COVID Guidelines and risk assessment

The entrance and exit to venues are narrow and so it’s impossible to social distance when multiple people use it at the same time. Hence social distance is compromised.

CONTROL MEASURES

• Parents and children to wait outside the venue to be let in one at a time by the director and if arriving at the same time to queue at a 2m distance apart
• 2m distance marks to be placed on the group outside
• No parents to be allowed into the venue at drop off and pickup times
• Where more than one workshop is happening at adjacent venues, arrival and departure times will be staggered
• All children must use hand sanitiser provided on arrival and departure
• Temperatures will be taken on arrival and throughout the day if any symptoms become apparent. If the temperature of the child is over 38 degrees then the child will not be allowed into the venue and/or should be taken home to self-isolate. Above 38 degrees centigrade is the NHS level for a 'high temperature'.
• Parents are discouraged from gathering together outside the setting to minimise the adult to adult contact.
• All children over the age of 12 will need to wear a mask on arrival and departure.

Contamination of personal possessions and the resultant passage of the virus from possessions to hands.

CONTROL MEASURES

• No sharing of any personal possessions, including bags, clothing, scripts or writing material or tools
• Personal responsibility for moving and collecting any personal possessions
• Personal possessions to be kept within individual drop-off storage points
• All personal possessions to be clearly named
• All children to bring their own writing utensils and notebooks

Contamination of food or drink

CONTROL MEASURES

• No food or drink to be shared at any time
• All lunchboxes and water bottles to be clearly named
• Any discarded or unused food and drink to be taken home or thrown away by the individual

Contamination of doors, tables, chairs and floor of the venue.

CONTROL MEASURES

• All surfaces to be wiped down with sterile wipes at the start and end of the day
• Toilet breaks to be staggered and two toilets to be used for a maximum of 15 children.
• Floor tape to be used to mark out 2m distancing
• Windows and doors to be kept open at all times to increase ventilation

A large number of children or adults in a group can lead to increased infection rates

CONTROL MEASURES

• As per government guidelines, groups kept at a maximum of 15 children aged U16.
• Groups of children to be kept in their own bubble and not to mix with other groups
• Adults encouraged to maintain social distancing at all times
• The rule of 6 announced by the government does not affect out of school groups like ours.

A child displays symptoms of Covid-19 and will therefore potentially infect others in the group

CONTROL MEASURES

• If one child displays symptoms of Covid-19 then they will be isolated from the group immediately and a parent called to collect them.
• A child displaying symptoms will not be able to return to the group until they have had a Covid test returned as negative.*
• If more than one child displays symptoms then the whole group will be asked to isolate. 

In the case of classes being cancelled due to a Covid positive test, full refunds will be given on any missed classes. Outcomes of Covid tests must be shown to the YAG office prior to returning or seeking a refund.

During performance, both fellow performers and audience can be infected if social distancing and/or certain types of performance, like dancing or singing, occur too close to the audience

CONTROL MEASURES

• Actors to be kept at a minimum of 1m apart during all performance and rehearsal. Guidelines state 2m unless not viable which in our groups is not viable.
• Dance routines to be kept to a minimum and dancers to be kept at least 1m apart at all times.
• Singing to be undertaken at government recommended 6m from audience and no singing to take place unless venue is well ventilated.
• No performers will touch each other at any time unless wearing PPE.
• No props will be shared during performance unless they are sterilised backstage from one actor to another. Similarly, if they are shared onstage then the process of sterilisation will also be incorporated into the performance.
• Audience numbers to be kept at a lower capacity and to be seated in family / bubble sections which are spaced at social distance guidelines of 1m+
• Each performer will be responsible for their own costume and costumes will not be shared.

Contamination of toilets leading to spread of the virus

CONTROL MEASURES

• Two toilets will be made available for each group of 15 children and will not be used by other members of the public, adults or other groups of children
• Venue is maintaining daily cleaning rotas

Members of staff are equally at risk from the virus.

• All staff members to have read and been trained in the above control measures.
• All staff members to wear masks when signing children in or out of their group.
• All staff members to adhere to all control measures and to remind groups of safety measures at regular intervals.
• All staff members are professional practitioners with many years of experience working with children in difficult and sometimes stressful environments.
• If a staff member displays symptoms of the virus then they will isolate for 14 days and a new member of staff will replace them.
• Number of staff members to be reduced to a child safeguarding minimal level.