COVID-19 Policy

Covid-19 Policy

3Keys recognises the importance of reducing the risk to the health and safety of our members and staff. This includes doing all that we can to reduce the added risk caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This policy will outline all the actions to be taken by 3Keys, staff and members to reduce and prevent the spread of the virus. This policy will be kept current and up to date but may change as government guidelines change and as we feel necessary. During this time we will attempt to do all we can to run classes at the same quality and standard that they have always been. We will be attempting to return a sense of normality to our members, however their safety is our first priority so changes have been put in place to ensure this. All these changes are detailed below.

What is COVID-19?

Covid-19 is a viral infection similar to flu, spread from person to person by close contact. It typically causes fever and a dry cough, and in some cases may progress to viral pneumonia which cannot be treated by antibiotics. Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:

Dry cough
Sore throat
Fever
Tiredness
Difficulty breathing

The initial symptoms are not dissimilar to other colds and flu-type illnesses, but the combination of a recent onset of fever and a new continuous cough seem to be present in many cases of Covid-19.

Despite the range of symptoms that can be caused by any number of reasons, each symptom must be treated like a suspected case of Covid-19.

For more information on Covid-19 and its symptoms please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

What’s expected of the members

For the protection of all members and staff, all our members will now be required to follow the rules listed below. These new rules will be in addition to any government guidelines and the rules that members are already expected to follow.

If any of our members or anyone in their household shows any symptoms of Covid-19 they must not come to any classes and must inform us immediately.
Social distancing of 2 meters should be kept from other members whenever possible. This will be aided by markings on the hall floor.
Members will NOT be required to wear a face coverings during class, as this may hinder their ability to effectively take part in class activities. If they wish to wear a mask please let us know so that we can work around this.
Face coverings MUST be worn leaving and entering the building.
Members will be expected to arrive on time for their class to reduce interaction between the classes. If members arrive early they may be asked to wait in the car or off the premises until their class starts.
Upon arrival members will be expected to use the hand sanitiser provided or thoroughly wash their hands.
Members are asked to arrive in appropriate clothing for class as there will be no available changing facilities. This includes appropriate footwear as we do not recommend being bare foot. Please let us know if you will be unable to change before class.
Members will be encouraged to bring with them as little as possible as the space for bags will be limited at the current time. Bringing in a higher number of unnecessary items will also increase the likelihood of contamination in the space.
Any items that members bring to class with them must leave with them, including both personal items and rubbish. Additionally, if items are left in the space after class they may be disposed of to reduce the risk of contamination in the space.
No snacks or water will be provided to members, so they are required to bring their own (no nuts).
All members must remember to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and must wash their hands right away.
When leaving members will be required to use hand sanitizer once again and will be encouraged to wash when they get home
Following new government guidelines, qualified teachers may physically support members for a maximum of 15 minutes. This will only occur when necessary, while a member is performing a dance move in which they require assistance. Teachers will wear face coverings and sanitise hands regularly when supporting members. Only members with completed consent forms will be able to be assisted in this way.

What’s expected of the teachers

All teachers will be expected to follow any current government guidelines and do their best to ensure the safety of all members and reduce the spread of Covid-19. In addition to any current rules and guidelines that our teachers are expected to follow they will now also be required to follow the policies listed below.

If any teachers or members of their household shows any symptoms of Covid-19 they must not come to any classes and must inform us immediately!
Teachers must keep 2 meters distance from members at all times. This will be aided by the markings on the studio floor.
Teachers will NOT be required to wear a mask during class, as this may hinder their ability to effectively teach and run sessions.
Teachers will be expected to arrive to class at least 15 minutes early to allow for any set up time and to have a briefing with the manager prior to the class starting.
Upon arrival teachers will be expected to use the hand sanitiser provided or thoroughly wash their hands.
During this time child welfare is of extra concern and so we ask our teachers to be extra vigilant and inform the designated safeguard lead (Kieran Smith) of anything they feel is of concern. For more information on child protection please speak to Kieran or follow the link to the NSPCC website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
All teachers should be aware that there will be no access to the office and consequently no access to water. Teachers should bring their own water bottle and snacks if needed (no nuts).
Teachers must use hand sanitizer or wash hands thoroughly after coming into contact with any items that do not belong to them or after sneezing or coughing.
Teachers will be expected to remind members of the new policies that have been put in place and will monitor them to ensure that these policies are followed.
Teachers will no longer be expected to take attendance as this will be done by Kieran and Holly. Nor will they be expected to provide scripted material for the members, to help reduce contact with possibly contaminated items.
Teachers will NOT be expected to administer first aid or assist any members physically during class. This must be left to the designated first aiders, Kieran and Holly.

What’s expected of 3Keys

3Keys will be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of all members and teachers during class time. 3Keys will be expected to take all necessary preventative measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and ensure the safety of its members and teachers. We will be working very closely with our teachers to ensure that their knowledge of Covid-19 and what safety measures will be required are up to date. This will include providing them with this Covid-19 Policy document and elaborating on it if required.

Reducing and preventing the spread of Covid-19 is the responsibility of everyone and is something that should be taken seriously. This is why we have taken preventative measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our members and staff. All of these measures are detailed below and will be updated as we believe necessary, so our action may differ slightly from what is outlined. If this is the case we will update this policy as soon as possible.

