Covid Info.

Elswick Harriers follows the guidance of its governing body, England Athletics.

That guidance states that an affiliated runing club must appoint Covid officers who will produce a Covis safe policy and ensure it is adhered to.

See the EA guidance here. Groups of up to 12 following the Covid Secure arrangements are allowed, however, Elswick Harriers has determined that groups of 8 is the maximum number for each official session.

You can see the full Elswick Harriers policy below.

Return to training sessions and steady / social runs policy

Policy statement

The health and safety of athletes, coaches, and LiRFs is paramount.

Purpose of document

This policy aims to ensure that Elswick Harriers meets England Athletics and Government guidance on returning to club activities during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

This policy is dated 29 November 2020 and replaces the policy dated 20 July 2020.

Definitions

In this policy:

Activities means training sessions, steady runs, social runs organised by club coaches and LiRFs for the benefit of club members. It includes the period of time immediately preceding and following activities.

Members means coaches, LiRFs, senior athletes, junior athletes, parents and carers of junior athletes, as the context requires.

Member statement means the statement made available by Elswick Harriers which members undertake to comply with when attending activities.

Policy development and application

The policy has been developed in accordance with the England Athletics guidance ‘Guidance update’ published on 27 November 2020 at https://www.englandathletics.org/athletics-and-running/news/guidance-update-27-november-2020/. It will be underpinned by procedures and risk assessments.

The policy will be kept under review and will be updated in line with new and updated guidance published by England Athletics or the Government.

The policy applies to all members engaged in activities.

Policy aims

This policy aims to set out, at a high level, how Elswick Harriers will meet England Athletics and Government guidance on returning to club activities. Elswick Harriers will do this by nominating a Covid-19 co-ordinator to undertake activities specified by England Athletics and Government guidance.

This policy aims to ensure that the reputation of Elswick Harriers and the club’s good working relationship with Newburn Activity Centre are not adversely affected.

Any member who does not adhere to this policy may be asked to not attend club activities until the Covid-19 pandemic is over. This is at the sole discretion of the Covid-19 co-ordinator.

Covid-19 co-ordinator role

Elswick Harriers will nominate a Covid-19 co-ordinator. The Covid-19 co-ordinator role may be shared by other coaches and committee members, at the sole authorisation of the Covid-19 co-ordinator.

The Covid-19 co-ordinator will:

develop the club’s Covid-19 procedures;
undertake Covid-19 risk assessments;
act as point of enquiry and advice for members on the club’s Covid-19 policy, procedures and risk assessments;
draft a member statement;
undertake further actions as required by EA and Government guidance.

Return to training sessions and steady / social runs action plan – instructions for members attending activities v3 29 November 2020

This procedure is to be read in accordance with ‘Elswick Harriers – return to training sessions and steady / social runs policy’.

Definitions

In this procedure:

Group size means the number of members permitted to run together at the same time and will be communicated by the Covid-19 co-ordinator from time to time.

Members means coaches, LiRFs, senior athletes, junior athletes, parents and carers of junior athletes, as the context requires.

Member statement means the statement made available by Elswick Harriers which members undertake to comply with when attending activities.

NHS Track and Trace means the guidance on maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace, published by the UK Government at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace.

Social distancing means the distance which members must maintain between themselves and other members or member of the public whilst engaged in activities and will be communicated by the Covid-19 co-ordinator from time to time.

Covid-19 co-ordinator role

The club co-ordinator role is shared between Harry Matthews (chair) and Michelle Coleman (committee member).

Procedure development and application

The procedure has been developed in accordance with ‘Elswick Harriers – return to training sessions and steady / social runs policy’.

The procedure will be kept under review and will be updated in line with new and updated guidance published by England Athletics or the Government.

The procedure applies to members engaged in activities.

Communication

The Covid-19 policy and action plan will be communicated to members via Facebook and the Club’s web site. Members may address queries to the Covid-19 co-ordinators.

Responsibilities

Clinically vulnerable:

Members who are ‘clinically vulnerable’ (as defined by the NHS at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/) should use their own judgement as to whether they attend activities, and must strictly adhere to social distancing rules at all times.

Members must:

at the start of each training session / run, confirm to the coach or LiRF that they have read and undertake to adhere to this procedure and the member statement;
adhere to social distancing at all times when engaged in activities ;
adhere to group size rules at all times;
note that changing facilities, toilets and drinking water are not available at Newburn Activity Centre;
note that first aid facilities are not available;
bring hand sanitiser to activities with them, and use the hand sanitiser before and after engaging in activities (hand sanitiser will not be provided by the club);
bring drinking water to activities in a distinctive or named vessel, if they chose to bring water, and take care not to mix their drink up with those of other runners;
leave the area promptly after the activities have taken place.

Athletes must follow coaches’ or LiRFs’ instructions at all times when engaged in activities.

Coaches and LiRFs must, where possible, carry a face covering and gloves with them whilst leading training sessions and steady / social runs.

