able to acquire PPE locally, please do so, using petty cash if you have it available in your service.
Staff working in home care, supported living or residential care must observe the following:
- Peform hand hygiene before donning PPE.
- Use disposable gloves, aprons and fluid repellent surgical face masks
- Use eye protection when there is any risk of fluids “splashing” (e.g. when performing personal care).
- Use new PPE for each episode of care.
It is essential that used PPE is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being disposed of as normal.
Care homes must have well-established processes for waste management.
Do I need to wear a face mask?
The World Health Organisation advises:
- If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected Coronavirus infection.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.
More information on face masks is available at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
Will I be paid sick leave if I am self-isolating?
The government has recently extended the eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of sickness, instead of the usual forth day of sickness absence. Creative Support has issued guidance on employee entitlements during the Coronavirus response period – please click here to download.
There is no option to work from home for employees providing care and support. A policy has been produced for Head Office employees, which can be read here.
What can I do about staying home from work to look after my children who are off school?
A letter was issued to all Creative Support employees on 20/03/20 which confirms that staff providing frontline care and support meet the government’s definition of “key worker”. As such, their children will not have to stay home from school during the Coronavirus period. Queries relating to this should be directed to personnel@creativesupport.co.uk with the subject “Key Worker Confirmation”.