Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for those providing guide support

Guide support outdoors

It is important to emphasise that any carer or individual requiring guide support who is symptomatic of COVID-19 should not be outdoors and should be at home self-isolating. See Stay at Home advice on NHS inform and Scottish Government Test and Protect guidance.

If you are providing guide support outside the home, you should:

• follow the Scottish Government face coverings guidance
• ensure good hand hygiene, on entering and leaving the home. The individual requiring guide support should also perform hand hygiene on entering and leaving the home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in a bin and wash your hands at the first available opportunity
• limit the time spent at less than 2 metres  - where possible, maximise the distance between carer and individual, and contact side by side is preferred rather than face to face
• not provide support if you are symptomatic or have been exposed to someone with symptoms of COVID-19, and you should remain at home until the self-isolation period is complete.  You should also follow the guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) on NHS inform.

Shielding

Shielding was paused on 1 August 2020. Most people who have been shielding can follow general safety guidance. However it is important that they follow stringent physical distancing and hygiene measures.

You may want to take extra precautions to keep both you and the person you care for safe. This includes:

• wearing a face covering when supporting them physically (however if there are issues with tolerability please see guidance on exemptions)
• maintaining physical distancing from other people
• washing your hands often

Guide support indoors 

If you are providing guide support in an individual’s home, you should follow the unpaid carer’s advice. No additional PPE for COVID-19 is required unless the person you care for is in the shielding category or you or the individual are symptomatic of COVID-19. It is emphasised that a carer who is symptomatic should only continue to provide care where there is no other alternative.

If you or the person you care for is symptomatic of COVID-19, confirmed as having COVID-19 or has been asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect,you should consider the following advice:

• if you live in the same household as the person you are caring for 

• if you don’t live in the same household as the person you are caring for