Ensuring the welfare and safety of all

PREPT. FOUNDATION

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK POLICY

1. Policy Statement

Prept. Foundation is committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees, volunteers, trustees, contractors, programme participants, visitors and any other persons who may be affected by our activities.

We recognise that effective health and safety management is essential to delivering our charitable objectives safely and responsibly. Prept. Foundation is committed to complying with all relevant health and safety legislation and promoting a positive culture of safety, safeguarding and wellbeing across all aspects of our work.

This policy applies to all activities undertaken by Prept. Foundation, including educational workshops, food and nutrition programmes, community outreach, youth engagement activities, employability programmes, events, and office, remote or hybrid working arrangements.

Prept. Foundation will:

• Provide and maintain safe systems of work.
• Ensure workplaces and programme delivery environments are safe and without risks to health.
• Identify, assess and control risks arising from our activities.
• Provide suitable information, instruction, training and supervision.
• Consult with employees and volunteers on health and safety matters.
• Prevent accidents, injuries, ill health and dangerous occurrences.
• Promote physical and mental wellbeing.
• Review health and safety arrangements regularly to ensure continuous improvement.

2. Related Policies and Procedures

This policy should be read alongside other Prept. Foundation policies and procedures, including:

• Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Social Media Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy
• Volunteer Policy
• Risk Assessment Procedures
• Incident Reporting Procedures
• Food Safety and Hygiene Procedures
• Code of Conduct
• Online Safety Procedures
• Trustee Governance Policies

Where there is any overlap between health and safety and safeguarding responsibilities, the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults will remain the primary consideration.

3. Legal Framework

This policy is implemented in accordance with:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002
• Food Safety Act 1990
• Equality Act 2010

4. Responsibilities

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for:

• Providing strategic oversight of health and safety.
• Ensuring sufficient resources are available.
• Reviewing health and safety performance.
• Ensuring compliance with legal obligations.

Senior Management

Senior Management will:

• Implement this policy throughout the organisation.
• Ensure risk assessments are completed and reviewed.
• Investigate accidents, incidents and concerns.
• Ensure appropriate training and supervision.
• Promote a positive safety culture.

Staff, Volunteers and Contractors

All staff, volunteers and contractors must:

• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others.
• Follow health and safety procedures and instructions.
• Report hazards, accidents, incidents and near misses.
• Attend required training.
• Cooperate with all health and safety measures.

5. Risk Assessment

Prept. Foundation will undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all relevant activities.

Risk assessments will:

• Identify hazards.
• Assess risks.
• Implement appropriate control measures.
• Be reviewed regularly or when circumstances change.

Risk assessments will be completed where required for:

• Educational workshops
• Food and nutrition programmes
• Community activities
• Youth engagement programmes
• Events and outreach work
• Remote working
• Travel and off-site activities

6. Safe Working Environments

Prept. Foundation will seek to ensure that all workplaces and delivery venues:

• Are safe and suitable for the intended activity.
• Have appropriate access and emergency arrangements.
• Maintain suitable welfare facilities.
• Are free from avoidable hazards.
• Promote accessibility and inclusion wherever reasonably practicable.

Staff and volunteers are expected to maintain good housekeeping standards and report defects or concerns promptly.

7. Equipment and Resources

All equipment used by Prept. Foundation must:

• Be suitable for its intended purpose.
• Be maintained in a safe condition.
• Be used in accordance with instructions and training.
• Be removed from use if defective.

8. Food and Nutrition Programme Safety

As part of our educational food and nutrition activities, Prept. Foundation will:

• Promote safe food handling practices.
• Ensure appropriate food hygiene procedures are followed.
• Consider allergies, dietary requirements and accessibility needs.
• Ensure cooking activities are appropriately supervised.
• Follow venue-specific safety requirements.

Where food preparation activities take place, responsibility for venue compliance remains with the host organisation.

9. First Aid and Incident Reporting

First Aid Provision

Prept. Foundation does not provide first aid services as part of its programme delivery activities.

Where programmes are delivered within schools, community groups, youth organisations, partner venues or other host settings, responsibility for the provision of first aid remains with the host organisation and/or the responsible parent, carer or supervising adult in accordance with their own policies and procedures.

Prior to programme delivery, Prept. Foundation will ensure:

• Appropriate first aid provision is available through the host organisation or responsible adult.
• Staff and volunteers are aware of emergency procedures.
• Emergency contact arrangements are understood where applicable.
• Relevant medical, accessibility or support requirements have been communicated appropriately.

