Decision details

This service is required to scale up in order to implement and deliver on prevention and outbreak management of the new COVID-19 Test and Trace programme announced by the Government on the 27th May 2020.

Due to the global Public Health emergency COVID-19 pandemic approval is sought to temporarily increase the capacity of the Education - Health and Safety function, within the Children and Families Directorate. The approximate cost for 1 12 month period is £382,872. This will be funded from the Test and Trace ring-fenced grant.

The funding will be transferred to the Children & Families Directorate based on actual costs on a quarterly basis

The plan to increase capacity consists of the following posts:-
• 1 fte qualified H&S Adviser, Environmental Health Officer or Public Health Practitioner to promote best Health and Safety practice and respond to Leeds Schools and FE College’s queries in order to prevent and manage the spread of COVID-19 (PO1/2). Approximate cost £45,278
• 1 fte administrator/co-ordinator role to manage an effective process to respond to schools in a timely and prioritised way, communicate and archive the guidance effectively, and triage enquiries (B3). Approximate cost £24,928
• 1 fte Qualified Occupational Health Adviser to support staff in educational settings who have individual risk factors, conduct risk assessments, and ensure staff can safely be in the workplace. Thus reducing transmission of COVID-19 and enabling nurseries, schools and Further Education settings to continue to operate safely (PO4). Approximate cost £53,254
To temporarily increase the capacity of the LCC Business Administration service by seconding
• I fte COVID Response administrator role (SO1) to Children and Family Services at SO1 to manage the collation and communication of the DCS alert Covid 19 notifications from educational establishments . Approximate cost £37,258
To temporarily second
• 3 fte Support and Prevention team members (SO1) and 1 fte Health and Wellbeing Adviser ( PO1) to undertake proactive audit work, infection prevention control session planning and social media work with Early Years, Schools and FE settings. Approximate cost £111,774
To temporarily second
• 1 fte COVID Champion post (PO1) and 1 fte administrator post (B3) from Leeds Learning for Life team to support and manage the process to enable Early Years settings to effectively manage COVID-19 incidents and outbreaks. Approximate cost £67,654
Where secondments are agreed for fixed terms, arrangements for backfilling will also be considered where necessary and appropriate. In addition all those tht are seconded for this purpose on a temporary basis will have the right to return to their substantive post
The Government has provided £300m to Local Authorities in England for the Test and Trace programme, Leeds has received a £4,141,249 non-recurrent ring-fenced grant. To increase the capacity to effectively manage COVID-19 in education settings as detailed above at a cost of approximately £382,872 per annum for 1 year. This will be achieved through LCC internal transfer process based on actual costs recharged on a quarterly basis in order to deliver this new vitally important service immediately.