1.              Terminology

 The Service – means NTC Employment & Skills

  • Senior Leadership Team (SLT) – means the staff who form the Senior Leadership Team in the They have direct responsibilities for Curriculum and Business Support and other nominated functions
  • Staff – means every employee of NTC Employment & Skills
  • Learners – means any person enrolled on any learning programme
  • Apprentices – means any apprentice who may be employed by North Tyneside Council or private employer
  • Safeguarding Lead is dealt with by the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) relating to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
  • Equality and Diversity (E&D) – Equality is the framework which enables opportunity, access, participation and contribution that is fair and inclusive whilst diversity is the recognition, respect and celebration within and between different groups of people
  • Visitor – any persons attending service

2.              Respiratory Illness General Guidance

The health and wellbeing of NTC Employment & Skills staff, apprentices and learners is our

highest priority and we have put in place safety measures to ensure our centres are as safe as possible. This has been done in line with Government guidance in full consultation with our recognised Unions and North Tyneside Council Public Health. Full course and programme risk assessments have taken place to ensure contingencies were in place. All venues have clear cleaning stations and poster guidance in place, where required.

3.              Organisation and Implementing the Health and Safety Policy

The framework for managing health and safety in NTC Employment & Skills follows the guidance laid down in the HSE publication HSG65 – ‘Managing for Health and Safety’. The key elements of the HSG65 principles which we aspire to are:

  • Plan
  • Do
  • Act
  • Check

4.              Policy

The Health and Safety Policy is the foundation in establishing and maintaining an effective health and safety management model that is proportionate to the risks for NTC Employment & Skills and linked to North Tyneside Council.

5.               Risk Assessment

The aim is to minimise health and safety risks, in accordance with a sensible risk management approach, which is supported by clear lines of roles and responsibility. Risk assessments are used to decide on priorities and to set out objectives for eliminating hazards and reducing risks. Wherever possible, risks are eliminated or engineered out by selection and design of facilities, equipment and processes. If risks cannot be eliminated, they are minimised by the use of physical controls or, as a last resort, through systems of work and personal protective equipment.

Health and Safety is the owned responsibility of all employees. Everyone must work towards creating an ever improving safe, healthy and supportive working and learning environment. Staff must not disregard hazards which they come across and should actively raise the issue through the correct channels and/or temporarily make safe those situations until a proper solution is found. Should any employee be found to be negligent and/or in any serious or repeated breaches of their health and safety duty, disciplinary action may be taken against them.

Risk assessments are in place for all activities, programmes and venues. The Health and Safety Department of North Tyneside Council provide guidance, support and training and carry out an audit every 3 years. The risk assessment process is the primary way in which the service manages health and safety risks.

Online Reporting System – The service has an online reporting system in place; the service by which staff can report identified H&S problems within buildings, external areas or to items of equipment and other building issues.

Insurance – NTC Employment & Skills legal liabilities insurance covers third parties, including learners and apprentices. Policies are in place to cover the services liability to its employees and limited personal accident, travel and motor vehicle cover is also provided. The Certificate of Insurance is displayed prominently throughout all sites.

6.              Sickness and reporting procedures for Apprentices

Medical Conditions are required to be reported and in the case of evidence relating to medical conditions, this must take the form of a medical certificate or doctor’s letter.

7.              Responsibilities of the Apprentice

  • Attend work and training as agreed, as long as fit to do so
  • Advise the employer of sickness or absence and their tutor/assessor when appropriate
    • Agree annual leave with their employer and advise their tutor/assessor
    • Contact NTC Employment & Skills immediately if employment ceases or

8.              Responsibilities of the Employer

  • Agree working and training hours within the maximum hours allowed within the European Working Time Directive, taking note of special requirements for learners under the age of 18 years.
  • Working time limits (the 48-hour week):

Apprentices are entitled to at least 28 days of annual leave per year and have the same right to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) as regular employees.

9.              Reporting Health and safety incidents/accidents for Apprentices

For apprentices who are under 18, the employer has the same responsibilities as for other young workers. The responsibilities of NTC Employment & Skills are to report any accidents/near misses to the HSE and the funding agency. The employer has the primary

responsibility for the health and safety of the apprentice and should be managing any significant risks. NTC Employment & Skills will take reasonable steps to ensure that the employer is doing this and carry out a risk assessment as part of apprentice induction which will identify who is responsible for health & safety, how the apprentice will be trained to ensure they understand safe working practices, how to use tools and equipment, required PPE and who is responsible for this. All accidents or near misses must be reported to the employer and NTC Employment & Skills immediately.

10.           Risk Assessment for learners, apprentices and staff with medical, physical or learning impairments

Learners and staff with disclosed disabilities who learn or work at NTC Employment & Skills must be assessed by the Manager of that area to ensure that they can do so without putting themselves or others at risk. This assessment process will be fair and meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. In support of the Manager there are a number of specialist staff employed to offer specific and competent advice, these include outsourced Occupation Health Service, Head of Health and Safety North Tyneside Council.

