Coronavirus Covid-19 Information and Advice

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on Tuesday 17 March and learning assessment will continue online, wherever possible. All information will be on your SOL pages.

By now you should have received detailed information from your course leader about your ongoing learning and you are feeling confident about moving forward with your studies in this new online format. Please remember that your teaching team remains fully available to you, so do keep in contact with them so they can help with any questions or concerns you may have.

All assessment deadlines for the remainder of this academic year are being extended to reflect these difficult circumstances:

• A two-week extension is being applied to all Level 3, 4 and 5 assessments.
• A two-week extension is being applied to all modules at level 6 except for final major projects and dissertations (see below)
• A four-week extension is being applied to level 6 final major projects and dissertations

Your course leaders will be in touch regarding specific submission dates for all your assessments, but please contact them if you have any queries in the meantime.

The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team: student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also all still ready to provide any advice you may need, so do get in touch for further support.

If you have any questions about accessing disability learning support remotely, please contact access@solent.ac.uk.

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on Tuesday 17 March and learning assessment will continue online, wherever possible. All information will be on your SOL pages.

By now you should have received detailed information from your course leader about your ongoing learning and you are feeling confident about moving forward with your studies in this new online format. Your teaching team remains fully available to you, so keep in contact for any support, questions or concerns you may have.

Assessment methods will be adapted to allow online assessments and recognise that certain live events or group work may not be possible:

• A four-week extension to all postgraduate taught assessments.

Your course leaders will be in touch regarding specific submission dates for all your assessments, but please contact them if you have any queries in the meantime.

The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also ready to provide any advice for support you may need.

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on Tuesday 17 March. Supervision will be via email, Skype, etc. Vivas will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on on Tuesday 17 March. We will work with you and your employers to ensure you can continue your off-the-job training. Course leaders and heads of subject will provide precise information on your structured programme of learning and virtual progress reviews to align with potential home-based working. All information will be on your SOL pages.

If there is any change in your employment, in most circumstances you can continue your apprenticeship and we can put in a support plan to assist you in finding another apprenticeship role.

If you are coming up to end point assessment, we will be in contact with you to confirm arrangements. We are incontact with our end point assessment organisations to establish their plans to enable this part of your apprenticeship to continue.

All forms of assessment, where feasible, are being adapted so they can be undertaken off campus and outside the UK. There will be no assessment tasks for the remainder of this academic year, ie, until 31 July, that will require you to be on campus or submit manually. Any assessments required to be on campus will be rescheduled for your return or for the next phase. We will be working with the MNTB and the MCA to minimise the impact.

We appreciate that this situation may impact on your sea time. We will be working closely with sponsoring companies, training managers, the MNTB and the MCA to minimise the impact on you.

As you may already be aware, the MCA has suspended oral exams until further notice. We will ensure you receive support to be fully prepared for your orals once this service resumes.

All forms of assessment, where feasible, are being adapted so they can be undertaken off campus and indeed outside the UK. There will be no assessment tasks for the remainder of this academic year, ie, until 31 July, that will require you to be on campus or submit manually. Any assessments required to be on campus will be rescheduled for your return. We will be working very closely with the MCA to minimise the impact on you.

All assessment deadlines are being extended to recognise the difficulties this situation has caused and in reponse to student feedback. The new dates will be available on SOL pages by Thursday 26 March, sooner where possible.

We appreciate this situation may impact on your sea time. We will be working closely with companies, training managers and the MCA to minimise the impact.

As you may already be aware, the MCA has suspended oral exams until further notice. We will ensure you receive support to be fully prepared for your orals once this service resumes.

Short courses at Warsash will cease from Monday 30 March, unless otherwise directed.

We've added some new learning resources that you will find useful as you continue your studies remotely.

• A succeed@solent SOL page has been created to help with learning at a distance.
• A new virtual helpdesk is availbale where you can video chat with an e-learning expert - open 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Your lecturers and course leaders remain fully available to you, so do let them know if you have any questions or concerns.

Yes. If you are having to look after dependents due to circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (for example due to school closures), you can cite ‘Covid-19 circumstance’ on the extenuating circumstances form. You will not be required to provide evidence for this and will be allowed a 14-day extension or a deferment. You can submit a single form covering all affected modules and assessments.

