Vivienne Cross at Moray council has instructed Early Years settings that staff are to wear face coverings whilst working with children. Face coverings inhibit practitioners from carrying out their duty of care and prevent children from picking up on verbal and facial cues. They’re detrimental to child’s care and learning environment and has a negative impact on Childrens’s emotional well being. There have been no impact assessments carried out and further mitigations are disproportionate. These settings already have the required mitigations in place. To extend these would have further adverse effects on early learning and the social development required at this young age.

Scottish Government states “Where local decisions on the strengthened use of face coverings are made, it will remain vitally important to consider the potential impact on children. For local authority run settings, any such local decisions should be reflected in Equality Impact Assessments”

Many settings now care for two year olds, Pre-birth to Three guidance in Scotland acknowledges that the first 3 years of a child’s life is when most brain development takes place, as their neurological pathways develop. PBT3 guidance also states children learn when receiving “responsive care, warm & accepting relationships…welcoming smiles, hugs, consistency & reassuring comments” which aren’t possible if staff are masked. How are we GIRFEC if we cannot provide effective, quality interactions due to masks, which cause distress to many children and may have equality impacts on children with additional needs. Building the Ambition also has emphasis on quality interactions with child voice at the centre, if you asked a child would they like staff masked or unmasked, they would choose no mask..Child’s voice is to be listened to and respected.