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NHS Coronavirus information. Information from gov.uk. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have health concerns, please seek medical attention.
Related: Lockdown Learning, discuss home schooling during lockdown.
Covid
NHS staff - can we look after colleagues children in groups?
theansweris42 · 13/03/2020 12:23
Hi I work for an NHS Trust.
We're planning for the staff shortages and sick leave.
Childcare is a worry though if the schools close.
Would it be legal for us to find a suitable place in the Trust to have a group of children play, being supervised by some staff, so that the rest could be working in the hospital so we could keep things like critical care open?
If anyone has any knowledge or experience of this I'd be very grateful 
LizzyBennett · 13/03/2020 12:31
I doubt your trust would be insured to have those children present, when they're not patients. And would you want to bring them into the epicentre of the virus, so to speak?
What about taking turns having them at home - whoever's off shift??
WiseUpJanetWeiss · 13/03/2020 12:37
Does your Trust have a staff nursery? Some kind of extension to that (even in a different building) might be achievable. The volunteers would need a DBS check, but suspect most of you have had those anyway?
Bufferingkisses · 13/03/2020 12:43
If schools close it is to prevent children being together in large groups. Therefore having children together in large groups seems counterintuitive?
Before the problems with insurance, locations, qualifications and so on.
theansweris42 · 13/03/2020 14:39
Thank you for your replies.
It wouldn't be big groups like a school size but I take your point kisses.
wiseup would creches and nurseries shut as well though?
lizzy yes we started thinking about caring for them in each others' homes.
If I was looking after say 6 kids over 2 in my house for 8 hours for no money would that be legal?
I have a DBS but admin staff etc don't, could they take part as carers too?
0hT00dles · 13/03/2020 15:43
Crèches have shut in ireland, all sports for kids, dance clubs etc. And the government are placing an emphasis on not having grandparents look after children as they're most at risk.
Play dates etc are all being advised against.
Would their be any uni goers etc that you know that could help out as they'll most likely be off if everything shuts down.
Theworldisfullofgs · 13/03/2020 15:49
There was a suggestion by a medical student on twitter that they could help. They're CBS checked as well.
theansweris42 · 13/03/2020 16:17
Hadn't thought of our medical students. Thanks
AnneTwackie · 13/03/2020 16:23
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2009/sep/28/government-orders-review-babysitting-police
This post sprang to mind, exceptional circumstances at the moment but might be worth looking into
Catapillarsruletheworld · 13/03/2020 16:35
I also work for the nhs, where we are considering plans like this.
Our team has talked about it and if the schools do shut, there are several of us with teenagers 15+ who have said they are happy to sit for the younger kids of our colleagues to enable more staff to come to work. My dd quite fancies the idea of earning some extra baby sitting money. Obviously rotas will have to be worked out as we wouldn’t expect them to I do it every day, but I think I will help enable staff to be in work more of the time.
Catapillarsruletheworld · 13/03/2020 16:37
Are there any legal implications? I would see it as baby sitting as it isn’t a permanent arrangement. Just helping out in a crisis.
Theworldisfullofgs · 13/03/2020 16:40
Theres an untapped army of people who have been DBS checked who could be asked to help.
We must avoid the situation in Haiti where bad people took it as an opportunity to be bad.
Beachagain · 13/03/2020 16:40
What about people that dont want an inexperienced stranger to look after their children, or if a child wont settle?
It could be for weeks/months.
NoGravyForYou · 13/03/2020 16:45
Crèches and schools have closed in Ireland but the advice from the government ( as of yesterday evening so may change) is that childminders can stay open. Here the most children they can have is 6 and only 3 of them can be under the age of 5. So I would use those limits as guidance?
They have also said today that a neighbour can look after 3 children but no more so 🤷🏻♀️ Theyve advised against play dates and all playgrounds in my local council have been closed.
Catapillarsruletheworld · 13/03/2020 17:19
What about people that dont want an inexperienced stranger to look after their children, or if a child wont settle?
I think then you’ll probably have to take the time off yourself. Unless you have a friend or relative, who is not in an at risk group, who is happy to have your kids for you.
Our work place is recommending looking after each other’s kids to limit absences.
In our team no one has babies or toddlers (well one does, but her DH is a teacher, so will be off anyway). So the teens would be sitting for a couple of 6-12 year olds.
Beachagain · 13/03/2020 17:34
I think we would have to take unpaid leave/annual leave unless we go for unpaid parental leave, which enable us to keep all of our entitlements.
We can have 4 weeks off per child, but have to give 21 days notice which is the problem.
0hT00dles · 13/03/2020 17:36
Oh actually, as I just remembered, as schools and Creche's are closed here in ireland, a lot of staff etc from Creche's are offering to mind healthcare staff's children.
That could be a route to go down as well
NoGravyForYou · 13/03/2020 17:44
Possibly @oohToodles but childminders are much more regulated in the UK than in Ireland, so again I'm not sure it would be that easy.
FormerlyFrikadela01 · 13/03/2020 17:54
I think we would have to take unpaid leave/annual leave unless we go for unpaid parental leave, which enable us to keep all of our entitlements.
We can have 4 weeks off per child, but have to give 21 days notice which is the problem.
I will eat my hat if anyone in the nhs gets parental leave approved in the next few months. I imagine they'll say its postponed.
As for the OPs proposal, my understanding is theres rules about caring for non related children, obviously this is exceptional circumstances but I cant imagine the rules would be relaxed given how big the powers that's be are are on safeguarding.
mealychump · 13/03/2020 18:09
As a teacher, I have already volunteered to look after the children of several friends who work Frontline in the NHS. There will be 7 of us here every day if that happens.
LizzyBennett · 13/03/2020 18:16
Our trust has said that any time off to care for dependents (including during school closures) will be unpaid.
There are plenty of staff, including me, who have no family in this country and no family to step in during a childcare emergency. My children are old enough to be left alone, but if they weren't I'd have to rely on the good will of friends (who I've made through work).
Would I let any random who happens to work in the same hospital as me look after my kids. No way.
Would I set up a reciprocal arrangement with a friend during an international pandemic so that I could go do what I can to help? Yes, absolutely.
It all depends on your own risk assessments and what you think is right in your own circumstances.
theansweris42 · 14/03/2020 08:45
Thank you for all your thoughts.
I realise that this (whatever arrangement we try) wouldn't suit everyone. It wouldn't be mandatory.
I'm grateful for your input, some things to consider.
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