In order to safeguard the wellbeing of our students and staff, their families and our visitors, and in line with evolving Government guidance, our School of Art, Design and Fashion has taken the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Summer Showcase, which was due to take place in June.

However, plans are already underway to develop alternative ways to showcase the culmination of three years’ hard work by students and staff alike –  more information on this will be available soon. 

As a result of campus closure, Adobe has provided temporary at-home access for impacted students and staff, so you can continue your work remotely. Please follow the instructions below to enable access to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps on your personal device:

1. Visit https://creativecloud.adobe.com and use your school credentials to sign in.

2. If prompted, select Company or School Account and then enter your password. Or provide your credentials in your school’s login screen.

3. From the Creative Cloud website, browse for and download your desired app. Click Apps on the top of the page to view all apps.

For more information on how to download or install apps, see Download and Install Creative Cloud apps.

To help students to continue to develop their skills, Adobe is also offering free 'Daily Creative Challenges'. These are guided projects where participants receive creative prompts and connect with pros, mentors, and other students for feedback and support. Click on the app name to learn more: Photoshop, XD and Illustrator. Also, for inspiration and over-the-shoulder learning, watch pros share their creative process on Adobe Live daily at www.behance.net/adobelive.

For staff seeking to engage students during campus closures, Adobe has curated resources to help them discover inspiring projects, best practices, and new ideas so they can continue to drive valuable learning in virtual environments. For more information on Adobe’s distance learning resources please click here.

To ensure we are best protecting the health and welfare of our Solent community, and in line with the latest Government social distancing guidelines, there will be no teaching or assessment activity for the remainder of this academic year that will require students to be on campus.

Please speak to your lecturer who will advise you on the exact submission dates, but rest assured assessment deadlines are being changed where needed to reflect these extraordinary circumstances:

• A two-week extension is being applied to all Level 3,4,5 assessments.
• A two-week extension is being applied to all modules at level 6 except for Final Major Projects and Dissertations (see point 3)
• A four-week extension is being applied to level 6 Final Major Projects and Dissertations
• A four-week extension to all postgraduate taught assessments.

Your course leaders will be in touch regarding specific submission dates for all your assessments, but please contact them if you have any queries in the meantime.

We will be releasing undergraduate student results at the end of August and re-sits and resubmissions will take place at the beginning of September. We then plan for continuing students to move on with their studies as planned.  

Final year students will receive their final results in early September and will graduate from their courses as normal. This year’s graduation ceremony will be postponed to a later date.

You can access Solent Futures Online through the Careers tab on the Portal where you’ll find advice and guidance on all aspects of career planning, as well as video and interactive content to help you plan your future.

You can also sign up for email alerts for both graduate and part-time jobs. If you have any questions, please email solent.futures@solent.ac.uk.

There is also still support available for any students who are considering starting their own business, including online workshops and the opportunity to take part in a virtual pitching panel for seed funding to get your business idea off the ground. Please email enterprise@solent.ac.uk if you’d like to know more.

While many students have already travelled home, Government advice is now that students remaining at university in England should now stay where they are and not attempt to travel. If you are a resident in one of Solent's halls of residence and this affects you, please contact the accommodation team (accommodation@solent.ac.uk) to advise if you now plan to remain living in halls.

We also understand that some of our international students are hoping to travel home and we are in touch with them to provide support where we can.

We can confirm that:

• There will be no teaching or assessment activity for the remainder of this academic year that will require students to be on campus.
• No students should visit any of the University's campuses.
• Students unable to return home (for example if you are a care leaver, an international student, are self-isolating, or have vulnerable relatives at home) should contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk or the Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk to advise of your specific situation, so we can ensure you’re getting the support you need. Full advice for students in our halls of residence can be found immediately below this FAQ.
• We do ask that students remain in contact with the University and course leaders as much as possible to minimise any disruption to your learning experience.

The Student Hub team also remain available for help and advice via email: student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

Leaving halls

While our halls of residence remain open and operational, in light of the most recent Government guidance, we are suggesting that all those students who are able to do so safely, return to their home addresses as soon as possible. This may not be an option for everyone and will allow us to continue to focus support where it is most needed and to best protect those who need to remain on site.

