To report a positive case, providers should contact the Department for Education Helpline on 0800 046 8687 and select option ‘1’.
A team of advisers will be on hand to advise settings what action is needed, based on the latest public health advice, and will work through a risk assessment.
Details of the new service, launched today (17 September) can be found in the updated guidance, Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak.
The dedicated helpline, set up by Public Health England (PHE), the Department for Education and NHS Business Services Authority, replaces the requirement for schools, further education colleges and early years providers to contact the local health protection team to seek advice on a positive case.
It means that providers will have better access to support in a timely manner where it is needed to ensure the right proportionate action is taken in asking close contacts of confirmed cases to self-isolate, while the remainder of the school can continue with minimum disruption.
The new process will free up capacity of the PHE’s local health protection teams to deal with more complex cases, for example special schools and boarding schools, or outbreaks where there is more than one confirmed case. Advisors will be responsible for escalating these cases as necessary following a triaging of the circumstances in the school, college or early years setting.
Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said, ‘Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked tremendously hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted. These measures have meant children and young people can continue with their education, with the latest data showing 99.9 per cent of schools open for the autumn term.’
The new advice service is for early years settings; primary school, infant and junior schools; middle schools; secondary schools; boarding schools; special schools, and further education colleges.