Document Control
Version | Date | Author | Notes on Revision |
2 | April 2019 | Stephen Maddocks | Updated Policy |
3 | April 2020 | Stephen Maddocks | Updated Policy |
4 | April 2021 | Stephen Maddocks | Updated Policy |
5 | April 2022 | Stephen Maddocks | Updated Policy |
6 | April 2023 | Stephen Maddocks | Updated Policy |
Next Review Date: April 2024
Introduction
As an employer and training provider, SB Skills Solutions Ltd is committed to health and safety in every aspect of its activities and aims to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive environment wherever learning takes place
SB Skills Solutions Ltd, being a provider of Work Based Learning recognises that it has a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of learners and staff. Some of the information in this policy has been taken and adapted from the Education Skills Funding Agency document ‘Learner Health, Safety & Welfare: Safe Learner Blueprint.’
The health and safety of learners is of paramount importance. The ‘safe learner concept’ is central to our policy and SB Skills Solutions Ltd will promote and expect those we work with to promote this always. We believe that learners are entitled to learning that takes place in a safe, healthy, and supportive environment. In addition, we consider that safe learning is essential to maximise learners’ experience and achievement.
SB Skills Solutions Ltd and those we work with have a primary duty of care for the health and safety of learners and staff. We have a full expectation that this duty will be fully met.
We will apply four core principles:
- To expect, first and foremost, that SB Skills Solutions Ltd and delivery partners will fully meet legal obligations and duty of care to learners and staff
- Seek assurance that SB Skills Solutions Ltd and delivery partners have suitable and sufficient arrangements for learner health and safety
- To take appropriate action where expected standards are not met or maintained
- To promote the raising of standards for learner health and safety through support, and challenge, as appropriate Seeking assurance from Employers for Work Based Training
Employer Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their employees and volunteers receive an adequate induction into health and safety, and on-going information, instruction and training in matters relating to health & safety about their job role. The employer is responsible for ensuring that significant risks are identified, recorded and reviewed and for putting in place safe systems of work to minimise risks to the safety of individuals. Risk assessments for their workers must also be carried out. SB Skills Solutions Ltd is responsible for ensuring that employers have discharged these duties through the monitoring of health and safety of remote employer workplaces.
Prior to the agreement of a training contract with an employer, a representative from SB Skills Solutions Ltd will arrange to visit the person responsible for the health and safety of any potential learners. The purpose of this visit will be to assess the Health & Safety Arrangements and complete a risk assessment of the premises. It may be necessary to agree an action plan to make improvements before a contract to deliver training can be agreed.
Certain health and safety matters reside with the Employer and will vary from site to site.
Normally these include:
- Fire instructions
- Evacuation procedures and assembly points
- Fire-fighting appliances
- Fire drills and tests
- Information on key people e.g., supervisor, first aider, fire warden, safety advisor or representatives
- Covid -19 Procedures.
- Supervision arrangements and the procedure for reporting hazardous or faulty conditions or work equipment
- The risks identified by risk assessments, and the measures in place to prevent or control the risks for all the tasks to be undertaken
- Arrangements for reporting an accident, incident, or illness and for obtaining first aid assistance
- Arrangements for the provision, use and wearing of personal protective equipment and clothing
- Precautions and instructions for the safe use of hazardous substances
- Measures in place for preventing or reducing risks associated with manual handling or lifting
- Details of the controls in place for the safe use of work equipment and machinery and the safe operation of workplace transport
- The importance of good housekeeping, keeping the work area tidy and safe storage of materials
- Arrangements for personal safety, welfare and personal hygiene arrangements
- Details of any prohibited or restricted tasks, activities, areas or work equipment.
- Specific or additional requirements related to the employer e.g. company rules or procedures Employer Health & Safety Assessment Procedure and Monitoring Arrangements
Responsibilities
SB Skills Solutions Ltd will provide information advice and guidance to employers about their health and safety and other legal responsibilities. SB Skills Solutions Ltd will also decide for a workplace health and safety assessment to be carried out by a member of staff who is competent and trained to do so.
