~ COVID STATEMENT ~

TEXTILES IN THE NEW FOREST

 

For our Textiles in the New Forest Retreat we will be following government guidelines in order to keep the risks of infection to our guests and staff to a minimum. We will continue to review our policies both up to and during the retreat and make changes/improvements as required. 

Our aim is to take whatever steps we can to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus so that our guests can enjoy a safe experience with us. Our teachers, chefs and staff will have been fully briefed and prepared, and we ask that you also agree to respect the guidelines and recommendations in this document. 

Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with the government rules on social distancing:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing-after-4-july

What we ask of you

Please follow these rules throughout your stay. 

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly

  2. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow if you cough or sneeze

  3. Avoid touching your face 

  4. Dispose of any used tissues immediately and wash your hands

  5. Wear a mask during the workshop itself and at other times when you are moving around or in a confined space with others. Disposable masks will be provided for your use. 

  6. Bring your own personal sewing kit with you (we will send you a list of tools it should contain)

  7. Avoid sharing any sewing accessories, magazines, books with your fellow guests

  8. If you feel unwell in the week before the retreat, or have any symptoms of Coronavirus you must not attend the retreat

  9. If you become unwell during the retreat, you must let us know immediately.  We have a plan should this be the case and we will provide assistance

Providing a safe experience for our guests

In accordance with government requirements and following a COVID risk assessment, we will be putting the following measures in place.

Heathfield House

  1. In less spacious areas, one-way systems will be in place, eg, around the dinner table or in the kitchen. These will be clearly marked

  2. Hand sanitiser stations will be placed in several locations at Heathfield House and on every floor. We encourage regular sanitising, especially on entry and exit to the building and when moving between areas or changing activities

  3. High touch areas (switches, handles, etc) will be cleaned regularly and recorded in a log book 

  4. We will ensure that the living room is set up in such a way that ample distance between guests is guaranteed

  5. There will be no maid service during the retreat and staff will only enter bedrooms to empty bins and will wear masks and hand sanitise before and after. 

  6. Areas will be kept as well ventilated as possible

  7. Books, magazines and other similar items will be removed

Eating and Drinking

  1. You must wash or sanitise hands before meals or entering kitchen area

  2. Tea and coffee will be served by a member of staff wearing a mask 

  3. You can help yourself to bottled water which we ask you to label with your name

  4. You will be invited to the kitchen area one by one to choose your meal options

  5.  Our chefs will follow up to date food preparation guidelines

During the Workshop

  1. You will have your own workshop area and chair which will be labelled so that it can be moved to different positions.  

  2. The main table will be disinfected several times a day

  3. Your fabric packs will be pre-prepared 

  4. Some materials can be shared if hand sanitiser is used beforehand 

  5. Teachers will wear masks or visors   

  6. You will need to bring your own personal sewing kit

  7. Where possible the teachers’ demonstrations will appear on a screen to ensure that everyone can be at a safe distance and still observe

On Excursions:

  1. On any coach or car journeys, guests must wear masks

You must confirm that you have read and understood the above measures before joining us on the retreat.

For your information, here is Heathfield House’s cleaning policy:
 
Heathfield House will be cleaned and sanitised to the Covid 19 Ready Guidelines from PASC UK and Visit England.

Pillows protectors: Pillow protectors are replaced for each guest changeover

Mattress protectors: Mattress protectors are replaced for each guest changeover.

Commercial Laundry washes: The correct temperature to kill COVID19 is 60 degrees using the recommended detergents. Our laundry company is achieving this.

What ‘high touch point’ areas will we clean and  disinfect?  

To include: key lock boxes, keys, door handles, light switches, power switches, bannisters, fire extinguishers, high chairs, cots, WIFI hub and all remote controls, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee machines, ovens, bins – internal and external. The pans, crockery and plates will have been run through the dishwasher for you on an intensive cycle. The list goes on to cover inside windows, mirrors, shower head, toilet brushes. Outside includes, disinfecting the bin lids, cleaning outdoor furniture and gates, outdoor play equipment and BBQ’s. In some houses, the BBQ cooking area will not look clean because of the material.

Will there be cleaning items left for me to clean if I want to?  Yes, we will leave a selection of items for you including a hoover, mop and cloths.

How are we dealing with things that can’t be cleaned?  Firstly we are reducing the amount of ‘stuff’ in houses. We are going to take out, where possible, ‘risky’ items in the house that are extra for styling but not a necessity.


When you arrive will we still get the ‘essential items’ in the house, like tea, coffee, milk, , foil, cling film etc? The  amount will be reduced and we will provide these in their original supermarket packaging.

Will cleaners wear PPE at changeover?  Yes. Anyone entering the house in changeover will have worn PPE. To include: Facemasks. Gloves. Aprons.

What are we doing your ‘clean and disinfect’ with?  The short answer is that the three-stage cleaning process that we have adopted reduces a virus load significantly.

We are cleaning with a soap agent and then waiting for it to dry, then disinfecting with a  disinfecting product (to BS EN Standard 14476 as per PASC guidelines) to ensure removal of the virus to 99.999%

Will the house welcome notes have been cleaned and disinfected?  Yes. They are laminated and will be cleaned and disinfected just like everything else.

Will the outdoor furniture have been cleaned and disinfected?  We will be cleaning and disinfecting all very high use areas outside the house including the BBQ.

How do you clean fabrics?  We will remove unnecessary fabrics from the house where possible, rotating them through the house every other group. We are using a virucidal spray on fabrics where they can’t be washed, or removed, at changeover. If you arrive and the sofa has a cover on it, that is tightly tucked in, please leave it on. It will mean that we can’t clean that fabric but we can clean the throw. We are trying to reduce the amount of spray that the cleaners and you have to live with....

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