If you are unable to return home (eg, you a care leaver, an international student, are self-isolating, or have vulnerable relatives at home) please contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk or the Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk to advise of your specific situation, so we can ensure you’re getting any support you need.

If you have already moved out leaving belongings in your room, please be assured these items are safe, and there is no need for you to return to collect at this point. We will keep you updated should this position change.

Social distancing in halls
For those students who need to remain in halls, it is really important that you follow all Government guidance around social distancing in order to protect yourselves and your fellow students, as well as staff members and the wider community. You can find all the information on what you should be doing here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus,

Rents and refunds
All our halls of residence remain open and fully operational in order to provide support for those students who need to remain on site. However, regardless of whether you remain on site or move out:

• The University will not be collecting any further rent payments for this academic year from today’s date.
• You will not be charged for any accommodation fees after 1 April.

If you have any further queries, please contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk, or the Student Hub student.hub@solent.ac.uk, who will be happy to help.

We know you may have suddenly left your room in residences to return back home and, as a result, may not have taken all your personal items with you. Endsleigh Insurance will continue to cover any items left in your room up to the policy limits, even though you’re not living in residences, until 1 July 2020.

As an additional benefit, when you’re travelling (in the UK only) you’ll also be covered for any personal items you carry with you against theft for up to £500 per bag.

If you should need to make an insurance claim or check your cover under your Endsleigh Policy, the policy number is HH1179.

• Claims can be registered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by reporting them online via www.endsleigh.co.uk/newclaims.
• Endsleigh’s claims service is open five days a week, Monday to Friday 9am - 5.30pm, tel: 0800 923 4042.

It’s important you are prepared for the different situations that could arise due to the coronavirus, Covid-19.

• If you have non-medical help (NMH) eg, a specialist mentor or specialist study skills tutor, please contact your support provider to ask what their plans are in the event of your mentor being unable to attend your sessions or the University being closed.
• If you have personal care or other care support, please contact your provider to discuss plans for any situation that may arise due to the coronavirus.
• If you have a health condition or disability that you think makes you more vulnerable if you catch the virus, please make sure you have discussed this with a medical professional.
• It’s important you consider whether there are any situations that would mean you would need to go home for health reasons.
• If you have any questions or difficulties making plans, please contact Access Solent by email access@solent.ac.uk.

Please don't worry, and please don't try to get evidence from your doctor, as we know they are exceptionally busy at the moment and that the Government have advised us all to stay at home. In these exceptional circumstances (from 24 March 2020 to 31 July 2020) we will accept an application for extenuating circumstances without medical evidence. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

Students and staff are continuing to attend University and placements but we are aware that this is a fluid situation and that there is a need to respond to local decision-making processes within placement agencies. 

We are aware that the COVID-19 response may encompass changes to working practices and the potential for reduced direct access with people with lived experience and/or wider service provision within your areas of practice. 

If placement agencies continue to operate a meaningful, safe and proportionate service - then it is anticipated that students will continue to attend placement and work in line with agency guidance (National Guidelines will inform this) 

If agencies operate a policy for home working and you have appropriate mechanisms in place to support your continued activity from home, please continue in line with the guidance of your Practice Educator/Supervisor or Placement Agency Line-manager. 

Should your placement agency undertake measures to close your placement setting – as a temporary response - please discuss the potential for research activity and/or project work that may be relevant and achievable while working from home.

If opportunities for practice are severely curtailed it may be necessary to suspend your placement. The University will liaise with placement providers and Social Work England to draw upon relevant guidance and ensure the best support for your continued studies.

Throughout this period we ask that students, practice educators and practice supervisors retain a log of placement days and notify the Practice Learning Coordinator and individual tutors if placements need to be suspended.

If you have concerns, please liaise with individual tutors, the Practice Learning Coordinator and/or the Student Hub by email: student.hub@solent.ac.uk

If I am on a healthcare placement and there are suspected cases of coronavirus (Covid–19) what should I do?

All placement areas have protocols to manage the situation and will be linking with infection control teams and Public Health England (PHE). You will therefore be following these procedures in the same way you would for other placement activities.

