POLICY

St. Leonard’s Community Services will ensure the highest possible standard to protect the health and safety of clients and staff.  The purpose of the Pandemic Plan is to prepare St. Leonard’s staff for procedures required in the event of a pandemic emergency.

OVERVIEW

A pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new virus appears or emerges in the human population, causes serious illness, and then spreads easily from person to person worldwide.

The word “outbreak” is used whenever there is a local (e.g., household, school) increase in the number of people with a particular disease or infection.  Outbreaks can happen in homes, communities, workplaces, shelters or entire cities; wherever people interact, work, live.

Modes of transmission of infection:

Airborne transmission: Spread of infectious organisms (germs) through the air. These germs can survive in the air for long periods of time and travel far from the infected person.

Blood-borne transmission: Spread of infectious organisms (germs) through direct blood-to-blood contact (e.g., sharing of needles).

Direct contact transmission: Spread of infectious organisms (germs) from the skin of one person to another person directly.

Droplet transmission: Spread of infectious organisms (germs) from an infected person in tiny droplets of fluid that can travel small distances (less than one metre).

PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION

The Executive Director will be responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy.  The Executive Director will have the authority to an emergency, or delegate the authority as required.
Once an emergency has been declared, the following steps will be taken:

• The Executive Director or delegate will declare a state of emergency and communicate this decision to all appropriate persons.

• Within 48 hours, the Executive Director or delegate will assemble the Emergency Response Team (see below for members) who will assess the situation, set priorities and ensure actions are immediately initiated.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

The St. Leonard’s Management Team and Facilities Manager will function as an Emergency Response Team.  The Executive Director will be the chair of the Team responsible for the development and administration of the Emergency Response Plan.  The Manager of Administrative Services will be present to record meeting minutes. Each department will have a designated health and safety representative who will liase with the Emergency Response Co-ordinator (Facilities Manager) and ensure all departmental staff members are trained to respond appropriately.

Under the direction of the Executive Director or delegate, the Team will:

• Oversee and co-ordinate all aspects of the Pandemic Plan.
• Oversee all internal communications. 
• Oversee all maintenance requirements during the pandemic.
• Co-ordinate all financial and administrative aspects of the emergency including notification to all funding sources, insurance companies, security services and Agency suppliers.
• Ensure the security of all Agency facilities.
• Notify the Board of Directors, funding ministries, other relevant custody/childcare facilities, CAS’s, client guardians, local agencies and Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO).

AWARENESS

Every effort will be made to keep all staff, volunteers and clients informed with the most up-to-date information, supplies and training to mitigate the risk of exposure to a pandemic virus.  Educational materials, notifications and updates will be available to all staff via the Agency’s intranet and departmental meetings. 

The Agency will heighten awareness by providing information on universal precautions such as proper hand washing, the use of personal protective equipment, proper cleaning and personal hygiene (See Human Resources Policy 6-771 Universal Precautions).  The Agency will also promote local community-based vaccine clinics so that staff and clients can be inoculated.   All staff will be encouraged to follow the recommendations of the local health units regarding obtaining vaccines and/or antiviral medications.

Service Directors or delegates will ensure an adequate supply of hand sanitizer, facemasks and gloves in all locations.  Service Directors or delegates will also ensure their residences are adequately supplied with bottled drinking water sufficient for 5 days for each client.

RESPONSE TO DECLARED PANDEMIC

If a local public health unit has determined a pandemic, the Emergency Response Team will meet to assess and coordinate response.

Stage 1- The local health unit has declared a pandemic, but there is no confirmed illness among Agency staff or clients:

All staff will continue to practice the universal precaution procedures as outlined in Human Resources Policy 6-771 Universal Precautions.  All staff will be encouraged to notify their Supervisor of any concerns or information relating to the pandemic.

The Manager/delegate will conduct regular reviews of emergency supplies and equipment to ensure all locations are fully stocked.

As a precautionary measure, adjustments to community activities and involvement of staff in outside meetings may be necessary.

Regular updates will be provided to staff via the intranet and departmental meetings. 

Stage 2- There are confirmed cases of the pandemic illness among Agency staff or clients:

All staff will continue to practice the universal precaution procedures as outlined in Human Resources Policy 6-771 Universal Precautions.  All staff will be encouraged to notify their Supervisor of any concerns or information relating to the pandemic.

If a staff is suspected to have, or confirmed to have the pandemic virus, they will notify their Supervisor, and refrain from coming to work until they have been well for at least 24 hours. 

All staff who are sick or unable to come to work will call their Manager/Supervisor to report their absence.  If required, the Manager/Supervisor reserves the right to send home staff who are unwell or who appear to be unwell when they may jeopardize the health of others.  The Manager/Supervisor will collaborate with Service Directors to ensure that shifts are filled.  Staff will use their sick days, vacation days, personal days, lieu time or unpaid leave to cover absences.

The Emergency Response Team will continue to assess the impact of the pandemic on the Agency, and if deemed necessary, will consider the possibility of temporarily:

• closing non-residential services to the public,
• suspending new admissions,
• suspending community outings,
• suspending access to visitors.

All residential services, Mental Health Crisis Support and payroll will be considered essential services and will remain staffed.

If it is deemed necessary to suspend public access to non-residential services, signage will be posted on all entranceways to advise clients of the closure. Outreach services will also be temporarily suspended. 

Local radio stations will be contacted by the Executive Director or delegate to broadcast program closures and updates with regard to service delivery.

Non-residential staff will be expected to report to work as scheduled to offer client support by phone or email.  If possible, staff will be encouraged to work from home.  Staff working from home who call clients using a land line should use call block, *67.  If using a cell phone, use #31#.  Staff should keep track of long distance calls for reimbursement.

If a client from a residential program is suspected to have, or confirmed to have the pandemic virus, the client will be limited to his/her room and medical care will be arranged by staff.

During Stage 2, the Agency may delegate new job functions to staff or deploy staff to locations where they are most needed.  No staff will receive reduced compensation.  All staff will need to be flexible as job functions, hours and work locations may change, especially for those staff that may be deployed to different locations.  Staff being deployed to residential programs will be asked to offer support and help with the basic needs of the program such as client supervision, cooking, cleaning, running errands or shopping for essentials.

Staff deployed to essential services will receive basic orientation and training for their temporary roles.

The Agency recognizes that staff may have family responsibilities that will have priority over work responsibilities during a pandemic.  Every reasonable effort to help staff balance these priorities will be made.  Staff are encouraged to discuss these issues with their Supervisor.

If staff have other considerations that would limit their participation during a pandemic, including but not limited to, pregnancy or being immuno-compromised, they will be encouraged to raise these concerns with their Supervisor.  Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate individual circumstances.    

Staff will use their sick days, vacation days, personal days, lieu time or unpaid leave to cover absences to care for ill family members.

RECOVERY AND DEBRIEFING

Staff will be offered therapeutic debriefing through supervision meetings, staff meetings or EAP services.

Once the pandemic has passed, the Agency will take the necessary steps to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The following issues will be considered during the recovery phase:

• Gradually returning to normal hours and service delivery as staffing issues, supply demands and exposure concerns subside.
• Ensuring all health and safety related issues have been identified and resolved.
• Assessing remaining resources and supplies and ensuring each department is equipped for normal service delivery.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of this plan and making any necessary revisions.