Effective infection protection and control protocol

Version 1 - updated 26.05.20

There are important actions that children and young people, their parents and those who work with them can take during the coronavirus outbreak, to help prevent the spread of the virus.

In all education, childcare and social care settings, preventing the spread of coronavirus involves dealing with direct transmission (for instance, when in close contact with those sneezing and coughing) and indirect transmission (via touching contaminated surfaces). A range of approaches and actions should be employed to do this.

These can be seen as a hierarchy of controls that, when implemented, creates an inherently safer system, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

These include:

• minimising contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend childcare settings, schools or colleges

• cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered

• ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach

• cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using standard products, such as detergents, disinfectants and other cleaners

• minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered break times)

• all surfaces and equipment disinfected before, during and after use

• all surfaces and tables, handles, taps, toilet and kitchen area cleaned and disinfected regularly, at least hourly

This protocol is one of seven Coronavirus protocols we have put in place, based on our overall risk assessment. These are:

1. Parent protocol

2. Staff protocol

3. Effective infection protection and control protocol

4. What happens if someone is unwell protocol

5. Confirmed case protocol

6. Kitchen protocol

7. Handover protocol to after school provision

All are regularly reviewed / updated by staff / parent committee in line with Government guidance. All are published on our website – www.tollertonplaygroup.com/blogs .