As of 15th June 2020, Furniture Now! shall be open to the public whilst adhering to UK government guidance regarding social distancing. We are committed to ensuring the safety of anyone impacted by our charitable activities, providing a safe and suitable environment for all those attending our premises or accessing our services.

When visiting a Furniture Now! store

• To protect staff and customers, entry into Furniture Now sites shall be managed, only allowing a safe number of people into store which can ensure social distancing is observed.

• A designated queuing area outside the store shall be identified, marked and managed by staff at all times.

• Signage shall be displayed asking customers with symptoms not to enter the store and to remind both staff and customers to always keep 2 metres from other people wherever possible.

• Staff shall wash their hands with soap and water as often as possible and for 20 seconds every time.

• Where possible, reusable dust sheets are to be used so that high-contact items such as beds and sofas may be protected from contamination.

• Perspex barriers are installed at checkout points of regular interaction between staff and customers and these will be cleaned regularly.

• Staff shall encourage the use of contactless payment methods wherever possible.

• Should a member of Furniture Now site manager deem a customer is not respecting social distancing policy measures, management reserve the right to ask the customer to leave the store.

• Furniture Now site managers shall review the layout of their store regularly to ensure walkways are as clear as possible to support 2m social distancing, using one-way systems around shops where practical and supported by signage.

• Staff shall increase ventilation where possible (such as opening a window) and leave non-essential doors open to minimise the number of people who touch them. This does not apply to fire doors.

• Staff shall wash their hands before and after sorting stock and should avoid touching their faces whilst handling stock. Disposable gloves shall be worn whilst sorting stock.

• On arrival, donated goods shall be cleaned with suitable anti-bacterial cleaning products. Hard surfaces including tables, till counter, till screen, phones, kitchen worktops, door handles etc. shall be cleaned down regularly. Staff and volunteers shall use disposable cleaning wipes so that the most touched areas in-store can be frequently cleaned throughout the day and especially those that are shared such as telephones, till systems and PDQ machines.

• Staff are responsible for informing customers who are accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them at all times.

Collections and Deliveries

• Where it is possible, delivery staff shall not enter the customer’s property and items being delivered or collected shall not be physically handed over but left somewhere for the other party to collect.

• Drivers will be given hand sanitiser to be carried at all times and used after each deliver/collection. They shall be encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds as regularly as possible. Vehicles shall be cleaned extensively using gloves and standard cleaning products.

• If entering someone’s home cannot be avoided, drivers shall wash their hands using soap and water for 20 seconds and continue to do so regularly. If hand washing facilities aren’t available hand sanitiser shall be used. Drivers shall maintain a minimum of 2 metres distance from the donor/customer where possible, keeping time spent in the property short and sanitise any surfaces touched before leaving.

• Drivers shall not enter a household which is isolating. Staff must be informed by the customer/donor if they are in self-isolation on the day of the visit. Drivers shall refuse to complete jobs if the customer/donor appears unwell or it doesn’t seem safe to proceed.

• As much as possible, Furniture Now sites shall use the same delivery team pairings.

When required to enter a customer/donor’s household

• Van teams shall notify all customers /donors in advance of their arrival. On entry to the home they shall wash their hands using hand sanitiser.

• Staff shall maintain a safe distance (at least 2 metres) from any household occupants at all times and ensure good ventilation in the area where you they working, including requesting that any internal windows be opened.

• No work shall be carried out in any household which is isolating or where an individual are being shielded.