COVID-19 Update 13th July 2020

Government Guidance – this tends to change on a regular basis, so please keep an eye on this.

• https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus is the main page, within which you will find relevant links for community facilities (if you have a hard copy of this document, rather than typing the long web addresses below, it might be easier to go to our VillageGuard.com website, then NEWS and you will find the links to click on):
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-playgrounds-and-outdoor-gyms
• There are also links for specific guidance for Scotland & Wales where relevant, or for useful cross-reference.

 

• Although the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) information is aimed at English Village Halls, as ever, the content and guidance are useful, and for the most part relevant and helpful across all nations of the UK.  ACRE Covid-related information (including funding information) can be found here in the link below. English Village Halls seeking advice should contact their Rural Community Council Village Hall Adviser. 
• https://acre.org.uk/news/
• https://acre.org.uk/our-work/village-halls (Includes a link to find your local Village Hall Adviser: English halls, but of relevance to all UK halls).

 

Scottish Village Halls would also be well advised to make reference to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) relevant website page: https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus

We would also urge you to make reference to the Health & Safety Executive website, as we believe this is well written: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm

 

Insurance Perspective: It is important that you understand and follow the Government guidelines. Please note that insurers do not make any of the rules and can only ask you to follow Government guidelines: 

• Please ensure that activities not allowed by the Government do not take place at your Hall, including any activity organised by your hirers.
• You will need to consider social distancing in your Hall, the maximum numbers allowed to enter your Hall, cleaning, the safety of your volunteers, and much more. 
• Documenting all you do, especially cleaning and recording personal information on people using the Hall for Track & Trace, needs to be carefully considered before you open to the general public and/or hirers.

Current position on Temporarily Unoccupied Buildings with VillageGuard:  (July/August 2020)

• Firstly, by way of a reminder, what does ‘unoccupied’ mean? Your policy wording states that the building is unoccupied when the building or proportion of the building is not physically occupied by You or Your Employees during Your normal working hours and/or not used for the purposes of The Business for a period in excess of 45 consecutive days (full definition on page 14 of your policy wording). Visiting or decorating your Hall does not make the Hall occupied.
• We are pleased to inform you that full cover has been extended until 31^st August 2020 if you cannot open your Hall before that date. We will provide further information on what will happen if you do not open from 1^st September due to Covid in a few weeks’ time.
• You can open your Hall if you feel you can do it safely following Government guidelines, however if you feel you need more time we totally understand and support that.
• Please ensure that you always contact us if you plan or carry out any building works apart from minor decoration, as that always needs to be notified to our underwriters.

Before you open the Hall or if your Hall is already open in line with Government guidelines, if you have not already done so, you will need to update your Risk Assessments with Covid-19 related risks.
 

• Please ensure that all your cleaning needs are fully assessed from both aspects: as risk to the public and risk to volunteers/staff. Your cleaning needs to be fully documented and you should also ask all your hirers to document their cleaning and compliance with Government guidelines at any time.
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• Please keep up the promotion of good hygiene, ensure adequate supplies of soap, paper towels, and hand sanitiser. Please also promote social distancing, and if possible and practical, add floor markers or any other methods to keep people 2 metres apart, albeit that distance rule may change within, or across the nations of the UK.
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• Please keep logs of all cleaning, and ask hirers to review their risk assessments regularly. You may need to keep logs of all people attending to help with Track and Trace, including contact details, and make hirers aware that their details may be passed to Track and Trace if required.
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• As every Hall is different, Trustees need to decide the appropriate actions and review them regularly following any changes to Government guidelines.
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• It is important that you double check that all of your Health & Safety inspections are up to date, and if any were missed due to lockdown, that you arrange them before your Hall is open. They include testing of:
• Fixed Electrical Circuits / Gas / Lifts / Playground Equipment / Portable Electrical Appliances (PAT) / Fire Safety Equipment / Alarms / etc.

Please also ensure you are following procedures in respect of legionella. Details can be found on the HSE website (link below, all UK), and in ACRE’s guide to reopening halls (for England)
https://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires 

 

Allied Westminster remains fully resilient: client support, insurance quotation provision, policy management (documentation, renewals, mid-term adjustments, and claims handling) continue very much in line with our pre-COVID service level standards as we are totally operational.