Edsential takes its responsibilities for the health and safety of its staff and our schools very seriously. We are closely monitoring current developments regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and would like to reassure all of our schools and its parents that we are managing this outbreak so far as we are able, in line with all current advice and guidance.
We would like to reassure you that we are continuing to follow all Government advice regarding COVID-19. We take our responsibilities very seriously and our ‘COVID-19 Secure’ risk assessments have been put together with support from Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Local Authority Health and Safety Team Advisors. It has been circulated to all Edsential employees, and we will share it with all of our contractors, suppliers and visitors and can be found here.
Additionally each team within Edsential: PE, Music, Learning Outside the Classroom, SEND, Artists, Governor Clerks and Residential all have service specific risk assessments for the particular services they deliver, should you require delivery of these services in school, this risk assessment will be sent to you.
Our catering and cleaning teams will have individual site-specific risk assessments and food/cleaning safety manuals will continue to be adhered to. All our onsite team will receive additional clarification around safe delivery of food to classrooms and delivery procedures.
All our employees will also adhere to your covid-19 arrangements, procedures, and risk assessments whilst they are onsite in your school. Working together will be crucial to control the virus and keep our employees, your staff, and your young people in your school community safe; this will continue to be our top priority.
Our catering staff are still in schools ensuring our vulnerable and key workers’ children are fed. We too are experiencing staff shortages, but like you, we are throwing everything we can, and any staff we have, at getting your school through to the other side. We will not let you down.
We have also been contacted by a number of schools with other catering providers to see if we can support in feeding vulnerable and key workers’ children at this time, or even just offer our advice. If you too need support in this area, please do not hesitate to contact us on hello@edsential.co.uk or call 0151 541 2170 and we will do our utmost to help. We’re all in this together.
As a provider of curriculum support to schools and pupils, we are following the advice of the DfE to cease all face-to-face activity until further notice.
To support schools, families, teachers, and children & young people at this time, we have asked our specialist teams to take some of their knowledge and expertise online, so you can still have access to the services we provide. Find out more here: www.edsential.com/here-for-you/
In the case of cleaning staff shortages in your schools or any required additional deep clean services, we are redeploying Edsential staff from elsewhere in the business to support you.
Should you have a booking with us in the coming weeks please call us and we will discuss whether your visit will be able to go ahead or not. If you do need to cancel we will discuss your options around claiming through your insurance, or if no insurance is held what we can do to re-schedule your visit.
We will be returning all EVOLVE forms for visits that take place between now and 30th April 2020. There has been no time frame set as of yet so we will keep you updated for visits beyond this period. Please contact your trip provider for further information.
We have taken the difficult decision to cancel all CPD and Training sessions until September. Where possible, we will automatically transfer your booking onto the next available date. You will be contacted personally with further details regarding your booking in due course.
In these ever-changing times we want to provide reassurance that our clerking service will continue to provide advice and guidance to your Governing board.
Our governance team have been supporting schools with facilitating meetings over conference call. As always, our team will continue to provide advice and guidance to your board. Governing bodies can also find valuable guidance on the continuity of governing meetings from the NGA here.
You can contact us via your clerk as usual or Nicky Bebbington on 0151 541 2170 extension 2002.
In addition to our stringent and increased hygiene and distancing measures for our catering and cleaning staff still in schools, our office-based staff are now working from home.
We are still at the end of the telephone should you need us: 0151 541 2170