Key things to remember: 

• Adherence to infection control procedures remains paramount. 
• Continue to maintain confidentiality and not discuss details outside of expected parameters. 

You should follow procedures outlined for the general public if you are unwell  https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

If I am on a healthcare placement and there are confirmed cases of coronavirus what should I do?

It is not expected that you would be required to provide clinical care for a person with confirmed coronavirus as there will be healthcare professionals with specialist training for this.

I’ve had contact with somebody who has travelled to one of the affected countries – can I go to placement / university?

Follow Public Health England’s advice on their website

If you are still unsure or concerned, you can speak to the member of staff in charge on placement, the education lead for your placement, your academic adviser or programme leader. 

If a student on placement overseas is quarantined with the coronavirus and then has to fly home, would the travel insurance pay for an additional ticket and/or refund the cancellation of the existing ticket?

Any additional costs to return home early or later than the original ticket can be submitted for the insurers' review, but first check whether you can get a refund for the existing ticket.

If a student on placement becomes unwell and incurs personal costs due to being quarantined with the virus, would these costs be covered?

Medical expenses incurred while on an insured trip are covered, there are no COVID-19 exclusions in place. Students (or staff) should contact our assistance company (details are on the Portal and on the emergency medical assistance card and app) as soon as symptoms are present, or they feel unwell, to enable a swift co-ordinated response for treatment and cost reduction accordingly.

If a student on placement becomes unwell and incurs medical costs from being treated in hospital with the virus would these costs be covered?

Medical expenses incurred while on an insured trip are covered. There are no COVID-19 exclusions in place. Students (or staff) should contact our assistance company (details are on the Portal and on the emergency medical assistance card and app) as soon as symptoms are present/feeling unwell to co-ordinate any treatment and reduce costs accordingly.

Student loans
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has confirmed it is planning to make term 3 tuition fee payments as scheduled and that you will continue to receive maintenance payments on the scheduled dates, whether or not campuses are closed or learning has moved online.

Student funding advice
The student funding team are available via email for any funding related enquiries from UK, EU and International students. 

We will now accept all grant* applications (with their evidence as per the application form) by email to student.funding@solent.ac.uk

Students must ensure they have provided their UK bank account details via the portal using this secure link: https://bit.ly/2kDS38g

Support grant applications will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis, for example loss of employment, unable to return home. Students will be notified directly via their university email.

Forms and information are on our Portal pages.

*Please note if you are applying to the ‘unpaid placement support grant’ please check your placement is still going ahead before applying.

International students are permitted to travel home and this will not affect your Tier 4 visa status. 

We know that many of our international students have travelled home and we hope you are now safe and well with your families. 

If you are still in the UK, please seek travel advice in advance. Please see the FAQ below: 'I am in the UK but wish to return to my country of nationality/permanent residence, where can I seek travel advice' for more information.

As well as seeking guidance directly from the airline and/or travel agent, check the website of your Embassy/High Commission for any information on returning overseas from the UK, as well as the official travel advice from local government authorities in your country of nationality/permanent residence.

Students can also check the website for their Ministry of Education, or equivalent office, which may post specific guidance for students.

No, at this stage you do not need to inform the University if you have left or plan to leave the UK.

Depending on developments and Home Office guidance, we may need to request information regarding your departure in the future.

Government advice is that no charge is made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis or treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). All overseas visitors, including anyone living in the UK without permission, should be aware that:

1. No charges apply to testing for COVID-19, even if the result is negative, or to any treatment provided for COVID-19 if the result is positive or up to the point that it is negatively diagnosed. The same is true of most other infectious diseases.
2. NHS trusts have been advised that no immigration checks are required for overseas visitors that are known to be only undergoing testing or treatment for COVID-19.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide

If you are unable to leave the UK due to travel restrictions or due to having Coronavirus symptoms please see advice below - we will update with more information as the Home Office publish further guidance.

If you're in the UK and your leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 May 2020
Your visa can be extended to 31 May 2020 if you cannot leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to Covid-19.

If the above applies to you, you must contact the coronavirus immigration team (CIT) to update your records if your visa is expiring.

