Update to Government coronavirus restrictions in England

Our attendance-based training at Heartwood is continuing, following the announcement that England is moving to Plan B coronavirus restrictions.

Updated Government guidance for educational settings allows face-to-face teaching to continue at present, with sensible and proportionate control measures in place.

We continue to act with caution and safety measures are still in place at both the centres in Dartington and London to continue to minimise risks to our students and staff and to ensure we are doing all we can to keep us all as safe as possible.

These safety measures include:

• Following social distancing guidelines that advise distancing of 1 metre plus and 2 metres wherever possible.
• Students, tutors and staff are strongly recommended to wear face masks at all times, unless seated.
• Classroom windows will be open where possible during training to provide additional ventilation – please bear this in mind and dress appropriately when attending training.
• Continue hand sanitising and cleaning surfaces as required.
• Implementing extra deep cleaning services for our training rooms as appropriate.
• Group sizes remain limited to ensure we are easily able to maintain and oversee safe working distance and safe working practices.
• We continue to engage with the NHS Test and Trace process, as a response to any infection, and will contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice.
• Ongoing risk assessment of the situation.

Should the situation change, we will notify all students and staff as soon as possible.

We would still strongly recommend that our attendance-based students and tutors participate in regular (twice weekly) rapid COVID-19 tests if they do not have symptoms – this is because people with asymptomatic COVID-19 can still infect others.

Further information on obtaining and carrying out regular COVID rapid lateral flow tests is available at: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.

If a student or staff member tests positive they must inform us and self-isolate in line with government guidance. Students must not attend face-to-face training if they have coronavirus symptoms.

Anyone who develops coronavirus symptoms while on site will be sent home to begin self-isolation and advised to have a test as soon as possible.

We reserve the right to ask someone not to attend if they are considered a risk to other participants.

Thank you for your continued efforts and support in following our COVID measures to keep us all as safe as possible. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.

With best wishes,

The Heartwood Team