Health and Safety Policy

The overall responsibility for Health & Safety of employees of the Caldecott Foundation is that of the Chair of Trustees through the Chief Executive.

The Foundation will comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999. In addition, the Foundation will maintain an on-going awareness of and compliance with any relevant changes to Health and Safety Law, Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) and Guidelines to provide and maintain working conditions up to and beyond the required standard of safety and health. It is acknowledged that sufficient provision will be required to meet these needs in terms of time and finance.

The objective of this policy is to attain and maintain high standards of health and safety performance throughout the Caldecott Foundation and detail the standards expected of employees and sub-contractors who undertake work on its behalf.

The Duties of the Managing Director

The Managing Director is the responsible person and will ensure that:

• Health and Safety is promoted in a positive way with a continuing commitment to improvement;
• The management of health and safety within the company is periodically audited to ensure high standards of health and safety performance are maintained;
• Areas where improvements are required are identified and acted upon;
• The Manager of Health & Safety shall report to the Audit & Risk Committee on a quarterly basis to allow Board of Trustee oversight of Health & Safety Matters throughout the Caldecott School, Boarding provision and Residential homes.

The responsible person will be responsible overall for the health, safety and welfare of all employees of the company and for fulfilling all legal duties imposed on them as the employer, by relevant legislation.

Employees are deemed to be those persons who undertake any work on behalf of the company. In recognition of the legal duties imposed on them, the responsible person will ensure:

• Adequate resources are available to enable legal and moral obligations to be met;
• Effective implementation of the Health and Safety Policy;
• Effective communication routes are maintained throughout the company to ensure that employees are aware of the company health and safety policy, their own individual responsibilities and other health and safety matters as they arise;
• Safe working systems are implemented and that all work equipment and materials are safe and suitable for the work for which they are to be used;
• All new employees receive adequate induction training and mandatory Health and Safety training as soon as is reasonably practicable after joining the company; this training will be refreshed annually;
• Suitable and sufficient assessments are undertaken for work activities, to identify and implement effective control measures required to eliminate, reduce or control the risk of harm;
• The results of these assessments are effectively communicated within the company and to others who may be affected by the activity;
• All injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences involving employees of the company or members of the public are recorded, investigated and where appropriate reported as required under RIDDOR 2013;
• Accident or dangerous occurrence reports are scrutinised to ensure that corrective action is taken as necessary;
• Effective communication routes are maintained throughout the company to ensure that employees are aware of the company safety policy and other health and safety matters as they arise;
• Immediate action is taken in respect of:
  1. Prohibition and Improvement Notices from enforcement agencies;
  2. Concerns by employees or others of health and safety standards;
  3. Accidents, incidents and near misses involving members of the company.
• Registers and records as required by current legislation are maintained;
• The Health and Safety Policy is continually reviewed to ensure it meets the requirements of current legislation and reflects the activities of the company.

This document states our policy on health and safety and describes the organisational responsibilities and arrangements for carrying out the policy.

This policy comprises three sections:

1. A general statement of intent, which sets out aims and objectives of the policy;
2. Organisational responsibilities, which allocates responsibilities for health and safety to specific job roles in the organisation;
3. Organisational arrangements, which summarise how the policy aims are to be achieved.

We recognise it is a legal and moral duty to protect the safety, health and welfare of all employees and any other person who could be affected by the actions of the company in its day to day running of the business.

We will ensure that duties required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Regulation 3 and 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 are met by:

• Providing, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment without risk, including lighting, heating, ventilation and workspace, together with adequate facilities for staff such as washroom facilities;
• Providing safe access and egress from all places of work;
• Providing suitable equipment and systems of work which are safe and without risk to a person's health;
• Providing information, instruction, training and supervision to enable employees to identify and avoid hazards and to contribute positively to their own health and safety at work;
• Providing arrangements for the safe use, storage and transport of articles and substances;
• Ensuring every adult takes reasonable care for their own safety and health and for that of any other person their actions may affect.

We will endeavour to develop and maintain a culture supportive of Health and Safety. By doing so it aims to achieve adequate control over risks and to minimise injury to employees and other situations, which can arise from avoidable unplanned events. Only competent people will be appointed to assist in meeting statutory duties and where appropriate, this may include specialists from outside the organisation.

The objectives of this policy are fundamental to our business and the Departmental Heads for each section of the Caldecott Foundation are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this policy are achieved. These persons are responsible for ensuring safety is taken seriously across the whole organisation.

The Registered Manager has responsibility for implementing the specific arrangements made under this policy throughout any of the Caldecott Foundation residential homes or Boarding Provision. All staff are expected to read the relevant sections of the policy, familiarise themselves with its provisions and carry out their defined responsibilities.

Employees and sub-contractors are expected and encouraged to be proactive on health and safety issues as part of the continued development of the health and safety culture of the organisation and the manual describes the arrangements for staff consultation and feedback.

All employees and sub-contractors have a statutory duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. They must also co-operate so far as is necessary to enable them to comply with their duties or requirements imposed by law. All members of staff are reminded that a breach of this duty could constitute a disciplinary offence. Specifically members of staff are expected to:

• Ensure their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by actions that they do or not do;
• Observe our health and safety policy and procedures;
• Make correct use of protective clothing and safety equipment provided for the safe completion of work related tasks;
• Attend training as required and put into practice any advice and guidance given on this training;
• Report to line managers any shortcomings, defects or hazards in working practices, equipment or processes that may be a risk to the health and safety of themselves or others in the course of their job;
• Report any incident or accident, including near misses however slight to their line manager immediately to enable any necessary action to be taken;
• Assist at all times, in maintaining good housekeeping standards within the workplace;
• Co-operate and assist in the effective completion of risk assessments with their line manager, and carry out any actions that may be required under the risk assessment process.

Information, Instruction and Training

Responsibility for staff to be informed on health and safety issues will lie with the Home's Manager.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Home’s Managers must ensure that any activities or leisure pursuits in which children participate are, so far as reasonably practicable, free from avoidable risks and, on a day-to-day basis, adults should take reasonable precautions and make informed judgements about when to allow children to participate in an activity. Excessive caution is unnecessary and children should be provided with the opportunity to take risks proportionate to their age, level of understanding and in the light of assessments, historical knowledge and plans/strategies that are in place e.g. where the behaviour or choices that have already been made by a child are poor or have placed them or others at risk, caused injury, harm or damage to property, adults must take this into consideration when planning activities. For additional guidance regarding risk assessments for activities. Registered Managers and Group Leaders of any activities, trips or holidays must decide whether or not the proposed activity, trip or holiday is categorised as a High Risk Activity. See Leisure and Activities Procedures, Guidance re Risk Assessments.

The same principles apply to risks in the Home. Home’s managers should exercise sensible precautions about the home that a parent would, ensuring the there is a homely environment that allows a certain degree of freedom. Where children demonstrate or are assessed as being able to undertake everyday activities e.g. preparing of meals or looking after their own medication, they should be encouraged to do so. Rules regarding a safe environment are adhered to safely, taking account of the purpose of the home, age, understanding and known history of the children.

The Home's Manager, in consultation with the Health & Safety Manager, if required, will be responsible for completing specific risk assessments on new or expectant mothers as laid down by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

Accident Reporting and Investigation

Also see Accidents Procedure.

All accidents, which occur to children, adults caring for the children, sub-contractors or visitors, must be reported to the Home’s Manager. In all cases, the accident report form must be completed no matter how minor including any investigation documentation. Any action taken following an accident occurring should be documented and reviewed to ensure that the action taken had a positive impact.

The Home’s Manager will refer to the Health & Safety Manager who shall be responsible for the completion of RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations). Each reportable case will be further reported to the Audit & Risk Committee to ensure Board of Trustees oversight.

Where an accident has resulted in a fatality, major injury or dangerous occurrence action must be taken as laid down in the Accidents Procedure.

Health and Safety Monitoring

The Health & Safety Manager shall monitor health and safety. Performance shall be measured on accident statistics and relevant health and safety work related absences, risk assessment review and completion, and enforcement action taken against the company.

Registered Managers of the homes and boarding provision will complete key performance indicators information on a weekly basis to assist the monitoring of accidents and staff absence relating to health & safety incidents.

Competent people have been appointed to assist in meeting Health and Safety objectives. These person's have sufficient knowledge and expertise to ensure that statutory requirements are met and that the Health and Safety policy is being adhered to.

The company recognises that there may be occasions when specialist advice is necessary. In these circumstances, the services of competent external advisors will be obtained through the Health & Safety Manager, Responsible Individual or Managing Director.

Communication

For all adult carers:

A Health and Safety Law Poster is displayed in the main office of each home. Health and Safety is a standard item on the Team meeting agenda in which we engage and consult with employees on day-to-day health and safety conditions. All adult carers are aware that health and safety is a shared responsibility and that they all have a duty to report any concerns to the Management team or recorded as an action for the maintenance team in the maintenance book/log.

Children:

Children receive information in a way that is suited to their needs, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, political and community background and abilities. Information for children is accessible to them – in terms of being both understandable and made available to them. All children and young people are given a “Welcome to The Home” booklet on admission which details explanation of House Rules and expectations of behaviour. There is a regular children’s meeting during which children are encouraged to discuss any concerns they may have; in addition they are reminded that they can report any issues at any time.

Suitable numbers of adults will be trained in first aid/on duty to deal with minor accidents and emergencies at the workplace. These personnel will have sufficient training and qualifications in accordance with statutory requirements.

See First Aid and Administration of Medication Policy.

Emergency procedures are designed to give warning of imminent danger and to allow all personnel to move to a place of safety. The Home's Manager is responsible for ensuring that all Children, adults and visitors within the home are informed of, and are fully conversant with, emergency procedures.

Fire wardens will be appointed for each area to assist with an evacuation. They will be given adequate instruction and training to ensure effectiveness.

Business Continuity Plan

The residential homes and the Boarding Provision have a detailed contingency plan should the building be unsafe after fire/flood etc which is updated annually. They also have evacuation procedures which all adult carers are required to sign. All adults employed in the homes and Boarding provision are required to attend Fire Warden training. All children are made aware on moving into the home of emergency procedures and escape routes

The Caldecott Foundation will ensure that suitable and relevant information relating to health, safety and welfare at the workplace is disseminated to staff and non-employees.

Statutory notices will be displayed throughout the workplace.

Health and Safety matters are discussed regularly at Executive Team meetings and are an agenda item for adult business meetings in the homes and boarding provision.

The Health and Safety Commission has stated in the Statement on Worker Involvement and Consultation that "an organisation's greatest asset is its workforce. Employees are often best able to spot issues and bring about real improvements. We need to expand the base of employee involvement in health and safety management to cover the whole workforce". Where a policy has the approval of the workforce, it is more likely to be adhered to.

The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (HSCER) require employers to consult their employees on matters that affect their health and safety, where all employees are not already covered by the provisions of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (SRSCR). Employees will be consulted directly. In the Caldecott Foundation this requirement is met by having Health & Safety as a regular agenda item in each home’s business meetings. Adult carers have valued input and we respond quickly to any highlighted issue from such meetings.