This resource is primarily for care workers and providers delivering care in the following settings:

• visiting homecare
• extra care housing
• live-in homecare

It provides guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during sustained COVID-19 transmission in the UK, and explains how PPE guidance applies to the homecare (domiciliary care) setting.

There are guides for:

• putting on PPE for home carers
• taking off PPE for home carers

These instruction sheets should be used alongside the video guide to putting on and taking off PPE. Although the video is titled as being for workers in care homes, the content is just as relevant for home care. Watch the video

Please note that this guidance is of a general nature and that an employer should consider the specific conditions of each individual place of work and comply with all applicable legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

There may be further information specific to each country in the United Kingdom, as this guidance was written by Public Health England primarily for an English health professional audience. To see if country specific information is available, please refer to Health Protection Scotland, Public Health Wales, or Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.

On 5 June 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that all hospital staff would need to continuously wear a surgical facemask whilst at work, and visitors would need to wear face coverings. The announcement also indicated that the same approach was being considered for social care. Changes to this guidance to reflect this announcement are being considered and will be incorporated in the next update.

This interim resource has been published to provide important updates as set out on page 2 of the document.

To download this please click here