Department: Volunteering and community support

Activity: Meeting service user in their home

Description of activity:

Staff and volunteer team meeting a service user in their home to provide emotional and practical support where remote communication is not possible.

Legal requirements and guidance for reference:

COVID-19 – We have conducted a risk assessment for this session to produce this Safe System of Work, we have referred to the following sources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november#meeting-others-safely

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes#homes-7-1

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/925605/PHE_PPE_illustrated_guide_for_community_and_social_care_settings_OCT_2020.pdf

LA PPE Guidance for Staff Issue 5 V45 11.6.20 FINAL DCC- available from Westbank

All service users are advised of the following:

• If anyone is experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 (Persistent new cough, high temperature or loss of taste or smell) they must not meet staff / volunteers at their home. On staff / volunteer arrival should ideally phone the service user or ask at a safe distance if users are experiencing Covid symptoms, if so the service user will be advised to return inside, dial 119 to request a test and take the appropriate medical precautions.
• Details of any meetings will be kept for a minimum of 21 days to assist the NHS track and trace process.
• Where possible staff / volunteers will take the users temperature before entering the house using a contactless forehead thermometer.
• Users should identify a room for the meeting; ensure good ventilation i.e. keeping windows and doors open and where chairs tables can be wiped down before / after the meeting.
• Users should sanitize all potential contact points before staff / volunteers arrival.
• Clients should dress appropriately for the inside room temperature bearing in mind that the room will be ventilated.
• Staff / volunteers will not tolerate any verbal and or physical abuse.

Staff / volunteers and service users are also advised of the following:

• To ensure continued good hygiene before, during and after each meeting, i.e. washing hands with hot water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds or regular use of hand sanitiser.
• All parties must comply with social distancing before, during and after the meeting. Staff / volunteers and clients must stay 2 metres apart, Staff/Volunteers should wear a Type 11 surgical mask and the service user must wear a face covering throughout the meeting, unless in the service users’ case there is a medical reason why a face covering cannot be worn.
• If two meters is not possible, a minimum of 1 metre social distance plus:
  • Indoors: Minimise the contact time, meaning only essential support to that user be given. Or consider asking for meeting to be held outdoors.
  • Use screens or barriers to separate people from each other
  • Sit back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face).
  • The staff member/volunteer should be paired with one service user so reducing the number of people each person has contact with. This is ‘fixed teams or partnering’
• Staff/Volunteer to have use a Type 11 Surgical mask and the service user should carry a face covering at all times.
• Actual face to face meetings opposite one another should not take place, side by side or back to back and at an appropriate distance is required
• Limit use of any shared touch surfaces – i.e. tables, chairs, door handles, pens etc. which must be wiped down following use.
• If items need to be handed to one another identify a “drop off zone” to remove any direct contact. The volunteer or staff member should sanitise their hands once they have left the service users home.

 Staff/Volunteers are advised of the following:

• Ensure that someone knows where you are, use outlook calendar for staff and co-ordinator to manage volunteers.
• If not comfortable that social distancing, appropriate sanitation not completed staff / volunteers will be supported to postpone the meeting until appropriate standards have been met.
• To carry disinfectant wipes at all times to wipe down shared touch surfaces before leaving the service users home.
• To carry hand sanitiser to be used before and after entering/leaving a service users home and before getting into their car.
• To carry Type 11 surgical masks.
• To carry a mobile phone at all times.
• Take own food, drink, pens and any other items that may be required.
• To ensure that there are no known risks for a 1 – 1 meeting.
• Report any concerns to your line manager.
• Staff to ensure that contact is limited as much as possible and ideally arrange support between one staff / volunteer and just one service user.
• Discuss with all service users the content of the SSoW prior to any meeting, send out via email / post if possible and or necessary and have a hard copy to hand during 1-1 meetings. 

Date: 12/11/2020	Review Date: SSoW will be reviewed and regularly updated in line with government guidance.
Review carried out by:  Sarah Forde