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Guidance and Procedures for Confirmed Positive Cases in NL Schools and Nurseries

December 2020

Version

Date Issue

Author

Update Information

V1

22.09.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Full contents

V2

06.10.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Full revision of document

V3

20.10.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Includes revised HT/HOC procedures and flowchart

V4

30.10.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Lead Officer Guidance and Rota updates

V5

06.11.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Changes to all procedures

V6

13.11.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Page 5 (number 3)

Page 8 (intro)

V7

20.11.20

Gerard McLaughlin

Page 5 (number 6)

Page 7 (number 9)

Page 8 (number 4)

Contents Page

Introduction

Page 4

HTs/HOCs Procedures

Page 5-6

Procedures for EF Admin for Confirmed Positive Cases

Page 7

Pre-PAG Team Procedures

Page 8-10

Rota for Pre-PAG Team

Page 10-11

12

3

Introduction

This guidance has been produced to assist Education staff when responding to confirmed positive cases in schools and establishments.

Page 5-6 has step by step procedures for Head Teachers and Heads of Establishment to follow when notified of a confirmed positive pupil or staff member.

Page 7 includes procedures for Education and Families admin staff to follow when notified of a confirmed positive pupil or staff member in a school or establishment.

Page 8-10 has procedures for the PAG Team to follow.

Pages 10-11 includes the rota of officers on duty for the PAG meetings; please refer to this and make contact with the officers on duty for the particular weekday/weekend.

Please note, as per version 17 onwards of the Return to Schools and Centres document, we no longer require to be notified of symptomatic cases, isolating cases or cases awaiting outcomes of tests. The COVID mailbox will now be used to report positive cases only.

Kind regards

Gerard McLaughlin

Procedures for HTs/HOCs for Confirmed Positive Cases in North Lanarkshire Schools and Centres

1. Ascertain initial essential information:

· Name and DOB of pupil/staff member

· Last date in school or establishment

· Date and time when became symptomatic (or if asymptomatic)

· Date and time when test taken and results known

2. If the staff member or pupil has been in school/nursery during their infectious period, make urgent contact by telephone with Nicola Goodwin on 07583671245, giving the information detailed above (if during office hours). If outwith office hours, please make contact with the appropriate officer identified on the rota on pages 11-12.

3. Complete the new Risk Assessment (stored in the NLC Heads of Establishment Microsoft Team sharepoint, updated November 2020) and email to the [email protected] mailbox as soon as it is completed. There is a word and excel version of this. If using the excel version, please save the risk assessment as a pdf with the school/nursery name; for all risk assessments, please save in the following format before emailing:

Also, ensure the risk assessment is stored somewhere securely, i.e. an HT’s encrypted laptop, as this holds confidential information on pupils and staff.

4. Please note, a SEEMiS custom report can be generated for close contacts, copied and pasted into tab 2 of the risk assessment, and this will pre-populate the close contact boxes on page 1. It is not necessary to enter close contact data separately on both tabs.

5. You will receive an invite for a pre-PAG (Problem Assessment Group) Meeting the same day. This will be via Microsoft Teams. Do not issue any communication to parents prior to this meeting.

6. At the pre-PAG Meeting, a decision will be made on who the close contacts are and what the isolation period is. If particular staffing challenges will potentially occur as a result of the risk assessment, please make the PAG team aware of this. Under no circumstances should a HT/HOC make subsequent decisions about additional close contacts without sign off from the PAG team.

7. The PAG team will then have a telephone conversation with a Public Health Incident Officer, and sign off will be agreed on decisions made. HTs/HOCs do not attend this meeting. Straightforward cases will be signed off immediately, and more complex cases will be put forward for a full PAG meeting with Public Health at 2pm. If your establishment is involved in this, then you will be given an invite to attend this meeting and talk through your risk assessment.

8. Following sign off from Public health and subsequent notification of outcome by Nicola Goodwin, HTs/HOCs must make telephone contact with all parents/carers of close contacts. A script will be provided for this; please do not make any calls until you are provided with the final agreed script.

9. Following telephone calls above, this should be followed up by the ‘close contact letter’. This letter should only be issued to identified close contacts that were agreed at the pre-PAG meeting.

10. The wider school community letter should then be issued to staff and parents.

11. Sample scripts and letters can be viewed here; please note that these are samples only and should not be used/issued without prior agreement at the pre-PAG Meeting.

12. If your establishment has to be discussed at the formal PH PAG at 2pm, then steps 7-9 above should only take place, following the formal PAG.

13. If the confirmed positive case is a staff member, a CIRIS report must be completed.

14. If pupils are identified to self-isolate, complete all ‘Self-Isolating Families’ paperwork and send to [email protected] and [email protected]

15. Please note HTs/HOCs should not, under any circumstances, identify any further pupils for self-isolation without prior agreement with the pre-PAG team.

16. FAQs have been prepared that you may find useful when dealing with parental enquiries.

HT/HOC Flowchart

Notified of positive test result

Was the person in the school/nursery during their infectious period?

