Vulnerable (but not shielding) staff - are you back on 1st June?

[skylarkdescending]

And if so, is it totally your choice or are you feeling pressured to return.

I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it all.

It's looking that way. Lot's of "It is your choice but....." And no coherent answer on pay depending on my choice.

And i'm very scared. And cross.

I won’t be returning and I’ll be arguing my right to pay very loudly as they have failed to provide a safe working environment.

I've just been on the NEU Zoom meeting and they have stated that vulnerable, but not shielding staff can work from home. And be paid to do so until it is deemed safe.

I'm not sure but possibly not at the moment. As an infant school with no spare room capacity we will probably only be bringing reception back, each half class with a ta and a teacher each, plus a class of KW children.

I think we can staff these without bringing in the clinically vulnerable teaching staff. though we will have to see how that works out.

We will also be continuing with home learning for year 1 and 2, and the missing reception children. I oversee the home learning provision so it makes sense for me to continue from home.

Regardless we don't think we will be in Until the 8th, except for KW children, and it seems we are closed for the half term holiday next week too now.

I'm anxious. Don't want to go back. Social distancing will be impossible and will fly out of the window within two weeks. My mum and dp are vulnerable and I'm not rota'd on at the moment. Will retire I think if I'm forced to go in or made to feel bad about my decision

Sorry to hear lots of you are anxious too.

I am similar to @phlebasconsidered in that they are saying it's my choice but one that would have consequences later on.

In my head I am swinging between 'go in, you're relatively low risk, can't stay home forever' vs 'viral load too big, social distancing impossible, reasess in sept'

Staff meeting later this week so I think I will make final decision when I know what expectations are. It will depend on which year group they are suggesting, cleaning etc.

We had a staff ‘zoom’ meeting today, during which the Head made it very clear that unless you had a shielding letter, or a note from GP, then you would be expected to be in on 1/6.
This does not affect me personally, as I’m not vulnerable, but my friend who is also a colleague is very anxious as an asthmatic.
During the meeting, other staff members showed surprisingly little empathy for those classed as ‘vulnerable’, not wanting to shoulder all the workload etc, and take all the risks.
I was sad to see that the Head agreed, saying that it would be ‘divisive’ if we didn’t all turn up.

I'm a TA who has been working from home as I am classed as vulnerable. I have now been told that I, along with all other vulnerable staff members, will be expected to return from 1st June. Apparently we can only remain at home if we are extremely vulnerable and have a shielding letter to prove it. I cannot share the details of how our school will be dealing with the increase in numbers, but it makes me feel that my efforts to keep safe over the past weeks, has been a waste of time. I do not blame the school at all, but I do feel very let down by the government.
I wish I could retire, but sadly, I still have a few years to go before I can get my pension.
I will be interested to see how many teachers decide to hand in their notice at the end of May.

Clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable) people are those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. Few if any children will fall into this category, but parents should follow medical advice if their child is in this category. Staff in this category should work from home where possible, and refer to the detail in our protective measures guidance

Are they seriously being shitty about the 'where possible' bit? I am not sure parents would be happy that their child's teachers were at risk like this either.

@Erictheavocado but the government advice mentions vulnerable staff should work from home. Surely your school are choosing to ignore this.

Found this in NASUWT FAQs:

*In addition, the government guidance lists staff who may be at risk if they return to the workplace or pose a risk to others. This is the starting point for any headteacher when considering staff availability.

These staff are those who are:
self-isolating with symptoms of COVID-19;
in a household with someone who is self-isolating;
clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who are shielding having had a letter telling them they are in this group;
clinically vulnerable individuals who have underlying health conditions;
pregnant.
Schools should not be asking any of those groups to declare they are safe to return to work or available to work. They should be planning that these staff will continue to work from home.

Schools should also be risk assessing the return to work of any member of staff who shares a household with anyone who is in one of the clinically vulnerable categories.

It would not be unreasonable for a headteacher to ask staff to identify any barrier they feel there may be to being available to return to the workplace, for example, carer and childcare responsibilities; whether the member of staff would have to use public transport to get to work, thus exposing themselves and others to risks; or where a member of staff has a disability and what adjustments would be required in the workplace in the context of COVID-19.

Headteachers should be flexible and reasonable in their approach to staff, rather than pressing staff to come into work and putting them and others at risk*

Our HT has done this piggy. We were asked to email our personal reasons, we are awaiting responses. Not holding out much hope, very anxious

I'm going in - I have asthma but half the people I know seem to. It helps that I'll be teaching 9 (at most) sensible and responsible year 6s for one week in three with a TA. I would think differently if I was with smaller children. If my asthma deteriorates in any way before then I'll change my mind.

