Steps to take following the death of a colleague in children’s services
Actions for employers and providers following a coronavirus (COVID-19) related death of a carer or colleague across children’s services.
Applies to England
In the sad event of the death of a worker in children’s services from coronavirus (COVID-19), there are a number of actions that employers may need to take.
Inform the Department for Education
We are asking employers and providers to tell us if a carer or colleague in children’s services has died from coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes:
- children’s social care workers
- foster carers
- education staff
Please email CSCcovid.NOTIFICATIONS@education.gov.uk with the following details about the person who has died:
- name
- job role
- employer
- local authorities which they worked in, if applicable
- date of death
- if coronavirus (COVID-19) was confirmed or suspected
Please provide as much information as you can.
Employers are encouraged to tell the family, friends or colleagues of the person who has died that they’re submitting this information.
There’s no legal duty on employers and providers to submit this information to the Department for Education (DfE). However, this information will help us to ensure we can take the appropriate steps.
Queries
If you have any queries about informing DfE of the death of a carer or colleague in children’s services, please email CSCcovid.NOTIFICATIONS@education.gov.uk.
If the person who died worked in adult social care, please contact the Department of Health and Social Care instead.
Contact the family
Employers should:
- contact the person’s family or next of kin to offer condolences
- confirm with the family if the news can be shared with other staff at work, respecting that the family may wish to mourn in a private way
- answer any questions that the person’s family may have about pay, contracts, pensions or other arrangements, ensuring that all procedures are followed
- put the family in touch with a senior manager or equivalent who can answer questions about returning any personal belongings
Tell others at work
Employers should:
- tell other staff that the person has died, in a sensitive way
- signpost staff to any support that’s available to them and talk to staff regularly to see how they’re coping
- let staff know how they can give their condolences, if the person’s family are happy for them to do so
- share details of any memorial events, if staff have been invited
Report to the Health and Safety Executive
Report a coronavirus (COVID-19) work-related death to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) if it meets the criteria under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013).
There must be reasonable evidence that the death was caused by an occupational exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19). The responsible person should notify HSE by the quickest practicable means, without delay, and send a report within 10 days of the death. The failure to make a RIDDOR report is a criminal offence.
HSE will look at the circumstances and may decide to investigate. Through their investigatory work, HSE:
- identifies actions employers must take to prevent recurrences
- aims to share broader lessons
- could take enforcement action if there are breaches of health and safety at work law
For more information, read when and how HSE investigates.