Coronavirus (COVID-19) Important Information and FAQs | News

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Important Information and FAQs

Last updated 27th November 2020.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Important Information

Your health and safety is our top priority. We are doing everything we can to keep you safe and protect the services that are important to you. 

We are closely monitoring government advice about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and as the situation changes, we are making some changes to our services and working practices to keep you safe. The most recent Coronavirus government guidance on "what you can and can't do" can be found here. There are also local restrictions in place and government information on these can be found here.

We have published some frequently asked questions (FAQs) to answer your general enquires in relation to the training and services that The Learning Foundry provides during this time. They will be regularly updated to reflect the latest Government guidance. 

The Government has now released its Winter Plan to set out their programme for suppressing the virus, protecting the NHS and the vulnerable, keeping education and the economy going and providing a route back to normality.  You can view it at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-winter-plan/covid-19-winter-plan-summary 

The government has released new guidelines on shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable from Covid-19. You can find this new shielding guidance on the government website here

This guidance comes into effect from 2 December 2020 and is linked to the tiers in place for each area from the date. It aims to strike a better balance between providing practical steps to help keep you safe while reducing some of the potentially harmful impacts on mental and social wellbeing that were associated with previous strict shielding. It sets out the steps clinically extremely vulnerable people can take to protect themselves for each local tier.

If you have read our FAQs and have not found the answer to your question, please call us on 0300 123 8088, Monday to Friday between the hours of 09:00 - 17:00. If you contact us out of hours, please leave a recorded message and a member of the team will respond to your enquiry.


You can also contact us via email at info@learningfoundry.co.uk or DM us on our social channels as per the below: 
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLearningFoundry/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TLFtweet 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelearningfoundry 

 

1. What action is The Learning Foundry Taking?   

The safety of our learners, customers, staff and wider stakeholders is our top priority and we continue to monitor Government guidance to ensure this. We have taken the following temporary measures to protect our learners, employers, colleagues and the wider community by reducing as much non-essential face-to-face contact as we can.   

  • We have re-opened our campus from 1st September 2020. The campus has been rearranged to promote social distancing and class sizes have been reduced to limit the number of visitors on-site at any one time. Further information on the measures we have taken to keep learners, colleagues and others safe can be found here: https://www.thelearningfoundry.co.uk/keeping-you-safe-
  • Where we can deliver our training sessions online effectively, we will continue to do so. 
  • Since re-opening, the campus receives a daily enhanced clean. 
  • We have smaller class sizes, so two-meter social distancing can be maintained at all times. 
  • We have reintroduced a small number of face-to-face workplace visits with our apprentices, where it is safe to do so. Your assessor will communicate with you at each session whether your next session will be via MS Teams, in the workplace or at the campus. 
  • Our campus is temporarily closed to external visitors, this is to limit the number of people on site whilst we have classes running. We still look forward to seeing you through the screen but hope to have you back at the campus in future. 
  • From September 28th, all students and staff are required to wear face coverings in communal areas, with the exception of classrooms and staff office rooms. 
  • In line with the Department for Education guidance, we will also be encouraging students to download and use the NHS COVID-19 app, which is a key part of the country's response to managing the spread of the Coronavirus.
  • If a student has symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, we ask that they let us know as soon as possible, do not attend campus and get a test at the earliest convenience (There is support available to ensure that all students can learn so they do not fall behind in their studies). 

 

2. Is the Campus Open? 

Our campus is now open again for some learners. If you are invited to the building, you will be provided with health and safety information beforehand. 

If you are thinking about enrolling on a course with us and would like to see the campus, have a look at our virtual tour here >

Visit www.thelearningfoundry.co.uk/keeping-you-safe- for information about staying safe when visiting our campus. Alternatively, you can contact our Workforce Development team on 0300 123 8088 if you have any questions about visiting our campus.

 

3. What Does This Mean if I am a Current Employer?  

Our full training offer is available to be delivered online and remotely. Our team have been in touch with employers by telephone or e-mail to make the necessary arrangements and answer any questions or concerns. 

Our team will remain contactable to all employers and are currently holding online meetings with employers to discuss their training and recruitment needs. If you would like more information about what courses and qualifications are available, please visit www.thelearningfoundry.co.uk/for-employers or contact our Workforce Development team on 0300 123 8088. 

From July 1, 2020, we have started to reintroduce a small number of assessor visits with learners and employers in their place of work, but only where online delivery is not appropriate and where it was/is safe to do so. A full risk assessment will be conducted ahead of any face-to-face visits being carried out. 

 

4. I am a prospective Learner or Employer, What Should I do now?

 Our Workforce Development team are on hand to support both prospective learners and employers to offer any advice and guidance they need. We are currently holding online meetings with businesses to support them with their recruitment and training needs as they realise the importance apprentices will have going forward, as businesses plan to rebuild and reopen.  The team are also available via email or telephone, please visit our Employer Section or contact our Workforce Development team on 0300 123 8088. There are now an exciting range of financial incentives available from the Government for businesses to recruit trainees and apprentices. We can help you to access financial support and benefit from developing your workforce. Find out more here

If you are a prospective learner, looking for an apprenticeship or traineeship, or already employed and looking to enrol onto one of our training programmes please visit: www.thelearningfoundry.co.uk/learn-with-us or contact us on 0300 123 8088.

 

5. Where can I Find Government Guidance About Further Education and Skills Providers?

The link to Government guidance is below:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers

 

For relevant and up-to-date information on the Coronavirus (Covid-19), please see the relevant links below: 
 
Public Health England Twitter - twitter.com/PHE_uk 

The Department of Health and Social Care Twitter - twitter.com/DHSCgovuk 

NHS - www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

Gov.uk - www.gov.uk/coronavirus

 

Please see government guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

Please also see the government's Covid-19 winter plan here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-winter-plan/covid-19-winter-plan-summary.

 

Coronavirus Risk Assessments:

Your health and safety is our top priority. We are doing everything we can to keep you safe and protect the services that are important to you. 
On Monday 19th July 2021, the the government will change its guidance in relation to Covid-19. We are reviewing all of our risk assessments to ensure we're following the latest advice and can review the impact and risk of Covid-19 to protect the safety of our customers and staff.  Updated risk assessments will be available on or before Monday 19th July 2021.

For any questions about our risk assessments, please contact Matthew Rothwell, Director of Safety and Business Performance.

0151 703 3190

 

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