Do you think creche staff should wear face coverings at work?

I am me123 · 22-07-2020 11:06am #1

I know some people who work in creches. Since the COVID 19 outbreak, I have heard creche staff are not required to wear any form of face covering at work.
Coughs, colds and flus would be, I'd imagine very easy to pick up between children & children & staff alike at the best of times, especially working in such close proximity to people. I have heard nursing home staff are required to wear masks at work.
Anyone else think creche staff should be wearing masks?
Just looking for opinions.
Thanks.

neris · 22-07-2020 11:08am

They can wear them if they want but the govt & dcya advised before the creches reopened that it was better if they didnt wear them. Also dont forget that the govt/dcya tried to force childcare staff into the homes of frontline workers in May without guidnace on ppe, safety, work place safety etc

skinny90 · 22-07-2020 11:11am

I am me123 wrote: »

I know some people who work in creches. Since the COVID 19 outbreak, I have heard creche staff are not required to wear any form of face covering at work.
Coughs, colds and flus would be, I'd imagine very easy to pick up between children & children & staff alike at the best of times, especially working in such close proximity to people. I have heard nursing home staff are required to wear masks at work.
Anyone else think creche staff should be wearing masks?
Just looking for opinions.
Thanks.

its a bit mad tbh, that being said creche workers are more less treated like 3rd class citizens so it doesnt surprise me

Lillyfae · 22-07-2020 11:16am

I think let them wear them if they want but it would be more important to let them know that they need to isolate for 14 days before coming back to work after being abroad.

One eyed Jack · 22-07-2020 11:21am

skinny90 wrote: »

its a bit mad tbh, that being said creche workers are more less treated like 3rd class citizens so it doesnt surprise me

By who?

As to the question of whether they should wear masks or not, I’d simply see it as a precautionary measure - it won’t kill anyone not to wear a mask. It’s not their interactions with children I’d be concerned about, but rather the interactions with other adults.

I am me123 · 22-07-2020 11:21am

neris wrote: »

They can wear them if they want but the govt & dcya advised before the creches reopened that it was better if they didnt wear them.

Wow that's crazy. Its pretty much par for the course in such a setting that young children don't understand good cough & sneeze etiquette yet, and will of course sneeze & cough on staff and other children, which is how virus is spread. Irresponsible of the government to not think staff wearing them is nescessary.
Just my opinion.

reg114 · 22-07-2020 11:23am

I am me123 wrote: »

I know some people who work in creches. Since the COVID 19 outbreak, I have heard creche staff are not required to wear any form of face covering at work.
Coughs, colds and flus would be, I'd imagine very easy to pick up between children & children & staff alike at the best of times, especially working in such close proximity to people. I have heard nursing home staff are required to wear masks at work.
Anyone else think creche staff should be wearing masks?
Just looking for opinions.
Thanks.

YES 100%

Lillyfae · 22-07-2020 11:31am

I am me123 wrote: »

Wow that's crazy. Its pretty much par for the course in such a setting that young children don't understand good cough & sneeze etiquette yet, and will of course sneeze & cough on staff and other children, which is how virus is spread. Irresponsible of the government to not think staff wearing them is nescessary.
Just my opinion.

Not really

My child has been back at the creche as normal for about 2 months now. It's a large creche, with children between the ages of 4 months and 4 years and about 20 staff at any given time. We've been told that children with any symptoms need to stay at home, and we can no longer go inside the building to pick them up/drop them off. We do this at the 4 secondary access points to the group rooms instead of via the "main entrance". No one is wearing a mask and there have been no issues whatsoever.

I am me123 · 22-07-2020 11:40am

Lillyfae wrote: »

Not really

My child has been back at the creche as normal for about 2 months now. It's a large creche, with children between the ages of 4 months and 4 years and about 20 staff at any given time. We've been told that children with any symptoms need to stay at home, and we can no longer go inside the building to pick them up/drop them off. We do this at the 4 secondary access points to the group rooms instead of via the "main entrance". No one is wearing a mask and there have been no issues whatsoever.

