Now? Seriously?

[davidgillon]

My sister has been off work for a while, first a prolonged chest infection, then various other stuff, but everything was back under control, even the new chest infection that popped up about a fortnight ago and threatened to throw a spanner in the works. (This isn't unprecedented, she typically gets a lot of chest issues during winter due to her asthma). So last week was spent organising a phased return to work - afternoons next week, full days the week after (and half term holidays the week after), agreement she wouldn't do gate duty in the mornings, extra Covid precautions and so on. Or that was the plan.

5:20PM last night she gets a text, from the NHS. "You have now been added to the shielding list and should follow the following precautions, ... if you cannot work from home you must not attend work ... ".

So she had to ring the school's head and say "You know we agreed yesterday I was starting on Monday, well..."

She must have been hovering on the borderline of the shielding list for the whole last year, and it's taken until a fortnight before it is finally lifted on the 31st for them to finally decide which side she's on. It's likely the multiple steroid prescriptions since Christmas that have done it, but she spoke to her doctor last week and he gave no indication it might be a thing.

Fortunately there's quite a lot of stuff she can do from home, given she's deputy head and normally has the SEND and looked after kids portfolios anyway, and on the positive side it does mean there's not really any way they can whinge about the length of time she was sick given it's culminated in her being rated as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.

Which now means I'm the only one in the family who is not Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, while simultaneously being the one with the most obvious medical issues. I find this ironic.

 

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

That's an irony indeed! I hope she's feeling better soon.

"SEND" I can decode, but what are "looked after" kids?

[davidgillon]

Thanks, she's already feeling much better, the steroids knocked the issue on the head over a week ago, so she was completely ready to get back to school until this came up.

Looked after kids are the ones for whom the local councils have a parenting responsibility (ie it is 'looking after' them), either because they're fostered, in care, or are with their families but have a social worker for some reason. It gets more complicated because they have kids from three different councils at the school, so that's three different departments to liaise with, and in some cases other agencies such as the police. I think the head is very glad to be able to throw this one back at my sister!

And if anyone is wondering about SEND, it's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, the UK term provisions for disabled schoolkids. Each school is required to have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

[sovay]

Which now means I'm the only one in the family who is not Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, while simultaneously being the one with the most obvious medical issues. I find this ironic.

I know someone else in the same position, and it is.

*hugs*

[davidgillon]

*hugs*

Always welcome!