You should provide:

• Your full name
• Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
• Nationality
• Your previous visa reference number
• Why you can't go back to your home country, for example if the border has closed.

The Home Office will let you know when you request has been received and when you visa has been extended.

Tier 4 visa holders needing to extend their visa to complete their course in the UK
If you hold a Tier 4 (General) visa and need to extend your visa to continue your course of study, please complete the CAS request form on the Portal. Please note, if you are a Tier 4 (General) visa student who has completed their course, please see the guidance above.

Due to no face-to-face lectures, tutorials and seminars taking place your physical attendance will not be monitored. However, as a Tier 4 sponsor the University is required to continue to monitor Tier 4 visa students to ensure they are still engaged with their studies. Therefore, it is essential that Tier 4 students continue their academic work.

We are putting a range of measures in place to support studies and your lecturers and course leaders will continue to provide learning, teaching and assessment using technology rather than in person. They will be in touch with you directly, but it is also really important you check your SOL pages regularly for further advice.

If you experience any problems accessing SOL from outside the UK, please email ltu@solent.ac.uk for help.

Please remember you can access our library material remotely through the Portal.

In order not to affect the status of your visa, please engage with your studies as directed by your course leader. 

Although no face-to-face lectures, tutorials or seminars are taking place, you remain in term time, except for official vacation periods at Easter and, for undergraduate students, during the summer. Therefore, your restricted working hours, as stated on your BRP, still apply.

View term dates and holidays

Students with immigration and visa related queries can contact the International Support team by email: internationalsupport@solent.ac.uk

The University is now fully remote working, initially until 20 April 2020.

All of our campuses have been locked down and are not accessible to any members of staff or students, except for essential and directly involved estates and facilities staff.

Specialist arrangements for all short courses, cadet, senior and apprenticeship students will be shared directly by their Schools in the coming week.

Your managers will be working with you on what the implications of this action will mean for you and your team.

Our move to new ways of working during the current pandemic has created a new opportunity to test our ability to work remotely. Many of us have had to think differently about the way we work and the way we use technology.

Remote working will mean different things for each individual and team, depending on their roles. There is no 'one size fits all' approach to remote working, but this guidance aims to support you with this new way of working.

Guidance on remote working

As a result of campus closure, Adobe has provided temporary at-home access for impacted students and staff, so you can continue your work remotely. Please follow the instructions below to enable access to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps on your personal device:

1. Visit https://creativecloud.adobe.com and use your school credentials to sign in.

2. If prompted, select Company or School Account and then enter your password. Or provide your credentials in your school’s login screen.

3. From the Creative Cloud website, browse for and download your desired app. Click Apps on the top of the page to view all apps.

For more information on how to download or install apps, see Download and Install Creative Cloud apps.

To help students to continue to develop their skills, Adobe is also offering free 'Daily Creative Challenges'. These are guided projects where participants receive creative prompts and connect with pros, mentors, and other students for feedback and support. Click on the app name to learn more: Photoshop, XD and Illustrator. Also, for inspiration and over-the-shoulder learning, watch pros share their creative process on Adobe Live daily at www.behance.net/adobelive.

For staff seeking to engage students during campus closures, Adobe has curated resources to help them discover inspiring projects, best practices, and new ideas so they can continue to drive valuable learning in virtual environments. For more information on Adobe’s distance learning resources please click here.

Here are some simple but important steps you can take to help protect the health and safety of your people and be prepared for any developments:

• Direct people to this Covid-19 page (www.solent.ac.uk/covid-19) for latest updates and advice.
• Ask people to check their full contact details, address and other personal details are up to date on MyView.
• If you have any further staff queries, please escalate them to your Business Partner.

If you are at home and are unable to work due to self-isolation, self-isolation with symptoms, or diagnosed with Covid-19, you are required to inform your manager, then email absence.reporting@solent.ac.uk or leave a voicemail on 023 8201 3895 stating your name, department, manager and reason for absence. 

It is also important that you record your absence on MyView. Please use the table below for advice on recording your absence on MyView:

Reason	Duration to record on day 1	Pay
Elected self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Directed self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Confirmed coronavirus	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Coronavirus symptoms	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Urgent family leave	Days as required up to 10	Normal pay

Your usual sick leave and pay entitlements apply if you are required to self-isolate. Normally we would require a sick note authorising your absence, however we recognise that this may not be possible where you are required to self-isolate. In this case an exception can be made, please make sure your manager is aware.

