This article has been prepared for voluntary and community organisations offering services in Reading, and it is accurate at the date of publication. Please continue to check gov.uk for updates as the situation continues to evolve.

The government and NHS have published new guidance that certain health and social care workers must have the Covid-19 vaccination as a pre-requisite for specific employment roles. As voluntary and community organisations you may be wondering whether this applies to roles within your organisations where employees or volunteers are performing similar roles. This article brings together some of the key guidance for you to consider.

• Background information (in particular the flowchart on page 25): NHS Guidance on vaccination as a condition of employment for Healthcare Workers 6.12.21. You will see that the starting point is to consider whether the individual will be deployed in the provision of Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activity, including non-clinical activity.
• Except in cases of CQC regulated care homes, it is the role that you are deploying someone to that should be considered. Simply volunteering or working in a hospital does not, in and of itself, mean the individual must be vaccinated.
• If your health and social care work is not regulated by the CQC then you can encourage staff or volunteers to get vaccinated but the new regulations do not apply.

Further guidance to read

In cases where you have staff or volunteers working or volunteering in a care home registered with the Care Quality Commission. Read and implement the guidance from:

• COVID-19 vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance

In cases where you have staff or volunteers working or volunteering in health and social care services regulated by the Care Quality Commission. Read and implement the guidance from:

• Vaccination of workers in social care settings other than care homes: operational guidance; and
• Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) for healthcare workers: Phase 1 – Planning and preparation
• NHS England has published additional guidance Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) for healthcare workers: Phase 2 – VCOD implementation
• Answers to frequently asked questions 

If you remain unsure

• As there are potential Employment Law implications here, then we would advise you to contact ACAS for specific advice on your situation if you remain unsure. Please remember that the guidance and regulations in this area continue to evolve. How to contact ACAS for advice.
• If a commissioner or funder disagrees with you regarding whether or not your staff or volunteers must have the Covid-19 vaccination, ask them to point you to the specific part of the guidance they are using to make their decision and then clarify this through queries to the ACAS helpline if you remain unclear.
• If you have questions about the contents of this article, please contact Herjeet at herjeet.randhawa@rva.org.uk.