FAQ's (updated) 07/01/2021
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What will be the procedure to report suspected or confirmed COVID-19 Cases?
As before, please continue to let us know if you have a suspected or confirmed case by emailing your centre manager as soon as possible. We will act in line with the government guidelines. In addition the NHS track and trace QR code is on display at all receptions and if we're made aware of a suspected case via the NHS we will contact the relevant persons directly.
How will I access the building?
The building has been accessible throughout the lockdown period and will remain this way. You will need your security fob to enter the building, and your office door key if applicable. If you have lost your access fob you will need to complete a new access fob request form and send it to the reception team.
Will you keep a record of visitors?
The main entrances to all three business centres display the NHS track and trace app QR code for visitors to register their attendance we would ask that you, your staff and visitors check in accordingly.
Will you be providing PPE for employees, clients and guests?
We have introduced reduced hours for manned reception and initially staffed the buildings between the hours of 9:00am – 17:00. Provided our own staff (post, meeting room prep, cleaning etc.) with PPE, however we will not be providing PPE for our members or guests.
How will you protect your staff, members and guests in the reception area?
We have taken many steps to protect all our people within shared spaces including the reception. We will request that you respect social distancing while queuing at reception and there will be floor markings to indicate spacing recommendations. Hand sanitiser is available at all building entry / exit points, kitchens & meeting rooms.
Will the building teams be available to help me? Will we still be able to speak to the reception team in person?
Our reception teams will be on hand, in person or via phone and email, to help you between the hours of 09.00 – 17.00. We want to provide you with the best possible service so if you have any questions, please email your centre manager to arrange a time to meet and discuss. Please note we will be adhering to social distancing practices and our staff may be wearing PPE. If you would prefer to talk over the phone or via email, just let us know.
What will you be doing to protect your own staff?
We have introduced reduced hours for manned reception and initially staff the buildings between the hours of 09.00 – 17.00, to enable our teams to carry out checks and prepare the common areas each day. PPE and sanitiser will be provided for our reception teams along with antibacterial wipes for them to sanitise their phones, laptops and work surfaces throughout the working day.
How will I collect my post & deliveries when we are back in the office?
Royal mail continues to deliver post to our main reception. Your post will be securely held in the reception office until you come to collect. We will also continue to take in parcels but only by contactless delivery. A delivery station has been set up in reception. To help to reduce the volume of parcels that we need to hold (as space is limited) wherever possible please refrain from having personal items delivered to the workplace.
What about the air conditioning?
We have recently undertaken a full maintenance check of the air conditioning which included a thorough cleaning of all filters and pumps.
Will my office be deep cleaned?
Offices have been (unless you specifically cancelled the service) cleaned as normal throughout lockdown. If you would like to request an additional deep clean for your office, we can arrange this for you for a fee.
What additional cleaning practices have been introduced?
We have reviewed all our current processes and will be committing to:
- Continued use of medical grade cleaning materials (Public Health England approved) and high frequency touch points in client offices will be thoroughly cleaned each evening (light switches, door handles etc.)
- Improved cleaning specification within high-traffic and high-risk areas (all common areas, lift lobbies)
- Introduction of antibacterial sanitiser which is positioned around the building’s common areas for client use, as well as in meeting rooms.
How do you plan on keeping showers and bathrooms clean?
Our reception teams are undertaking routine flushing in line with legislative guidance and will fully flush the buildings prior to members returning. The toilets have been and continue to be regularly cleaned. Best practice is still to wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds as the most effective way to maintain personal hygiene, regardless of the soap being antibacterial or not. Signage to remind clients to maintain good personal hygiene have been installed and we are also advising people to bring and use their own flipflops and towels when using our showers.
How will you encourage and promote personal hygiene?
Sanitising stations have been installed at all main entrance doors, receptions, lift lobbies, meeting rooms and all kitchens. Best practice is still to wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, as the most effective way to maintain personal hygiene, regardless of the soap being antibacterial or not. Signage to remind clients to maintain good personal hygiene is on display.