3Keys will provide at least 1 source of hand sanitizer for use in each studio and will make sure it is accessible at all times.
All surfaces will be disinfected between each class by either a member of staff or one of our assistants. This will include but is not limited to; all door handles, tables, sinks, toilets, chairs, and any other objects that have been touched during the session.
3Keys will provide any additional PPE that teachers wish to use during class for their safety. No teachers will be required to wear PPE however we will not restrict their choice to wear it.
The studios that will be used by 3Keys will be marked out with tape in a 2 meter by 2 meter square grid. This is to assist all members with social distancing and so they have a safe space to learn without risk of infection.
3Keys will NOT be providing tuck shop or any form of snacks or water until further notice and will be unable to refill water bottles if they run out. This is why we ask all members and teachers to bring their own water.
Managers of 3Keys (Kieran) will be taking attendance for all classes as members enter the space and ensuring that they understand all new rules along with what is required of them.
Managers of 3Keys will be taking temperatures of all members and teachers before they are permitted to enter the building. This will be using an infrared thermometer that simply scans the forehead from a distance to detect any signs of fever. In the event that the temperature is consistently above 37.8C after multiple scans they will not be permitted to enter the building and will be required to take a Covid-19 test before being allowed to return.
3Keys will host a fire evacuation drill for each class on the first week of term. This will be focused around keeping a safe distance from other members and ensuring that all members can follow our Covid-19 based safety guidelines in an emergency situation. This will allow us to reduce the spread of the virus even during an emergency.
The corridor and office will be off limits to all except managers to reduce the areas that need to be cleaned and that may spread the virus.
Classes will no longer have assistants that are also a member in another class to avoid any cross contamination between classes and to reduce the number of people per class as an added effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Classes may have an assistant that is not a current 3Keys member however classes will be restricted to only one and they must adhere to all policies and rules that teachers and members are expected to follow. This may affect the running of classes marginally but we will all do our utmost to keep the classes running smoothly.
The designated first aiders (Holly and Kieran) will be the only members of staff to administer any form of first aid or physically interact with our members if required. In the event of any injury, first aiders will be required to use PPE (gloves and face shield) before interacting with any member to ensure the safety of both parties.
If any parents wish to discuss anything with one of the managers they may do so after class before the next class starts. Managers will wear face coverings and keep a distance of 2 meters when talking to parents or members.

Infection or suspected infection

This section of the policy will cover the response that 3Keys will take in the event that one of our members or teachers is suspected of carrying Covid-19

The response to the situation may differ slightly from what is outlined on this policy as the situation may differ from what is expected, however we will make sure to do all within our power to prevent any further spread of Covid-19 if the situation arises. This policy will be used as guidelines to advise managers on a response based on the situation that may occur.

In the event that a member or anyone in their household presents or has presented in the last 2 weeks with symptoms of Covid-19 prior to attending a class they will not be allowed in, regardless of how well they are feeling. They and any suspected members of their household will be required to take a test, and if it comes back negative they will be allowed to attend class.
If any of our members or teachers show any symptoms during class time at 3Keys they will be removed immediately to the corridor (this is the area that will be used for isolating any potentially infected persons). They must be collected or sent home right away to avoid any spread of the virus. All other members of that class will also be sent home as soon as possible to reduce the chances of them catching the virus as the area will then be considered potentially contaminated. The member that presented the symptoms will be asked to take a Covid-19 test with the class returning to the space upon a negative result. In the event of a positive result all members of the class including the teacher must isolate for 2 weeks or isolate for 1 week and take a Covid-19 test. Additionally, any other classes with the same teacher will be cancelled until a test is taken or until a cover teacher is found.
If 3Keys is informed that any members are showing symptoms any time after a class with 3Keys they will be required to take a Covid-19 test and all parents will be updated on the situation as the virus may have unknowingly been passed on to their child in a previous class. Teachers will also be informed and no classes will go ahead that involve the teacher or any of those members until a negative test is received. If a positive test is received then all classes that the member was a part of including any classes that have been taught by the teacher for those classes, will be shut down and must isolate for 2 weeks. Due to the nature of the virus and how easily it spreads this may result in the whole school shutting down for 2 weeks.

In the event that classes cannot go ahead at the school they will be run online until classes can once again return in person. These classes will be run at their usual time and will consist of a very similar structure to the classes in person, however there may be some changes due to the nature of running classes online.

Refunds will not be given in the event that a member cannot attend a class or in the event that classes in person are cancelled, whether it is due to Covid-19 related reasons or otherwise, except for the following reasons:

Replacement classes cannot be made up either in person or online.
If agreed previously by the manager, treasurer.
Due to extenuating circumstances that the manager agrees is reason enough for a refund, in full or in part.

If for any reason members or parents are not happy with the policies and precautions we have put in place then we urge them to discuss this with us either after class or via email at 3keysperformance@gmail.com

Members are under no obligation to return to class if they don’t feel safe or well. Please let us know right away if you and anyone you have been in contact with has tested positive or is showing symptoms of Covid-19. 3Keys will keep all members, parents and staff up to date with any relevant information that we receive, either specific to the youth theatre or general updated to the government guidance.

This Policy was last updated on 20/01/2022