Dear all
At the beginning of June, Principal Jenny Higham emailed you all to outline the plans for a phased return to site. The first and second phase has been in progress since then and has seen the successful restoration of laboratory-based scientific research onsite and the return of some basic services for students.
We are now moving into the third phase and today I want to share some further details with you on this.
Third phase
The third phase is the commencement of 2020/21 academic year courses from their normal start date. For the first term, we are adopting a blended model for teaching and learning that combines online learning with practical, skills-based sessions on campus.
This phase will also see the restoration onsite of the Student Life Centre and the welfare room.
Staff who are included in phase three will be contacted by their line manager to discuss and agree arrangements. Staff who identify themselves as vulnerable will be given the opportunity to complete a personal risk assessment. The outcome of the risk assessment should be discussed with their line manager and the University will help to accommodate needs and allay any concerns where possible. Further advice will be obtained from Occupational Health and HR if needed.
If you have any queries around this, including if you are not vulnerable yourself but live with somebody who is, please contact your line manager. Please do not return to site unless you have been specifically advised to or it has been agreed with your line manager.
Communication to students
Students have also received guidance today regarding the third phase of the return to site. The communication included information on personal risk assessments, placements and accessing the Student Life Centre and the welfare room. Please see here to review this communication.
Specific details of the on-campus sessions for each cohort will be provided to students by course teams.
Institutional safety measures
The top priority throughout this process is the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students. With this in mind, we have undertaken a detailed institutional risk assessment so that everyone can review the steps which have been taken to ensure this as much as possible. Risk assessments are being undertaken for each phase. Further measures which have been taken to manage risks include:
- Undertaking local risk assessments and implementing mitigations, led by line managers and area leads
- Programming timetables to help the management of social distancing
- Establishing socially-distanced teaching facilities
- Cleansing facilities and providing additional resources for individual hand cleaning/ clear hand cleansing signage
- Displaying signage for social distancing and one-way routes on-site
- The provision of necessary PPE by the University, if required.
Staff responsibilities and key principles
In addition to actions the University is taking, staff are required to comply with the principles guiding our return to site, which will evolve to reflect the latest Government guidance. This of course will change with time but at present, the following points apply:
- Any work that can be done at home, should be done at home (unless you have been asked to return to work by your line manager as part of the return to site arrangements to date - phase 1 to phase 3). However, staff that are struggling with home working (who are not part of phase 1 to phase 3) and wish to work onsite occasionally, should discuss this with their line manager.
- University work/study places are being made safe by following Covid-19 Secure guidelines.
- Government advice is that extremely vulnerable and vulnerable staff/students no longer need to shield. If vulnerable individuals need to return to site, an individual risk assessment evaluating fitness to return should be completed and discussed with their line manager (Personal risk assessment) or course admin team. All individuals undertaking clinical placements will be required to complete an individual risk assessment sent to them by course admin teams. Further advice may be obtained from course admin teams and HR. Willingness to return to campus does not automatically mean they should.
- Individuals must self-isolate if they have even mild symptoms of Covid-19, or are a household contact of someone who has been symptomatic. Anyone with symptoms should obtain a test through the government Test and Trace system. Members of staff who work in education (teacher/ support staff), are entitled to priority testing. Tests can be booked online, or ordered by telephone via NHS 119 for those without access to the internet.
- Staff and students should minimise use of public transport as far as possible; if it is necessary to use public transport, face coverings are mandatory and staff should try to arrange work so that travel can be at off-peak times.
- Travel into St George’s must be for work/placement/teaching that cannot be done at home. Staff and students should go directly to their laboratory/place of work/teaching space and leave the University premises after your business on site has been conducted.
- Face coverings must be worn if entering the Hospital, public areas, retail facilities and the library on site. Face coverings should be worn whilst in the communal walkways and reception of the University.
- Line managers, course leads and project supervisors will facilitate staff and students to organise their work to enable social distancing but individuals must also take personal responsibility. Where it is not possible to organise work to maintain social distancing then careful consideration must be given as to whether or not this activity should proceed. If it must then additional precautions must be identified to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
- Staff and students must wash their hands with soap and water or hand gel frequently and whenever leaving the laboratory/place of work/teaching space.
- Staff and students are advised to bring their own food and drink to work if required as access to kitchen facilities will be limited.
The full list of guiding principles can be reviewed here. Please review these before coming on to site.
Key documents for staff
All staff need to read and familiarise themselves with the following documents, which are now available on the Return to Site webpages.
There are also FAQs on the staff pages that should be reviewed.
A handy pocket guide on social distancing and returning to site can be found here. A large-font version is also available here.
Lastly, once again I would like to thank all colleagues who have worked intensively during this challenging time to safely deliver the next phase in our response to Covid-19. We aim to return to site in a way which prioritises the safety of our staff and students, while also enabling the vital research and teaching we offer, and the services we provide to support these, to continue.
Very best wishes
Paul Ratcliffe
Chief Operating Officer
St George’s, University of London