Routine protective measures in schools, early learning and childcare (ELC) settings and daycare of children's services: impact assessments

1. Introduction

Title of policy: Routine Protective Measures in Schools, Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings and daycare of children's services

Moving to routine protective measures for schools, early learning and childcare settings and daycare of children's services will help Scotland continue to manage and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in a manner that is consistent with the Strategic Intent in Scotland's Strategic Framework:

"To manage COVID-19 effectively, primarily through adaptations and health measures that strengthen our resilience and recovery, as we rebuild for a better future."

This represents an update of the suite of previous Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance.

Summary of aims and desired outcomes of policy

The revised Schools guidance and guidance for the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) sector seek to ensure routine protective measures are a proportionate and appropriate response to competing harms. They are predicated on the principles that: i) mitigations in schools should be retained for no longer than is necessary based on the state of the epidemic and evidence about risk, and ii) that there should be a presumption against placing a greater restriction on children and young people than on the rest of society.

In so doing, decision making of returning to routine protective measures has taken careful account of the evolving risk environment in schools, ELC settings and wider communities, and seeks to ensure that only those mitigations that are necessary and proportionate to ensure the safety of school communities, are retained.

Where possible, alignment with equivalent measures across wider society is deemed beneficial to support ease of understanding and subsequent adherence. This is particularly applicable in respect of self-isolation, physical distancing, face coverings, contact tracing and vulnerable people.

Directorate, Division and Team

Directorate for Learning, COVID Education Strategy and Recovery Division

Directorate for Early Learning and Childcare, Quality and COVID Safety and Recovery Unit