Torbay Council – ‘Torbay Response to Government Lockdown Easing Announcement’ – 23/02/21

NHS – Coronavirus vaccinations for Young Carers unknown to local young carer services – 07/04/21

Exams and Assessment – Update on Summer 2021 Exams and Assessment

Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents and carers 15/07/2021 

Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents and carers 15/07/2021 

Dear students, parents and carers 

Further to my recent communication to you on 9^th July 2021, please find below important information relating to the following:  

1. Government announcements this week 

2. On-site COVID-19 Testing – students  

3. Reporting a POSITIVE COVID-19 test result out of hours 

4. Reporting COVID-19 Cases: Latest data 

1. Government announcements this week 

In line with local, regional, and national trends the College has again seen an increase in the number of COVID cases primarily amongst students so far this week.   

We now know that legal restrictions will end on Monday 19^th July 2021. Limits on social contact will end, meaning there will be no restrictions on indoor or outdoor gatherings. Weddings, funerals and other life events are able to take place without limits or restrictions. Social distancing will also end. 

All venues currently closed will be allowed to reopen, including nightclubs, and there will be no legal requirement for table service in hospitality settings. 

Face coverings will no longer be legally required in shops, education settings, hospitality, or on public transport although guidance will be in place to suggest where people might choose to wear one, such as where you come into contact with people you don’t usually meet in enclosed and crowded places, particularly on public transport. 

Whilst face coverings are not required to be worn by students, staff and visitors to the College from this date, we are asking all to respect the choices of others if they choose to wear one. Please also respect that some individuals may wish to maintain social distancing.  

From a College perspective, from 16^th August we will no longer have to conduct contact tracing in the event of a positive case as this will be managed by NHS Test and Trace. Also from this date, students under the age of 18 will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are contacted by NHS test and Trace as a close contact of a positive case. Fully vaccinated adults will not have to self-isolate if they are identified as a contact of a positive case. Adults not fully vaccinated will have to self-isolate.   

Please see a link below to communication provided by our local Director of Public Health. 

Update from Director of Public Health 

2. On-site Covid Testing – students 

As students will potentially mix with lots of other people during the summer holidays, all FE providers are required to offer students two onsite lateral flow device tests on return to college after the summer break.  

After the initial programme of two tests in college, students will be provided with rapid tests to use each week at home. During onsite testing, students will be supervised as they undertake the lateral flow test. The students will swab themselves and the testing site staff will collect the swab, process the test and record the results.  Testing remains voluntary but is strongly encouraged.  

A letter explaining the lateral flow testing process for students will be shared with all students, parents and carers shortly. Prior to undertaking the lateral flow test, students need to provide consent. For students younger than 16 years the online consent form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian. For any student who does not have the capacity to provide informed consent, the form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian.  Individuals with a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test result will need to self-isolate in line with the stay-at-home guidance. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend college unless they have individually been advised otherwise by NHS Test and Trace or Public Health professionals (for example as a close contact). 

To comply with testing requirements, we will be operating our lateral flow testing facility in the Sports Hall at Vantage Point from Tuesday 7th September until 30th September. Students will be provided with their results via text/email 30 minutes after they have undertaken the test. Both tutors and students will be notified of a positive result. Tutors will contact their students to notify them of the date and time of their onsite tests. 

3. Reporting positive COVID results Out of Hours 

Please remember to complete the ‘Out of hours Notification of a POSITIVE COVID-19 test result’ form using the link on the South Devon College website to alert us immediately if you, a member of your household or other close contact identified through Track & Trace, receive a positive test result whilst the College is closed.  

4. Reported COVID-19 Cases: Latest data 

The table below gives the most up-to-date picture of COVID-19 infections at South Devon College in all areas.   

Weekly cases:  (Total confirmed positive cases reported in the last week)	6
Total cases: (A running total of positive/presumed positive cases reported to the College by students and staff since the first case was reported on Wednesday 7th October 2020)	123

I would like to take this opportunity to once again, thank you all for your ongoing support and to hope everyone is able to enjoy a break during the summer.  

