COVID-19: Procedures - Guidance for Early Years Settings

While awaiting further announcements from Government in relation to their return to work plan and associated timetable for the reopening of UK nurseries, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic a wide range of Early Years organisations came together in an unprecedented way to support and share guidance, expertise and practice, in order to ensure a continuation of the very high standards of Early Years Care and Education, being delivered.

This Early Years COVID-19 Response Group includes the major sector representative groups alongside national, regional and smaller local multi-site providers. As a combined group of 70 major providers, amid lobbying and other activities, the group have collated guidance on COVID-19 site operating procedures for early years settings. 

These guidelines are intended to assist early years providers in implementing precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 disease in childcare settings. This information has been created with the intention of sharing so that providers may start to consider and build on some of the guidelines to form Site Operating Procedures (SOP), suitable to their situation. The guidelines are based Guidance published to date, 6th May 2020, as published by Public Health England and Department for Education for educational settings and their key workers.

Areas as detail herein, provide content for consideration associated to children, welfare, visitors, hygiene, health and safety. In addition, the guidance provides areas for consideration in relation to premises, including the legionnaires checks. Specifically, on this matter employers, or those in control of premises have a duty to understand and manage legionella risks. Further information is available here.

This information is shared in the hope that it will be of assistance to you in preparedness for reopening to the ‘general public’, as and when permitted by Government. 

Amidst this turbulent, unsettling and challenging period, while being acutely aware of emotional sensitivities, it is evident to us that while far from being ‘business as usual’ operators, buyers and investors have over recent weeks increasingly began to look to the future in readiness in preparing for the post-lockdown world. Should we be able to be of service to you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.