Members must not:

touch any equipment in use;
attend a training session if they are displaying any of the symptoms of coronavirus, or are in the same household as someone who is;
travel to or from the session with people who are not within the same householder as the member;
congregate before or after the training session;
access the field at Newburn Activity Centre except for the days and times stated below.

NHS Test and Trace

In support of the NHS Test and Trace policy and the England Athletics tracking protocol:

senior members must provide their name and phone number to the Covid-19 co-ordinator before they take part in activities;
parents and carers of junior members must provide their own name and phone number, plus the names of the junior member(s) they are responsible for.
where not available via the club’s Facebook pages, coaches and LiRFs must make a record of all athletes attending the training session or run, and must pass this list to the Covid-19 co-ordinator promptly after the session or run.

In case of accident / injury

In the event that an athlete is injured or is unwell and is unable to leave the venue of their own accord, a coach or LiRF may approach the athlete to assess the situation. The coach or LiRF will wear a face covering and gloves if possible, and will call emergency services if necessary. The coach or LiRF must wash their hands or use hand sanitiser as soon as possible after approaching the athlete.

Attendance of senior athletes at training sessions at Newburn Activity Centre

Senior session training will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the field at Newburn Activity Centre, at times advised by the coaches.

The following principles will apply to the provision of training sessions:

one group is allowed on the field at a time.
athletes must perform their own warm up before arriving at the field and their own cool down after leaving the field. These activities are not within the purview of Elswick Harriers and are carried out at the athlete’s own risk. Athletes doing this must adhere to current social distancing guidance and group size.
where more than one session is provided per evening, a time buffer will be built in between sessions to ensure that only a limited number of athletes are on the field at one time, and to ensure that there is no need for athletes to congregate at entry and exit point.

In addition, senior training runs will take place from Newburn Activity Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Attendance of junior athletes at training sessions at Newburn Activity Centre

Junior training will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the field at Newburn Activity Centre. Junior athletes are not permitted to enter Newburn Activity Centre, at times advised by the juniors’ coaches.

Only current juniors’ coaches and LiRFs may coach the juniors’ sessions.

This remains subject to any changes the club is required to make at any time by Newburn Activity Centre.

The following principles will apply to the provision of training sessions:

a maximum of four groups are allowed on the field at a time.
where more than one session is provided per evening, a time buffer will be built in between training sessions to ensure that only a limited number of athletes are on the field at one time, and to ensure that there is no need for athletes or parents / carers to congregate at entry and exit point.
parents and carers dropping juniors off must check that the coach is on the field, and ask the athlete to proceed straight to the field via the gate, and wait on their own on the field until directed to a group. Parents and carers must remind the athlete to adhere to social distancing and group size rules.
parents and carers must not enter the field unless asked to by a coach, to ensure that group size rules are adhered to.
coaches will remind junior athletes before a training session of the requirement to maintain social distancing.

Attendance of athletes at steady / social runs

As well as the training sessions stated above, members may organise their own steady and social runs. This will generally be done using the club’s social media.

Members must at all times ensure that they do not give an impression of a larger gathering taking place. Members must adhere to the group size specified by Government and England Athletics guidance (currently the ‘rule of six’) and the social distancing rules. Members must not move from their home tier level to another tier level.

The member who has organised the run must allocate athletes to run together in groups.

Where a member has said that they will attend a run, and then is unable to do so, they must inform the member who has organised the run.

Selection of senior athletes for training sessions

Athletes will be asked via the club’s social media platforms to put their name forward for a session, and the coach running the session will select groups for that week. The coach will ensure that places are allocated fairly and that all athletes requesting a place are given the chance to attend on a rota basis.

Where an athlete is unable to attend a session, they must inform the coach as soon as possible, so that the place can be allocated to another athlete.

Selection of junior athletes for training sessions

Where an athlete is unable to attend a session, they must inform the coach as soon as possible, so that the place can be allocated to another athlete.

Elswick Harriers – member statement (Covid-19) v2 20 July 2020

Definitions

In this statement

Members means coaches, LiRFs, senior athletes, junior athletes, parents and carers of junior athletes, as the context requires.

Member statement (Covid-19) means the statement made available by Elswick Harriers which members undertake to comply with when attending activities.

Members attending activities agree that:

they are not displaying displaying any of the symptoms of coronavirus, or are in the same household as someone who is;
they are fit and well to attend activities;
they will adhere to current England Athletics and Government guidance on social distancing;
they will not congregate in groups larger than prescribed by current England Athletics and Government guidance;
they consent to their contact and attendance details being retained by the club for as long as the club determines that they are required to ensure that the club adheres to NHS Track and Trace and England Athletics requirements;
where the member attends a session or run and subsequently tests positive for Covid-19, they will:
inform the Covid-19 co-ordinator;
complete the UKA Covid-1 tracking form available at https://www.uka.org.uk/governance/health-safety/covid-19-form/

If a member is ‘clinically vulnerable’ (as defined by the NHS at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/),they agree that:

they attend activities at their own risk.

Elswick Harriers

Return to training sessions and steady / social runs policy

Location

Affiliations

Juniors: Age 10 – 17

Seniors: Age 18 Plus