I received a letter very early on due to taking methotrexate (20mg, 40 yrs old) . At the time I was told that my medication was flagged and to maintain social distancing but other Nhs sites seem to have now increased me to increased social distancing and increased risk of complications to COVID -19. With this in my mind we decided, that it was best for my wife to not return to school teaching . She has now returned, only to be hit with a possible disciplinary. To make matters worse she hasn’t been given a bubble but 90 different kids over 3 weeks .
What are people thoughts ?
Thanks
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Methotrexate patients were initially told to shield then dropped down. In terms of your wife, there were guidelines for employers re staff who had shielding partners. We had to give an agreed absence to one of our staff. Even the new DFE guidelines outline measures for staff with shielding relatives, how if they come in extra measures need to be put in place or they don’t come in. I would go thorough dfe guidelines as quite clear and your county guidelines. You have your letter.
There is a duty of care for employers to keep employees safe based on their circumstances so they are responsible for your wife’s care.
Like Hamptons has said, you still have the letter whatever has happened since so your wife should be allowed to work from home or be given a different role away from the children. Bubbles in schools sound good but are nonsense. All the children use the same toilets and bubbles really contain about four times as many people as it's all the children and staff's households as well.
The problem we have is that my letter didn’t tell me to shield but to practice social distancing . Through our own research and the fact I have been advised to have the flu jab, we decided that I was actually at least at moderate risk .The situation was made worse by the fact we have a 2 year old and are child care is my 69 diabetic mum . From what I can see, if the school want to push it, then they are in breach of guidelines because my wife has 6 bubbles .
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I have put myself in the moderate risk group as although I have several autoimmune conditions, I'm not on any medication for them, although I do receive the flu & pneumonia vaccines. I am a primary teacher and my Head has been great, saying I can work from home at the moment, although I'm never sure when this will end and it'll be back to normal in September. I did receive an early shielding letter (which was lucky for evidence), although that was before the rheumatology advice putting me at "0" for risk. I'm making the most of visiting my 80 yr old dad now as I won't be doing that come September.
Little thought has been given to the safety of adults in schools as the government needs the childcare. They have accepted that social distancing isn't possible and PPE impractical (maybe teachers expendable?!) As I said before, bubbles in a school are pretty pointless due to general mixing but what they can do is lower the risk of continuous close exposure to a particular child with symptomless COVID, unless they happen to be in your bubble, which is worse! My school is keeping staff in the same bubbles with 15 children as the guidelines state. All schools are required to have a risk assessment which should have been shared with staff and might be interesting to read if guidelines have not been followed. Perhaps your wife could speak to her union as they're pretty hot on safety.
It will all change in September anyway when 36 children will be crammed back into a bubble (at least 4 times that number including families) as the government won't pay for extra space and staff so I do wonder what it's all for anyway!
Hi, I think if you were not actually in the shielding groups (you are on mtx but that doesn't put you into the shielding category unfortunately, u needed to be on either 2 immunosuppressant drugs or 1 plus steroids over at least 5 mgs daily) so u didn't receive a letter stating that you were to shield for the 12 wks?? To advise to social distance - yes?
I think in that case there is not actually any documentation stating that your wife was eligible to take the time off work?? From what we had to do as my partner was offered voluntary furlough because I was in the extremely vulnerable group shielding he had to provide proof of the letter (my shielding letter) to his company.
We also have 2 young children who are at home.
The school should really have asked these questions at the beginning though and asked for proof and a copy of your letter if necessary as its a bit late in the day now after the event.
This is the way we have done things and the rheumatology guidelines for shielding etc stated. There was a flow chart regarding medication and social distancing and shielding.
Hope you get it sorted it's all been very complicated and stressful.