Anyone hear about the creche in Dublin who let a staff member with the virus back in to work in the creche? Very scary indeed.

GreeBo · 22-07-2020 11:41am

Lillyfae wrote: »

Not really

My child has been back at the creche as normal for about 2 months now. It's a large creche, with children between the ages of 4 months and 4 years and about 20 staff at any given time. We've been told that children with any symptoms need to stay at home, and we can no longer go inside the building to pick them up/drop them off. We do this at the 4 secondary access points to the group rooms instead of via the "main entrance". No one is wearing a mask and there have been no issues whatsoever.

How is it "not really"?

Do you believe that either creche workers or children in care cannot carry the virus?
Assuming that you don't believe the above, why wouldnt you want the workers to wear masks, if nothing else than to protect themselves!?

Your anecdote is the kind of dangerous, Trump-esque speak that has people believing COVID-19 isnt real.

Lillyfae · 22-07-2020 11:49am

I am me123 wrote: »

Anyone hear about the creche in Dublin who let a staff member with the virus back in to work in the creche? Very scary indeed.

I wouldn't speculate on what the creche did or didn't do. Maybe they weren't aware of the person having travelled abroad. To me it seems most likely that they didn't know, why would they let the staff member come to work otherwise?

GreeBo wrote: »

How is it "not really"?

Do you believe that either creche workers or children in care cannot carry the virus?
Assuming that you don't believe the above, why wouldnt you want the workers to wear masks, if nothing else than to protect themselves!?

Your anecdote is the kind of dangerous, Trump-esque speak that has people believing COVID-19 isnt real.

Where did I say that creche workers or children in care cannot carry the virus??? They've changed their policies, which doesn't include mask wearing, in order to reduce the risk and in the last 2 months the virus has not been picked up by anyone at the creche.

You know what's Trump-esque? Pretending that somebody has said something that they haven't.

cursai · 22-07-2020 11:55am

60 of us working in a small building with old 3 foot wide corridors. Nobody indoors wearing masks. Through handwashing and surface cleaning. No viruses.... If people would stop sitting at each other or jogging on footpaths etc...

Mrs OBumble · 22-07-2020 12:05pm

I don't think that children under three should be cared for in congregated settings at all.

It's not just this virus: the risks of spreading all sorts of diseases and of having inadequate relationships with caregivers are too high. Covid just highlights this.

skinny90 · 22-07-2020 12:09pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

By who?

As to the question of whether they should wear masks or not, I’d simply see it as a precautionary measure - it won’t kill anyone not to wear a mask. It’s not their interactions with children I’d be concerned about, but rather the interactions with other adults.

by their employers, and by the general sector itself...
its designed so that the service provider who gets the tender reeps the reward of all of the funding and fee's and in turn squeeze out all out going costs,maximise profits and make a business out of it.

Staff are paid peanuts(11-15€ an hour), majority will not have a permanent contract.
Majority of the staff would have completed a level 8 course which is 3-4 years in 3rd level education.

As for the question, yes I do think they need to wear masks, but as I said I am surprised given how they are treated

markpb · 22-07-2020 12:11pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I don't think that children under three should be cared for in congregated settings at all.

It's not just this virus: the risks of spreading all sorts of diseases and of having inadequate relationships with caregivers are too high. Covid just highlights this.

Those are pretty interesting claims. What inadequate relationships? How did Covid highlight anything, was there an outbreak of Covid in creches before they closed?

neris · 22-07-2020 12:18pm

skinny90 wrote: »

by their employers, and by the general sector itself...
its designed so that the service provider who gets the tender reeps the reward of all of the funding and fee's and in turn squeeze out all out going costs,maximise profits and make a business out of it.

Staff are paid peanuts(11-15€ an hour), majority will not have a permanent contract.
Majority of the staff would have completed a level 8 course which is 3-4 years in 3rd level education.

you do realise succesive govts have forced childcare into becoming a business with all the associated costs & overheads of running a business. Commercial rents, rates, heat, light, insurance, employers prsi etc. Very few people "tender" to run creches so I dont know where your getting that from.

