Shielding and Teaching

[ElizabethMainwaring]

Hello All. Are you in the shielding group? Or your partner or children?
My husband is shielding and I'm a teacher. I'm very concerned about what is going to happen.
Apologies, this is yet another thread about the unknown that no-one actually knows the answer to...any supposition and guess work welcome! Thank you.

I’ve wondered whether, if shielding pupils and staff will be asked to remain at home for a longer period, those staff could provide and oversee the online learning for the pupils at home? I admit I’m primary, so this would be a lot easier to provide than the specialist learning required at a higher level

We've got two docs surgeries where I live. There are people registered at the other surgery who have had shielding letters from their docs with the same medical history as my son and I. When I asked my docs about it I got a letter back saying people with diabetes don't need to shield. We don't have diabetes...

Of course. You're right to be concerned but as I said, there are other key workers being exposed to potentially high viral load (i'm a HCP) who live with people who are shielding so it'll come down to your decision and risk assessment.

I also didn't realise this was in the staffroom. When threads come up in active I don't always look at what area of the site it's from but teachers don't want non-teachers posting so i'll bow out.

I hope you find a solution that works for you and your family OP

Thank you.

The shielding system is not good. My mil is 82 with COPD, diabetes, angina and high blood pressure. She didn't get a letter because apparently her COPD is not bad enough and she can go for a walk! She gets breathless bringing her post in but they don't think that is right.

Thank goodness she has been shielding herself for nearly two months as she was ill before this kicked off!

So many people in the same situation as me which is comforting in a way. We should keep the thread going to see what happens next week and what the unions/different head teachers say.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/

According to this advice should we be working when schools return?

The problem with that nhs document is that it's weaselly worded in such a way that I think unless you have a letter, you'll be in. I am very panicky about it. Unions need to be absolutely clear on it.

I think there are levels of vulnerable too. Like someone with mild asthma or slightly high blood pressure compared to someone who is badly asthmatic and borderline should be shielding. Where do HTs draw the line? It has to be very clear.

But it says if you are high risk (asthma) then you should only leave home for food or medicine. I agree it's very woolly and it is going to leave people very confused.

I'm a shielding teacher, with the benefit of 'the letter'.

My husband is also a teacher and I've been looking into all the legal implications of what might may ahead. I found this site particularly helpful and addresses most of the scenarios possible, all quotes are taken from here:

www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/latest-thinking/covid-19-people-key-issues-for-uk-employers-uk

OP this bit might be particularly relevant to your situation (and my husband's). Don't quit your job because your employer fails to maintain a safe workplace:

'If an employer decides to require the employee to attend work, and they refuse, this could be a disciplinary matter.However, much will depend on the circumstances – for example, the employee may want to self-isolate because they genuinely and reasonably believe themselves to be in imminent and serious danger perhaps due to the employer’s poor management of an existing infection or contamination, or because colleagues are not following recommended hygiene or social distancing guidelines.Disciplining an employee or withholding pay in those circumstances might be unlawful detriment or, ultimately, unfair dismissal.'

And for those of us shielding, consider this too:

'Individuals with underlying health conditions may well qualify as disabled and therefore the employer would be under a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Again, this might involve identifying another role that can be done from home or temporarily suspending them on full pay if this is not feasible.'

As teachers, I know we can feel protected by the unions, but I think having an understanding of employment law is really important. I'm always surprised how ignorant SLT can be when it comes to their legal responsibilities.

Thank you for this thread!

Thank you Edujaded, this is really helpful. Finding it harder and harder to sleep or think about anything else and school just keep piling on more work and plans for when we reopen 😔 Just want to know the governments plan and stop all this speculation!

Our ht has said that the county HR dept are telling them that unless a member of staff has the letter or is signed off sick then they will be expected to be in. Or won't be paid.

So the guidelines for at risk mean nothing. But they are just guidelines. So don't need enforcing.

I just find it unfair as all pregnant staff were ordered to go home when the guidelines were published. But nothing for other at risk people was put in place at all.

So pregnant people will be back in when we reopen as they aren’t shielding, is that right?

How is this right? Surely we need to make a stand if this is true? If we are vulnerable and should be socially distancing and it isn’t possible at our workplace, surely that is not our fault. Feel so sad about it all, not sure I will physically be able to work if they insist I return, I’ll be a nervous wreck 😔

I need to speak to my gp. My dosage has increased in line with pollen count so now i'm on 8 puffs 100mg qvar plus the blue plus montelukast, which according to Asthma uk puts me into shielding. But they didn't say anything when prescribing? It happens every year - my peak flow plummets from 450 to 200 - less at night hence the montelukast- every Spring / early summer.

