Dear Colleagues,

We want to write to you directly to keep you informed of the steps we are taking to ensure our Serenity Team are prepared for all scenarios relating to the Coronavirus as our number one priority is for the safety of the children and young people we work with

Keeping all our children and young people safe is our primary focus and we are therefore prioritising additional actions including increasing cleaning across our office, the locations in which we work and in our transport vehicles.

It is worth remembering that although COVID-19 is receiving much attention, it is still relatively confined. However as this is an unusual scenario for all of us,

We are fortunate in that Serenity Welfare headquarters is situated in an isolated location and its natural, organic setting provides the social distancing required to ensure our staff are not placed at risk of contamination.

Ultimately, we are making sure we are prepared for every eventuality and best placed to keep all of you safe while continuing to meet our clients’ needs. We also hope it gives all of you the confidence to know we are constantly reviewing our approach on a daily basis.

Below we've summarised a few practical things however there is exceptionally comprehensive guidance links below for you to follow -
that should be saved and consulted regularly.

ACTION FROM EVERYONE - NO EXCEPTIONS

1. Be prepared: Everyone must ensure that they repeatedly and consistently wash their hands - and use the sanitised hand gel that is available at headquarters, our supervision venues and in our transport’s vehicles.

2. Transport: we will ensure that all our cars are thoroughly cleaned following a transport to prevent any cross-contamination to ourselves and the children & young people we work with.

3. Supervisions and Support Services: To avoid any cross contamination, we will now ensure that we ensure consistency in our rota, so the same two professionals work together. However, should any supervisor show any concerning health concerns we will ensure that they self-isolate and we will adjust our services accordingly.

RESPONSES TOO STAFF

1. If you’re feeling unwell - stay at home: You can make arrangements with the office as you would in any case including illness absence or working from home depending on the circumstances.

2. If you’re feeling unwell and displaying symptoms of Covid-19: (cough, fever, shortness of breath), stay home or go home and call your GP or use the NHS online coronavirus helpline for advice. Options may include being tested for the virus and / or self-isolating. Please do not leave Serenity offices to go home without first consulting with the office.

3. If you have come into contact with someone who is being tested for the virus (not confirmed): refer to this page for further info, next steps and please keep your line manager informed.

4. If you have come into contact with someone who has been confirmed as having COVID-19: refer to this page for further info, next steps and please keep your line manager informed.

5. If you have an underlying health condition: refer to NHS guidance or speak to your GP/Specialist for advice related to the impact of the virus on your underlying health condition. You can also speak to your career coach and discuss working from home as an option to support the management of your wellbeing. Refer to this page for further information and next steps, and please keep your line manager informed.

6. If you’ve recently travelled outside the UK and to a location which has high instances of Covid-19: (China, Iran, Italy (specifically the contained Italian areas listed here) Republic of Korea), you will need to self-isolate on your return and contact the office. The specific location will determine whether you also need to contact NHS / your GP. Refer to this page for further info, next steps and please keep your line manager informed.

11. If you have recently travelled from Italy (within last 14 days): Please contact the office for advice on next steps before returning to work.

12. If you're working from client site: If a client closes their residence, we must respect and act on their decisions and guidance. We must contact the office you immediately for alternative arrangements or venues to be found. If this impacts your work for the client, please contact the office. If you are concerned about working at a client site (e.g. because you notice that someone is clearly unwell or displaying symptoms), you should alert the office.

We hope this helps you all with common queries we are receiving, and we will endeavour to keep everyone updated as the situation evolves. Please do refer to the central PwC Google site and do not hesitate to discuss with the office if you have any queries or concerns.

Kind Regards
Lavinia Moore
Head of Safeguarding