Prept. Foundation staff and volunteers:

• Must immediately notify the responsible first aider, school representative, group leader, parent, carer or venue representative if a participant becomes unwell or is injured.
• Must follow the host organisation’s emergency and safeguarding procedures.
• Must not administer medication unless specifically agreed in advance and supported by appropriate permissions and procedures.
• Must not assume responsibility for medical treatment or first aid provision.

Incident Reporting

Whilst responsibility for first aid remains with the host organisation or responsible adult, Prept. Foundation will record and monitor all accidents, incidents, injuries, illnesses, near misses and health and safety concerns occurring during its activities.

Incident records will include:

• Date, time and location.
• Individuals involved.
• Nature of the incident.
• Actions taken by the responsible first aider or supervising adult.
• Any follow-up action required by Prept. Foundation.

Where an incident also raises a safeguarding concern, Prept. Foundation’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedures must be followed immediately.

10. Fire Safety

Prept. Foundation will:

• Follow fire safety requirements applicable to the venues used.
• Ensure staff understand evacuation procedures.
• Keep emergency routes clear where under our control.
• Cooperate with host venue fire safety arrangements.

All staff and volunteers must familiarise themselves with emergency procedures before activities commence.

11. Mental Health and Wellbeing

Prept. Foundation recognises that health and safety includes psychological wellbeing.

The organisation will:

• Promote a supportive working environment.
• Encourage open communication.
• Monitor and manage workplace stress risks where reasonably practicable.
• Foster a culture of respect, inclusion and wellbeing.

12. Lone Working and Programme Delivery

General Principle

Prept. Foundation operates a strict No Lone Delivery Policy.

The organisation is committed to maintaining safe environments for participants, staff, volunteers and partners. Prept. Foundation recognises that lone working and unsupervised programme delivery can increase safeguarding, welfare and health and safety risks.

Programme Delivery

No programme, workshop, educational session, outreach activity, community event or project shall be delivered by a single member of Prept. Foundation staff, volunteer, contractor or facilitator.

For all programme delivery activities:

• A designated Prept. Foundation Lead Adult must be present throughout the duration of the activity.
• The Lead Adult must be appropriately trained, authorised and responsible for overseeing the safe delivery of the programme.
• A responsible representative of the host organisation, school, community group, youth organisation, parent or carer must also be present and available throughout the activity.
• Foundation staff and volunteers must not be left solely responsible for participants at any point during programme delivery.
• Staff and volunteers must not place themselves in situations where they are alone with a child, young person or vulnerable adult.
• Appropriate safeguarding, supervision and accountability arrangements must be maintained at all times.
• Any circumstance that results in a Prept. Foundation representative being left alone with participants must be reported immediately to senior management and the activity paused or terminated until suitable supervision arrangements are restored.

Safeguarding and Duty of Care

This requirement forms part of Prept. Foundation’s commitment to safeguarding, health and safety and duty of care.

The presence of both a Prept. Foundation Lead Adult and a responsible school representative, group leader, parent, carer or host organisation representative helps ensure:

• Participant safety and welfare.
• Effective safeguarding oversight.
• Appropriate behaviour management and supervision.
• Emergency response capability.
• Protection of staff, volunteers and participants.
• Compliance with organisational policies and procedures.

Failure to comply with this requirement may result in programme suspension and may be treated as a disciplinary matter.

Administrative and Remote Working

Employees and volunteers undertaking administrative, planning or office-based work remotely may work independently, provided appropriate communication, welfare and reporting arrangements are maintained.

This exception applies only to administrative activities and does not extend to programme delivery, participant engagement or supervised activities.

13. Training and Competence

Prept. Foundation will ensure that staff and volunteers receive appropriate training relevant to their role, which may include:

• Health and Safety Awareness
• Safeguarding
• Risk Assessment
• Food Hygiene Awareness
• Fire Safety Awareness
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Online Safety

Training records will be maintained where appropriate.

14. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Prept. Foundation is committed to ensuring that health and safety arrangements are inclusive and accessible.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered to support participation and engagement by individuals with disabilities, additional needs or other protected characteristics.

15. Monitoring and Review

This policy will be monitored and reviewed:

• Annually;
• Following significant incidents;
• Following changes in legislation; or
• Following significant changes to organisational activities.