As a valued client, you will be aware that with the onset of Covid19 we took responsible action to ensure our employees and our clients were kept safe as the pandemic unfolded. We swiftly moved to working remotely and closed our offices whilst at the same time ensuring we strived to continue to provide you with an uninterrupted service. We also sought to stay in touch with you through regular email and providing information that we felt would be valuable to you during this time.
At that time, we made the decision to stop all face-to-face meetings, in order to protect the health and well-being of our employees and clients. Following the government’s relaxation of lockdown measures we re-opened the offices and again undertook face to face meetings where it was safe to do so.
However, there are now, with effect from 22nd September, new guidelines in the Newport and surrounding area. We are therefore “discouraging” face to face meetings.
Having said that we understand that our clients sometimes really do need such meetings to fully discuss their businesses, employment, grants and furlough, Bounce Back loans and how they are affected by the pandemic.
Accordingly, and for the near future, we will still do face to face meetings but as the health of you and our employees is our highest priority, we have carefully assessed the risks associated with meetings in person and we would therefore ask that you consider carefully the following guidelines ahead of any scheduled meeting:
- Firstly, consider if you definitely wish to meet in person. If you would prefer, we can meet online in Teams. We also offer phone calls.
- Please note that in the event that any of our staff are uncomfortable in having a face to face meeting then they will not be required to so. If that is the case, we will only meet online or via telephone or an alternative member will meet with you.
- If you or anyone in your household or bubble is vulnerable or at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 you are strongly advised not to meet face-to-face. Instead, please contact us to arrange a remote meeting, including online. If you wish to meet in person, please contact us so we can make special arrangements.
- If you or anyone in your household or bubble has symptoms of COVID-19, including a high temperature or a new persistent cough, or is within 14 days of the day when the first member of your household showed symptoms of COVID-19, please contact us to reschedule your meeting.
- If you or anyone in your household or bubble has been identified as extremely clinically vulnerable and has been advised by their health authority to shield, we will be unable to conduct a face to face meeting with you for the foreseeable future. We would however be happy to service your needs via one of our remote offerings, outlined above.
Your meeting – confirmation
Once the meeting is confirmed, we will telephone you again 24 hours ahead of the meeting to confirm that neither you nor your household or bubble has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms. Should anyone in the household or in any bubble to which the household is connected have developed symptoms or been asked to self-isolate as a result of a track and trace request, we would kindly request that you reschedule your appointment until the household is free of COVID-19.
Your meeting – what to expect
On entry to our offices and whilst in reception please wear a face mask and use hand sanitizer provided, on entry and exit of our offices. Please also do not be offended if they do not shake your hand.
Throughout the meeting we will, with your assistance, do our best to remain at a social distance of 2 metres (6 feet). Where social distancing at 2 metres is not possible; we will follow government guidance on ‘1 metre plus’ and mitigate the risk by using face protection and other control measures such as sitting side-by-side with you rather than face-to-face.
We would ask that contact between us is restricted to only members whose presence is essential for the meeting. Appropriate social distancing must be maintained and should not be compromised by the number of people present. Of course, additional members can be accommodated at the meeting by way of conference call or one of the available online/ virtual meeting options outlined above.
There is also the option to meet outdoors observing social distancing and in the event that we visit you we would anticipate a similar policy.
Your meeting – follow up
Should you or any member of your household develop COVID-19 symptoms or receive a positive test for COVID -19 within 14 days of your visit, please contact us as a matter of high priority.
Should anyone you may have met during your visit develop symptoms of COVID-19 within this period, we will of course notify you.
I am sure that you understand the need for these additional measures in these extraordinary times.
If you are uncomfortable in any way about holding a face to face meeting, there is of course no obligation. We are very happy to continue to meet you by phone or video as you choose, for as long as you like. There should be no difference in service or quality of advice we provide, irrespective of how we meet with you.
We very much look forward to seeing friendly faces again should you choose to do so and in the meantime, continue to stay safe and well.