anybody know if Higher Ed teaching staff count as key workers?

[PlumbNormal]

It's term time this time, surely we do? Just like other teachers in schools and FE

Yes this is my particular issue - both mine are under 4. There's another thread active about early years being lumped in with schools but that's another pandemic story!

@BungleandGeorge it’s tough isn’t it. I guess I also felt a little jaded last time around as where I lived suddenly lots of people qualified as “key workers”😖 It didn’t feel right for me to request a place (especially with my husband working from home) but looking at the term ahead I feel nothing but dread. One module I’m delivering has to be rewritten entirely, I have to learn a whole new programming language in order to deliver it online😭 Other modules have changed less and it matters less.

Then of course there’s my research; that has required monumental effort to move it all online. But the worst by a long shot was pastoral care, providing support to everyone from suicidal undergrads, to mature students trying to do a degree from home with no childcare, to PhD students worrying whether they would lose their funding if they didn’t complete on time without access to labs. It’s been horrendous.

@PlumbNormal I have two under 4 as well and an older one - I tried to make the argument as well that it is very very very different supervising a 10 year olds school work compared to stopping a 1 and 3 year old from destroying the place whilst delivering an online tutorial.

As I said I’m not one to feel sorry for myself (though I’m aware I sound like that😂), I just don’t know sometimes how I will get through another year like this and not get the sack...

I'm a qualified nurse who lectures in nursing in HE and I do class myself as a key worker. We've been blending the teaching between online and face to face. The nurses have to achieve certain competencies which have been a nightmare with covid so we've had to be creative. The students have understandably been besides themselves about failing through no fault of their own. We're teaching future British nursing workforce to be able to register and meet the requirements of their regulatory body so we're most certainly both essential and key workers!

In response to the original question, in my local authority the guidelines are very clear, you can only have a key worker school place if both parents are key workers and both work outside the home.

If you are working from home you won't get a place, even if you are a key worker.

I have friends who are social workers and others doing NHS appointments online from home (physio and speech therapy) and they can't get keyworker childcare either even where both parents are in keyworker roles.

Sending solidarity to you, I could have written all of your posts!

Thanks @Invisimamma - guidelines not clear where I am, and I'm talking about nurseries rather than schools in my own circumstance though others will be worried about school spaces too

@Invisimamma yes this is where its LA pot luck! My LA is one key worker as in line with the rules from end of May from the Scottish government.

Many LAs didn't adopt this however as first lock down they paid the nursery fees to the nominated open nursery. This one they aren't doing that but wish to keep the school attendance low so many back to 2 key workers out of the house.

@PlumbNormal speak to your work and also your nursery. They aren't doing hubs and parents are paying this time so it's actually up to the nursery as well. Mine is very understanding and is assessing against the additional requirements as well - so if it would be detrimental to parents mental health or child's or if reliant on grandparents then they would consider it. But its very pot luck unfortunately!

Just as an idea, if you say you are unable to work from home does your university provide a covid secure office to work from? Would they be under an obligation to do that as presumably they can’t presume you have all the IT and a suitable home environment? Having 2 young children around, it’s just not a viable solution to work from home if you will be refused childcare. I think people accepted it last time but now from experience have realised it’s really not a viable thing to be asked to do. I’m presuming universities can’t furlough staff?

Thanks @Scottishskifun - I have asked the nursery but feel sick waiting to hear!

Thanks @BungleandGeorge - there's been restricted access to offices allowed but even if I could access an office I couldn't bring the kids with me. Can't be furloughed - which I'd hope is surely some proof of the "essential" nature of the role but, God, it's like everything is tied up in knots. Sounds like we all just have to make it through somehow with fingers crossed for some help allowances. I honestly don't know how I would manage this term. Sorry, this is all very miserable at Christmas isn't it!

@PlumbNormal if you were working from an office I think you’d qualify for childcare, as you’d be a keyworker unable to work from home. Maybe worth thinking about if all else fails!

That's so smart. But we're not allowed in our offices except between pre-approved hours so they can limit people in the building. So it's kind of access only. But that would be...so good. For f2f we do have to go in but that's on hold for the first few weeks now

@BungleandGeorge the suitable IT made me chuckle...
at the 1st lockdown, my uni blocked all purchases and made us teach on whatever we had at home.

Some colleagues took their work PC home assuming they had transport / a place to set up a desk. I taught on my mini travel laptop plus DD s tiktok stand for mobile, from my bed, for months.

I think we are all mugs accepting far too much crap

Ha, I so connect with this @Marasme. No funds either, I had to fork out for the worst chair ever plus dodgy ring light built for teen selfies. I also have to teach from the kids messy room, necessitating one of those backgrounds that you blur into if you take a sip of tea. I've emerged from 2020 with a weird neck twist, Richard III-style hump and a hyperawareness of my weird facial features. What will 2021 bring?!

[quote Marasme]**@BungleandGeorge* the suitable IT* made me chuckle...
at the 1st lockdown, my uni blocked all purchases and made us teach on whatever we had at home.

Some colleagues took their work PC home assuming they had transport / a place to set up a desk. I taught on my mini travel laptop plus DD s tiktok stand for mobile, from my bed, for months.

I think we are all mugs accepting far too much crap[/quote]
100% agree with the last sentence!

Just as an idea, if you say you are unable to work from home does your university provide a covid secure office to work from? Would they be under an obligation to do that as presumably they can’t presume you have all the IT and a suitable home environment?

Hahahaha unless I'm teaching I have to ask permission to be on campus. I needed a day in the office as I had building work happening at home which was not conducive to teaching- my request was rejected.
Work have bought me some headphones but that's it ....

the dowager hump!!!
my 2020 take away gift, alongside a new "dodgy channel game show host voice":

"Good morning everyone and welcome to MCP205, we will be recording in 2 minutes. Check your cameras and mic, and open the chat for live Q&A"

@PlumbNormal - what the hell is that neck thing though!! i have my right side / shoulder constantly "up" - i come out of 2020 distorted looking like quasimodo

costs me ££££ in chiro and physio and hurts with a dull, annoying ache

@Marasme in the same but on the left!! Also cost me a fortune down osteo and it's still a problem! Watched myself back in a recorded meeting the other day. Jeez.

I'm!

@PurpleFeather I made a decision to make my programme 100% online. I'm glad I did.

Out of interest, has anyone on this thread got a manager who checks in with them regularly? Do you think they really get how hard and stressful this is? My DH works in another field and has one to ones with his staff every week to two weeks. I haven't had a call from anyone since March, and my impression is, that's not unusual?