Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
'Living, Loving, Learning Together'
Latest News
Latest News
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Domestic Abuse Support
Mon 30 Mar 2020We are working in partnership across Merseyside to inform the public that support is available for anyone experiencing domestic abuse as we know that the risk of domestic abuse increasing during lockdown is high.
Liverpool communications team have issued the statement below which can be found on the Liverpool express website and council twitter feed:
https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-those-experiencing-domestic-abuse/
The IDVA Service and local DA Agencies have made arrangements to enable support to survivors and we will communicate any changes to service provision if required.
‘Many residents will be following the local and national advice around household isolation and social distancing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This advice is in place to limit the spread of the virus and keep as many people as safe and well as possible.
We know that there are vulnerable people in our communities who will be more concerned than others about the prospect of staying at home for a number of reasons, including those who have been the victims of domestic abuse such as violence or coercive and controlling behaviour.
While all public services are adapting to new ways of working during this pandemic, our message to anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse is clear: You are not alone and you don’t have to suffer in silence – we will still be here for you, no matter what.
Liverpool City Council, Merseyside Police, Local Authorities and providers of domestic abuse support across Merseyside will continue working together to maintain essential services and contacts for anyone affected by domestic abuse during the weeks and months to come.
Support will still be available by telephone, text message or online services.
Who to contact:
If you, your child or anyone in the family are at immediate risk of harm, you should contact the police urgently, CALL 999
If you are a Liverpool resident and are experiencing domestic abuse or believe someone you know is please contact support services via:
www.victimcaremerseyside.org (directory of services)
https://ehd.liverpool.gov.uk/kb5/liverpool/fsd/home.page (Liverpool early help directory)
or call
Worst Kept Secret Helpline: 0800 028 3398
Further support can also be found at these national agencies:
Women’s Aid | womensaid.org.uk | https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/
National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (24 hours)
Refuge (includes information for men) | refuge.org.uk | 0808 200 0247 (24 hours)
The Men’s Advice Line, for male domestic abuse survivors – 0808 801 0327
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0800 999 5428
Samaritans (24/7 service) – 116 123’
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Key Workers List
Fri 20 Mar 2020Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.
Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
- If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
- If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
- Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
- Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
- Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.
If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision:
Health and social care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
Key public services
This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
Local and national government
This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
Public safety and national security
This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.
If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.
If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.
We are grateful for the work of teachers and workers in educational settings for continuing to provide for the children of the other critical workers of our country. It is an essential part of our national effort to combat this disease.
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Updated Links
Tue 17 Mar 2020Updated government guidance and the Prime Minister's announcements yesterday can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-16-march-2020
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
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Coronavirus Update for Schools
Tue 17 Mar 2020A letter from Steve Reddy, Director of Children's Services:
Dear children, young people, parents/carers and families,
We appreciate the considerable anxiety faced by the whole community at this moment. My team is working closely with Head Teachers to ensure they are provided with up-to-date guidance and support.
It is important that we all follow the guidance set out by the Government and DfE which no doubt will change over the coming days and weeks.
I thought it would be helpful if I provided the following reassurances, based upon the current position as of 16th March 2020.
- All schools currently remain open. They will only close as a result of coronavirus case, if directed to by Public Health England.
- There is no need to cancel school events or activities including domestic trips, unless the risk assessment undertaken by the school concludes this is necessary.
- Schools will not be communicating to their school community ‘suspected ‘or ‘confirmed’ cases of coronavirus, unless directed to by Public Health England.
- Schools are ensuring that children, young people, staff and visitors are washing their hands thoroughly and regularly throughout the day.
- Schools are taking steps to clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces more often than usual, using regular cleaning products.
- Children should be kept at home for 7 days if they are unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise they should attend as normal.
Guidance about staying at home is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
NHS guidance can be found here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
- Schools are spending time in lessons, as part of the curriculum, talking to children about coronavirus and supporting children who may be experiencing any anxiety.
We value the support of our schools, children, young people and families during these uncertain times. Liverpool has a strong tradition of pulling together, long may this continue.
Best wishes,
Steve Reddy,
Director,
Children and Young People’s Services.
Schools and families can find further guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
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COVID-19 Guidance
Mon 16 Mar 2020An important change was announced by the Prime Minister yesterday in how we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is based on scientific and public health evidence. As you know, up until now, there was special advice for people returning from specific affected countries like Italy about self-isolation on return home. This has now changed. People who have returned from Italy and other affected countries do not need to stay at home unless they have a cough or fever. If your child does not have these symptoms, they can return to school as normal on Monday. As of today, we are now in the DELAY phase of our national response. This means that anyone with a new continuous cough or a high temperature is asked to stay at home and not leave for 7 days from when the symptoms started. This applies to everyone in the community, regardless of whether they have been abroad or not.
Further advice will be going to all parents about the need to stay at home if you have cough or fever. There is useful information online at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
You can receive the most up to date guidance on the twitter account @covidliverpool
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