11.           Communication and Training

Health and safety is communicated by a range of methods which include:

  • Staff, apprentice and learner inductions
  • Learner/Apprentice handbooks
  • Poster Information
  • North Tyneside Council mandatory induction and periodic training (face to face and online)
  • Internal briefings
  • Chief Executives briefing’s
  • All staff email updates
  • Senior Leadership Team Briefings/meetings
  • Quality Forum meetings
  • North Tyneside Council Intranet

Health and Safety Training – A mandatory health & safety training plan covers all essential and recommended health and safety training for service staff. All training is logged and recorded on staff Continuing Professional Development logs.

Staff Induction — All employees receive an induction module that incorporates mandatory health and safety training.

Learner/apprentice Induction — Learners/apprentices attend an induction talk within their first two weeks of starting their course. Inductions include the importance of feeling safe and the arrangements and provisions for Safeguarding.

Code of Conduct and our Values are shared with learners and apprentices at induction and are part of their handbooks.

Curriculum areas introduce health and safety at appropriate points. This is set out in conjunction with the awarding bodies’ criteria and the Institute for Apprenticeship Training for course delivery and covered safety units on programmes.

Emergency Evacuation — Fire emergency evacuation is covered within staff and learners’ induction information.

Appropriate staff are identified and trained in the use of evacuation chairs, fire extinguishers, fire zone tags and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS). PEEPS are in place to ensure that any persons with impairment needs can be continuously and safely evacuated from buildings in the event of an emergency.

12.           The Health & Safety Lead is responsible for:

  • Promoting high standards of health and safety throughout our service
  • Implementing, coordinating, maintaining and reviewing the Health and Safety Policy
  • Ensuring that members of staff are fully informed on all significant developments in health and safety matters.
  • Establishing effective reporting and communication on health and safety throughout the service
  • Ensuring the access needs of all are met, making reasonable adjustments where

appropriate

  • The development and overseeing of appropriate inspection, monitoring, auditing systems and risk assessment management process
  • Planning, management and operational implementation of first aid provisions
  • Representing the service at meetings with North Tyneside

13.           The Senior Management Team is responsible for:

  • Allocating appropriate resources to ensure effective health and safety measures are introduced and maintained
  • Bringing to the attention of North Tyneside Council any high-risk activity which cannot be effectively controlled by use of curriculum/business support resources
  • Setting and monitoring health and safety objectives and performance for their

14.           The Programme Managers are responsible for:

  • All health and safety matters within their area
  • Managing the risk assessment process within their area of Supported by the Health and Safety Lead
  • Making and organising adjustments for an individual’s requirements in line with the Equality Act 2010
  • Ensuring all their staff fully understand their duties and responsibilities, as outlined in the Health and Safety Policy, associated procedures and localised safe systems of work
  • Ensuring that all apprentices and learners, for whom they are responsible, are inducted effectively in emergency procedures and the vocational hazards they will encounter as part of their training
  • Ensuring health and safety procedures are implemented and adhered to
  • Ensuring that all apprenticeship/work experience employers are checked for health and safety purposes in accordance with the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency
  • Setting standards for their area in the monitoring and improvement of health and safety
  • Ensuring there is up to date health and safety training for all staff in their area
  • Ensuring local safe working practices are devised, implemented and reviewed regularly or when there has been a significant change
  • Communicating health and safety matters to staff, apprentices and learners
  • Keeping themselves aware of any legal and technical developments relevant to risk controls of the activities they have responsibility for and where applicable make arrangements to maintain/introduce them
  • Conducting minimum health and safety checks of their areas, where obvious examples of good or bad performance are noted, actioned appropriately and in accordance with health and safety procedures
  • Carrying out initial investigation of all accidents in their area, referring to North Tyneside Council Health and Safety Department as appropriate, and completing the incident report form on the online portal.

15.           Employees are responsible for:

  • Taking reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions
  • Co-operating with the service to enable compliance with statutory duties for health and safety
  • Not intentionally or recklessly interfering with or misusing anything provided in the interests of health and safety
  • Being familiar with and conforming to, so far as they are able, any statement of health and safety, policies, procedures and safe working practices appertaining to them.

Informing managers of:

  • Any work situation that a person would reasonably consider represented a serious or immediate danger to health and safety
  • Any matters which a person with the employee’s training and instruction would reasonably consider represented a shortcoming in protection against arrangements for health and safety.

16.           Tutor/Assessors are responsible for the following:

  • The health, safety and wellbeing of learners are the responsibility of the staff member teaching them whilst in the teaching environment
  • Learners/apprentices are able to complete DSE review that identifies any equipment requirements to support their learning
  • They must ensure learners are given an appropriate induction including fire and emergency at the beginning of each course which is repeated, as appropriate, throughout their time in our settings
  • Where learners/apprentices are introduced to new hazards, they must be made fully aware of the health and safety risks associated and the control measures needed to be in place to minimise the risk to them and others
  • All staff taking a lesson, class or sessions must maintain an up-to-date attendance

17.           Learner Responsibilities

NTC Employment & Skills will exercise its responsibility for all learners under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It is essential that learners/apprentices understand their individual responsibilities in relation to health and safety. The service expects all learners/apprentices to abide by the rules, regulations and responsibilities set out in the learner Agreement signed at enrolment or induction, Learner Handbook, and regulations and codes of practice. The service will provide an appropriate health and safety induction for all learners/apprentices.