I will next write to you all towards the end of August to provide further updates and practical information ahead of your return to South Devon College from September. 

Kindest regards 

Laurence Frewin   
Principal and CEO   
South Devon College  

Previous updates

Please find all our previous COVID-19 updates in this archive.

NHS Test and Trace

Dear parents and guardians,

This is an important letter to share some information on how we can work together to make sure we can continue to give children and young people the best education in the safest way possible.

One important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of pupils, parents and our communities is testing for coronavirus. We all have a duty to make sure that the right people have access to get tested at the right time. Every time a test is used inappropriately, a person with Covid-19 symptoms may miss out on getting tested.

Therefore, I ask that you all follow these principles:

•  You should only book a test if your child has any of these three coronavirus symptoms:
  1. a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature)
  2. a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  3. a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal
• Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.
• If you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/
• Only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the three symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst waiting for the test result.

• If the person with symptoms’ test comes back positive, other members of their household should continue self-isolating for 14 days and only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.
• If a pupil in a class or bubble tests positive for coronavirus, anyone who is advised to self-isolate does not require a test unless they subsequently develop symptoms.No one else in the same class or bubble as the symptomatic person needs to take any action unless advised by the school. Schools have detailed guidance and access to a Department for Education and Public Health England helpline for advice and support.Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full, which means they must stay at home for 14 days. This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms.The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend school which you may find useful: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy- body/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/It is vital for children’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school and college. It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make this possible.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Viv Bennett CBE

Chief Nurse and Director Maternity and Early Years | Public Health England

Head of World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery

Dr Susan Hopkins

Interim Chief Medical Officer | NHS Test & Trace

Deputy Director | Public Health England

Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology
Royal Free, London

Useful resources

Launch of NHS COVID-19 app 

The new NHS COVID-19 app is now available to download for free in England and Wales. The leaflet for parents and carers explaining how the app works is now available to download here.

Testing Advice for Schools & Parents/Carers

Who can ask for a test?	You can ask for a test for a child who lives with you who has coronavirus symptoms, whatever their age. These symptoms include one or more of the following: – High temperature. This means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature). – A new continuous cough. This means coughing a lot more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have cough, it may be worse than usual) – Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. This means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal. The test must be done in the first five days of having symptoms
How to ask for a test	Option 1 (usual route) Parents book a test online at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/coronavirus-in-children/ or by calling 119. Parents will need to provide details such as name, home address, mobile phone number and email address (where booking information / confirmation / results will be sent). Parents will be asked how they want to get the test, either by; driving to a local testing site where a tester will carry out the test (or the parent if the child is aged 11 or under) getting a home test kit (can take up to 48hrs to arrive) It is generally easier and quicker to use the drive through service but this depends on having access to a car.  There are a limited number of home test kits and drive-through test appointments available at any one time. If the website says there are none left, advise parents to check again later as more tests become available every hour.  It is often easier to book later in the day or in the evening. It is advised that you ask the parents to share the outcome of the test results. A young person can apply for a test for themselves from the age of 16:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/ Option 2 If parents or carers are unable to book a local slot then they can email d-ccg.devon.urgenttesting@nhs.net making clear the test is for a child attending a Torbay school and they will be supported to access local testing. Option 3 In the event that a child attending school cannot be supported to access local testing then schools should consider providing one of their 10 home testing kits to the parents or carers of the child. The kits include details of how to carry out the test and how to arrange for its return.  This option is limited to families who will have difficulty accessing option 1.
What happens?	The test usually involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud. Young people aged 12 or over can do the test themselves or have someone do it for them. Children aged 11 or under cannot do the swab themselves. Their parent or guardian will have to swab test them.
If there is a problem	If a parent has any questions about a test they’ve booked or are having trouble booking a test, they can call the customer contact centre from 7am to 11pm on 119 (free from mobiles and landlines)
For schools	Additional information for parents about what happens following the result can be found here www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/