Page 21 - Guidelines for Voluntary Organisations re-COVID 19 - 29th October 2020

For this purpose the VO must:
• Develop a a a a a a a a a plan of what to do if if someone becomes ill with with COVID-19 at at at your premises • Identify persons persons who who may be be at at at at at at risk and and and support them without inviting stigma and and and discrimination into your organisation This could include pregnant women and and and and persons persons who who have conditions that put them at at at higher risk of serious illness (e g g g g g g g g diabetes heart and and and lung disease older age) • Review your your your operational procedures and and continue continue to to promote regular remote working working across
your your your your organisation organisation Remote working working will help your your your your organisation organisation continue continue continue to to to to operating while your your your volunteers volunteers and and clients stay safe This measure allows you you you you to to to continue continue to to to utilise the skills and and competences of vulnerable volunteers/members • Treat personal information about individuals’ health carefully in in in in line with Data Protection legislation (GDPR) If there is is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the the VO Premises
Every VO which operates its own premises must develop a a a a a a a a a a a a contingency plan plan in in case of of of an an an an an outbreak outbreak on on on site The plan plan will help prepare your organisation for the possibility of of of an an an an an outbreak outbreak of of of COVID-19 The plan should:
• Address how to to to keep any essential work running if if a a a a a a a a a a a significant number of of administrators/ volunteers/members cannot come to to to to the the the the place of of operation either because because they they are are on on obligatory quarantine or because they are ill • Communicate with your volunteers/members about the the the the the the continuity plan plan Make sure they they they are are are aware of of what they they they need to to to to do do or or or not to to to to do do under the the the the the the the plan plan Emphasize key points such as as the the the the the the the importance of of of staying away from the the the the the the premises even if they they have have only mild symptoms symptoms or or or have have had to to to to to take simple medications (e g g paracetamol ibuprofen) which may mask the the the the symptoms symptoms • Be sure your plan addresses the the the mental health and and and social consequences of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a case of of of of COVID-19 in in the the the organisation and and and offer information and and and support Duties of VO as Employer Staff and Volunteers
VOs are are are are in in in some cases also employers employers and and and and as as as employers employers they are are are are expected to to take care of of the the the the health safety and and and and and and welfare of of employees including themselves and and and and and and all other staff contractors and and and and and and delivery persons as as as as well as as volunteers This includes providing providing and and and and and and and maintaining a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a work and and and and and and and operational environment that is is is without risk to to to health health and and and and and and safety providing providing adequate and and and and and and accessible facilities for for the the the the the the welfare of of of employees to to to carry out their work work work and and and and and monitoring the the the the the the the health health of of of of of of workers and and and and and the the the the the the the conditions of of of of of of the the the the the the the workplace for for the the the the the the the purpose of of of of of preventing illness or or or or or or injury Employers must minimise the the the the the the risk risk of of of of of exposure to to to COVID‐19 of of of of of employees and and and and volunteers by taking reasonable and practical measures to mitigate risk risk Protection of of employees from the risk of of exposure to COVID‐19 may include:
Guidelines for Voluntary Organisations re-COVID-19
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