1. Aims & Principles
To provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all staff, pupils and visitors.
To provide whatever information, training and supervision is needed to achieve this.
To comply with the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and subsequent regulations and work within framework of both Health and Safety policies of the Trust and those of the Department of Education.
2. Responsibilities
The Head Teacher holds overall responsibility for Health and Safety at the Gloucester House.
The Head Teacher is the named member of staff with responsibility but Gloucester House recognises the corporate responsibility to ensure the safety of all staff, pupils and visitors.
This involves responsibility for:
The Management of all Health and Safety matters in accordance with this policy
Ensuring that termly inspections are carried out and results reported to the Executive Management Committee, the Director of Central Services and Health & Safety Manager
Ensuring that Risk Assessments are made where appropriate, that appropriate action is carried out, and that they are regularly reviewed.
Ensuring that all staff are aware of the advisability of being immunised for Tetanus and hepatitis B and to offer immunisation if appropriate.
All staff are responsible for:
Ensuring that reasonable care for the Health and Safety of themselves and those they work with are taken.
Ensuring that they comply with any requirement made of them under Health and Safety legislation or specified in this Policy.
The Trust Estates department are responsible for:
Ensuring that half-termly checks are made of playground and equipment therein and recording that these have taken place
General maintenance of building and facilities.
The Catering Assistant is responsible for:
Ensuring that the kitchen area and the serving of food meet Health and Safety standards.
He/she is qualified in food handling – (copies of certificates available).
All pupils and their parents/carers are responsible for:
Ensuring that they follow rules and instructions given by staff
All visitors are responsible for:
Ensuring that they follow guidelines given to ensure their own, and others, health and safety.
Human Resources are responsible for:
Checking that all new staff have enhanced DBS clearance, qualifications and suitability.
3. Monitoring / Reviewing
The Trust Health & Safety and Non-Clinical Risk Manager (Lisa Tucker) will carry out an inspection of Gloucester House on a termly basis and report any concerns to the Head Teacher and the Director of Central Services.
The head teacher, or a representative, will attend Health and Safety meetings of the Trust as appropriate. The deputy head teacher signs off and forwards all Incident Report Forms to the Health & Safety Manager. Weekly monitoring reports are shared with staff and reported to the Health & Safety Manager as necessary.
Reporting Hazards, Accidents and Incidents.
All Incidents/Accidents and Near Misses will be recorded on an Incident Report Form (IRF). Restraints will also be recorded in the Serious Incident Logbook. These incidents will be monitored by the deputy headteacher, the Team Teach Lead and the Case Coordinator(s). Serious incidents that are reported will also be reported to the COO (Clinical Operating Officer).
Any areas of potential Health and Safety concern will be recorded on the Incident Report Form as soon as possible and passed to the deputy head for review. It is then co-signed by the deputy head teacher. Forms are reported on and followed up. The forms are monitored on a regular basis and any concerns reported to the COO through the Headteacher.
A record of staff sickness and absence will be kept by Gloucester House’s Administrative Manager and monitored by the Head Teacher
The Senior Leadership Team will monitor stress levels, during weekly team meetings, debriefs and individual supervision. They will recommend appropriate action where necessary; this may include change of work practice, counselling or referral to Staff Consultation/ Occupational Health.
Staff will be kept aware of, and the necessity in complying with, procedures for occasions when staff are working alone, either at school or off-site.
In the event of a child leaving the building without permission or when
they cannot be found within the building following a thorough search the following procedures apply:
The staff member must not follow a child beyond the school grounds (corner of Akenside Road and Daleham Gardens and the top of Akenside Road).
The staff member must ensure that the on-call member of staff is informed of the incident without delay.
If a child has gone out of sight from staff outside of Gloucester House or cannot be found within Gloucester House premises the on-call member of staff must inform police and parent/carers without delay.