The Assessor will make recommendations as to whether training and assessment can proceed in the workplace and will communicate any recommendations to the employer. The Assessor will identify if the workplace is accepted, accepted with an action plan or rejected… Where the Assessor accept the employer with an action plan, the action plan will be clearly communicated to the employer and agreed objectives/actions documented with a timescale for each and a review date will be agreed.
The Assessor will also identify if there are any significant risks presented to SB Skills Solutions Ltd staff and will document the risk control measures.
All staff working on the premises of remote employers will report to their Line Manager any concerns or hazards which could put themselves or learners at risk.
Reporting of Incidents
Employers and Partner organisations are required to keep records of all accidents, incidents, ‘near misses’ and reports of bullying and harassment involving learners on SB Skills Solutions Ltd funded programmes.
Supervision
Supervision levels must be appropriate to the risk identified and the individuals” capability, needs and experience
Information, Advice, guidance, instruction and training
Once the learning plan is in place, the learner should receive on-going information, instruction and training to enable him or her to work and learn efficiently and safely
Assessment
The learner’ developing understanding and awareness of key health, safety and welfare issues should be assessed and evaluated on an on-going basis.
A Safe Learner will demonstrate;
- Hazard Awareness
Safe learners will be aware of the hazards within their environment, their activities and the work being carried out around them and their responsibilities to others
- Understanding
Safe learners will understand the concepts of hazard and risk and the measures that are required to control risks
- Confidence
Safe learners will be confident, not only in their ability to learn and work safely, but also to challenge any situation or instruction that could be unsafe to them or other people. Safe learners will know their limitations and when to seek further advice
- Contribution
By developing these skills and knowledge, safe learners will be able to contribute ideas and input into their learning and work, and become more involved in the day to day operation of the organisation and their learning activity
- Behaviours
Safe learners will have developed a set of behaviours to enable them to play and active part in the learning process and acquire practical, value added and transferrable skills from their experiences
Learner Induction, assessment, and monitoring procedures
SB Skills Solutions Ltd will ensure that learners are informed about their rights and responsibilities as part of their induction onto their learning programme. Additionally, learner initial assessment will be carried out and will consider the individuals training and support needs in relation to health and safety and safeguarding. This will be documented in their individual Learning Plan (ILP).
The Assessor will ensure that the learner has received an induction into working safely by their employer before assessment takes place. The induction will consist of ensuring that the learner is aware of their own organisations policies and procedures and establishing their current level of understanding and identifying any training they may require.
The Assessor must ensure that learners demonstrate a good understanding of health and safety as well as demonstrate safe practice and safe behaviours in their work and learning. It is the responsibility of the Assessor to establish any additional training or support needs and arrange this with the employer throughout the learning programme.
The Assessor will ascertain at meetings with learners if they have been involved in any accidents at work and will check if this has been reported and relevant documentation completed (i.e. accident and incident reports, RIDDOR reportable) and will discuss with the manager any investigation carried out and the outcomes. It is however, expected that employers and learners will notify SB Skills Solutions Ltd immediately of any accidents and incidents that learners are involved in.
The Assessor will also check the learners understanding of health and safety and the concept of the safe learner during the formal progress reviews by asking specific questions and will document their responses. The Assessor will also ask the learner how safe they feel in their work environment and give them the opportunity to raise concerns around bullying or harassment and give them the opportunity to be able to speak to someone privately about this subject. The Assessor will identify if the learner needs further training, advice or guidance in relation to health and safety and safeguarding. Any concerns about health and safety or safeguarding must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Officer and appropriate action will be taken.
Learners will be invited to complete induction and final evaluations which helps SB Skills Solutions Ltd to monitor the effectiveness of inductions and learning programmes in providing information, advice and guidance about health and safety and in establishing if learners understanding of health and safety has been raised. Quarterly and annual reports are provided to the Quality Manager to enable this to be monitored. Results will be fed into the self-assessment report (SAR).
On programme interviews will also be carried out with learner randomly and questions are asked about how safe learners feel in their environment, if their awareness of health and safety has been raised and what could be improved. They are also asked if they have experienced any form of bullying and harassment in their workplace. This information is analysed and reported quarterly and annually. Results will be fed into the self-assessment report (SAR).