To continue advocating for children and young people with our qualitative free play opportunities and ecological wooden games, Play Wooden CIC is working with existing Public Health England (PHE) and the Gov.uk guidance principles to ensure everyone is safe at all times from the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy is subject to change as the national policy changes or the Bristol city situation develops.
 
Everyone at Play Wooden CIC is responsible to comply with government guidelines to protect everyone from risk to their health and safety. Play Wooden CIC’s directors have the responsibility to always consider the risks that staff members, volunteers and most importantly children and young people face and implement reasonable, practical measure to minimise them.
 
The key aim of this policy is to make sure there is a shared practice in following social distancing guidelines, track & trace and keeping all of our wooden games and equipment clean at all times and applying dynamic risk assessment to mitigate risk at all times. In line with government requirements, we have published this policy and our risk assessment on our website.
 
To tackle the possibility of being infected with or transmitting COVID-19 during Play Wooden activities we are working with the Government advice as stated. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplet generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air. They quickly fall on floors or surfaces. The advice for childcare settings like Play Wooden is to follow steps on social distancing, hand washing and cleaning of surfaces as now described in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing.

 
In all education, childcare and social care settings, preventing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) involves dealing with the direct transmission (for instance, when in close contact with those sneezing and coughing) and indirect transmission (via touching contaminated surfaces). A range of approaches and actions should be employed to do this. These can be seen as a hierarchy of controls that, when implemented, create an inherently safer system, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. These include: 

·       Minimising contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend childcare settings, schools or colleges. 

·       Cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitizer ensuring that it covers all parts of the hands.

 
·       Ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

 
·       Cleaning frequently touched surfaces, often using antibacterial products

·       Minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as play area layout) and reduce numerous children and young people playing.
 
Social distancing:
 

Applying the rule of 6 as currently advised by The Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing 

• Keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. 

• Keeping a two-meter distance from other people, staying out of the crowded places and avoiding mass gatherings. 

• Track and Trace Venue Check-In available outside of workshop entrance - please use if you have the app.

  • For more information on how to use the NHS-Covid19 Track and Trace App please go to the Government website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-worksNHS test and trace. 

• The staff and volunteers supporting children and young people comply with social distancing, keep their hands clean at all times with sanitizer and clean the wooden games with adequate products.

  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings 

 
When assessing the risk Play wooden staff and volunteers must adopt the hierarchy of control:
 
1.     Identify the risk by keeping vigilant of triggers.
2.     Eliminating the risk.
3.     Reducing the risk of exposure e.g. by process change.
4.     Isolating and segregating the risk to its lowest level practicable.
5.     Controlling the risk of exposure.
6.     Using PPE, gloves, masks, sanitiser, antibacterial wipe the games 
7.     https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings 
 
 
A logbook to keep a record of each package of wooden game used and cleaned, with the record of date, time and which member of the team manages the games.
 
A registration form to be filled by the entrance of the park with the support of a play wooden staff, and a feedback survey after the session if they are happy to do so online.