Yes you are correct, however the guidelines changed slightly to those who are told to have a flu jab should strictly follow social distancing at an increased level and those on any drugs like methotrexate were at an increased risk of complications (this was confirmed by my doc and versus arthritis). The letters to social distance were given out very early . As my doctor said there are so many grey areas and the human/ common sense factor needs to play a part . Schools simply cannot provide a safe environment. We feel that our thoughts have been proven to be correct when my wife hasn’t been given one bubble but 6 plus . We are hoping common sense prevails because she has been working from home . I am pretty sure her union would have a field day with her 6 bubbles if the school wants to push it .
Ok, yeah all I know is in the case for shielding patients that the letter was used as proof for my partner for example for him to be furloughed to protect me as I said. To begin with we had to separate in the house etc as he is a pharmacist therefore very high risk!! Total nightmare, he would have to literally strip off shower put his own clothes into the wash, luckily we had a separate bathroom he could use and I had to have one of the kids to sleep in with me so he could sleep in their attic room.
Thank goodness they offered him voluntary furlough as we could not have coped like that for 4 months as well as keeping a social distance from each other!
It's a difficult situation but yes the union would be a good way to go.
However I do think the only way she would have been eligible to have been off work because of you would have been if you had a letter to say that you were shielding and they offered her the voluntary furlough? I'm unsure how she left work initially? Are they saying that she is absent without leave?? As she took leave and wasn't officially eligible?. I'm a bit confused on that part sorry.
She told the school she would work from home to protect me (which she did, planning lessons etc) rather then teaching key workers children in a classroom . It’s complicated but they were fine with it at first and then presented her with a disciplinary notice on her return . I think stress has led to this on their part and lack of common sense . We have spoken to teachers in 3 other schools and they are limited to 15 and can’t believe the 90 children my wife has
That's so bad!! If there was a problem they should have at least communicated it at some point during her time at home not at this late stage. Yes u are probably right it's probably partly stress on their part.
Thankfully your wife is part of the union so has the back up if needed but hopefully it won't come to that.
It does seem rather a lot of children, I don't know about the numbers etc I have family and friends who are teachers in private schools and state but not really aware what they are doing upon their return. Being in shielding I'm kind of out of it at the mo don't know what's going on! I had thought the idea was to keep the same children and teachers together but I suppose that's possiblynot been feasible with the capacity of children to teachers maybe??
I hope it gets sorted as it seems that they have been unfair, I assume nothing was put in writing at the beginning? The plan to work from home, an email?
The sooner this is all over with the better!
I'm waiting to hear what is happening regarding my work at the moment as I am a nurse! I've been off since 19th March and as per gov potentially will go back 1st Aug so I'm waiting for my company head office to see what they say whether I can go or not or go but get shut in a room and do phone calls no face to face with patients. They have to be so careful and do an in depth risk assessment because if they make a decision and put me in danger there will be a lot of questions asked I suppose.
I am in the states where there is no special consideration for high risk just advice to be especially careful, stay home if possible and follow the three c's cover ( masks) clearance ( keep six feet apart whenever possible) and clean your hands frequently and do not touch your face). We will not begin school until August but we are going back if our state, one of only two in USA who are succeeding in opening, continues to have less than 1 percent positivity. My husband is back to work now. I am not too worried. Turns out bmi is a greater risk factor than lupus with or with out treatment.
You country is showing progress in mitigation and i think your containment abilities will also hopefully work as they are designed to. I find getting back to living again now albeit with a mask, hand gel and distance is improving my over all well being. I can not wait to get back to my students. There are many studies showing through out the world that most daycare and open schools were sucessful at avoiding spread. One us study which focused on NYC schools open through out the worst of the pandemic for essential worker children had less than 1 percent of its staff test positive for covid and that 1% was not linked to school attendance.
We will get news on Friday with what they decide and then speak to the union if needs be . We have 4 friends who have lost a friend or relative to coronavirus and all in their 40s to early 50s (3 no underlying health conditions).
We have come to the conclusion that what will be will be and we did what we did for our family in unprecedented times . To many people have a complete disregard for others and this has been shown in our packed beaches . Leicester has been locked down again as of today.
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