UPDATE ON LATEST GUIDANCE FOLLOWING LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Department of Education in England has updated its guidance to Universities and students during Lockdown encouraging most students to ‘remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university until at least Mid-February’. However, there are allowances for students to return to study and practice for ‘Courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments and or mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and which cannot be rescheduled’. Therefore, it is expected that Universities will make local decisions (at course leaders discretion) based on their course schedules and profiles for students on PSRB courses, such as those on professionally qualifying youth and community work programmes. The implication of any cancellation or re-scheduling of activity should take in to consideration the students ability to meet mandatory requirements to progress and/or complete their programme of study within the allowances during Covid-19 restrictions that are already published by PSRB’s (see next section for reference).

For guidance on limitations for practice engagement, in England, the National Youth Agency has updated its guidance following this weeks Lockdown to Red Readiness for all England. It is strongly recommended that colleagues ensure any students in placements follow this guidance that makes allowances for a range of more limited face-to-face engagement with young people, Covid-19 safe practices, and continuing online engagement. Full guidance is available online from the NYA and colleagues should refer to their national agencies for guidance: youth work specific Covid-19 advice is available from YouthLink in Scotland, the Welsh Government web portal, and the youth services support pages from the Education Authority in Northern Ireland.

ALLOWANCES FOR STUDENTS COMPLETING COURSES IMPACTED BY COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

The current PSRB guidance and allowances for making adjustments to courses and a reduction of practice hours in response to the Coronavirus pandemic are available from the NYA for England, CLD for Scotland, ETS Wales and NSETS Ireland. Guidance is nation-specific and all PSRB agencies have made allowances for students that are affected by the Covid-19 restrictions. At yesterday’s meeting of the English ETS Covid-19 sub-group, it was agreed the current guidance for England makes sufficient allowances for students affected by Covid-19 restrictions and the NYA will provide further qualification on implementing these allowances to course leaders later this week; the NYA will also consult with JETS representatives from across the four nations on the implementation/parity of these allowances across the UK. The Association will circulate any specific PSRB updates as these are made available.

MEMBERS CONNECT: ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

Following our spring, summer and autumn series of members connect meeting, we will be scheduling a winter series of online discussion that will be published in full on our website and announced in our next full bulletin. To catch up, you can read reports from these meetings via our news feed.

In the meantime, we will hold an online meeting next Monday 11th January from 4-5pm for colleagues who wish to check-in and share any reflections, news, ask questions and seek clarification related to current guidance on operating during Lockdown 3.0. Follow this link to join the meeting, further reminders will be circulated to members with a diary invitation for those able to join the discussion.

Any general enquiries can be directed to: hello@tagplaycw.org