CEB Staff Newsletter #28 - 23 Aug 2021
COVID Updates for CEB Staff
Essential School Visits for Vulnerable Students
In accordance with the Chief Health Officer directive, staff must minimise school contact during this lockdown period, supporting schools remotely where needed. If there is an essential reason to visit a school, please speak with your Team Leader and refer to the Authorised Worker Permit information sent out yesterday. As outlined, where endorsed as essential on-site work, your Team Leader should forward the completed Authorised Worker Permit to Tom Sexton for signing.
Work deemed as ‘essential’ will be that where support impacts directly on the learning and wellbeing of vulnerable students, whether this be through direct contact with vulnerable students or direct contact with staff who are supporting the learning of vulnerable students which cannot be sufficiently conducted using online forums.
In some exceptional cases, it may be ‘essential’ for a CEB staff member to visit more than one school site on a given day. The following step must be followed:
- If this is deemed necessary by your Team Leader, the Authorised Worker Permit will need to specify the names/locations of schools, on which days/times you will be attending.
- Any engagement with a school needs to have the consent of the Principal.
- Staff must check on COVID exposure sites prior to visiting each school and complete all necessary hygiene and check-in practices at each school.
Accessing Childcare
Childcare, kindergarten and early childhood services are open only for vulnerable children, or the children of authorised workers if they cannot work from home or if no supervision is available at home.
From 11:59pm tonight, Monday 23 August, authorised workers can access childcare, kindergarten and early childhood services (and take a child to a centre) if:
- at least one parent/guardian is authorised to work and has a valid authorised worker permit, and is working either at home or on-site, and
- they cannot make alternative supervision arrangements
An authorised worker who is required to work shift work (e.g. overnight shift at a hospital) can send a child to childcare or an early childhood service outside their working hours so they can rest.
If your circumstances require you to access childcare please speak with your Team Leader in relation to the completion of an Authorised Worker Permit.