Will there be Keyworker care?

[Amonite]

If a school bubble or bubbles close is there still keyworker care as there was in the summer term?
Our children went to school throughout as we both have frontline keyworker roles. We are in a local lockdown area, if the children are sent home for 2 weeks surely keyworker children are exempt and can still attend?
We have no childcare options

Another thing that wasn't planned for. It will affect teachers too...between teachers isolating, and taking leave to care for their children staffing is going to be a huge issue. So definitely no surplus staff to offer any form of keyworker support

If a child is isolating as the bubble burst they have to stay in the house and not come out for 14 days

If a child is meant to be isolating, I certainly wouldn't want them in my class with others. Schools still have staff shielding, so very little in the way of cover if staff are off.

Well you will just have to make it possible. Like everyone will.

Is this a joke? Local schools are already closing bubbles ( SW England) here due to confirmed Covid cases. Who will staff these key worker bubbles? Where will the bubbles go? Schools are at breaking point because the minute there is a positive test. Boom bubble closed. Teachers can’t get tests, their kids can’t get tests if they have symptoms so they have to isolate until they can. Schools will collapse shortly under this system, it can’t go on.

My dsis is a social worker (child protection) her dh works in nhs and second day of school their dc sent home as child tested positive in the bubble. Had their dc tested (negative) but a parent had to stay home with them for 14 days. They took a mixture of carer leave and annual leave. op I would hope if you're frontline your employer (nhs?) would have sympathy and understanding and not want to potentially passing on this to others?

This whole ‘key worker’ thing needs to end. Firstly if people aren’t furloughed all workers are ‘key’ to the economy. If someone cannot wfh but are not key they will have to taken unpaid leave or A/L constantly which isn’t fair. Even if people can wfh providing childcare and working simultaneously (let alone home schooling) is impossible. ‘Key worker’ needs to end. I say this as a key worker.

@housemdwaswrong

Another thing that wasn't planned for. It will affect teachers too...between teachers isolating, and taking leave to care for their children staffing is going to be a huge issue. So definitely no surplus staff to offer any form of keyworker support

Yes. DH and I are both teachers. If either of our DC have to isolate we will have to take time off which is going to cause issues for cover at our own schools. It's a difficult situation for everyone and one would hope employers will show some understanding in such unique circumstances, although I won't be holding my breath. I don't even know what the situation is regarding pay if you have to take time off for childcare if DC have to isolate. Unpaid parental leave probably.

No. It would be very unfair to ask school staff to look after children in this situation as they may be asymptomatic. These children cannot be isolated in a typical primary school due to shared facilities such as toilets and they could develop symptoms at any point during the school day putting others at risk. Also the staff working in that bubble might be ill and the reason why the bubble popped in the first place.

Love all these people saying it's the same for all parents.

Seriously, there was a paediatric surgeon and his wife a cardiac surgeon both having two weeks off due to lack of testing. That's two weeks of cancelled operations etc.

You can't seriously compare that to a shop manager or a marketing bod.

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long.

@Amonite

If a school bubble or bubbles close is there still keyworker care as there was in the summer term? Our children went to school throughout as we both have frontline keyworker roles. We are in a local lockdown area, if the children are sent home for 2 weeks surely keyworker children are exempt and can still attend? We have no childcare options

No, there isn’t.

Parents will end up using grandparents if children are sent home on multiple occasions which completely defeats the "dont kill granny" theory.
We need to bare in mind though that very many grandparents are under 70 and without and underlying conditions

I’m confused though, surely if the child is isolating as they’ve been in contact with someone testing positive for Covid, the rest of the household would need tests/isolating? Otherwise won’t the parent potentially be taking Covid into the hospital they work in?

@Groundhogdayzz

I’m confused though, surely if the child is isolating as they’ve been in contact with someone testing positive for Covid, the rest of the household would need tests/isolating? Otherwise won’t the parent potentially be taking Covid into the hospital they work in?

No, you only isolate if someone in your household has symptoms.

‘Key worker’ needs to end.

I agree. I saw someone on FB put something up about a great meal they'd had out which was 'almost free' due to key worker status. He's a teacher, she's a midwife. Can't work from home, but not 'key' from a covid perspective, their working lives and pay didn't change. Embarrassing to claim anything free on that basis.

@flowerycurtain it doesn't matter what your job is you still can't keep regularly missing 2 weeks work all the time.....and I strongly suspect that public sector workers will probably still get paid whereas most private sector or self employed workers will be losing income all the time

The government needs to get its ‘world beating’ test and trace system working properly so people can stay at work and school. I’d also argue that it’s very disruptive if a teacher is off awaiting a test especially since staff can’t cross bubbles to cover so who will take the class? Schools will completely shut if staffing gets to unsafe levels.

Everyone’s income is important to them and the way the bubble system is set up in schools, one group of children can’t be prioritised over others for childcare in the event of the rest of the bubble being sent home.

It IS the same for all parents.

Two cardiac surgeons were less 'key' at the height of the pandemic than the bloke who did Tesco grocery deliveries.

If you have an ill child, and you don't have child care, you're off work. This is the same.

@flowerycurtain

Love all these people saying it's the same for all parents.

Seriously, there was a paediatric surgeon and his wife a cardiac surgeon both having two weeks off due to lack of testing. That's two weeks of cancelled operations etc.

You can't seriously compare that to a shop manager or a marketing bod.

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long.

There will be a lack of schools open soon as well. For exactly the same reasons. That’s in a relatively ‘low’ incidence area which has managed to have several popped bubbles already. Schools will close to everyone if testing isn’t sorted.

@flowerycurtain

Love all these people saying it's the same for all parents.

Seriously, there was a paediatric surgeon and his wife a cardiac surgeon both having two weeks off due to lack of testing. That's two weeks of cancelled operations etc.

You can't seriously compare that to a shop manager or a marketing bod.

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long.

Everyone has bills to pay. Everyone needs to keep a roof over their heads. Everyone pays taxes, which pay for public services.

@flowerycurtain

Love all these people saying it's the same for all parents.

Seriously, there was a paediatric surgeon and his wife a cardiac surgeon both having two weeks off due to lack of testing. That's two weeks of cancelled operations etc.

You can't seriously compare that to a shop manager or a marketing bod.

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long.

Firstly, a shop manager of a supermarket is a keyworker under the definition that was used previously. Secondly, obviously it's not great if surgeons have to cancel operations, but on the other hand they are likely to be on full pay, since they're required to isolate, and if not can afford the unpaid time. I actually think this is a much harder situation for people who might not be 'key' but who will struggle to feed their children if they have to take two unpaid weeks off work.

Love all these people saying it's the same for all parents

Seriously, there was a paediatric surgeon and his wife a cardiac surgeon both having two weeks off due to lack of testing. That's two weeks of cancelled operations etc

You can't seriously compare that to a shop manager or a marketing bod

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long

Do you have a hierarchy of worthiness for jobs?

If the shop manager has to earn money to feed her/his family, it’s just as important to that family.

Your post is elitist, decisive bullshit.

They are going to have to do something for the kids of NHS workers or it will come to a grinding halt this winter. The NHS can't magic up more staff.

There will end up having to be something of this carries on for too long

No.

If children are self isolating because they’ve been in contact with a positive case, there won’t be provision for them at school and not should there be.

@Ponchy

They are going to have to do something for the kids of NHS workers or it will come to a grinding halt this winter. The NHS can't magic up more staff.

Like what?