COVID 19 Response Plan

This policy was formulated in order to ensure all activities undertaken by Warriorcamp are in-line with Government guidelines. Warriorcamp commits to stay informed of changes in Covid-19 guidelines as per Government and HSE advice.

Warriorcamp has a responsibility to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all involved in our services – children, staff and parents. This plan has been formulated to ensure that we can exercise that duty of care in relation to the threat posed by Covid-19.

Camp commencement & precautionary checks:

All parents are required to complete a camp commencement declaration. This is to ensure that parents are aware of the symptoms of Coivd-19 as well as the scenarios in which a person including children must isolate and not present to camp.

Symptoms of Coivd-19 include:

a cough
breathing difficulties
fever
loss or change to a persons sense of smell or taste

Scenarios in which a child must not present to camp:

when self-isolating or restricting your movements
when waiting on results of a COVID-19 test
after having recently returned from travel abroad

Drop Off and Collection Arrangements:

Drop off and collection arrangements may be subject to change in the interest of Health and Safety and in line with government and HSE regulations.

A staggered system for drop-off and collection is in place at Warriorcamp. This is to minimise the congregation of parents and children during this period.

The times of drop off pick up are as follows

Drop off 9.30am –> Pick Up 2.45pm
Drop off 9.45am –> Pick Up 3.00pm
Drop off 10.00am –> Pick Up 3.15pm

Parents will be informed of the appropriate times designated for their child and are asked to ensure that they can stick to the times laid out as closely as is possible. Once a time has been designated this cannot be altered as this would result in the mixing of children between protective pods.

On every day of camp, all children will have a temperature check performed before being admitted to camp. Should a child have a temperature greater than 38 degrees Celsius, they shall be asked to segregate at a designated isolation point. A staff member wearing appropriate PPE will re-check the child’s temperature three times. Should the child’s temperature be above 38 degrees on any one of these re-checks, parents will be telephoned to return and collect their child immediately.

Parent Access for Drop Off and Collection

A designated area for pick up and drop off has been allocated.
Parents/guardians/childminders must practice social distancing during drop off and collection.
Parents/guardians/childminders should operate on a pick up and go basis. Social interactions during this period must be kept to a minimum.
Should a child need to be dropped off or picked up outside of the allocated times, parents should call ahead and Warriorcamp will organise a staff member to collect the child from the designated area. Parents should not enter the camp beyond the designated area.

Pods or Bubbles

All children will be assigned to a specific pods for the duration of their Warriorcamp. Should parents wish to have children in same pods as friends, they must inform us of this before commencement.

Pods will be limited to 15 persons.

Once a camp has commenced a child cannot change pods for any reason.

In the case of an outbreak of Covid-19 at Warriorcamp, information on pods is available for public health staff in order to risk assess and advise on precautions to be taken.

Social Distancing

Pods

No mixing of pods is allowed at any point during camp

Children

Children within a pod may play as normal. Non-contact activities are planned to minimise direct contact transmission.

Supervisors

All supervisors will remain socially distanced at all times.

Outdoors/Indoors

All activities planned for Warriorcamp will take place outdoors. Arrangements are in place for poor weather with open air shelters in place. Pods can maintain separation through the use of multiple shelter areas

No indoor activities will take place until government guidelines indicate that it is safe to do so.

Toilets are limited to one person occupant at a time and are cleaned at regular intervals.

Belongings

Lunches

Parents/Guardian must make sure that children bring their lunches to camp to avoid adults having to come to Warriorcamp during the day. Please remind your children not to share their food or drinks with other children.
Children will eat their lunches within their designated pod.
Hand Hygiene will be a key priority at all eating and drinking times. Children will be prompted to wash their hands at the onset of lunch and break periods.

Shared Equipment

Each pod has its own set of regularly used equipment.

Where equipment is shared across pods the equipment is cleaned/sanitised immediately after the group has finished using it.

Personal Belongings

Personal belongings taken to Warriorcamp should be kept to a minimum. A list of recommended items is detailed below.

Bags will only contain the following items:

Lunchbox
Water Bottle
Raincoat everyday

Administration

Our online payment system via our website https://www.warriorcamp.ie/ is in place to eliminate face to face transactions.

Parents/Guardians are asked to co-operate in helping to keep Warriorcamp as safe as possible by minimising unnecessary adult interaction in Warriorcamp.

All contact and communication to Warriorcamp staff should be made via telephone 085 747 5333 or email [email protected]

Staff

All staff members complete a return to work form before camp commencement (Appendix 1) and all staff have been inducted on Covid-19 precautions in the workplace (Appendix 2).

Daily temperature checks of staff are taken.

Staff maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from all colleagues. Where 2m cannot be maintained face coverings are worn.

Staff meetings will be held remotely, in small groups or in large spaces to facilitate physical distancing.

