I am of the view that well-informed and time-sensitive decisions are critical components of successful leadership. Of course, having the right information to hand is an important antecedent. Yet leading a large multi-campus FE college through Covid-19, and what has felt like an ever-changing discourse surrounding face masks and face coverings, has not been without its challenges.

Played out on the global stage, over many months we have witnessed scientific conflict surrounding facial PPE and its role in reducing transmission of Covid-19. In England, quite rightly, the government now requires face coverings to be worn in a wide range of public settings, such as in libraries, places of worship, entertainment centres, and community and youth centres.

Conversely, the advice is clear that for some, facial coverings and masks may not be appropriate, such as with police officers and other emergency workers, given that they may interfere with their ability to serve the public. And for further education colleges, the message is similar in that the majority of staff will not require facial PPE beyond what they would normally need for their work.

News: 180 colleges to get funding for buildings

More: Do teachers need to wear face masks?

Opinion: 'I see the logic of masks in class – but it worries me'

But let’s not forget that in delivering skills-based education and training, FE colleges comprise learning environments reflective of employment sectors. In my college, we operate a 120-capacity production theatre for student-led public performances, commercial salons, restaurants, gyms, livery, and even a successful dog grooming enterprise.

Each is integral to the education and training of 16- to 18-year olds and adult students. Equally populated by high footfall, our construction hubs, science labs, sports centres, youth hubs and learning centre (libraries) are not dissimilar to those in found non-FE settings.

The point is that further education colleges are unique – often a mix of diverse professional working and learning environments, structurally and operationally informed by sector-specific industries. From engineering workshops to special educational needs hubs; from delivery drivers and property maintenance staff to work-based assessors visiting a wide range of employer’s premises, such as within hospitals and call centres – there is much to consider in terms of transmission risk.

Providing a safe working environment

Having a first career in nursing has been useful and I am acutely aware of infection transmission, mechanisms for control and the need for cohesive risk mitigation. I have also found it useful to read the 14 industry-specific national government guides that cover a range of different types of work, from the performing arts to lab facilities.

Yet different guidance exists specifically for further education, and for any college leader merely relying on educational information, there is little offered in terms of safe reopening in industry-related FE environments.

In two to four weeks, 13,500 individual 16- to 18-year olds and adult students will return to my campuses and, in readiness, we have made significant adjustments. Cleaning regimes and waste removal are enhanced, sanitising stations and protective screens are installed, social distancing strategies are in place (as best we can), and regular PPE is supplied to practitioners providing routine intimate care.

Catering will only provide pre-packed food and beverages, and to prevent unnecessary mixing, students will for the first time be expected to eat lunch in their classrooms. This week our new home-working policy will be launched, and we are ready to engage with the NHS test and trace process.

I have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment, a duty to manage college finances and to ensure sustainable high-quality teaching and learning. And the priority is to balance all three. When it comes to facial PPE, despite government guidance, I have felt uncomfortable expecting my diverse 700-plus workforce to return to an enclosed environment with large volumes of young people and adults on-site without the option of appropriate face coverings.

To overcome restrictions from face coverings, and recognising that facial expressions are powerful communication techniques essential for high-quality classroom management and delivery, all teaching and learning support staff have been given the option to wear college purchased face visors (covering the eyes, nose, mouth, chin and wrapping around the side of the face). Despite the cost, we have extended this option to our duty managers and business support staff too, who often come into contact with high volumes of people across our multiple campuses.

Covid-19 remains prevalent and the transmission impact of students returning to education is yet to be understood. No doubt the discourse of face coverings, while complex, will remain an ongoing debate. And in the absence of more specific guidance, the decisions we have taken are informed quite simply, by a desire to do the right thing. I want my workforce protected, to see their anxiety levels minimised, and of course, to enable the best possible learning experience for students in these challenging times. 

Ellen Thinnesen is the chief executive of Education Partnership North East