The guidance on testing and self-isolation for suspected cases of Covid-19 keeps changing. We have tried to summarise the current situation below:
The basic rule
If a member of staff, or a child, becomes ill with symptoms of Covid-19 they must not attend the club. If they are at the club when they become ill, they must be isolated from the other children and sent home as soon as possible.
Steps for the affected individual
- They must self-isolate at home and take a Covid-19 test as soon as possible. Tests can be booked online through the NHS testing and tracing for coronavirus website, or ordered by telephone via NHS 119 for those without access to the internet.
- Essential workers, which includes anyone involved in education or childcare, have priority access to testing.
- Other members of the affected person's household must self-isolate for 10 days from when the affected person started showing symptoms of the illness. For more information on the procedure for self-isolation see the Government's stay at home guidance
For more information about the change to the self-isolation period see the Chief Medical Officer's statement - If the test is negative, the person can return to the club as soon as they feel well, and other members of their household can stop self-isolating.
- If the test is positive:
- the person should continue to self-isolate for at least 10 days and follow the Government's stay at home guidance.
- They will be contacted by by NHS Track and Trace who will identify and contact any people they have been in close contact with while they may have been contagious.
- Other members of the household must continue to self-isolate according to the timetable set out in the Government guidance cited above.
Steps for the club
- If there is a confirmed case of Covid-19 at your setting, you do not necessarily need to shut down your club, or close the bubble attended by the affected child.
- You will be contacted via NHS Test and Trace who will carry out an assessment to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the period that they were infectious.
- Alternatively, if you become aware that a child or a member staff has tested positive for Covid-19, you can contact the dedicated DfE advice line for childcare and educational settings. Call 0800 046 8687 and select option 1.
- NHS Test and Trace (or the DfE advice service) will guide you through any actions you need to take. Based on their advice, you may need to send home those people who have been in close contact with the person who has tested positive, advising them to self-isolate for 10 days since they were last in close contact with that person when they were infectious. This is why it is essential that you keep meticulous records of the composition of each 'bubble' at your club on a daily basis.
- If you have a confirmed case of Covid-19 in your setting (whether children or staff), or you are advised to close as a result, this is considered an "Event likely to impact on the smooth running of the setting" which must therefore be reported to Ofsted as soon as possible and within 14 days at the latest. When reporting a case of Covid-19 to Ofsted, you must use their online system for reporting a serious childcare incident, and ensure that you include all the necessary information.
Ofsted's guidance on reporting Covid-19 incidents at your setting
Government guidance
The relevant guidance for out of school clubs can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
The relevant government guidance for early years settings can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
The relevant guidance for schools can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools