Precautionary Measures for COVID-19

As a company we are taking the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus seriously and as such we have a constantly evolving business continuity plan.

As we are ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001 certified, we have extensive contingency plans in place which are operational and will extend further as and when government guidelines regarding the virus change.

We have measures in place to protect both our staff and students in the areas of; ergonomic and technical assessments, delivery set up & familiarisation, and assistive technology training.

Additionally, please rest assured that during our prep / repair processes, our team are using new gloves for each piece of equipment touched and all items are being sanitised before and after any work is carried out. Returned items are also being quarantined for a period of 48 hours before any evaluation / work commences.

We would also respectfully ask all our customers to follow the government guidelines on self-protection: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing

All our office-based and field staff have been instructed to follow the guidelines and self-isolate if necessary. Our office-based staff are fully functional to work from home ensuring business continuity and the highest standards of customer care are in place

Delivery, set-up & familiarisation appointments (IT equipment & software)
These appointments will take place in two parts

Part 1 – Delivery - Our engineers / couriers will complete on-the-doorstep handover maintaining social distancing as per government guidelines. You will not be asked to sign for your delivery.

Part 2 - When arranging your delivery appointment, we will book you in for a remote installation / familiarisation appointment which will take place online with an AT trainer. If you are unable to access this service in online format for any reason OR have received equipment and still require help, please contact [email protected]in order to discuss your specific requirements.

Ergonomic / furniture deliveries
These appointments are available in two formats:

1. Drop off only (customer assembly)
2. Onsite assembly with engineer + familiarisation maintaining social distancing.

You will be asked to confirm the following prior to any onsite assembly
(1) Have you or anyone in your home tested positive for COVID-19 or displaying any of the key symptoms? We ask customers if they have been in direct contact with anyone who is COVID-19 positive, either notified by track & trace or otherwise

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

(2) Have you been advised by your GP that you are Extremely Clinically Vulnerable?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/

Extremely Clinically Vulnerable Customers – In order to prioritise your safety and in line with current government advice, we are unable to carry out appointments in your home at this time. This includes all delivery services where a setup may be required. We are able to carry out drop-off only and will not require a signature.

Clinically Vulnerable Customers – We are able to enter your home with your consent to undertake assembly, whilst adhering to strict social distancing.

Managing risk in your home

Our engineers will require you to maintain a safe 2m distance at all times. If this is not being correctly maintained by you or any member of your household, our staff are under strict instructions to leave the premises.
Once location has been established for assembly, it is necessary for you to leave the area and allow the engineer to work
Doors in corridors and into any room we are accessing should be left open prior to engineer arriving onsite. The room should be ventilated by leaving windows open where possible.
Our engineer will be wearing necessary PPE such as gloves / mask at all times whilst carrying out installation in your home
Our staff are not permitted to accept food and beverages whist undertaking their work
Once assembly is complete, brief guidance for operation will be provided; however an individualised setup e.g. chair fit cannot be completed at this time. For further assistance in setting up your ergonomic chair or workstation, please visit our help pages and select “ergonomic chairs” -
Delivery paperwork will be provided; however a signature will not be required.

Face-to-face training
The majority of our training appointments are taking place online. If you have difficulties accessing training in online format please contact a member of our team - [email protected].

Remote training
Your trainer will contact you on the day of your appointment to set up a remote session. You will subsequently receive a link to join an online training session where you can speak to their trainer through your computer. At this stage our trainer will run through a disclaimer containing all the important information before the session commences.
Online training is carried out on 1-to-1 basis and is designed to be hands-on, allowing customers to use the equipment and software to its full potential.

Ergonomic / technical assessment appointments
Bookings Process - Your assessment referral is passed to our dedicated ergonomic team. At this time we have an amended process in order to manage risks to our staff and customers.

We ask all customers at the time of booking if they are (1) experiencing any of the key symptoms associated with COVID-19 or (2) Have they received a positive test result
We ask customers if they have been in direct contact with anyone who is COVID-19 positive, either notified by track & trace or otherwise
We ask customers if they are in the extremely clinically vulnerable category. We advise them of the risks associated with any face-to-face contact

Your appointment confirmation will advise you of H&S processes in place on the day and what is expected

Appointments consist of a 30 minute pre-assessment, followed by a 15-20 minute onsite assessment to facilitate the demonstration and consideration of appropriate ergonomic equipment. Prior to the assessment taking place your assessor will contact you to complete a short risk assessment. This ensures the information provided at booking stage is still accurate and confirms what is expected onsite.

Deliveries of equipment: Items in short supply
Some peripheral items which we receive through our supply chain are currently in short supply due to restrictions on items being imported into the country and limitations on quantities which we are currently able to purchase from our suppliers.

Unfortunately this means that some items are missing from orders which we are currently sending out to students. We are doing our best to source alternatives where possible and if you are missing items from your delivery, we will send these out as soon as stock becomes available to us.

Non-Medical Help appointments
As you may be aware, many universities have now suspended face to face lectures as a precautionary measure regarding Corvid-19.

For some of you, we are aware that you may no longer be able to attend university as a result of the lectures being suspended and that you may be concerned how this will affect your academic support. We would encourage you to still access your support during this period as it will help to maintain your studies and prevent any further disruptions.

If you are receiving Tutoring or Mentoring support this can continue remotely using a number of online options. We must ask that you stay aware of any updates from your university regarding closures and access your support via an alternative method if you are able to.

A short guide is available on how you can conduct the remote sessions and what you may need in order to continue your sessions with your support workers. Please email [email protected] to request a copy.

If you wish to continue your Tutoring and Mentoring support at this time, we advise you have a discussion with your support workers to find out how you can conduct the sessions in a way that suits you both. Again, we do encourage you to continue with your support and we will try to make the transition to remote support as smooth as possible.

For those of you in receipt of Note Taking/Study Assistance/Library Support/Lab Support, all universities have suspended face to face lectures however some lectures are now being provided online. If you feel that you still need to access your support, please speak with your universities disability team to discuss your options.

If you receive a support type not listed above, please do not hesitate to contact us and we shall discuss with you how your support will be conducted.

We hope that your support can continue as smoothly as possible over this period.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]