Rodin · 22-07-2020 12:22pm

Lillyfae wrote: »

Not really

My child has been back at the creche as normal for about 2 months now. It's a large creche, with children between the ages of 4 months and 4 years and about 20 staff at any given time. We've been told that children with any symptoms need to stay at home, and we can no longer go inside the building to pick them up/drop them off. We do this at the 4 secondary access points to the group rooms instead of via the "main entrance". No one is wearing a mask and there have been no issues whatsoever.

I've worn a seatbelt everytime I get in the car and have never heard a crash.
Probably don't need it then.

Dravokivich · 22-07-2020 12:25pm

I am me123 wrote: »

Anyone hear about the creche in Dublin who let a staff member with the virus back in to work in the creche? Very scary indeed.

You make it sound like they knew the person had Covid19.

skinny90 · 22-07-2020 12:26pm

neris wrote: »

you do realise succesive govts have forced childcare into becoming a business with all the associated costs & overheads of running a business. Commercial rents, rates, heat, light, insurance, employers prsi etc. Very few people "tender" to run creches so I dont know where your getting that from.

yup thats why I said employers and the industry. ...

Where I live alot of the services are tenders as they're ran in primary schools but I take your point.

Either way the same issue occurs when it comes to welfare of the staff

One eyed Jack · 22-07-2020 12:30pm

skinny90 wrote: »

by their employers, and by the general sector itself...
its designed so that the service provider who gets the tender reeps the reward of all of the funding and fee's and in turn squeeze out all out going costs,maximise profits and make a business out of it.

Staff are paid peanuts(11-15€ an hour), majority will not have a permanent contract.
Majority of the staff would have completed a level 8 course which is 3-4 years in 3rd level education.

As for the question, yes I do think they need to wear masks, but as I said I am surprised given how they are treated

Right, so not treated like third class citizens, but rather it’s the case that they are being exploited by their employers. That’s absolutely true. For a minute there I thought you meant people working in childcare are regarded as third class citizens by people in general, but I didn’t want to be putting words in your mouth.

I don’t agree either that the majority of staff or even people working in childcare are in possession of a level 8 degree, but none of the above suggests in any case that they couldn’t take it upon themselves to wear a mask if that’s something they wanted to do. They are treated like shìte by their employers, but certainly they are not treated like shìte by the rest of society. If they don’t want to wear a mask they aren’t forced to, as far as I’m aware?

ger vallely · 22-07-2020 11:17pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I don't think that children under three should be cared for in congregated settings at all.

It's not just this virus: the risks of spreading all sorts of diseases and of having inadequate relationships with caregivers are too high. Covid just highlights this.

Wow, as a childcare worker I find this highly offensive.
Humans need to build up a natural immunity to bacteria and viruses. Chicken pox parties? They were a thing when I was a child and play dates still happen based around chicken pox.
In a childcare setting we are inspected so often. For lots of different reasons, hygiene being one of them. The settings are spotless. We constantly upskill in various areas, cleaning, hygiene and health being some of the courses we regularly engage in.
And as for inadequate relationships with care givers???? Are you for real? There are children now who unfortunately are not now getting any respite from uncaring parents. Children who do not get any emotional or intellectual stimulation at home. They are missing out on preschool.
Children learn so much from social interactions with their peers. Not every setting is solely based around €€€. Many were set up due to a genuine interest and love of children.
I don't yet know whether we will be required to wear masks when we return to work. But personally I would like to think we wouldn't. Facial expression is huge to children and sometimes more so to those with additional needs. Our years of learning, our intelligence and our new knowledge of CoVid preventative measures will be used, I hope, to keep any CoVid 19 at Bay.

ginoginelli · 22-07-2020 11:24pm

Masks will be worn indoors in all settings soon. They are essential to protecting us. Everybody who can wear one, should wear one, during this pandemic. Kids unable to can use Face shields.

Do you think creche staff should wear face coverings at work?

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