Plans to reduce self-isolation in critical roles
The Government has announced plans for critical workers not to need to self-isolate.
We have seen reports about employers needing to seek permission from their relevant government departments who will make a decision on a case by case basis for each individual.
NDNA has raised this as a matter of urgency with the DfE to ask how this will work in practice.
Throughout the pandemic, nursery practitioners have been critical workers. NDNA’s research has shown the impact of self-isolation periods on settings and children.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA, said: “Nurseries and their staff are a vital part of our national infrastructure and were included in the critical workers list at the beginning of the pandemic. They are crucial to our educational and economic recovery.
“Therefore they must be included in any plans to reduce self-isolation in order to support young children in their development and enable their parents to work.
“Our research showed that over the winter months, three quarters of nurseries had to close at least one room at least once during that time because of positive Covid cases. Numbers of cases are soaring again which will result in more nurseries having to close rooms not just for positive cases but for a lack of early years practitioners because so many are having to isolate themselves.”
- Covid-19 pandemic
- critical workers
- Department for Education
- reduce self-isolation
- young children
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