To our colleagues,

 

Given the unprecedented and fast moving COVID-19 pandemic, we have been making plans to ensure that we are able to continue supporting you and our clients during what we expect will be a period of significant demand for our services and continued challenges to the delivery of care.

 

From today, our office based teams are largely working from home, and all of us are able to conduct our meetings via video conferencing and telephone.  You can still call us on the usual office and mobile telephone numbers and email addresses, and we’ll respond as usual.

 

All classroom based training courses are postponed until further notice, with online courses being still available to everyone.  We'll work with clients to ensure that any mandatory training is delivered online or in a face to face environment as soon as is safe to do so if your training has already expired so that you can continue working.  We have developed a training course for our teams to educate them on COVID-19 and additional infection control procedures.  You’ll find it on Qintil when you login to your available courses.

 

We’ll keep recruiting, but all interviews will now be conducted online, and we’ll minimise face to face contact as much as we can during the recruitment process.

 

We need your help

 

The impact is expected to become more severe now, and will last for several months.

 

You must tell us if you have worked somewhere, with H1 Healthcare or through another employer, where there is a confirmed or suspected case of the virus, or if you or someone you live with has symptoms such as a new and persistent cough, high temperature or fever.  

 

We want to keep you working so that we can continue to support our clients, but we know that it may be necessary for you to isolate yourself.  If this becomes necessary, we’ll do everything we can to support you.

 

We are working with our customers to understand their own policies and to continue to deliver services to them in light of their requirements and policies. 

 

Tell us what personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to you at a clients facility, specifically if there is a shortage.  There is a a global shortage of face-masks and antibacterial gel, but we’ll do what we can to provide you with PPE supplies.

 

We also must advise you to not travel from and to work wearing your tunics/uniforms, where appropriate you must protect your tunics with a plastic apron when you are on shift at a service and the plastic apron must be changed from one service to another,  we are of an understanding at this stage that all care homes/services will be in a position to provide you with a plastic apron and gloves as a local policy to protect and prevent the risk of COVID 19 spread. 

 

Please follow government and local advice on looking after yourself and your patients.  You can find up to date information at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance

 

If you need advice or help, please contact your consultant, we’re here to help and support you during this period.

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