Schools and Nurseries Guidance
Winter Readiness Toolkit for Early Years and Education Settings
Welcome to the Early Years and Education Settings Winter Readiness site, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) – South-West Health Protection Team.
Our toolkit is designed to help early years and education settings with planning and preparation for winter infections and outbreaks, and in outbreak investigation and management.
The resources are quick-reference documents, designed to be used as needed for your setting.
The toolkit complements the national guidance documents on the Gov.uk website for respiratory infections, influenza and viral gastroenteritis. In addition, there are a wealth of other resources and links on the web sites of the various professional health and social care organisations.
Keeping infections out of your early years and education setting
Are you ready for winter?
- Find out with our UKHSA SW self-assessment checklist: Infection, Prevention and Control Planning
- Immunisation: Vaccine knowledge project
Resources for dealing with infections in your early years and education settings
- Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities: This is the national Public Health England Guidance on managing common infectious diseases in schools and other childcare settings.
- Respiratory outbreak action card: A checklist of what to do for outbreaks of respiratory illness (including COVID-19 and Influenza/flu)
- Diarrhoea and vomiting outbreak action card: a checklist of what to do for D&V outbreakfs in your setting.
- Exclusions: The section “Managing specific infectious diseases: A to Z” advises on the time period that a child needs to be excluded from school if they have an infectious condition.
- e-bug: Gives lesson plans for primary and secondary schools on infection prevention & control and antibiotic resistance
Posters and Leaflets relevant for early years and education establishments
Glossary
Are you wondering what HPT stands for, or what the CCG do? If so, have a look in the Glossary.
What do you think of our Toolkit?
Are we hitting the mark? Please let us know how useful this toolkit is by emailing winterreadinesspack@ukhsa.gov.uk
Need any more information or advice?
If you can’t find what you need online, and think that we might know the answer, email swhpt@ukhsa.gov.uk. This is for non-urgent enquiries. If we don’t know the answer, we may know someone else who does.