No

Yes

If positive pupil, complete Isolating Families Paperwork & send Confirmed Positive Case document to COVIDEnquiries mailbox

If positive staff member, complete CIRIS report & send Confirmed Positive Case document to COVIDEnquiries mailbox

During Office Hours?

No

Yes

Make urgent contact with Nicola Goodwin on 07583671245

Make urgent contact with officers on duty (refer to rota on pages 9-10)

Complete risk assessment and email to COVID mailbox as soon as possible

Attend pre-PAG via Microsoft Teams

Await further communication from pre-PAG team, following Public Health discussion

Attend 2pm PAG with PH if appropriate

Phone all identified close contacts and follow up with close contact letter

Issue wider community letter

If positive pupil, complete Isolating Families Paperwork

If positive staff member, complete CIRIS report

Procedures for EF Admin for Confirmed Positive Cases

1. If HTs/HOCs make contact to confirm a positive case, ascertain if the child or staff member was in school/nursery during their infectious period*

(If not in school/nursery during the infectious period, then staff should complete the ‘Confirmed Positive Case’ document and this should be emailed to the COVID mailbox. If a staff member, a CIRIS report should also be complete and if a pupil, then Supporting Isolating Families’ paperwork should be completed.

2. Take a record of initial information from HT/HOC.

3. Ask HT/HOC to complete risk assessment and return by email as soon as possible.

4. Allocate a time slot for same day NL pre-PAG.

5. Throughout the day, check risk assessments have been returned for each establishment that has reported a positive case. Follow up on any outstanding.

6. Throughout the day, check the COVID mailbox for any risk assessments and ‘Confirmed Positive Case’ documents and ensure they are added to the day’s figures/notes.

7. Email each risk assessment as it comes in to the officers on duty (refer to rota) and also to [email protected]

8. Link in with officers on duty for updates on outcomes of each establishment and issue comms, confirming dates of isolation etc.

9. Link in with officers on duty for any establishments with particular staffing issues highlighted. Notify HR/EFMs as requested.

10. Some establishments will be put forward for Public Health (PH) PAGs at 2pm. If this is the case, join the PH PAG with education staff and take minutes.

11. At the end of each day, add the PAG notes template, all comms and all risk assessments to the PAG Paperwork folder on the iDrive.

*What is the Infectious Period?

For positive Covid-19 cases, it’s either:

· 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms until 10 days after symptom onset

or

· If asymptomatic, 48 hours prior to the time the positive test was taken until 10 days after the positive test was taken

The time of onset of symptoms, or date of test is important. If, for example, someone became symptomatic on a Sunday evening or was tested on a Sunday evening and asymptomatic, then the infectious period would count from Friday evening onwards, therefore would have no impact on establishments.

Pre-PAGs - Lead Officers Actions for Confirmed Positive Actions

Supporting schools/centres with PAGs meetings is a full-time role. It is advisable that you clear your diary for your rota time on call. Ensure you have access to the covid mailbox to download risk assessments.

1. As each risk assessment is received, arrange a Teams meeting with the HT/HOC concerned.

2. Have a PAGs meeting notes created ahead of your meetings to take brief notes from each meeting with schools/centres.

3. Ensure RA has been sent to public health [email protected] by admin and this matches cases for Pre-PAGs.

4. Following Teams meetings with HTs, present cases at the Sift or PAG meetings during the day and agree outcomes.

5. Notify HR and EFM by email/ask admin to notify immediately of any potential staffing issues that may need to be considered for particular establishments. Send the email to the following email addresses:

· [email protected];





6. Notify Gerard McLaughlin of any schools/nurseries that are particularly hard hit in terms of isolating pupils or staff, following risk assessments.

7. Admin/lead officer to send scripts, close contact and wider community letters to schools for cases that have been ratified by PH. Share PAGs Notes to insert into email with admin. (See suggested email templates below)

Email template - script:

Details of your RA have been ratified by PH this afternoon and you can go ahead and start making telephone contact using the attached script with your identified close contacts as agreed:

Close contact and wider community letters will be sent over later.

8. Following the 2pm/3pm meeting with PH for more complex cases, admin/leader officers to send scripts, close contact and wider community letters to schools. Email template - letters:

Please find attached the close contact letter – to be issued to close contacts (who you will have made telephone contact with) and wider community letters that should be issued to all staff and pupils.

An FAQ is attached that may help with enquiries.

(Delete if not needed) Please note there are different close contact letters attached for pupils whose isolation dates are different; please ensure the correct script and letter are used.

If you have any questions or are unsure on any of the letters please don’t hesitate to contact the officers:

Where appropriate:

For isolating pupils – please complete the self-isolating families paperwork.

For isolating staff – please complete a CIRIS report (only for confirmed positive staff members).

9. At the end of each day, update PAG Notes and send to [email protected]; [email protected]

10. Send a further email, with an update attached, to notify the following personnel:

Good afternoon,

An update following today’s PAG meeting:

TAKE OUT relevant notes column from PAGs Notes and insert below.

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; O'[email protected];

The telephone number for Public Health, in case of queries, is 01698 858235.

