COVID-19 Vaccination

Policy

DOCUMENT DETAILS

Document Owner	People and Culture
Approval Date	12 May 2022
Release Date	13 May 2022
Compliance Date	13 May 2022
Review Date	1 February 2023
Updated	29 August 2022
Version History
29 August 2022	Policy now applies only to CEDoW Staff and Non-staff workers working or engaged in specialist learning settings

introduction and context

INTRODUCTION

Policy in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) is developed to support the implementation of consistent and comprehensive practices to guide quality Catholic learning and teaching in systemic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong.

Policy is developed within the context of specific documents and frameworks. These include:

CONTEXT

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) recognises that the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in the workplace is central to the mission and success of our schools and offices. COVID-19 is a highly transmissible disease between individuals that are in close contact and has the potential to pose a great risk to vulnerable members of the community including the elderly and those people who are immunocompromised.

This Policy has been endorsed and implemented during the global COVID-19 pandemic and is underpinned by the CEDoW COVID-19 Vaccination Core Principles. CEDoW has both statutory and common law legal obligations to ensure that people are safe when attending CEDoW premises. By implementing this Policy CEDoW is taking reasonably practicable steps to minimise the potentially fatal risks associated with COVID-19.

To protect health and safety, compliance with this Policy is a condition of employment with CEDoW.

EXPECTATIONS

It is a condition of employment that CEDoW Staff working in Specialist Learning Settings must provide proof of at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (primary doses 1 and 2) or proof of a medical contraindication. As a lawful and reasonable direction, failure to comply is grounds for termination under employment law.

It is expected that all CEDoW Staff and Non-staff workers working in specialist learning settings will take all reasonable measures to comply with the CEDoW COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

This Policy must be implemented in conjunction with the following policies where relevant:

CEDoW Work Health and Safety Policy

application of the policy

This Policy applies to:

All CEDoW Staff who have direct contact with students in Specialist Learning Settings
All Non-staff workers who have direct contact with students in Specialist Learning Settings

CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE (CEO) RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Catholic Education Office (CEO) will:

periodically assess and minimise the ongoing risks of COVID-19 and utilise mitigation strategies to maintain the safety of students, staff, families and visitors to CEDoW schools and offices and ensure the continuity of learning, service delivery and business operations
monitor the ongoing implementation of the Policy and if needed, vary, withdraw or replace the directives of the Policy at any time
support Principals in:

exploring other possible alternative work arrangements in respect of unvaccinated CEDoW Staff or Non-staff workers working in a Specialist Learning Setting (which may include remote working if suitable, the taking of paid/unpaid leave, redeployment, or termination of employment if the CEDoW Staff member is unable to fulfil the inherent requirements of their role)
conducting a risk assessment, in respect of a CEDoW Staff or Non-staff worker working in a specialist learning setting with a medical contraindication, that considers the specific vulnerabilities of the CEDoW Staff or Non-staff worker and student(s)

maintain the privacy and confidentiality of relevant workers by protecting the sensitivity of the details of their vaccination status or any medical contraindication

1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRINCIPALS/HEADS OF SERVICE

principals/heads of service MUST:

1.1	sight evidence of vaccination status for all CEDoW Staff and Non-staff workers working or engaged in a Specialist Learning Setting for the purposes of confirmation
1.2	verify that the vaccination status of CEDoW Staff aligns with the information they have recorded in My Vaccination in the COVID-19 My Workplace portal in CEDoW Staff Gateway
1.3	maintain privacy and confidentiality in relation to a CEDoW Staff and Non-staff worker’s:
	1.3.1	vaccination status, or
	1.3.2	details of a medical contraindication
1.4	have a system in place to review any temporary medical contraindication after the temporary contraindication no longer applies
1.5	instruct any CEDoW Staff and Non-staff worker working or engaged in a specialist learning setting who is not vaccinated with at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (primary doses 1 and 2) or does not have a medical contraindication, to leave the specialist learning setting immediately, until such time as the Principal, in consultation with the CEDoW Head of People and Culture:
	1.5.1	has explored other possible alternative work arrangements in respect of the unvaccinated CEDoW Staff or Non-staff worker working in a specialist learning setting (which may include remote working if suitable, the taking of paid/unpaid leave, redeployment, or termination of employment if the CEDoW Staff member is unable to fulfil the inherent requirements of their role)
	1.5.2	has conducted a risk assessment that considers the specific vulnerabilities of the CEDoW Staff or Non-staff worker and the student(s), in the case of a CEDoW Staff or Non-staff worker with a medical contraindication

2 RESPONSIBILITIES OF staff working in specialist learning settings

STAFF MUST:

2.1	be vaccinated with at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (primary doses 1 and 2) OR have a medical contraindication
2.2	record their vaccination status in My Vaccination in the COVID-19 My Workplace portal in CEDoW Staff Gateway
2.3	provide evidence of vaccination status to their Principal/Head of Service/Delegate
2.4	in the case of a temporary medical contraindication:
	2.4.1	obtain their vaccination(s) and provide evidence as soon as possible after the temporary contraindication no longer applies, or
	2.4.2	provide further evidence of another medical contraindication after the temporary contraindication no longer applies
2.5	be aware that failure to comply with a lawful and reasonable direction has serious consequences for their ongoing employment, including disciplinary action up to and including termination
2.6	not deliberately mislead or provide false information to CEDoW which, if proven, may lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination

3 RESPONSIBILITIES OF NON-STAFF WORKERS engaged in specialist learning settings

NON-STAFF WORKERS MUST:

3.1	be vaccinated with at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (primary doses 1 and 2) OR have a medical contraindication
3.2	provide evidence of vaccination status to their Principal/Head of Service/Delegate
3.3	in the case of a temporary medical contraindication:
	3.3.1	obtain their vaccination(s) and provide evidence as soon as possible after the temporary contraindication no longer applies, or
	3.3.2	provide further evidence of another medical contraindication after the temporary contraindication no longer applies
3.4	be aware that failure to comply or providing false or misleading information may result in:
	3.4.1	refused entry to a CEDoW school or office site, and/or
	3.4.2	termination of engagement or services

Procedure

There are no CEDoW Procedures for this Policy

Implementation