Can a tutor come to my home during lockdown?

[gruffalo28]

I know the detailed guidance is out tomorrow but thought I would ask consensus? I have a tutor come to my house for 2 hours a week to teach ds and dd. I employ her through an agency. The agency ask for payment at the beginning of the month (today). I made it clear that zoom lessons wouldn't fit the bill and it had to be in person and it was agreed that lessons would be suspended if that were the case.

Today I asked the agency if we could continue during lockdown and they are categoric we can provided the tutor and I are both comfortable (we are). She has asked for the next month's money in advance. I'm just a bit nervous as I'm not sure this is how I read the guidance and I'm worried agency will keep my money and try to move to zoom.

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is likely to be permitted under the lockdown from Thursday?

Households will not be allowed to mix with others indoors, or in private gardens

The rule is clear. The agency and the tutor just want their money but they're not going to get it.

The above from the BBC. The Guardian agrees:

Can different households mix indoors?
No, not unless they are part of an “exclusive” support bubble, which allows a single-person household to meet and socialise with another household.

Would a tutor not be included under this?

I'd say yes as they are working

Why can’t this be done over Zoom?

Zoom ?

@PaintingPicture

Would a tutor not be included under this?

Yes a tutor is ‘working’ in your home. This is permitted as per Gov website above.

They cannot WFH therefore it is permitted.

As a tutor I am switching to online, I have tutored for the last 6 months online and its been pretty effective.

I don't want to add to the risk to anyone so will not go to others houses from Thursday, regardless of what clients say.

I provide private tuition, though not as part of an agency.

I’ll be asking the individual families concerned what they would prefer to do, be that moving online for four weeks, or me continuing to enter their home. As far as I can see, it is for work purposes, so would still be allowed under the new guidelines. It’s not like I’m there to socialise.

I can’t think any of the families would want to stop for a month either, given that they’ve got Year 11 mock exams right in the middle of it...

If you cannot work from home then you can go to work. A tutor isn't socialising. However, I would question why you can't move to an online offering.

Thanks. The agency are stating that they are allowed as they are working and cannot do this work from home. And that they can go into my house as it is their place of work.
Zoom doesn't work for us and I have been clear with agency and tutor about this from the beginning. I'm happy to stop for the month if it is agaiunst the law. I'm just being pressured to pay for something that I am not completely sure is deliverable, I'm just not sure how to read the guidance.

I would read the guidance as ‘this can be done from the tutor’s home’ (work from home if you can) and therefore should be. You just don’t want it to be? Anyway, you’ll probably be fine. I just hope you or the tutor don’t end up seriously ill.

The tutoring that this tutor provides cannot be effectively delivered online.

Then you should probably suspend it. I’m not sure it’s justifiable for it to be taking place indoors at the moment.

Is it really worth the risk? This person will have been in contact with multiple other households before entering yours. Yes it's 'work' but that doesn't make it less dangerous than having friends and family round, just legally acceptable. I wouldn't have anyone in my house right now. I say that as someone who currently has covid and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

@gruffalo28

The tutoring that this tutor provides cannot be effectively delivered online.

Music lessons ? I know some are being provided online.

It also seems odd that they would suggest zoom (or that you are worried they would suggest it) and also be so certain it can’t be done via zoom. Do they think it can?

@PaintingPicture

Would a tutor not be included under this?

Looks permitted, but is it worth the risk?

Yes, it's work and people are allowed in your house for work. Same as decorators, cleaners, engineers, plumbers and anyone else doing a job!

Of course it's allowed. Just like cleaners can come etc its work, it cannot be done remotely, it goes on.

My son has a maths/science tutor via Zoom and it's works really well. They both use IDroo, which is a shared online board for writing on.

He also has his drum lessons via Zoom (even though he has an electronic drum set) and it's great.

He does referee development via Zoom too.

I honestly cannot think of any lessons that cannot be done via Zoom - I'm intrigued now as to what the tutoring is.

YABU not to have used the coronavirus board.

And this is why the pandemic continues, irrisponsible at best having a person come into your house when not absolutely necessary.

Why would you want a third party in your home to potentially introduce a deadly, virilent, horrible virus into your home.

You may be fine if you catch COVID-19, but you may also pass it on to someone who is vulnerable and not survive.

DD has music lessons on Zoom, which work really well, and had maths and English 11+ tutoring on Zoom during the first lockdown, which didn't work well at all; she's still quite young and can't focus for an hour online. Exams are next month and will affect her future. The tutor is happy to carry on, as are we, and I'm satisfied that it's work and perfectly legal. (Our cleaner is also continuing to come.)