For further advice please see the Covid-19: Stay at home guidance from PHE: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

If you need to be absent from work you will need to let your manager know as soon as possible and record your absence as normal on MyView.

If your absence relates to Covid-19 (Coronavirus), please use the table below for advice on recording your absence on MyView:

Reason	Duration to record on day 1	Pay
Elected self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Directed self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Confirmed coronavirus	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Coronavirus symptoms	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Urgent family leave	Days as required up to 10	Normal pay

If you are still working on campus and feel unwell, please let your manager know as soon as possible and:

• Remain at least 2 metres (7 feet) away from other people, ideally in a well ventilated area or separate room.
• Avoid touching anything.
• Only cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin. If you do not have any tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
• Use a separate bathroom from others, if and where possible.
• Use your own mobile phone to call NHS 111 for advice, or alternatively 999 if you are seriously ill and explain which country you have returned from.

The position with regard to taking annual leave remains unchanged - all holiday should be taken by 31 August 2020. We appreciate that at this time, some people are working remotely, while others are unable to do so for a variety of reasons, including the type of job role they hold. We want to continue to support your health and wellbeing at this time, so it's still important everyone takes their holiday by the end of the current holiday year.

Holiday should continue to be booked in the usual way through MyView for managers to authorise. We recognise there may be exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to take all of your leave, but we expect these cases to be small in number and to be approved by your dean or director, in conjunction with advice from your relevant P&D business partner.

You are entitled to reasonable time off work to help someone who depends on you in an unexpected event or emergency. For example, if you have children and you need to look after them due to a school closure or because they are sick. 

You should contact your manager in the first instance if this is the case, who will discuss options available such as a period of urgent family leave, flexible working or other leave options. Your P&D Business Partner can advise on further guidance if necessary. You will need to record your absence on MyView as normal.

Childcare vouchers
If you are currently a member of the University’s childcare voucher scheme through EdenRed and wish to reduce your contributions as an interim measure at this time, you will need to log in to your EdenRed account in the normal way at www.mychildcarevouchers.co.uk. You will need your membership number and 4-digit pin. It is not advisable to leave the scheme completely, but to reduce your contributions instead. To do this, please select the Join/Amend/Leave option from the menu and amend your contributions to no less than £1. Depending on the date you submit the change, it may not take effect in the current payroll month but will do so in your following month’s salary. 

Travel/season ticket loans
Train companies have confirmed that they will be refunding unused season tickets, however you will need to check directly with your train company on how to do so. For those using South Western Trains you may find this link helpful: https://www.southwesternrailway.com/contact-and-help/refunds-and-compensation/refunds. Solent will continue to deduct the monthly repayment from your salary during this time. If you have any further queries, please contact your P&D business partner.

Volunteering is an important part of our commitment to the Civic Charter and people experience. If you wish to volunteer for the NHS or other organisations at this time, you should speak with your manager in the first instance.

The current policy entitles all employees to request to volunteer for one day a year on a paid basis. At the current time, it may be possible to increase this, but this would depend on the nature of the role being undertaken and current operational requirements. Employees wishing to volunteer should complete the form and risk assessment attached to the policy and send the completed form to their business partner.

If you require wellness support, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider, Health Assured, provides a staff helpline and counselling service, as well as helpful webinars and medical information. Please visit the Portal for contact details and more information.

If you’re feeling anxious about coronavirus, you can find advice and tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing, as well as plans for if you have to self-isolate, on the Solent Mind website.

If you are working from home for the foreseeable future, please follow these DSE guidance tips on staying safe while working remotely.

More helpful resources are available here:

• World Health Organisation's Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 OutbreakMental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak 

• UK Government guidance on social distancing

• UK Government advice on mental health and wellbeing

• Managing mental health during Coronavirus - experts around the world share insights

• NHS advice on mental wellbeing while staying at home
• Meditations, sleep and movement exercises from headspace

If you have any other queries regarding your mental health and wellbeing, please contact your Business Partner.