I'd probably cope with being back provided I could remove some children from the class for safety reasons. It's more what I could transmit to my mum at home. She has dementia and there's no way they'd bother to save her. My husband's probably more risky than me too - he has hypertension and a heart condition.

Asthma uk are kind of useful but i dont like being a person with an underlying condition - normally i regard myself as healthy !

I'm not shielding but I am in the vulnerable group - on 2 points (3 points to shield) so not had a letter though have had calls from the National Shielding company.

I am not on rota at present and doing all my work from home. To be fair I am really busy as I oversee all the home learning, so currently doing longer hours than normal anyway.

My HT is reluctant to have me back until she really has too. We have others in the vulnerable group but mainly with 1 point. I think whilst ever we need to provide home learning in some form I will be able to stay home - or at least work from an office/work room and not be with the children.

Once necessary though I guess I take the risk and hope for the best!

Regardless of our vulnerability status, I think we are all hoping that by some miracle of logistics, schools will be able to open so we can go to work safely. I've yet to find any assurance in the ideas floating about at the moment that this is going to be possible, given that children and adolescents are as infectious as adults. With so much yet to be understood about viral load, immunity after infection and why some 20% of cases are severe, I think we need more time to plan any potential reopening responsibly and be prepared to delay it further if in fact, it's just going to be a mass gathering of people in close proximity. I don't want to be complicit in facilitating a second more deadly wave. We have a right to a safe working environment, like everyone. I dislike using the failure of providing health and social care workers with adequate PPE as justification that we too should be expected to work in an unsafe workplace. Of course they would love for us all to strike and not have to pay us whilst simultaneously keeping schools closed and blaming us for not letting Britain get back to work. We've got to be careful here with public support especially with parents struggling to be at home with their own children. Sorry, needed that rant!

@Edujaded completely agree.

@phlebasconsidered Asthma UK's advice changed (like the wind) in the run up to the shielding letters coming out.

Now, to get one you need
To be on particular inhalers. (I am on seretide at a strength included)
On additional medication, like a combi inhaler (seretide!) or montelukast (I am.
AND have several or continuous courses of oral steroids. I've had 2 this year. This does not leave me qualifying for the letter but does leave me worried about how badly my body coped with a chest infection last winter. But I don't get a letter. And school's HR are disregarding the guidance so I will be expected to be in.

I'm concerned. My GP mate basically said i'd be in but he wouldn't recommend it. He said the new guidelines gor asthma were much reduced and he wasn't convinced.

I don't have a choice though as my wage is the family wage so I guess the onus now is on making unions and the government enforce safe schools. Currently it really is not. You can't socially distance in promary.

Hello @ElizabethMainwaring
I’m in the same position. Nothing to add, just a hand across the screen!
I do agree with pp - school is NOT the same as working in other places. Children simply don’t always do what they should because... they’re children! And I count teens as children. We can’t rely on all kids to do the right thing-I can’t see how all years going back all the time would work and I think that when people think about schools going back, this is what they are asking for.

edujaded that is spot on. Well said.

If I read one more time 'well, NHS workers do it, shop workers do it, bin mean do it' I will throw my laptop at a wall. It's a race to the bottom scenario with the added Hunger Games thrill of children.

I’ve got a lot of sympathy for teachers. I’m at home with three primary aged kids (two have Sen). I’d be concerned if I was a teacher going back into school. From my child’s 1:1 all the teachers in her year group are Ill. The school itself is small and has over 30 kids per class. Not to mention how packed the adults in the playground are. I hope the government has a sensible plan in place.

My partner is in shielding, had NHS letter. It's ok at the moment as I'm working from home, and we're doing online shops with me having to physically do the food shop twice since lockdown due to no delivery slots available (with me being v v careful, shower/change once home etc). But if schools go back I'm a full time KS1 teacher. No way can we socially distance.

We're making a plan for me to live in the spare room when I have to go back into school, move my laptop set up and all clothes in there etc, and I'd have sole use of one of the bathrooms. I'd come home, strip and shower then straight into my spare room. Partner would cook the evening meal and leave outside my room, and I'd clear stuff to dishwasher and wipe down surfaces every evening before bed. I'd eat breakfast and lunch at school. I hate the thought of it and am dreading it for many reasons. But I hold onto the fact that we're v v lucky to have a spare room and two bathrooms. Once older teens are back in school/college, we'll have to swap with partner living in the spare room full time. Lord knows what other teachers with less space, and often with young children and shielding partners do.
I know some NHS staff have actually moved out and live in temp accommodation near the hospital.