Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Will there be Keyworker care?

201 replies

Amonite · 15/09/2020 19:13

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

OP posts:
flowerycurtain · 15/09/2020 20:20

@Concerned7777 I get that and I do appreciate its difficult for everyone.

However, if our frontline workers like NHS emergency staff, firefighters, electricity engineers or food factories start having to close because they haven't got staff in then things look significantly worse for society.

It'a sad if for example a shop worker isn't paid for two weeks. It has an impact on their family. Clearly a big one.

It could be catastrophic if 2 Doctors have to isolate for 2 weeks.

I'm not saying key worker care is the answer mind!

housemdwaswrong · 15/09/2020 20:21

@majory yep. I suspect so too. :/ I don't envy you. Teacher parents with one child in primary and two in different bubbles in secondary could easily be off for a half term, without any work related information. So badly planned.

I'm supply and have chosen not to go back, as schools aren't informing parents (or supply staff) if there are cases, so i wouldn't have a clue, and have just finished shielding. It's going to be an impossible few months.

Thefaceofboe · 15/09/2020 20:22

The whole keyworker thing is irrelevant now everyone is back at work.

flowerycurtain · 15/09/2020 20:23

And to be fair I would class a supermarket manager as a key worker!
I can't see how it's elitist that the government in the near future may have to make decisions that ensure vital services continue like they did in lockdown.

I also repeat I'm not sure that keyworker school child care is right.

Jrobhatch29 · 15/09/2020 20:24

@Napqueen1234

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.
Agreed. Nobody can just say their job title anymore either. It's never oh I'm a nurse, oh I work in a supermarket. Everyone is a front line key worker...

OP my DP has had to stay off work because our son has a temperature and he can't go back until we have the results. Hes not a "key worker" but his work is pretty key to us considering it pays our bills, especially whilst I am still on maternity. Nobodies job is more important than anyone elses under these circumstances.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 15/09/2020 20:25

@Letseatgrandma

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.

I agree. Not the responsibility of schools. They are there to educate not childmind.

There are lots of jobs that are key but childcare for isolating children needs to be done by parents unless a family member is willing to undertake the risk.

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 20:26

@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.
Nor can any other business either Hmm
canary1 · 15/09/2020 20:27

It will mean plenty of keyworker jobs not being done. Don’t expect NHS care, police, prisons, food supply chain etc to meet your needs.

Letseatgrandma · 15/09/2020 20:27

If you force teachers to look after children for 6 hours a day inside in poorly ventilated classrooms with the rest of their class (as schools don’t generally have spaces in which to put individual isolating children in), you will very quickly end up with teachers testing positive.

For every teacher that is off, that will mean a class of 30 will have nobody to look after them.

If you want schools to stay open, we have to keep teachers well and stop them getting the virus, not telling them to provide childcare for childen who’ve been exposed to positive cases of the virus!

ohthegoats · 15/09/2020 20:28

The NHS can't magic up more staff.

Nor can schools. If the kid is off 'healthy', then their teacher is also off - healthy or otherwise. There isn't a spare member of staff to do risky childcare.

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 20:31

[quote flowerycurtain]@Concerned7777 I get that and I do appreciate its difficult for everyone.

However, if our frontline workers like NHS emergency staff, firefighters, electricity engineers or food factories start having to close because they haven't got staff in then things look significantly worse for society.

It'a sad if for example a shop worker isn't paid for two weeks. It has an impact on their family. Clearly a big one.

It could be catastrophic if 2 Doctors have to isolate for 2 weeks.

I'm not saying key worker care is the answer mind!

[/quote]
Unless frontline workers and their families suddenly become immune from covid then unfortunately it will just be another fucking massive inconvenience of this nightmare pandemic

Xuli · 15/09/2020 20:33

There's no hierarchy of jobs - but if cases skyrocket again then there are certain jobs which become much more vital. If cases skyrocket then exactly the same people who were classed as keyworkers last time become keyworkers again, because we need them to keep the basics of the economy going and to treat all the patients.

The answer isn't for schools or councils to provide care for isolating kids BUT we do need to consider how everything keeps going if essential healthcare and emergency services workers have to isolate.

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 20:41

It could be catastrophic if 2 doctors have to isolate for 2 weeks

For starters they'd only both need to isolate if its their child that has a symptoms or positive result and given their jobs you'd think they should need to isolate more than any other job! If their child is isolating because someone in their class bubble is positive but their child has no symptoms then neither of them need to isolate but between need to cover the child care whilst the child is off school

BitGutted · 15/09/2020 20:45

I work in a hospital in an admin role and we've talked about "what would happen if" and our hospital have a covid policy written

They said as children would be sent home as there was a risk from their bubble, they would expect us as parents to be isolating aswell so as not to bring the virus to work - isolation is paid worth valid testing confirmation/ school email and they are testing NHS staff in a portacabin on site.

If however it was a local lockdown there are choices;
we can take annual leave
Or there's 5 days paid carers leave and 5 days unpaid
and shift swop/annualised hours arrangements whereby you can owe time back later in the year

We've all had to fill in a personal details form almost like a risk assessment and declared
details of family bubbles
Immediate family who you live with and their work/university/school details
Childcare/ wraparound care/ nurseries (full details of these)
Anyone in the immediate bubble who is high risk

I can't understand why anyone just wouldn't comply it's to keep people safe - everyone in our area has been fine with it but I've heard some people consider it an "invasion of privacy"

Letseatgrandma · 15/09/2020 20:50

Putting children who have been exposed to positive cases in a school building will be a sure fire route to a local if not national lockdown.

They need to be isolated, not with other people.

flowerycurtain · 15/09/2020 20:51

True. Good point @Concerned7777

I'm slightly worried about this as you can probably tell. My dh has moved into our caravan for the foreseeable because we're so worried that the kids will bring something back. (Farmers with livestock)

SueEllenMishke · 15/09/2020 20:58

This is something all working parents are concerned about.

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 20:59

@flowerycurtain I think we are all worrying about how we are going to get through the foreseeable. My anxiety has been through the roof this week, the health Implications of covid on my family are the least of my worries at the moment its the practical implications that are putting the fear of God into me Sad

divafever99 · 15/09/2020 21:05

Dd sent home to isolate today. I'm a nurse. I also have another daughter, and I'm thinking as soon as I get one back at school the other one will need to isolate. This could go on and on for months. How the NHS / care sector will cope with this I have no idea.

Treesofwood · 15/09/2020 21:14

Just leave them home alone with a phone to contact you if need be.

Bobbybobbins · 15/09/2020 21:15

This has really been brought gone to me today. I'm a secondary teacher and after almost 4 weeks of being open, we are now closed tomorrow after a positive case. I have two children in two different schools. If either gets sent home it will mean I and/or DH having two weeks off. Or if my school is closed, same for the parents of those children.

Treesofwood · 15/09/2020 21:15

Or maybe we could close the schools again and only children of keyworkers are allowed to go to school.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 15/09/2020 21:23

@Treesofwood

Or maybe we could close the schools again and only children of keyworkers are allowed to go to school.
Or close the schools to all, let school staff work remotely so that all children continue to work through the curriculum and use school buildings for childcare of those where both parents are crucial keyworkers. Plenty of childminders etc would like the extra work.
CKBJ · 15/09/2020 21:25

No way can isolating children be accommodated at school it defeats the object of isolating. That’s why tests need to be available and the turn around quick. Winter hasn’t even started yet. I think parents should have been expecting this (rightly or wrongly) and have plans in place for at least a couple of eventualities

Juanmorebeer · 15/09/2020 21:26

What plans in place exactly do you think parents should be putting in place if they are both front line emergency workers?