Rota for Pre-PAG Team (Weekends highlighted in red)

Date

Name of Officers

17.10.20

Margaret Hunter 07817306349 & Margaret Nash 07903 814769

18.10.20


19.10.20

Michelle O’Halleron 07840306038 & Craig Barnstaple 07812815790

20.10.20


21.10.20


22.10.20


23.10.20


24.10.20

Jill Woodward 07971397366 & Nancy Ferguson 07983511044

25.10.20

Jill Woodward 07971397366 & Nancy Ferguson 07983511044

26.10.20

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Marie-Claire Hendry 07557352020

27.10.20


28.10.20


29.10.20


30.10.20


31.10.20

Michelle O’Halleron 07840306038 & Pauline O’Neill 07719268471

01.11.20

Michelle O’Halleron 07840306038 & Pauline O’Neill 07719268471

02.11.20

Marie-Claire Hendry 07557352020, Geraldine Shearer 07825002417, Brendan Duffy 07719374876

03.11.20

Anna McKinney 07583671250 & Brendan Duffy 07719374876

04.11.20

Anna McKinney 07583671250 & Brendan Duffy 07719374876

05.11.20

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Brendan Duffy 07719374876

06.11.20

Marie-Claire Hendry 07557352020 & Brendan Duffy 07719374876

07.11.20

Jan McCrone 07970505730 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

08.11.20

Jan McCrone 07970505730 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

09.11.20

Jill Woodward 07971397366 & Margaret Nash 07903 814769

10.11.20


11.11.20


12.11.20


13.11.20


15.11.20

Anne Munro 07711616878 & Jackie Cahill 07939284760

16.11.20

Craig Barnstaple 07812815790 & Catherine Cruikshank 07983 510902

17.11.20


18.11.20


19.11.20


20.11.20


22.11.20

Brendan Duffy 07719374876 & Catherine Cruikshank 07983510902

23.11.20

Margaret Hunter 07817306349 & Pauline O’Neill 07939281105

24.11.20


25.11.20


26.11.20


27.11.20


29.11.20

Marie-Claire Hendry 07557352020 & Craig Barnstaple 07812815790

30.11.20

Jackie Cahill 07939284760 & Nancy Ferguson 07983511044

Date

Name of Officers

01.12.20


02.12.20


03.12.20


04.12.20


06.12.20

Tim Sharpe 07535660729 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

07.12.20


08.12.20


09.12.20

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Craig Barnstaple 07812815790

10.12.20

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Craig Barnstaple 07812815790

11.12.20

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

13.12.20

Jill Woodward 07971397366 & Michael Dolan 07939284715

14.12.20

Judi Pollock 07852500731 & Jan McCrone 07970505730

15.12.20


16.12.20


17.12.20


18.12.20


20.12.20

Alan Henry 07795074716 & Therese Henery 07368299117

21.12.20

Michael Dolan 07939284715 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

22.12.20


23.12.20


24.12.20


28.12.20

Gerard McLaughlin 07795074716

29.12.20


30.12.20


31.12.20


04.01.21


05.01.21


11

Date

Name of Officers

06.01.21

Marie-Claire Hendry 07557352020

07.01.21


08.01.21


10.01.21


11.01.21



12.01.21



13.01.21



14.01.21



15.01.21



17.01.21

Janie O’Neil 07977269779 & Pauline O’Neil 07939281105

18.01.21

Anna McKinney 07583671250 & Catherine Cruikshank 07983510902

19.01.21


20.01.21


21.01.21


22.01.21


24.01.21

Brendan Duffy 07719374876 & Nancy Ferguson 07983511044

25.01.21

Jill Woodward 07971397366 & Tim Sharpe 07535660729

26.01.21


27.01.21


28.01.21


29.01.21


31.01.21

Judi Pollock 07852500731 & Jackie Cahill 07939284760

01.02.21

Michael Dolan 07939284715 & Pauline O’Neil 07939281105

02.02.21


03.02.21


04.02.21


05.02.21


07.02.21

Anne Munro 07711616878 & Jan McCrone 07970505730

08.02.21

Margaret Hunter 07817306349 & Margaret Nash 07903814769

09.02.21


10.02.21


11.02.21


12.02.21


14.02.21

Geraldine Shearer 07825002417 & Michelle O’Halleron 07840306038

15.02.21

Brendan Duffy 07719374876 & Jackie Cahill 07939284760

16.02.21


17.02.21


18.02.21


19.02.21


21.02.21

Marie Claire Hendry & Michael Dolan 07939284715

22.02.21

Judi Pollock 07852500731 & Fiona Sinclair 07976946574

23.02.21


24.02.21


25.02.21


26.02.21


PAG Notes - add

date.xlsx

Sheet1PAG Date EstablishmentNo. Pupils IsolatingNo. Staff IsolatingIsolation Start DateIsolation End DateIndex Case - Staff or Pupil?Relevant Notes

PAG Notes - add

date.xlsx

Sheet1PAG Date EstablishmentNo. Pupils IsolatingNo. Staff IsolatingIsolation Start DateIsolation End DateIndex Case - Staff or Pupil?Relevant Notes

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