This will emphasise the learners’/apprentices responsibility to comply with the rules and regulations by which it fulfils its duty of care towards our learners.

18.           Apprentice Responsibilities

As an employee, apprentices have the right to feel safe and happy in any working environment and not be exposed to any dangerous situations. Employers are required to have health and safety guidelines by law and must make sure that you adequate training is given. Employers also have the responsibility to remove or fix any hazards in the workplace. When any apprentice starts employment, we will ensure that health and safety training is given at induction and risk assess any potential dangers.

19.           Health and Safety Training

Health and safety training part of apprentice’s induction programmes and the content and amount of this will vary depending on job role. In some environments, such as parks there will be more dangerous hazards than in places such as offices. Health and safety training should be comprehensive and give a clear understanding of the dangers and processes in place to protect apprentices.

  1. Accident and Incidents

There is an accident/incident reporting and investigation procedure in place. Accidents are investigated to identify the underlying causes and root factors to improve health and safety within the service and prevent re-occurrence.

 All near miss accidents/incidents which could have caused serious injury are investigated in the first instance by the line manager, making appropriate reports to the Health and Safety Department at NTC.

All accidents/incidents of a serious or potentially serious nature must be reported to the Health and Safety Department using the Online system. The line Manager will initiate all investigations and report the findings to the Head of Health and Safety for formal investigation.

The SMT is responsible for full investigation and reporting of all notifiable accidents, disease and dangerous occurrence to the relevant enforcing authority and Education & Skills Funding Agency.

It is the duty of all employees/apprentices at work:

To take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work and co-operate with us in fulfilling our statutory duties.

Health and safety law defines a young person as being over the school leaving age but who has not yet reached the age of 18.

Apprentices must not to interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of health and safety.

When an employer outside of North Tyneside Council employs an apprentice, they will need to consider the following:

  • Lack of health and safety awareness
  • First experience of a working environment
  • Minimum age limit of 18 has been removed for operating plant and lifting equipment
  • Young people may not appreciate their own limitations and capabilities
  • The requirement for a greater level of supervision depending on the work being undertaken and site conditions
  • Temptation to arrive at work whilst unfit due to several factors (alcohol, drugs, tiredness,
  • medication)
  • The possibility of creating dangerous situations because of an eagerness to

All apprentices must be given a health and safety induction when starting work and when starting in a new workplace. This should include:

  • Suitable and sufficient information, training and instruction must be provided on any tools or equipment to be used as part of their employment.
  • Instructions must be issued to an apprentice and any policy and procedures explained

Any employer other than North Tyneside Council employing an apprentice must provide their organisations Health & Safety Policy at the point of agreeing commitment statement and contract. The employer must ensure that any apprentices, especially below the age of 18, are protected at work from any risks to their health and safety and a risk assessment has been carried out in line with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

21.           Work prohibitions and restrictions

  • Any specific health and safety restrictions should be advised in writing to the apprentice
  • Employer and apprentice health and safety responsibilities – Apprentices should be reminded of their responsibilities as outlined in any health and safety induction given including any workbooks
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – All apprentice PPE to be issued by the

employer free of charge.

  • Reviewing Performance – External auditing will be carried out by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Environmental Health Practitioner visits to catering areas, fire officer inspections, insurance company inspections, and other providers of work-based learning where we are the employers and visits from HSE.

  1. Risk Assessment Review and Audit

The management of risk assessments is to be reviewed at least annually by the Health and Safeguarding lead under health and safety risk assessment procedures.

Self-Assessment Report (SAR) – The service completes a Self-Assessment Report sub report on health and safety. This SAR process reviews health and safety performance of the previous academic year, checks and monitors outlined performance standards and progress

on development plans. New standards by which health and safety performance can be measured for the forthcoming year must also be agreed and submitted to the Education and Skills Funding Agency provider pathway as part of the continuous quality assurance process.

Learner Feedback – forum meetings are held by curriculum areas, where learners’ and apprentices’ views on the service are considered and any complaints and issues are responded to. Reports are produced and actions allocated to members of staff as appropriate. Any health and safety issues raised at these meetings are actioned accordingly. Learners complete an annual survey where they are directly asked if they ‘feel safe”, any views and comments are assessed, and actions taken as appropriate.

23.           Lessons learned

Health and Safety is a core value of NTC Employment & Skills and embedded in effective teaching, learning and working practices. Identifying underlying causes to cultural and organisational issues forms an important aspect of successful change and safety development. The service values have been developed and implemented to focus and drive the organisation and have been facilitated by excellence in management training and improved communication methods.

 This policy will be reviewed annually.

24.           Additional Policies:

  • Safeguarding/Prevent Policy
  • Emergency Procedure Policy and Process
  • Safe Working Practice Guidance
  • Business Continuity Plan
  • E Learning Policy