13 March 2020 – ESL Briefing

Dear Colleagues

This week we have had changing updates on the Coronavirus from Public Health England, through the City Council and the media. I was particularly struck by the words of the World Health Organisation Director General two days ago – ‘This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector – so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight’. So how can everyone in the ESL team help prevent infections, save lives and minimize impact?

Firstly, we have to make sure we are prepared and ready. Yesterday, it was great working with ESL Managers on a detailed Corvid-19 Risk Assessment and Business Continuity Plan. I’m also working closely with colleagues across the Education and Skills Directorate, led by Alison and our leadership team, to ensure we are taking the right action and spreading the right messages to staff, users and partners.

Secondly, I know that many of you have been taking proactive steps to protect and prevent against transmission. This is where we all come in – ensuring that we are sharing clear communication about the risks and how everyone in our team and all our service users can protect themselves – this is everybody’s business. Attached with this briefing are the latest guidelines for all ESL teams regarding our core working arrangements. As this is a dynamic situation, we will be updating our plans as new guidance and local factors emerge. Your line manager will be keeping you informed of any key changes.

Thirdly, we will need to ensure that anyone that is unfortunate to become infected is supported to self-isolate, alert others who may have been contacted, and potentially get access to the treatment they need.

Finally, we are already innovating and learning how to do things differently – for example, today in place of travelling to London for a workshop, I was able to take part through an online app – it worked really well and I gained four more hours to work on other things.
ESL is a team where everyone looks out for each other, because we need each other. This is doable. We’re definitely in this together, doing the right things, calmly, to protect the citizens of Bristol and the world.

Best wishes
Jane Taylor

Head of Employment, Skills and Learning

ESL Corvid-19 Working Arrangements March 13th 2020