CARERS’ PLEA
WE write to your readers with the concern of the challenges that we are faced with daily. While we are happy to play our part in helping the country remain open and support the economy, we are angry and demand support while doing so.
While we are providing a frontline service we are only considered essential workers and quite often are an afterthought. The Government has led the nation to believe that childcare settings are a safe environment. However, in reality it’s a different story due to many of the staff and children contracting the virus.
The Government has failed to provide workers with PPE or direction to help control the virus in the setting. We are close contacts of at least 20 children and cannot social distance from them while at work – and we only have masks to protect ourselves. No matter how many precautions we as workers take, once the virus has entered a setting it is near impossible to control the spread.
On any normal day, children are known to spread germs through coughing, sneezing, and touching. We are exposed to these every day and, in Covid times, this is frighting for staff. We are going into work anxious, petrified and stressed, knowing that no matter how safe we can try to make the environment, it is not enough. We love our jobs and the setting we work in, but we can no longer comfort and care for the children at the level they need without putting ourselves at risk.
Every day is a new battle for us as we enter an unknown environment. Due to Government guidelines, only one parent needs to be an essential worker. This means the amount of children coming into the setting each day is huge, increasing our exposure rate. We are bringing 20+ close contacts home every evening to our families who are doing their part and staying home.
INTO and Fórsa have decided they can’t support the Government with opening special education, yet the childcare services have been open for the past two weeks – not just for frontline workers but also for the 18 categories of essential workers. This list is way too broad and is easily manipulated.
As regards the vaccine, the education sector is number 11 on the list. This is very demoralising. when number six is key workers. So why don’t we fall into this group? The Government has stated how vital our services are and how it is essential childcare services remain open. Yet, when it comes to vaccinations, we are pushed down the list.
We are the first ones back at work in any lockdown and yet the Government doesn’t believe we are at risk enough to get the vaccine. If the Government has decided not to provide us with PPE or to prioritise us on the vaccination list, the least it could do is make the antigen test readily available to services. This will help us prevent spread of cases and ease the minds of staff.
Should we be made to choose between the job we love doing or keeping our staff and our families safe?