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Any T1s teachers going back to/ shielding from secondary school in Tier 4?

London36_

Well-Known Member
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132
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Been searching here and can’t find anything but would love to know T1 experiences / plans RE the current situation Jan 2021. I’ve asked on Instagram with no luck (type1dee if you want to answer there!)

Posted here RE Covid at start of first lockdown which was so helpful as we can’t ask anyone else
️

Sooo, I had shielding letter at first lockdown as I’m in higher risk profession - a secondary teacher, have hashimotos, 41 and T1. Then when shielders were told to shield again recently until start of Dec my school wanted another shielding letter as they said T1 not shielding anymore in their view. I didn’t get another letter and didn’t push it as was very happy to work really as feel so guilty not being there and remote teaching is a nightmare workload wise! Now I’m starting to get really anxious again with rates so high and filled in the ‘get a shielding note’ gov thing a couple of days ago and not received a reply. What are you guys doing? Any info? Opinions?

I’m anxious about the difficulty of the situation- not just about getting Covid - but shielding because it’s the sensible thing to do yet simultaneously feeling awful about not being there in person for my exam classes and, for what feels like, career suicide even though I know this shouldn’t be the case.

If we shield now, it could be for a long time until we get the vaccine?
 
ert said:
Tier 4 teachers who are clinically vulnerable need to stay at home. Here's the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ng-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Click to expand...
Being very pedantic. (Sorry) Clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable are different things. One gets to shield. The other doesn’t.

But your link should be very helpful to the op.

@London36_ i have a yr 11 Exam yr child. You are no use to him, or subsequent pupils, in icu or worse. Protect yourself and encourage your colleagues to do likewise. There’s a fair few teachers on Facebook group “parents against unsafe schools” and there are other groups specific teachers I’m sure you can find.
 
*extremely vulnerable who have a shielding letter
 

Hi, I am not a teacher but I travel with children with SEN and I am feeling a little anxious about going back on Tuesday, I don't think my Gp knows what profession I am in, he's never asked.
I am over 60
 
KK123 said:
Could you contact your GP (who presumably sent you the first one) and get another one? I doubt they would consider you at less risk than you were back then. x
Click to expand...

I did when shielding was reintroduced a couple of months ago when my school wanted another one and they said they were no longer issuing letters but that they came directly now from the government.

Think you are right though, I should contact again.
 
Robinredbreast said:
Hi, I am not a teacher but I travel with children with SEN and I am feeling a little anxious about going back on Tuesday, I don't think my Gp knows what profession I am in, he's never asked.
I am over 60
Click to expand...

I think it is very relevant so worth giving them a call if you want to shield. (Wish I knew what I wanted to do!)

The government shielding website thing is written from the premise that naturally you are at home if you are in Tier 4. It is like they have completely forgotten those of us who have to physically be at work with children/teenagers.
 
I’ve just texted a worried daughter who wants all schools closed that if it were me I’d have kept her and her sister at home. I hope she keeps our grandchildren away from school until it’s safer to be there, however long that takes.
If I were your mother (stop spluttering your coffee over the carpet @Robinredbreast) I’d keep you and @London36 home too. We’re told the new variant is more active in children and raises their transmission levels.
 
The more I read the more I’m coming to the same conclusion. Why should my 18 & 11yr olds stay home but my 9 & 8yrs olds go to school. Especially considering there is an extremely clinically vulnerable father & clinically vulnerable mother.

Anyway that’s a bit off topic. I’d say you are more valuable safe and well rather than at risk. Surely your school can adapt to online teaching for classes? Everything is through Microsoft Teams for my older two, no direct contact with teachers when home schooling.
 

Awww, I was actually drinking tea at the time
The thing is I am not an anxious person, I just get on with things, always have done, but I think because of a pass experience I now feel scared of catching Covid 19, especially the new strain, ending up in hospital and then it becomes a lottery of who get's treated first because of the ever increasing numbers of this **** virus, also the government have lost control, there's no real leadership or confidence from bungling Boris.
I have no faith in them whats so ever,
Maybe a few of us could find a way of putting our views across to address this shambolic situation that we are all in, our country has been let down badly........................

ed by moderator for language
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Type 2 vulnerable TA here in primary school, with vulnerable child of my own at home who has half a lung missing. Anxiety is hitting hard about going back tomorrow - no mask, no shield and working 1-1 with phonics and speech. I have no answers just empathy for your concern. Online learning is an absolute pain in the rear end but I'd rather do that than be responsible for my own demise or my child's.
 
Have you seen the neu advice regarding s44 of h&s. (Unsafe working conditions) They have produced a template letter for all staff to use union members or not. Go take a look on their website.
 
No mask, no shield and working in close contact. NOT SAFE. I don't think the school can actually ask you to do that, in the same way hospitals cannot ask nurses to work without PPE.

You need to find the person making covid decisions for your school and explain your working conditions. At bare minimum, you should get a transparent faceshield. Ideally you'd be switched to online. Other posters have put up links to official safety sites which you should be able to quote from.

And thank you. I don't have a child, but that you are willing to try going back in astounds me and makes me very, very grateful.
 
Hi, posting in case you're asked to be in with vulnerable pupils or children of key workers. All vulnerable staff should have a personal risk assessment. It is a reasonable adjustment that you stay 2m distance and have a clear face shield at the very least. This should not stop you from being able to do your job. It is discriminatory to forbid you from these basic health and safety measures.
Think about asking a school union rep for advice (even if you're not yet a member of their union) and speak to a line manager/head/HR person as you feel appropriate. Hope you remain well!
 
Sorry only just come accross this thread. There is a clear category of people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable because their GP has identified them as such. This is where I stand as I only have type 1 but my GP and consultant advised me that I am CEV. Your GP still has the authority to add people or explain to you why you have been removed from the list. I got a letter in the summer when they officially ended shielding saying I'd be kept on a database should they reinstate shielding. Then got an email about 8pm the night before the Nov lockdown started confirming I should shield again. My school accepted both of these, which was good because the official letter version didn't arrive until the end of Nov!

Either way you should still have a risk assessment and conversations with HR/manager/head/union rep as you see fit about your suitability to be in for vulnerable pupils and children of key workers. It is a reasonable adjustment that you are at the very least at the end of the rota or back up given the fact that you have previously been advised to shield, and therefore clearly at greater risk compared to other colleagues. Hope you're able to stay well!
 
After last nights covid lock down broadcast, I emailed my transport team to tell them I wasn't going to do the school run because I didn't want to put my health at risk being in a confined space with the children, as this new strain of coronavirus is rampant. I had to call them this afternoon, as I didn't hear from them, and a member of the transport team said she understood my concerns and said I'm not the only one. She said she would pass on my concerns to the head of transport but, there may be repercussions if I don't go in, possibly loss of pay or disciplinary action??.
I rang ACAS and an advisor told me to get in touch with 111 and ask for a shielding letter, but I said I wasn't entitled to one and he said to check and see or call my surgery, which I am and on hold, I'm currently caller number 09.
 
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