What recommendations can you make for our office?
You may wish to consider whether your staff should work and looking to alternate seating in your offices, increasing the space in-between desks or introducing panels between desks. Where possible, we recommend a clear desk policy so our cleaning team can thoroughly wipe desks and surfaces. Our reception team will be happy discuss any changes required and assist where we are able. If extra equipment is needed, we will be happy to source it from our suppliers at a cost to yourselves.
How do you plan to introduce and maintain social distancing in communal and shared spaces such as lounges and co-working areas?
As a commitment to our client safety, we have applied lower capacity limits in shared spaces to all of our buildings by rearranging our furniture layouts. We also request that all our clients respect the 2 metre social distancing guidance while these areas, and we have ensured that appropriate signposting including floor markings and information signage is installed. We recommend that you do not have informal meetings and discussion groups in these areas to help us ensure that social distancing measures are respected.
What alternative arrangements are there as a result of this?
We will be designating a small office for use as a 1-1 room which will be free to use for 30 minutes at a time. This space may need to be booked in advance if demand is high.
In addition, we have set aside a small room as a single occupancy multi-faith room. Again, this space may need to be booked in advance if demand is high.
Finally, if you have staff who normally work from home and occasionally require a desk for just 1 day, we can also accommodate this in a room that is set aside for such a purpose – this must be booked in advance and is chargeable.
Will the coffee shop be open and if so, what steps have been taken to ensure higher levels of health and safety?
The coffee shop is operated by Mealtime Hire Ltd. Please Click Here for more information.
Will the lifts be in use?
The lifts will be in use, but capacity is single person only to respect social distancing. We recommend you use the stairs if possible. Hand sanitiser stations will be installed in all lift lobbies.
Am I able to book meeting rooms, if so, how will you facilitate social distancing and hygiene standards?
Our meeting rooms are available to book between the hours of 09.00 – 17.00. To reassure you that we can safely meet the social distancing guidelines we have rearranged the seating and reduced the capacity of each meeting room. Until further notice, rooms will only be available in a fixed layout for the same reason. Of course, we have reduced our pricing to reflect the reduction in capacity.
Hand sanitiser is provided. Meetings will no longer be bookable back to back, we will now allow half an hour between bookings to enable a thorough clean of the space, this will also allow time for air quality improvements. Our building team will be provided with anti-bacterial cleaning products and PPE to enable them to refresh the rooms thoroughly between bookings.
Video / audio technology is installed in some of our meeting rooms, so we encourage you to use this where possible to keep meeting sizes down and limit in-person interaction. We are currently installing and rolling out this technology in more meeting rooms in the coming weeks to provide an even better service. Please ask when booking if you require Video conference technology and the teams will ensure they book you an appropriate room.
Refreshments are now served on a pre-laid out place setting basis with individually wrapped items like tea, coffee, milk etc. Meeting Room food catering options are being reviewed. We are in discussions with our suppliers; more details will be shared in due course.
Will some of the spare offices be available to use for free if needed to ensure social distancing?
Apart from the specific rooms mentioned earlier, we are working to ensure that everyone in our buildings can respect social distancing guidelines. We will be giving existing clients priority on all available space, so if you did decide to increase your office capacity, we would be happy to discuss your options.
How are you managing your suppliers and contractors when entering and working in the buildings?
All our contractors have been made aware of the need to work in a manner that takes into consideration enhanced safety and hygiene protocols. We have devised a set of risk assessments and control measures that all contractors must adopt when working in our spaces including social distancing practices. These have been issued to our contractors and we will enforce a strict monitoring and inspection regime to ensure our high standards are adhered to.
Emergency Procedures
Our evacuation and emergency procedures remain the same, however, we do request that when you and your staff gather at the muster point you maintain, as far as is practical, you do maintain a safe distance from each other. As such, if one representative from each company could verify that all their staff are present and then report this to the centre staff, that would help to reduce the 1-1 contact required for our staff.
