Under the updated guidance from the Office for Students (5/01/21) the guidance from the government is clear: ‘Students will not be able to return to university, with students studying from their current residence, where possible, until at least mid-February’.

Students should not travel after 5^th January. Travel one way or the other should only take place if you cannot access or engage in the online provision from where you are and if you are only able to participate in online learning or receive vital support from your term-time/vacation address. Student Services will provide students making this journey with a letter which outlines the rationale for one-way travel – please email studentservices@nscd.ac.uk if you require this. We ask you to think carefully about the social obligations surrounding travel during a period of lockdown.

If you have travelled from overseas and are back in the UK, we would advise that you continue your journey to your term-time accommodation and communicate with Student Services so we can provide any support that you need. There are likely to be greater broader restrictions imposed in the next few days and we want to avoid students being stranded at a distance from the school.

Arriving back in term-time accommodation

Employ the stringent rules you adhered to during the first lockdown, especially during the first 10 days of being in shared accommodation. You should isolate as much as possible and consider the following advice:

• Wash hands rigorously
• Avoid close direct close contact with others and apply 2m social distancing rule
• Clean shared spaces after each use
• Launder clothes regularly, ideally with biological detergent and/or antibacterial additive
• Shop online where possible, leaving the house only for short periods of exercise
• Ventilate your accommodation when you are indoors with fresh air
• Wear masks in all communal areas

If you believe you have any symptom of COVID-19, have received a positive test result or are aware of any students affected, please report the incident using the form below:

REPORT AN INCIDENT OR ABSENCE

You must self-isolate and book a test as soon as possible if you have any symptom of COVID-19 or have been asked to do so by NHS Track and Trace.

Read further guidance and book a test here

You need to self-isolate in the following circumstances:

• You have symptoms and are waiting for a test result
• You live with someone who has symptoms
• You have tested positive for coronavirus
• You have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive

If someone shows coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms, that person and anyone living with the person should stay at home and not leave the house for at least 14 days.

It is really important that you don’t feel there is any stigma around getting the virus, nor does it help to dwell too much on how you may have got it. Let’s work together to be supportive of those who don’t feel well and help them to get better and recover in 14 days.  For most students, symptoms will be mild and you will feel unwell and fatigued.

If you feel generally unwell you should not come into school.

Further guidance can be found on the NHS website

Staying at home as a means of stopping the virus from spreading is essential and that means that you should not go out for any reason. A few self-isolation tips:

• Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy, or hospital.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap for about 20-30 seconds.
• Stay at least 2 metres away from other people within your house/flat/room.
• If you have symptoms, get tested immediately and isolate from those in the household who may not have symptoms.
• Think about wearing masks in communal sections of the house such as hallways, corridors etc.
• Be ultra-hygienic in communal areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, wipe down surfaces that you have touched.
• Ventilate all spaces as much as possible with fresh air – avoid using anything which might transfer contaminated air from one space into another e.g. fans
• Ask family/friends/peer without symptoms from another house to bring you food or medicine and drop them off for you at your door.
• Plan ahead and shop online, even as a group household sharing costs.
• If you have any outside space, arrange some ‘me’ time in that space so that you can break the monotony of your room.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water or other fluids.
• Do not leave the house until you get better (14 days in multiple occupancy households).
• Make sure not to have visitors during your self-isolation days.
• Keep online contact with friends and family as much as possible.
• You can use over-the-counter medications like paracetamol to help with the symptoms. But use them according to the instructions and do not exceed the recommended dose, i.e. check labels to see what you might be taking that also has paracetamol in.

If you have the NHS App and have put in the correct information, the follow up is pretty direct. If you have tested positive or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, there is a countdown on your phone which tells you how many days you must self-isolate.

Please communicate any information you receive on the app to the Covid team and they will update isolation records for you. The NHS Track and Trace team also contact you and talk you through what you should and shouldn’t do. They make it clear not to return to school until you have self-isolated for the number of days imposed official guidelines. The Covid team and student services will negotiate an agreed return date with you.

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• You feel like you cannot cope with the symptoms at home.
• Your symptoms worsen.
• Your symptoms do not get better after 7 days.

In case you cannot use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service, call NHS 111.

For a medical emergency call 999.

If you need other help contact student services.

Taking care of your mental wellbeing is absolutely necessary during self-isolation. Apart from focusing on your physical health, make sure you take time to speak to friends or family online or through the phone, do things that make you happy such as watching movies, listening to music, online learning, or reading. If you have no symptoms or have symptoms but feel well enough and can join online learning, feel free to do so in isolation.

Have a plan for your 14-period – keep busy, rest too. Know that you are not alone and millions of others all over the world are doing this too.

There are a number of ways students can access mental health support at this present time:

• Big White Wall is a free resource and safe online community to support your mental health. It is available to all NSCD students 24/7. Register using your NSCD email address to benefit from the service.
• Wellbeing support sessions with Health & Well-being staff Ali Coleman and Georgia Cooper can be booked in the usual way via Moodle.
• Student Minds have created guidance and information to help you look after yourself and your loved ones during this time.

Student Services remains fully staffed. Tutorial slots in the form of a phone call are offered each day and can be booked through Moodle. Students may also access support by emailing studentservices@nscd.ac.uk

For learner support, students can contact Jane Perekrest via email or text to arrange a support session.

For injury support, students should contact Fabiano Culora, Bodywork Supervisor via Moodle.

We have set up the NSCD Coronavirus Hardship fund to support students who find themselves in financial difficulty during these unprecedented times. Whilst the fund is limited, you can continue to use the application form on Moodle to explain your circumstances if you feel you need additional support.

If you live in purpose-built student accommodation, contact the building manager, safety or security staff to let them know you are self-isolating and ask if they can provide any assistance.

If possible, use online delivery services but make sure delivery staff know you are self-isolating so they can leave provisions in a suitable place.

Leeds City Council has a new hotline for Leeds residents unable to leave their home for groceries and essentials, and who don’t have family or friends who can help. The number is 0113 378 1877.