Staff lunch and toilet arrangements are staggered to minimise congregation. Lunch areas have been designated to ensure maximum capacity allows social distancing

Travel to Work

Where possible staff will travel to work using separate vehicles.

Where transport is shared (car-pooling), staff are advised to plan their journeys with the same group of colleagues at all times. In addition where car pooling is necessary staff are provided with PPE for this purpose and staff are advised to keep some car windows open to allow improved ventilation.

Public transport is used only as a last resort.

The Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Staff members are not required to wear PPE. However, for a limited number of staff, PPE will need to be used occasionally or constantly due to the nature of certain work activities or work areas. This might include roles such as:

Assisting with intimate care needs
Where a suspected case of COVID-19 is identified while Warriorcamp is in operation
Where staff are particularly vulnerable to infection but are not on the list of those categorised as people in very high-risk groups or may be living with those who are in the very high-risk category.

Appropriate PPE will be available for dealing with suspected COVID-19 cases, intimate care needs and for first aid. Where staff provide healthcare to children with medical needs, they will apply standard precautions as per usual.

The children are not required to wear masks or face coverings.

Gloves

There is no need for the children to wear disposable gloves. They are considered inappropriate under the guidelines.

Staff members do not need to wear disposable gloves unless they are looking after a pupil’s intimate care needs or administering First Aid.

There will be an emphasis on hand hygiene rather than on the wearing of disposable gloves.

Hygiene and Cleaning

Sanitiser stations are designated throughout the camp e.g. at each entrance, lunch areas

Hand hygiene will be promoted and encouraged, and parents/guardians are asked to support Warriorcamp in reinforcing this message.

Frequently touched surfaces – door handles, handrails, chairs/arm rests, communal eating areas, sink and toilet facilities – are cleaned regularly throughout the day.

Illness and Dealing with a Suspected Case of COVID-19

Parents/guardians must keep children at home if they display any Covid-19 Symptoms. Staff must not attend camp if they display any symptoms.

Please keep up to date with HSE advice on https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/symptoms.html

a fever (high temperature – 38 degrees Celsius or above)
a cough – this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Children who should not attend Warriorcamp

If your child is in one of the following categories, they should not attend Warriorcamp:

Children who have been diagnosed with Covid-19
Children who have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19
Children who have a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
Children who have been in close contact with a person who has a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
Children with underlying health conditions who have been directed by a medical professional not to attend warriorcamp
Children who have returned home after travelling abroad and must self-isolate for a period of 14 days
Children who are generally unwell

Impact of a Suspected or Confirmed Case of Covid-19 in a Class

If Warriorcamp is notified that a person in your child’s class has a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19

The parents of all children in the class will be notified
Public health advice will be sought and followed

Procedures for Dealing with a Suspected Case of COVID-19

The designated isolation area for Warrior Camp is Area X, at the drop off collection area.

If a pupil /Staff member displays symptoms of Covid-19 while in the building, the procedures below will be implemented.

Pupils

If a pupil displays symptoms of Covid-19 while in the building, the following are the procedures will be implemented:

The pupil will be accompanied to the isolation area by a staff member.
A distance of 2 metres will be maintained from the symptomatic child.
The staff member accompanying the child will wear appropriate PPE.
A mask will be provided for the child presenting with symptoms. As long as it does not present any breathing or irritation difficulties, the child will be asked to don the facemask,
Parents/guardians will be contacted immediately by phone.
Warriorcamp will facilitate the child presenting with symptoms to remain in isolation, if they cannot immediately go home, and will assist them by calling their GP or local medical centre.
The child presenting with symptoms should be advised to cover their mouth and nose with the disposable tissue provided when they cough or sneeze and to put the tissue in the waste bag provided.
If the child is well enough to go home, we will arrange for them to be transported home by a family member, as soon as possible, and advise them to inform their GP by phone of their symptoms.
If they are too unwell to go home or advice is required, Warriorcamp will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick child is a Covid-19 suspect.
Arrangements will be made for appropriate cleaning of the isolation area and work areas involved.

The HSE will inform any staff/parents who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing process. The HSE will contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made. The instructions of the HSE should be followed.

Staff

If a staff member displays symptoms of Covid-19 while at camp, the following are the procedures will be implemented:

Staff members who are symptomatic will immediately inform the person in charge and go to the isolation area.
A face covering will be provided to the staff member who is symptomatic.
The staff member who is symptomatic should avoid touching people, surfaces and objects.
If the staff member is well enough to go home, arrangements will be made for them to be transported home by themselves, a family member or as soon as possible.
Anyone who is symptomatic is advised to inform their general practitioner by phone of their symptoms.
Public transport of any kind should not be used to travel home.
If the staff member is too unwell to go home or advice is required, we will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick person is a Covid-19 suspect.
The isolation area and work areas will be thoroughly cleaned in line with the guidelines.

It is important to remember that any of us can get sick or unwell, and if we do, we need understanding and support from those around us.