At each of our homes our priority and focus continues to be the safety and welfare of the people we support as well as our teams. Although we have been free of coronavirus within our homes we remain vigilant because the risk level remains severe. This means our teams are still wearing masks at all times, and further protective equipment is used as well when giving close personal support. We thank residents for accepting these changes and we thank families and professional colleagues for their understanding while we do things differently and while our doors remain temporarily shut.
We are continuing to review our current practices and adapting our approach where appropriate; for example, how or if we can begin to facilitate single family contact in a safe way in outdoor public space. As the Government’s rules change we will change too if it’s safe to do so and if Public Health England (PHE) tell us this is okay.
It’s also essential that we continuously appraise the guidance we and our managers give our teams, that it is consistent and updated, compliant with latest law and underpinned by Health and Safety legislation. Yesterday the Government issued fresh advice on ensuring employees are safe at work and we are already digesting this information as a management team. Work is already underway on updating risk assessments as well as putting in place brand new measures to enhance even further the safety of our team in our collective fight against COVID-19.
Thank you for your continued support and stay safe!
Here is our ‘Staying Safe’ POSTER:
— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House Care Homes.