Family Early Help
The government has issued guidance (updated 31 July 2020) about when to wear face masks or face coverings.
From 15 June 2020, you must by law wear a face covering on public transport and on hospital visits.
From 24 July 2020, you must by law wear a face covering in shops or supermarkets, indoor transport hubs, indoor shopping centres, banks, building societies and post offices
From 8 August 2020, you must wear a face covering in most other indoor venues (details below)
There is more information about face masks here
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#when-to-wear-a-face-covering
Here is an image from the World Health Organisations showing do's and don't when wearing a non-medical face mask
and information from the Government about how to wear masks and how to make masks
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
When to Wear a Medical Facemask
On 16 April 2021, Camden and Islington Public Health updated their guidance on using PPE when working in residents homes. The advice is now to wear a Type IIR surgical face mask (the blue masks) in homes and venues where 2 metre distance cannot be maintained.
Family workers can get the blue face masks from the FSCF PPE store (details here)
Face Mask Exemptions
You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to. This text is from the Government guidance, which states that legitimate reasons not to wear a face mask includes:
- young children under the age of 11
- not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
- if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
- if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
- to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
- to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
- to eat or drink, but only if you need to
- to take medication
- if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering
Google Live Transcribe - Communicating Through a Face Mask
The app Google Live Transcribe offers a way to immediately translate speech onto a mobile. This paramedic has been using it to help him communicate with people when he is wearing a face mask, including people who may be hard of hearing or who lip read. Google Live Transcribe also translates into a range of other languages instantly. Not one for using for personal or confidential information, but may well be helpful in some circumstances
You can download the Google Live Transcribe app from Playstore (Apple have an equivalent)
Public Health Advice on When to Change a Facemask
We asked whether we should change our face masks when going into different homes or venues on the same day. Public Health said:
"Face coverings should be changed when they become damp or damaged, so we would recommend that family workers carry one or two additional face coverings during the working day so that if one becomes damp, they are able to change it.
If family workers are using single-use face coverings, they should dispose of it carefully in a residual waste bin and not recycle it. If family workers are using reusable face coverings, they should be washed regularly at the highest temperature appropriate for the fabric using usual household detergents
Family workers should wash their hands with soap and water (or, if that isn’t possible, using hand sanitiser) after putting on and taking off their face covering. This is important because face coverings protect others from the wearer if they have the virus.
As face coverings prevent transmission by stopping droplets being dispersed in coughs and sneezes etc., the remaining risk would be transferring the virus from a mask via the hands. Washing or sanitising hands will mitigate this risk".