Key workers

[Whywhywhy1]

Are we still non the wiser as to what a key worker is definitively? Also do both parents have to be key workers for children to be allowed into school or just one? I don’t understand what this has not been addressed?

Interesting tweet from a HT here suggesting if your school closes then you could be redeployed where necessary, including PRU/SEN (hmm).

My school is redeploying within the MAT, I think some LAs are organising hubs.

twitter.com/chrisdysonht/status/1240702391424409600?s=21

Anybody identified as vulnerable in Monday's guidance has been told to work from home in our trust.

I saw that. PRUs and special schools are likely to have the highest proportion of children eligible to attend, and so are most affected by staff absence.

Government changes their mind and now children from families with one key worker can go to school- might as well have not bothered closing- there will be so many kids in school it's not going to make much difference to the spread of the virus at this rate.

We're a PRU and horrified at the idea of having to manage our students as well as a load of unfamiliar staff! I'd love to think you can all do your bit for our vulnerable children but just the thought! We tried, today, to merge two of our sites as one of them was very short of staff. The children did not cope well with unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar staff.

I agree. Schools close to keep adults home. That is the only point of it. Mind you, there is a thread with a nurse saying she will take unpaid leave rather than have her higher earning husband take the time at home. So that wouldn't be a great outcome.

I don't mean to be unsympathetic but why wouldn't you expect to be in every day? I'm not hearing this much discussion from NHS staff. You're paid to be in, like all the NHS, so even if a whole class is in surely that's your job?? I hope our nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, domestic staff, care workers etc are more resilient and you support them as much as they are expected to support you.

I don't mind being in every day. I do mind staffing being reduced to dangerously low level in a high risk setting because of unavoidable staff absence.

@pinkprosseco because it’s unnecessary. NHS front line workers makes sense; we need them in to fight the virus. Johnson has said all workers who possibly can be should be working from home.... that should include teachers who aren’t necessary in fighting the front line of this illness.

What a bizarre and unnecessary comment pinkprosecco. Schools have closed to prevent the spread of the virus, so having a whole class in will completely negate the purpose of closure. Not to mention the fact that teachers and school staff are ill and self-isolating.
It's the lack of clarity that is frustrating and unsettling. We are still no further on in knowing which children we are expected to have in on Monday, so we can't plan accordingly.

Schools haven't closed to prevent the virus spread. Judging by the number of kids out and about in supermarkets etc today, that just became a whole lot worse. They closed because declining staff numbers made it unsafe to keep them open.

The problem with having to have both parents key workers is that often the key worker will be the lower paid one. I work in a pharmacy and will likely be on the list, but people who work is supermarkets, care workers and delivery drivers are often not paid a high wage. My DP (as well as at least three other members of staff where I work alone) earns more than I do. I'm not sure we can afford for him to take time off while I go to work for less than he will earn and my colleagues will be in a similar position. I feel its unfair for school to specify that both parents need to be key workers. I know schools are not childcare but if the provision is being put forward it should be available to all, not free for schools to pick and choose.

Our (Scottish) local authority sent the list out late tonight. Don't have it to hand but nowhere near as extensive as the NI list - think there were just 3 categories. We expect to be a rota of staff on site and working from home. Teachers are Category 1 key workers...

You're paid to be in actually no. Teachers will not be paid to be in over easter. There has been no mention of paying teachers to be in then.

I'm not hearing this much discussion from NHS staff. really? I have many, many different acquaintances and fb friends who are nhs in some form. Nurses, paramedics, cleaners, HCP’s. Every, single. One. has done nothing but complain about the situation and people in general. About their shifts. About resources. About people again. About shops not providing for them. About childcare. Endless complaining.

as much as they are expected to support you what Do you mean? Support teachers in our fight to now have our pensions taken? Or be the blame of every ill in society? Or what?

The schools are trying to plan for Monday in the absence of any clarity from government, who have the final say on which children will be able attend school. Gavin Willimson said the list would be published today. It wasn't.

In our LA we've had to agree on a definition for the time being. My understanding was the DfE asked LAs and schools to define. The Free School Meal thing is a nightmare. Don't want kids coming to school to collect (defeats the object) and many if ours rural. But no national scheme so trying to source vouchers where we have to pick one supplier - who might not be convenient for all.

Teachers are key workers so they have to try and offer a service still. Or does the key worker title only apply to eligibility for housing schemes? Seriously, teachers do a hard job and work hard but they are relied on by vulnerable children and parents of healthcare workers, delivery drivers, police and others. So yes they should try and go to work. Government advice was work at home if you can. Many of us can't.

Or does the key worker title only apply to eligibility for housing schemes
Stop being a goady fucker and bore off to AIBU. This is a pace where teachers can discuss matters pertinent them.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision

Here’s the list, it’s quite long. Doesn’t require both parents to be key workers, just one.

So many schools telling all staff to be in, including support staff / lab technicians / office staff / librarians.

We are hardly social distancing if going in to work with 60 colleagues and, well, we’ve no idea how many kids as of yet.

the only thing about being in every day is that it means our children need caring for, so their schools are open, so those teachers' kids need caring for... Etc etc. We could work from home where possible and reduce the pressure on school staff. I suggest it's maybe because we will be deployed elsewhere in public services.

I think this is going to separate the well run schools who care for their staff from the ones with authoritarian heads who anal box tickets and couldn’t give a fig about staff welfare.

My head is definitely the first kind and has been super supportive and reassuring. As a result, loads of us have volunteered to be in to help out and will be working many hours a day from home making instructional videos and podcasts and interactive lesson resources while trying to care for our own small children.

Also, it is imperative that all (or almost all) of the staff aren’t in together. Once sickness hits and people are self quarantined, who will open the school if most staff are sick? Stupid! Pointless! Bad management!

@waffles80 Does it definitely say only one parent has to be a key-worker?

I've read the list, but I'm probably still half asleep and can't see where it mentions one (not both) parents.
My children's school is still saying only children where both parents are key-workers, and I was hoping this document would be a bit clearer.

I'd say the opposite @BelleSausage. We've got all (able) staff in because the head cares deeply for the kids. Most staff are really worried for our vulnerable students. Head has said we will be as flexible as possible and we do have a few office staff working from home but the kids are coming first. Is that a sign of a badly run school?

doubleaction, yes it does. Because everyone is being advised to work from home if at all possible. If your head is telling everyone to be in when they could wfh then they are massively irresponsible, putting lives at risk in the wider community and failing to grasp the fundamental reason why schools are remaining open for some kids. Very badly run.