March 2022: Updated Guidance on Visiting St. Michael's House

The Public Health advice remains to fully restore normal visiting in St Michaels House, while also recognising the need to remain cautious as we continue to deal with the evolving risks associated with COVID-19.

We would like to thank our service users, families and staff in St Michael’s House for their courage, patience and support over the course of the pandemic,  as we now continue our journey towards a degree of normality and enjoying the special moments again in person between family and friends.

• There will no longer be a need for visitors to SMH houses to show immunity through vaccination or previous infection
• Regular visiting with no restrictions may resume ( * except in circumstances outlined below )
• In line with established guidance, there remains no requirement to restrict window visits
• The minimum level of visiting should normally be daily visits by up to 2 people at one time
• There should be no restrictions on movement of residents within their home after going on outings or visits outside of the residential house, unless a significant exposure risk occurred during the outing;

*Restricted Visiting

• Restricted visiting may be necessary in the event that the service user or visitor poses a risk of infection.
• The introduction of a “nominated support person”, for each resident who should normally have regular and unrestricted access to the resident, except if that person is a specific risk to residents (e.g. is subject to self-isolation) or there is specific public health or infection prevention and control advice to limit visitors.
• The nominated support person should continue to have access for some part of each day, unless specifically advised by public health at an early stage of outbreak
• If a resident does not have a nominated support person, visiting should generally not be less than 2 visits per week by one person during an outbreak;
• Limitations on visiting should be justified by an up-to-date risk assessment and should be reassessed twice each week;