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• • Mass testing FAQs for staff volunteers

Mass testing FAQs for staff volunteers

Will it be safe for me if I help out with the testing?

The testing centre is for students and essential staff (i.e. those staff working on campus) who have no symptoms (asymptomatic).

People who have symptoms or know they are ill will not be directed to this centre. In order to minimise the risk of transmission within the test centre standards outlined by the Department for Health & Social Care are being rigorously applied, and special attention is being paid to hygiene and social distancing measures.

This test centre will use Lateral Flow Tests, which are different to the PCR tests that are sent away and processed in a lab.

How will you keep the testing site clean and safe while I am working there?

Early-morning cleaning will include the floors of the two sports halls and all hard surfaces. SEF cleaners will then be on site every single day from 9am to 6pm, to clean touch points within areas where people are circulating and in all staff areas. Staff working in the two testing areas (Sports Hall 1 and 2) will be responsible for wiping down the testing booths after each use and the two halls will be used alternately.

What PPE will I be provided with?

Full personal protective equipment (PPE), including an apron, face covering and gloves, and training will be provided for all roles that involve handling samples. A daily briefing to all staff will cover the appropriate use of the PPE provided. Appropriate training will be provided to all roles which will include how to effectively use PPE. All volunteers will be required to take a Covid test before they begin their duties at the test centre and will be offered one three days later. If someone works at the test centre for more than a day or two, they will be able to have a test every three days.

Will the students being tested have to wear a face covering?

This test centre is for those without symptoms and as such the likely number of potential exposures is likely to be in line with supermarket shopping. Individuals being tested will remove their own mask only when swabbing; at all other times masks will be required in the testing facility.

Do I need training to help out?

No experience is necessary; anybody can help. You will receive appropriate online and in person training before carrying out any duties in the test centre.

If you have clinical or laboratory experience, please let us know so that we can make the most of your existing skills as they would be ideal for the testing assistant or processing roles. These roles can be carried out by other staff, but ideally staff would have these backgrounds..

Training will be provided to all staff and the online training modules are now available. You can register for training using this code 3wkcVi4UTX and clicking ‘register’ below the sign-in option.

Before helping out at the test centre, you will need to complete the “LFD process training” and the “LFD recording training” and provide an email showing that you have completed this training. Please send this to covidtesting@sussex.ac.uk.

Is it safe for people to volunteer if they are clinically vulnerable themselves – or they live with someone who is clinically vulnerable?

People of moderate risk could volunteer but it would be good to let us know and potentially change their role. Anyone that is extremely vulnerable as defined by the government guidelines should not.

To minimise the risk of transmission within the test centre, standards outlined by the Department for Health & Social Care are being rigorously applied, and special attention is being paid to hygiene and social distancing measures.

The facility is being run to a clinical standard both to protect staff and to ensure that the centre does not provide false reassurance to those who are tested.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), including an apron, face covering and gloves for all roles that involve handling samples. Appropriate training will be provided for these roles, including how to put on and take off PPE.

Helping out with the testing is voluntary and we are asking staff who feel they are able to help out. We understand not everyone is able to do this.

What if a student comes to be tested and they have symptoms?

If a student has COVID-19 symptoms, they will be asked to leave the test centre; they must follow government guidance, including self-isolating immediately and booking a PCR test. If a student fills in our online form we can provide them with a PCR Home Test Kit or they might be able to visit the Mobile Testing Unit if it is on site. PCR tests can also be booked through nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. We will be letting students know about these requirements ahead of the test centre being open.

What would happen if a student I was helping tested positive?

The University will not see any individual’s test results – negative or positive. All personal information relating to test registration and results is processed by NHS Test and Trace.

What roles will be needed to support the mass testing of students?

• Team Leader (supervising groups in your area)
• Queue Co-ordinator (managing entry to the sports halls and carrying out an initial screening)
• Registration Assistant (on arrival giving students their test card information and helping them register with an online portal)
• Test Assistant (watching students take the test and giving advice on how to do it, agitating test tubes and adding liquid to LFDs. They will also wipe down the test area between tests)
• Processing Operatives (moving LFDs to the processing area and noting the results)
• Results Recorder (updating the test results to an iPhone app so that they can be processed by the NHS)

Do staff members need to be tested before they help out at the test site?

Yes. A Covid test will be provided to all volunteers to ensure they are not unwittingly carrying the virus and so potentially exposing others to it.

We will supply tests before volunteers are scheduled to work at the site.

How does the testing process work?

Students will need to take two tests, three days apart. These are lateral flow tests that allow test results to be received within 30-45 minutes of the test being processed.

A lateral flow antigen test detects the coronavirus antigen that is produced when a person is infectious with coronavirus. These are quicker tests and do not require a laboratory to be processed. If a student tests positive using a lateral flow test they will be asked to take a lab processed PCR test to conform the result and must isolate for 10 days.

Will I get paid overtime?

If you are a full-time salaried member of staff on Grades 1-6, for hours worked over full time on any day of the week you will accrue time off in lieu (TOIL).

If you are a full-time salaried member of staff on Grades 7-10, for hours worked over full time and which fall on a weekend you will accrue TOIL. No TOIL will be accrued on weekdays.

If you are a part-time member of staff, at any grade, and undertake testing duties in addition to your normal contractual hours, you will be paid overtime at your basic hourly rate for the hours worked between your contracted hours and the hours of a full-time member of staff. Any hours worked above full-time hours, e.g. 36.5 hours per week for Grades 1-6, will be accrued as TOIL.

I am a part-time member of staff and I wish to volunteer outside my normal part-time working hours or at the weekend - is this possible?

Yes, if you are able to support the testing outside your normal working part-time hours and you have informed your Head of School and Director of Professional Service of your intention to take part, you will be eligible to help out.

Do I have to let anyone know if I intend to help out?

Please let your Head of School or Director of Professional Services know that you are putting yourself forward.

What hours will I work if I help out?

We need people to work on campus from 8.30am to 5.30pm on the days the centre is open. The centre will be closed on Sundays.

Where is the testing taking place on campus?

Testing is taking place at the Sports Centre.

What will the ventilation situation be like in the Sport Centre?

We are putting in place every possible measure to maximise ventilation in all parts of the Sport Centre – keeping windows and doors open where appropriate, using ceiling extractor fans, and so on.

Will staff get free parking vouchers?

Yes, you will get a parking voucher for each of the days that you help out in the test centre.

Will I be able to bring belongings with me?

Please minimise the number of personal possessions that you bring so we can keep the test centre as clean as possible. There will be a secure area for staff to leave their belongings in the Sports Centre. We would encourage staff to bring minimum items with them as there is limited storage space.

I want to help out but I have some questions before committing

If you have any queries, email covidtesting@sussex.ac.uk.

If students have questions, where can I signpost them?

Students can find out more about the test centre on the Student Hub.

I am a student who has signed up to support the mass testing of students - how will I get paid?

You will be paid through the casual payroll and your hours will be captured on a Casual Claim Form to record the hours you have worked. All payment amounts will be inclusive of holiday pay and will be non-pensionable.