The Education Authority Youth Service continues to provide essential services to children and young people in line with its statutory obligations. A key element of this relates to residential overnight stays and international visits.

Previously the Education Authority Youth Service provided guidance on these that outlined a progressive return to full provision in terms of numbers of groups and numbers of participants who could attend.

In light of the current context of increasing COVID 19 positive cases the Education Authority Youth Service have decided to postpone the transition to Step 2 to a later date when it is hoped that the situation will be more conducive to delivering youth work outcomes safely in those settings.

The new proposed dates are as follows:

*Indicative date to commence subject to PHA advice
Permissible Delivery
Step 1.  A maximum of 35 participants permitted for overnight stays from a single visiting group/school (see also section 2)
Duration 4 weeks From 1/11/2021
Permissible Delivery
Step 2. A maximum of 60 participants permitted for overnight stays from up to 3 visiting groups (see also section 2)
Duration 8 weeks From 10/01/2022*
Permissible Delivery
Step. 3 Return to normal operation delivered in line with at the time PHA guidance, including test trace and protect  From 14/02/2022*

Full Guidance is here

From Monday the 2nd of August, youth services will operate under step 4 of the pathway to recovery as outlined in the Youth Restart Guidance. Key changes to the operation of services are outlined below;
 
°    Generic Provision can increase to 90% of the venue capacity
°    Targeted provision can increase to group sizes of 20 (but remain within the 90% of the venue capacity)
°    Outreach and detached can now include developmental projects in public spaces
°    Restrictions on Residential/Overnight stays remain the same
 
After consultation with PHA and the DE Restart Team, we have provided updated guidance on the management of staff/young people who are either suspected, confirmed, or identified as a close contact of Covid-19, this information can be found on page 16 of the guidance. 
 
We have received queries from across the youth work sector regarding the requirement to self-isolate and it is important to note: If a staff member or young person (including a group of young people or staff teams) are identified by PHA (either through direct contact by PHA staff or via the Stop Covid-19 app) as having been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case of Covid-19, they must self-isolate for the required 10 days regardless of a subsequent negative PCR test.

YOUTH RESTART