COVID-19 Business Update

As of 13th March 2020, 73% of our workforce has the capability to work from home. Our updated business continuity plan details our response to maintain the core functions of Buttercups Training during any pandemic action plan, or in the event of any other calamity.

For our employees who cannot currently work from home, contingency plans are underway to distance, mobilise and increase work from home capacity. Additionally, we are asking all staff to be diligent and exercise reasonable caution. The following steps are recommended:

• If a Buttercups employee visits your site for an essential meeting, please be aware that we are discouraging handshakes
• We are discouraging internal and external meetings, unless via online technologies such as Zoom. We will endeavour to provide as much notice to those affected as possible in these circumstances
• We are enforcing stronger hygiene procedures to minimise the risk of infection at Buttercups House
• If any of our employees have been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Coronavirus, or if they themselves are diagnosed (or exhibit symptoms of the virus), we are requiring them to self-isolate for a period of 14 days. During this time, they will be (in most cases) fully able to continue to exercise their duties remotely.

NHS and private sector stakeholders, pharmacy professionals and learners are advised that Buttercups’ delivery model is designed for an online environment which ensures that learning can continue during this time. Our workforce is committed, resilient and innovative and we feel we are as prepared as we can be in the event of national lockdown. Our employees are committed to our learners, and have a great deal of empathy with their employers, all of whom are at the frontline of our valued health services.

As things stand, all of our tutors and assessors can work from home, meaning work can continue to be processed in a timely manner. We have surveyed our employees to understand any challenges they may have with childcare in the event of school closures and we feel prepared to ensure core provision around our IT infrastructure, our ability to process enrolments, apprenticeship funding applications, our safeguarding provision and the maintenance of our front-line customer service.

As COVID-19 grips the UK, we may see a reduction in availability of our teaching teams and, should the situation continue to worsen, we will provide further updates as required. We take reassurance that many of our team have already expressed an interest in the relaxation of working hours which allows Buttercups as an organisation to operate outside of usual working hours should learners and employers alike begin to express a desire for us to do so.

As Buttercups uses EPAOs for apprenticeship provision, we wish to make it clear that we will work with them to ensure EPAs will take into account current infection control measures.

Whereby learners are redeployed in to emergency service provision and cannot meet the demands of their course, we politely request that they or their employer make contact within an appropriate timeframe to discuss options.

Buttercups will shortly be launching a free course for all healthcare providers to aid with the provision of frontline services from non-pharmacy professionals. Please see the Buttercups website for details.

If you have any concerns about our service provision or would like further information about how Buttercups can support your organisation throughout the pandemic and beyond, please contact our friendly team via training@buttercups.co.uk.