Along with all Scout groups Covid 19 chucked a spanner in our works! Our priority is to keep everyone save and happy, but we also want to keep Draca itself happy and healthy as a group.
The Scouting Movement are setting out very clear guidance on how and when we can start to go back to face to face meetings. We're following the readiness level framework set out by the National Youth Agency and have detailed and agreed risk assessments for moving from one level to the next. Despite the recent change to social gathering restrictions in England (9 September 2020), the government has confirmed that as an essential service, youth sector activity can continue unchanged where groups and units follow Scouts restart guidance, which is in line with COVID secure NYA guidance standards.
These are the steps we are taking to make sure we keep everyone safe.
Firstly, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who has been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms (within the last two weeks), shouldn’t come to any face-to-face activities, and should follow government guidelines on self-isolation and testing. Young people who are shielding or are in another vulnerable group might not be able to return to face-to-face activities at this stage. If your child’s shielding or in another vulnerable group, please let us know so we can chat through some options. We’re also aware some young people, including young people with additional needs, might need new or different reasonable adjustments putting in place to support a return to face-to-face Scouts – again, we are happy to discuss this with you.
These are the updates to our arrangements for making sure our outdoor activities will be COVID-19 safe.
Arrival and departure arrangements
Hand sanitisation, hygiene and personal protective equipment
Social distancing
Other measures in place
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of us (or email [email protected]) if you have any questions or concerns.
The Scouting Movement are setting out very clear guidance on how and when we can start to go back to face to face meetings. We're following the readiness level framework set out by the National Youth Agency and have detailed and agreed risk assessments for moving from one level to the next. Despite the recent change to social gathering restrictions in England (9 September 2020), the government has confirmed that as an essential service, youth sector activity can continue unchanged where groups and units follow Scouts restart guidance, which is in line with COVID secure NYA guidance standards.
These are the steps we are taking to make sure we keep everyone safe.
Firstly, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who has been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms (within the last two weeks), shouldn’t come to any face-to-face activities, and should follow government guidelines on self-isolation and testing. Young people who are shielding or are in another vulnerable group might not be able to return to face-to-face activities at this stage. If your child’s shielding or in another vulnerable group, please let us know so we can chat through some options. We’re also aware some young people, including young people with additional needs, might need new or different reasonable adjustments putting in place to support a return to face-to-face Scouts – again, we are happy to discuss this with you.
These are the updates to our arrangements for making sure our outdoor activities will be COVID-19 safe.
Arrival and departure arrangements
- The maximum group size allowed is 15, excluding leaders, so we will ask you to sign up to each activity to ensure we don't exceed the numbers allowed. Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis
- To minimise numbers at drop off and pick up, if Explorers are able to do so we would encourage them to walk unaccompanied to the meeting place.
- Otherwise if you are driving them in your car, please drop off your child at a safe point and stay in your vehicle. Please be mindful of others and wait if there is a car ahead of you to allow the person to get out first before your child gets out so that they can maintain social distance
- Similarly for pick up - Explorers will wait for you in a safe place maintaining social distance. Please stay in your car and wait for them to come to you.
Hand sanitisation, hygiene and personal protective equipment
- Please can all Explorers carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with them at all times.
- We will have some extra hand sanitizer if needed and all Explorers will be supervised using hand sanitizer before and during the activities. Hands must be sanitized before using any shared equipment, though shared equipment will be minimized as far as possible and wiped before and after use.
Social distancing
- It's incredibly important that we all maintain social distancing at all times. Our risk assessment which is attached explains more detail about social distancing for each of the activities we have planned.
Other measures in place
- Please read the risk assessment for a complete list of all the measures we intend to take
- Toilet facilities, where available, will be cleaned before and after sessions by Draca leaders. Anti-bac spray and wipes will be made available and all are asked to wipe surfaces, taps and handles which they have touched after use. Disposable towels will be available for hand drying. Used towels will be disposed of in a bag which will be binned at the end of the session.
- Any equipment handed out for use during the session (e.g. map cases and compasses) will have been wiped with anti-bac spray beforehand. Once a piece of equipment has been handed to a young person they may not then share it with another person during the activity
- For minor injuries involving young people or leaders, if possible the person injured will do some or all of the treatment required themselves. Should this not be possible, social distancing may have to be broken. In this case the person administering the first aid will wear a face mask, plastic apron and face covering if possible. The injured person will also be asked to wear a face mask (though not if they have breathing difficulties). In the highly unlikely event of resuscitation being required, this will be done using hand compressions only (no mouth-to-mouth).
- Face masks, gloves and other PPE will be bagged and disposed of afterwards
- Added to the Draca first aid kit are: disposable face masks, disposable gloves, disposable aprons, alcohol wipes, hand sanitizer
- We’re required to keep a register of those attending to help with the track and trace process so will do this the usual way using OSM
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of us (or email [email protected]) if you have any questions or concerns.
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