It's my choice. If I didn't feel as safe as reasonably possible going in, I wouldn't.

I'd like Teacher Tapp to find out whether the most anxious teachers are actually the ones who live with someone who is vulnerable. For me this is so much responsibility for so many people's health ( mine, therefore at home DHs and the students and staff in school) that I am finding It hard to cope with the stress of the idea. I find it anxiety inducing enough going to the supermarket. If it was my own health (and I lived alone I guess), I fee like I would be weighing up my own risk, at least...

I agree Piggy - I'm really more anxious about my mum who lives with us as she has vascular dementia which makes her very vulnerable. DH is in a vulnerable group too - overweight, heart issues, hypertension. My son's asthma is well controlled.

I'm in knots about how I can reasonably keep their risk down. If dh has to go back to work soon, which looks likely, I will really panic because then my kids will have to go to school as key worker children and I'll have to find someone to pop in to see mum. Too many bubbles!

@Russell19.

I know that originally the guidance stated that, but when I read a guidance document on gov. UK yesterday, it only mentioned extremely vulnerable, ie:shielding staff.
I'd love to be shown I've missed it as I know my HT will disregard concerns unless the guidance is very specific on this.

I'm wfh (moderate asthma) and haven't had any different communication as yet, but it's an send school.

I feel quite concerned about responses from these schools regarding "repercussions" later etc; the government guidance is very clear. I'm so sorry you're being put through this.

Could I ask if anyone is clear on the guidance for children please? My son's school, Y2, sent out a survey re numbers.

Although I'm wfh we feel he'd benefit from seeing some friends in school from a mental health POV, although he's quite happy at home. However, my son also has mild asthma. We might have trialled a stop of his brown over the summer as it's cold air and viruses that he reacts to, but haven't due to the virus. He's never bad enough for hospital and is well controlled on the clenil.

I'm very torn though. I feel I shouldn't be putting extra pressure on the school either re numbers. (Zero worries about education!) we feel we can make sure he's washing hands etc when he comes home, whereas working in an sen school I feel the risks are greater. I can also currently do more at home and would need child care for my son and his younger brother who is a toddler, so risk would be treble.

Is it stupid for me to send him in?? (If the school can accommodate that is.)

@Erictheavocado this is the advice updated 12th May after the announcement was made regarding schools. See the vulnerable adults bit.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings#shielded-and-clinically-vulnerable-adults

It also answers the question others are asking about living with a vulnerable person. It clearly says you will be expected to work in that situation.

Thank you @Russell19.

I have taken a screen shot and will use it if I need to. I suspect though, that they will use the 'if possible' get out clause and say it isn't practical, even though they've been very happy for me to work from home since March. I've actually worked more than m usual hours since then, preparing resources for them to use online as well as going forward. But I suspect they will say that now schools are required to open, they need us all in to work alongside teachers in order to ensure there is always at least one adult with a group. And, to be fair to them, the scheme is unworkable if all vulnerable staff continued to work from home.

I am really struggling with this. I know on wider MN I'd told to 'suck it up' , 'crack on', wash all my clothes at 60 and the whataboutery of 'supermarket workers'. . But the fact of the matter is I was not on a KW rota and have barely left the house , so anyone would mentally struggle.

@Piggywaspushed
I agree it's the mental switch from staying in for 2+ months to walking into a room full of kids with little distancing and no PPE that is hard to take!

My asthma is only mild (and in fact even milder since my second pregnancy) so I'm trying to decide if it's worth the hassle of pushing back against school. I wish we knew more about this virus so I could make a more informed decision.

If I was seriously worried about my health or that of a family member I would definitely not be going in and would be prepared to stand against the school (with union support).

My DH has already been on a ventilator once in his life and once is frankly trauma enough to both experience and witness:(

Sorry, not intended to alarm anyond.

@Piggywaspushed

@skylarkdescending

Yes - I am left wondering why I've been so careful for the last two months. Stayed in, sat up late to get delivery slots so dh (also vulnerable) and I didn't have to go to the shops. We've gone without things when our delivery didn't have everything we ordered. We have not seen our dgc, or dcs because we believed we were protecting ourselves, and them. Doing the right thing. And I believed that we would be protected by the government. It seems not. I might as well have been on the rota to work with kw children. So now, yes, I am frightened - I am vulnerable because I suffer with bronchitis throughout the year, so if I catch this, I have no illusions that I won't end up seriously ill. But hey, doesn't seem as though the physical or mental health of staff is in any way a priority.