From Monday 19 July, limits on numbers inside a facility no longer apply and there is no restriction on the number of players (adults/juniors) you can coach on court. View our new Back to Squash recommendations.

The Government has set up the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS); those self-employed can apply for taxable grants worth up to 80% of the average profits. The SEISS grant has been extended up until September as follows:

• The fourth grant will cover February until the end of April 2021, and will pay up to 80% of trading profits up to £7,500 in total. Claims for the fourth grant can be made from April.
• The fifth grant amount covers a four-month period (May to September 2021) but this payment will be based upon loss of income. Claims for the fifth grant can be made in July.

See full details here.

The full government rules on the self employed are set out here.

If you are a company director and pay yourself a salary or dividends you will not be covered by this scheme. You may be able to get support through the Job Retention Scheme.

Applications are being managed by HMRC and details on how to apply can be found here.

Other help available

• You can apply for a Business Interruption Loan. The temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is open to self-employed people and offers access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million for up to six years. The Government could also give you a 'business interruption payment' to cover the first 12 months of interest and fees on the loan. The scheme is now open for applications and is offered by all major banks.
• You can defer your income tax payments. If you have income tax payments due in July 2020 under the self-assessment system, you can defer them until January 2021.
• You can access universal credit in full. The Government has removed the 'minimum income floor' to the universal credit benefit and will be boosting the standard allowance from Monday 6 April – meaning a single person aged over 25 could get a standard monthly allowance of £409.89

All Government advice supporting businesses can be found here.

A useful source of advice and support that many of you will be familiar with is moneysavingexpert.com.

No, the Coaches Club insurance benefit only covers you for loss of earnings as a result of personal injury.

A number of coaches have received confirmation of cancellations to face to face first aid courses that were booked before the current COVID-19 measures. Certificated online basic first aid courses that last a minimum of three hours in duration, remain acceptable for England Squash purposes. We recommend coaches undertake the following course. Please email coaching@englandsquash.com if you have any further enquiries regarding first aid courses.

No specific changes have been made to the ways in which England Squash administers DBS checks. Please click here to apply for a DBS check or visit our DBS FAQs for further information.

All NSPCC Time To Listen courses have been cancelled or postponed.

UK Coaching have created an online classroom version of their Safeguarding and Protecting Children course which is being delivered as an interactive webinar. There are a number of courses available throughout April and all coaches whose Safeguarding qualification expires during the period of Government measures should attend one of these virtual courses, which will be accepted by England Squash in place of a face to face course. Please note that other online courses (with no interaction with the tutor as in a webinar) will not be accepted by England Squash.

Find a UK Coaching Online Classroom course.

During COVID-19, a number of enhanced hygiene protocols were put in place to reduce the risk of transmission before, during and in between coaching sessions, some of which continue to be good practice to keep a high standard of hygiene. Consider continuing to implement these protocols, including:

• Asking players to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitiser on entry, exit, and in between sessions.
• Cleaning or quarantining shared equipment in between sessions where possible.
• Contact surfaces are cleaned and court ventilated where possible.

Yes, players can return to using the changing rooms but we recommend that you limit the number of people using these facilities at one time in order to reduce the risk of transmission.

Clubs should also have a regular cleaning schedule for changing rooms. It is recommended that you encourage the wearing of face coverings where groups of different visitors mix in close proximity, and/or where there are limited ventilation options.

Employers will still have a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by their business and you should consider your own health and safety and that of your workforce at all times. Aligned to the new Government guidance for businesses and venues from 19 July, our key recommendations are that you update your club’s risk assessment, continue with hygiene protocols and provide adequate ventilation.

Furthermore, our latest insight (conducted in July 2021) reveals that many players are yet to return to their club/venue with some continuing to feel uncomfortable in indoors settings.

Therefore, it’s important to give players the confidence that they can return to play safely at their club/venue. Maintaining a degree of safety measures is likely to be a significant factor in building player confidence.

View our new Back to Squash recommendations.

The Government advice for businesses and venues from 19 July is that all businesses should follow the principles set out in the Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance from Step 4 which sets out a range of mitigations employers should consider including:

• conducting a risk assessment for all activities, which should include COVID-19 risks;
• cleaning surfaces that people touch regularly;
• identifying poorly-ventilated areas in the venue and taking steps to improve air flow;
• ensuring that staff and customers who are unwell do not attend the workplace or venue;
• communicating to staff and customers the measures you have put in place.

Employers will still have a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by their business.

It is no longer a legal requirement for people to wear a face covering when inside public spaces. However, clubs where groups of different visitors mix in close proximity, and/or where there are limited ventilation options, are encouraged to continue to ask visitors to wear a face covering – in line with Government advice. This should not be extended to on court activity.

While it is no longer a legal requirement for venues/facilities to use the NHS Test & Trace programme, or to capture information on visitors, the Government recommends that clubs continue to display an NHS Test & Trace QR code whilst the scheme is in place. Clubs may decide whether they wish to ask visitors to continue to use this.

The UK Government have announced a £4.6 billion support package for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. Find out more.