Coronavirus (COVID-19) Adaptations Expert Advisory Group: terms of reference

Overall aim

To improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19 and other infections by delivering technical and behavioural advice to optimise and embed existing COVID-19 interventions, and identify innovations to our built environment in non-clinical settings.

Background

The Short Life Working Group (SLWG) on Ventilation, reported in March 2022 with final recommendations published in June 2022. As part of these it was recommended that a COVID-19 Adaptations Expert Advisory Group (‘the group’) be established to provide advice on a broad range of adaptations including ventilation.

In broad terms, the role of the group is to consider and make recommendations on interventions and innovations that will build resilience to COVID-19 and other infections in the built environment, in non-clinical settings. This will involve considering the best means of optimising and embedding the protective measures we have become familiar with over the past two years and potential further adaptations that can be made to our buildings, homes and the built environment/spaces around them.

The Group’s advice will lessen the ongoing risk posed by COVID-19 and help mitigate the impacts of other respiratory diseases and poor air quality. This benefits social and individual wellbeing, wider public health and Scotland’s economy. This is of particular benefit to those with underlying health conditions and those at a higher risk from COVID-19.

Scope

The scope of the group is:

• advice and guidance regarding adaptations including ventilation
• interventions supporting behavioural change and the use of protective measures at individual, organisational and community level
• interventions and innovations relative to existing and new buildings and the spaces around them; in the private, public and third sectors; as well as private and social housing
• clinical settings are excluded from scope

Remit

The remit of the group is:

• to advise on how best to optimise and embed existing COVID-19 interventions and societal behaviours to improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19, recognising that these may also improve resilience to other infections and bring about wider societal benefits
• to identify innovations to our built environment (in non-clinical settings) to improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19 and consider how they might be implemented
• to consider interventions to maximise and enable the use of immediate spaces surrounding buildings and homes, as an approach to reduce COVID-19 risks
• to consider the equity and prioritisation of interventions, in light of what we know about transmission risk factors, such as enduring transmission and disproportionate COVID-19 impacts on certain groups
• to advise on emerging evidence and best practice, including from SAGE, PHS, UKHSA, WHO and relevant international sources to inform our approach
• to provide advice and expertise on the connections and impacts of any innovations or interventions considered by the group on other related policy initiatives, such as zero carbon and climate change

In the short term, The Group will take forward the SLWG recommendations and the planning for Autumn-Winter COVID-19 adaptations and ventilation. We expect the group’s focus to take into consideration

• approaches to delivery of the Ventilation SLWG’s final recommendations and wider Autumn-Winter Plans, with specific attention to health inequalities, including strategic communications and guidance, and an assessment of buildings and spaces
• challenges and opportunities to augment the strategic approach to embedding protective behaviours within the population in Scotland
• following on from the recommendations of the SLWG, actions that will have a long-term positive impact on the health of people using Scotland’s new and existing buildings
• the COVID-19 Sense Signage pilot’s evaluation and advice on a longer term Signage approach
• opportunities and challenges emerging from the rise of energy costs and the increase of more indoor contact in ‘warm banks’ and offices during winter, which could increase COVID-19 risk levels and may require some short-term and longer-term adaptations

In the longer term (beyond Spring 2023), we expect the group’s focus to take into consideration:

• distinguishing the best methods to accurately assess the ventilation performance of existing buildings in Scotland and the challenges in improving ventilation in Scotland (SLWG Recommendation 6)
• impacts, possible tensions and opportunities between policies and funding aimed at creating infection resilient environments and other policies and factors including Net Zero and high energy prices that may impact upon access to fresh air flows
• opportunities and challenges of supporting and creating infection resilient environments including within areas of deprivation, sectors and settings where the risk of infection and transmission to wider communities are higher, and across remote and fragile areas

Membership – see Annex B with list of members

Chair

• Professor Tim Sharpe, University of Strathclyde

Scottish Government

• Directorate for Population Health (Covid Ready Society Division)
• Chief Social Policy Advisor (Professor Linda Bauld or representative)
• Chief Surveyor (Morag Angus or representative)
• Chief Architect (Ian Gilzean or representative)
• Building Standards Division (Dr Stephen Garvin or representative)
• Strategy and Insight Team, Directorate For Communications And Ministerial Support
• Safer Workplaces, Directorate for Economic Development

External experts

Academics and technical experts with a range of expertise, covering key areas associated with interventions and innovations to our built environment (in non-clinical settings) and behavioural science to improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19.

Due to the nature of the group’s remit, it is expected that guests will be invited to individual sessions with a focus on a specific theme such as health inequalities or learning from adaptations in clinical settings.

Given the geographical spread of group’s members, meetings take place virtually.

The group are supported by Scottish Government Covid Ready Society policy leads who co-ordinate activity internally and provide Secretariat support.

Timing and review

Meetings of the group take place around once every six weeks and generally last around 90 minutes. However, given the need to accelerate work to implement actions to improve resilience for autumn/winter, two meetings were held in September and a further meeting in October.

The group's programme of work is likely to continue until Summer 2023, in Spring 2023 a review of the group’s purpose and remit will be conducted.

Governance

 The COVID-19 Adaptations Expert Advisory Group is independent and its members were invited by the COVID-19 Adaptations Steering Group to join the group, to which they report directly. The Secretariat will share the group’s advice to the Steering Group, and questions from the Steering Group will be relayed.

The terms of reference and minutes of meetings will be published on the Scottish Government website. The Group will retain an option to make other documentation and resources public where appropriate.

Secretariat

The Secretariat is provided by Covid Ready Society Division within the Directorate for Population Health. The Secretariat can be contacted at: covidadaptations@gov.scot.

Funding

Participation on the Group is voluntary and non-remunerated. We recognise that funding may need to be identified to cover some operational costs associated for information gathering or further research. An assessment may also need to be undertaken of possible costs of recommended implementation measures. 

Covid Ready Society

Annex B - members of COVID-19 Adaptions Expert Advisory Group 

• Professor Tim Sharpe (Chair), University of Strathclyde
• Victoria Sanderson, Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
• Dr Carole McRae, Public Health Scotland
• Professor Diane Dixon, University of Aberdeen
• Christoph Ackermann, Architectural Design and Engineering
• Professor Gill Hubbard, University of the Highlands and Islands
• Professor Cath Noakes, University of Leeds
• Professor Vittal Katikireddi, University of Glasgow
• Professor Stephen Reicher, St Andrew’s University
• Dr Alice Street, University of Edinburgh
• Stephen Long, Scottish Futures Trust
• Neil Granger, Scottish Property Federation
• Dr Chris Iddon, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
• Patrick Mackie, Argyll and Bute Council
• Tamsie Thomson, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
• Fiona Richardson, COSLA
• Alan Johnston, BE-ST

Scottish Government

• Professor Linda Bauld, Chief Social Policy Advisor
• Directorate for Population Health (Covid Ready Society Division)
• Building Standards Division (Dr Stephen Garvin or representative)
• Chief Surveyor (Morag Angus or representative)
• Chief Architect (Ian Gilzean or representative)
• Strategy and Insight Team, Directorate For Communications And Ministerial Support
• Safer Workplaces, Directorate for Economic Development