Update on Covid-19 Visiting Restrictions

We recognise that lockdown has been difficult for many customers and families over the past few months and that visits and social activities are important to all those in care settings. We don’t underestimate the impact that restrictions continue to have on everyone concerned.

Our main priority is to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission and prevent outbreaks, whilst ensuring the health and safety of both our customers and staff as far as possible. Now, more than ever, we face significant challenges in protecting our customers from infection, and the particular risks of outbreaks of infection within our supported living and care home environments.

Throughout the pandemic we have given careful consideration and adhered to all Government guidance.

As you will be aware, the resurgence of the virus and the significant escalation in risk has led to updated Government and Public Health guidance and further restrictions and as a result we have reviewed and amended our position.

Visiting is temporarily postponed

We have taken the difficult decision to implement a company-wide restriction on service visits and certain community activities to preserve the safety of all concerned.

This means the following:

– We will no longer be able to facilitate visits to our supported living or care home environments, either indoors or outdoors, unless the individual is part of a support bubble or there are exceptional circumstances.

– We will no longer be able to support indoor activities in the community between customers and those who do not live within their household, unless they’re in a support bubble.

– We will no longer be able to support home visits while the restrictions remain in place, unless those concerned are in a support bubble.

Support bubbles

A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size. Support Bubbles can therefore be formed where the customer resides alone and can safely engage with another household without the risk of transmission within the care home environment.

Support bubbles cannot be formed with individuals within a household where the person resides with others, as this would result in multiple additional members of the household.

Exceptions

Examples of exceptions to this rule include where there is risk of significant harm to the welfare of the customer if the visits or activities don’t go ahead or where one of the people concerned is at the end of their life. When giving consideration to whether an activity is in the best interests of the customer, and where visits can be facilitated safely outdoors in the local community, risk assessments will be carried out to inform the decision and ensure the safety of the customer and those that they live with.

We hope that you understand the decisions that we have made and our reasons for this. If you would like to discuss this or feel that you have exceptional circumstances that need to be considered, please don’t hesitate to contact your service manager.

Please be assured that we are committed to facilitating visits and contact between customers and their loved ones whenever safe to do so. We will continually review our position in relation to our Visitor policy in line with updated advice and guidance and will ensure any changes are communicated with you swiftly.