Joint council statement on out of school settings

A joint message from the Director of Public Health and Director of Children’s Services to out of school settings providers.

Dominic Harrison and Jayne Ivory said:

First of all, we want to say how grateful we are for the support you have given to the Council, and the work you have all done to ensure your establishments in Blackburn with Darwen are Covid-secure.”

Guidance for Out of School Settings

The Department of Education published guidance for all Out of School settings (OOSS) and

Full details of that guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020

The guidance outlines that OOSS can remain open:

• if their primary purpose is providing registered childcare,
• Offering other childcare activities, where this is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work or undertake training or education
• If they operate for the purposes of respite care, including for vulnerable children.
• If activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education
• If they Youth support services, including 1-1 youth work and support groups,

All of the aforementioned must comply with Covid-19 regulations and covid secure practices.

Dominic Harrison and Jayne Ivory added:

Our advice as agreed and outlined by the LRF Faith and Cohesion cell via the 3 Directors of Public Health across Lancashire is that we strongly recommend that all OOSS / outside school faith based group setting education including Madrasahs to move to online learning during this difficult period of national restrictions.

We have sought clarification and following further discussion and advice from DfE officials, we have been informed that an out of school setting has to demonstrate with evidence if requested that they meet the criteria and have evidence of the parents who are in compliance with the criteria outlined above.

We understand and appreciate the disruption this causes children and their learning.

However, we hope that the principle and spirit of this regulation, guidance and our advice is supported by all OOSS including faith communities to reduce risk of infection to the most vulnerable people in our communities.