Coronavirus guidance for Council employees

Updated on 7 January 2022

From 6 January 2022, anyone identified as a close contact of a person who is a positive COVID-19 case does not need to self-isolate as long as they are fully vaccinated. That is:

• they have received two doses and a booster (plus 14 days),
• return a negative lateral flow test for seven consecutive days and
• remain fever free.

Any close contact who is not fully vaccinated (three doses) will still have to self-isolate for the 10 days and take a PCR test.

If your LFD is positive, you’re not required to get a PCR test to confirm infection but to follow isolation advice as it applies as a ‘positive case’.

Self-isolation exemption process

This process will run in parallel with the new process outlined above for colleagues who, prior to 6 January 2022, inform a manager they are self-isolating, and the manager considers there be will a risk to service delivery, they should determine if the employee is willing to volunteer to return to work, only where they meet the required criteria.

• Colleagues who are already under the self-isolation exemption scheme from 5 January or earlier should continue to follow the guidance.
• Colleagues who were asked to isolate prior to 6 January but who have not yet been required to, or are able to, return to work under the scheme may return to work in line with the rules set out in the exemption guidance, if required.

If the employee/agency worker does not wish to end their self-isolation, the manager should not continue with any further discussions. The process of ending self-isolation is completely voluntary.

Exemptions to ending self-isolation

For employees/agency workers willing to end their self-isolation because the manager considers the service is at risk, managers should use the checklist for essential workers to determine if the return to work can proceed safely with all appropriate mitigation in place. 

Completed checklists should then be sent to the relevant Service Director to review and approve as appropriate. 

Place Directorate

• Gareth Barwell, Service Director, Operational Services 
• Peter Watton, Service Director, Sustainable Development 
• Nicky Brown, Service Director, Housing, Family Support and Fair Work 
• Joan Parr, Service Director, Culture and Wellbeing 

Education and Children’s Services Directorate

• Jackie Irvine, Chief Social Work Officer and Service Director, Children’s Services and Criminal Justice
• Lorna French, Acting Head of Education 

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership

• Mike Massaro-Mallinson, Acting Service Director, Operations
• Tony Duncan – Service Director, Strategic Planning

Corporate Services Directorate

• Katy Miller, Service Director, Human Resources
• Nicola Harvey, Service Director, Customer and Digital Services
• Hugh Dunn, Service Director Finance and Procurement
• Nick Smith, Service Director, Legal and Assurance

In the absence of the Service Director, the Executive Director will review the checklist and approve where appropriate. All approvals must subsequently be reported to CIMT, and the Service Director must keep the checklist for audit/assurance purposes.

Exemption checklist

This process should only be followed where:

• resource shortages are in danger of putting essential functions and services at risk and
• an individual - who has been notified as a close contact - has volunteered to return to work (in accordance with Scottish Government Guidance).

If an individual has volunteered to be considered to return to work their manager:

1. Must discuss the possible return to work with them and complete the checklist questionnaire for essential workers with them.
2. Must pass the completed checklist to the relevant Service Director who must review and approve.

Health and Social Care colleagues

H&SC colleagues should undertake a PCR test, as soon as possible, upon finding out they are a contact. They should not attend health or social care settings for work while awaiting the results of the PCR test.

• If the PCR test is negative they will not have to self-isolate and will be able to return to work within these settings. However as an additional safeguard, they will also need to take daily LFD tests for the remainder of the 10 day period.
• If an LFD test is positive, or the individual develops symptoms within the 10-day period, they must follow the self-isolation guidance. Colleagues are reminded to record results (positive and negative) on the portal Welcome - COVID Testing Portal (service-now.com).
• After the 10 day period colleagues should continue to take an LFD test prior to each working day as per their workplace testing regime.

To summarise, H&SC colleagues can return to work where the following conditions are met.

1. They have been double-vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 booster vaccination at least 14 days prior to the last exposure to the case.
2. They have had a negative PCR test where the test is taken as soon as possible after exposure.
3. They have negative LFD tests on a daily basis.
4. They are not currently self-isolating as a COVID-19 case or under international travel regulations.
5. They do not have COVID-19 symptoms.

If a colleague has previously tested positive by PCR for COVID-19 they should continue to LFD test. The previous requirement of not having to LFD test within 90 days of a positive test no longer applies.

For services considered critical, managers can apply for an exemption (see above) to allow essential workers to volunteer to leave self-isolation and return to work, in certain limited circumstances, to allow these vital services to continue.

Exemptions should only be utilised if there is a resource shortage which puts essential functions and services at risk. The decision for an employee/agency worker not to self-isolate following a risk assessment of their personal circumstances is voluntary, and the duty of care to all employees/agency workers must be respected. Additional mitigations may also need to be considered.