How we are keeping our community of ambitious creators and innovators safe at Plus X innovation hubs

*This blog has been updated on Wednesday 14th December 2021 in line with the latest UK Government ‘Plan B’ recommendations.

As of Monday 13th December 2021, as per the latest UK Government COVID-19 recommendations, we’d like to update you on Plus X Covid 19-related operating policies. While the UK has relatively high vaccination levels, it also has growing infection levels and we appreciate it’s a confusing time. At Plus X we are consistently activating a strategy that prioritises safety and flexibility.

We want to assure you all that our priorities remain the same as before: to provide an excellent service to you, our members, and to minimise risks for all.

Both Plus X Brighton and Hayes will remain open for our members that are unable to work from home, and it is up to our members to decide whether they can work from home or not. Our aim is to reduce the chance that infection will spread within our workspaces, therefore minimising business disruption and health risks.

+ Face masks 

We encourage everyone to continue to wear face masks whilst moving around the building. The government expects and recommends you wear a mask in crowded and enclosed spaces.

For context, many transport providers will continue to mandate the wearing of masks, and England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance said they will continue to wear face coverings:

• indoors, in any situation which is crowded, or where people are close together
• if asked to by any “competent authority”
• if someone else was uncomfortable, as a “common courtesy”

+ Social Distancing

With social distancing guidelines removed, we have removed the majority of social distancing markings in our buildings, such as those that preclude the use of adjacent desks and limit the number of occupants of each meeting room. However, we will continue to take a cautious approach to space management in order to keep occupancy density as low as possible.

For example, we have returned the full complement of chairs to each meeting room, and it is each member businesses’ individual responsibility for their team’s behaviour in these spaces.

Social distancing for events will be confirmed on a case-by-case basis. We will let attendees of events know the chosen approach beforehand. All events are being considered with Covid-19 safety in mind, and will be relocated into larger or outside spaces, or online as required.

We have 53,000 sq ft of space at Plus X Brighton, which presents a unique opportunity to provide the working area people need right now. With our innovation hub offering three stairwells, members can move around the building at a safe distance from other members.

+ Enhanced cleaning and prioritising hygiene

Our policy remains the same, which is to maintain enhanced cleaning of high-touchpoint areas through twice daily, professional cleaning using BS EN 14476 and EN 14675 approved detergents to ensure that all touchpoints are safe.. We will also retain the hand sanitizer stations to enable effective hand cleaning.

Keeping every part of the building clean is extremely important to us and provides our members with peace of mind when coming in to work from the space.

It’s important that we all continue to wash our hands regularly for at least twenty seconds to stop the spread of the virus, you will find plenty of soap and hand sanitiser in the building. We have touch-free hand sanitisers in our reception on the ground floor and lobby on the 3rd floor to keep away cross-contamination.

+ Protecting our community

Our team has undertaken training by health and safety experts to maintain safe interactions with guests during this time and check you into the building, contact-free. Additional signage throughout the building advises on our new house rules and safety procedures to keep the Plus X community safe.

We advise all staff, visitors, and members to wear masks when not situated at a fixed workstation. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch and we can discuss your case personally.

Our procedures are comprehensive, but every plan must take emergency into consideration. In the event of a suspected case, we have trained first aiders with PPE.

+ Illness and Isolation

If you feel unwell and experience any symptoms of COVID-19, please do stay at home and take a lateral flow or PCR test. Please then only return to the building if you have received a negative test result. If told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, we ask that you please do not come into the building.

+ Visitors

Our policy on visitors will remain the same. Visitors are reduced to just 10 per day and we require all members to please check your guests in at reception.

+ Continued Guidance 

Our Covid-19 risk assessment and house rules can be found on the members’ portal on the dashboard under ‘guides’. We will continue to alter these policies over the coming months as government guidance changes and/or our own operating need requires to keep you safe and minimise business disruption. You will always be able to find the latest assessments and info on the portal.

If you have any concerns about these approaches, in how they apply to you, or how they might work for you, please do reach out to Location Director Daniel Deacon.

We value each and every one of you and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your compliance and your continued commitment to making Plus X the thriving place that it is, despite these complexities.

+ Supporting your wellbeing

As champions of wellbeing, we recognise that health safeguarding during this time must include supporting a positive mental mindset. Plus X Brighton is on track to achieve WELL Building Standards: Platinum, making it the healthiest shared workspace in the UK. We are proud to be a mental health first aid trained team, here for members to reach out to whenever needed.

Our roof terrace, AIRSPACE, is available for members to take a moment of calm. Encompassing lush scenery, edible planting, and views from the South Downs to the sea, the rooftop is the perfect place to grab some downtime or have a socially distanced meeting in the sunshine. This space will remain for members only until it is safe to open to the wider community.

Plus X Brighton was designed by architects Studio Egret West with human health at the forefront. Inspiring architecture paired with motivating colours gets your creative juices flowing. Floor-to-ceiling windows supports your circadian cycles for improved sleep health.

Our member’s yoga sessions with Charlie Griffin and Sal Jeffries, will continue to take place on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8am til 8.45am in the launch space and are there to ease into and out of the week with mindfulness and clarity.

If you would like to get in touch to find out more, please email [email protected] or book a phone chat.