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Health, Safety & Wellbeing Policy

Scope & Purpose

This Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy applies to all volunteers, staff, (including senior managers, sessional workers, freelancers & contractors), beneficiaries and trustees. It applies to the work of Woodcraft Folk groups, camps, centres, offices and outreach activities.

The purpose of this policy is:

  • To protect anyone attending or participating in any Woodcraft Folk groups and events or who may be affected by Woodcraft Folk events or activities
  • To provide volunteers and staff with not only a safe working environment, but with overarching principles that guide Woodcraft Folk’s approach to preventing harm and promoting wellbeing

For specific guidance on other aspects of health, safety and wellbeing, including safeguarding, please see the following documents:

  • Safeguarding policy
  • Drugs alcohol, tobacco and intoxicating substances policy
  • Anti-bullying principles and guidance
  • Risk assessment guidance, examples and template
  • First Aid checklist
  • Whistleblowing policy

What is Health & Safety?

Health and safety is defined as designing, planning, undertaking activities and organising events at Group, District and National level that minimise the risk of participants, volunteers, staff, any others attending or anyone else having an accident or harming their health. This applies to physical injury risk but also extends to mental health.

Health and safety is not a set of rules imposed by one group on another. It is the outcome of cooperation and participation that leads everyone to think through the potential risks of any Woodcraft Folk activity, and ensuring that in a proportionate way those risks are addressed. The fundamental principle of health and safety law is that those who create risks are best placed to control them. It is also not about the avoidance of risk, because we understand that only by participating in the active management of risk will all participants learn to manage these risks throughout their lives.

Health and safety is underpinned by a series of legal requirements, regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments, further information about which is available at www.hse.gov.uk.

What is Wellbeing?

Health and safety addresses the potential for harm, but our aim is to enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of everyone participating in Woodcraft Folk activities and attending events – many of our activities are explicitly focused on physical health and mental wellbeing.

For Woodcraft Folk there is a continuum. At one end there are the harms: accidents and ill health, that we prevent through designing and undertaking activities in the right way. At the other end of the spectrum are the wellbeing outcomes of physical and mental activity: camps, the experience of participating in groups and teams, co-operating and living the values of Woodcraft Folk which results in everyone looking after each other.

Woodcraft Folk’s Commitment

Woodcraft Folk is aware that the beneficiaries of its activities and events are predominantly children and young people, who are particularly vulnerable to risks to their health and safety, through a combination of inexperience and limited understanding of risk identification, assessment and control.

Woodcraft Folk is also aware that as active participants, not passive observers, in its activities children and young people have a real opportunity to develop their awareness of abilities to manage risks arising from the activities that they help to design and participate in.

Woodcraft Folk believes that no-one, child, young person or adult, should experience harm physically or mentally from participating in our activities. This means that its staff and volunteers will, at every level, develop processes and practices that identify potential risks to health and safety and ensure that appropriate, suitable, adequate protections are put in place to prevent accidents or ill health arising. These processes and practices will be captured in Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, Templates for Records, etc. to establish and maintain a robust and systematic approach to risk management. Appropriate briefing and training will be provided to develop and maintain competence in applying the guidelines to prevent harm.

Woodcraft Folk has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Woodcraft Folk is committed to practice that protects children and supports them to engage in activities underpinned by our aims and principles. Doing so can and does result in the enhancement of the wellbeing of all participants – children, young people and adults. Within Woodcraft Folk, health and safety is not limited to preventing harm but extends to encouraging mental and physical wellbeing through the activities we engage in, rooted in core values of co-operation and respect.

Health & Safety Principles

Woodcraft Folk recognises that:

  • The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone participating in our activities and/or attending our events is one of our main objectives
  • Its staff and volunteers have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect from harm everyone participating in, or who may be affected by, Woodcraft Folk activities
  • Some children, young people and adults are additionally vulnerable to harm because of their inexperience, level of dependency, communication needs or other issues and this will be taken into account when planning and running all activities
  • Working in partnership with children, young people and volunteers is essential to identify and manage risks, and to encourage everyone to learn and become effective risk managers.
  • Health and safety does not end with preventing harm – participation in Woodcraft Folk activities should enhance the wellbeing of all involved, and activities will be planned and undertaken with this aim in mind

To deliver on these principles:

  • Every activity, event and venue shall be subject to rigorous risk assessment, to define the potential harms that could arise and ensure that suitable preventative and protective measures are in place
  • Risk assessments shall be undertaken with the involvement of children, young people and adult volunteers
  • Once a risk assessment has identified the preventative and protective measures to be relied upon to prevent harm, everyone responsible for organising the activity or event shall ensure that they are properly implemented
  • Every Group, Centre, Project and Event organiser must nominate a named volunteer (or, where appropriate, member of staff) to take the lead on health, safety and wellbeing issues (who may also be the lead on safeguarding) and to develop a tailored health, safety and wellbeing plan based on the guidance provided
  • Named Health & Safety leads should undertake specific training relevant to their role, as outlined in Woodcraft Folk’s Training Policy
  • Periodic reviews shall be undertaken to consider the arrangements for health, safety and wellbeing and update them as required; as a minimum these should be done following a major event, the first running of a new activity or use of a new venue, or in the event of any significant incident

Roles & Responsibilities

The Board will:

  • Nominate a Lead Trustee for Health, Safety and Wellbeing
  • Identify a named staff member as Lead Health, Safety and Wellbeing Officer from among the senior leadership team, and a deputy with sufficient knowledge and experience to act in their absence
  • Oversee the work of the Safeguarding, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Review Group
  • Ensure effective reporting of serious incidents to the relevant bodies (the applicable Local Authority and/or the Health and Safety Executive)
  • Review the organisation’s policy and procedures on Health, Safety and Wellbeing every year, and update them as required

The Lead Trustee will:

  • Lead the development of Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy and procedures at Board level
  • Participate in the Safeguarding, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Review Group, and guide its work on health, safety and wellbeing
  • Work with the Lead Officer to advise the Board on relevant matters

The Lead Officer, supported by their deputy, will:

  • Develop and periodically review the health, safety and wellbeing policy and guidelines for local procedures and processes
  • Provide advice and guidance to staff and volunteers
  • Communicate to staff and volunteers any changes in policy and procedures
  • Create an environment which encourages all members to discuss any concerns
  • Make provision for the training of staff and volunteers with respect to managing risks and promoting wellbeing, and encourage the delivery of activities for young people which do the same
  • Collect monitoring data on health and safety across the organisation, and maintain accurate records of significant incidents and actions taken
  • Ensure that the organisation meets the requirements of its insurers regarding its health and safety responsibilities
  • Promote the importance of health, safety and wellbeing across the organisation
  • Undertake periodic audit to ensure that the processes of risk identification, risk assessment and the implementation of appropriate preventative and protective measures, together with communication, training and record keeping are being undertaken throughout Woodcraft Folk in Groups, Districts, Centres, Activities and Events.
  • Ensure that they and other volunteers are familiar with all relevant health, safety and wellbeing procedures
  • Deliver briefings and training locally as required, and promote a culture mindful of health, safety and wellbeing
  • Oversee the implementation of the relevant procedures, ensuring that risks are assessed appropriately, and that the adequate preventative and protective measures are in place to promote health, safety and wellbeing
  • Act as the first point of contact for anyone with concerns about health, safety and wellbeing
  • Ensure the accurate and timely reporting of any incidents or ‘near misses’ to the Lead Officer
  • Contact the Lead Officer (or their deputy) if further advice or assistance is required

Named Leads for health, safety and wellbeing, with respect to the Group, Event, Centre or Project they are responsible for, will:

The Safeguarding, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Review Group exists to provide scrutiny and support at all levels of the organisation, and will therefore:

  • Review reports from groups and events, including those of any significant incidents or near misses, in order to identify lessons to be learnt and support improvements in practice
  • Make recommendations to the Board to update policy, procedures and guidance
  • Familiarise themselves with Woodcraft Folk’s health, safety and wellbeing policy, and the specific risk assessment and risk management procedures applicable to the activity/event they are running or participating in
  • Meet any training requirement applicable to their designated volunteer role
  • Work with other volunteers and with young members to make sure that activities provide a safe and supportive environment for all participants, in line with Woodcraft Folk’s health, safety and wellbeing policy and procedures
  • Share any concerns with respect to health, safety or wellbeing promptly with the relevant Lead Volunteer or staff member

All volunteers, whatever their role, must ensure that they:

  • Review reports from groups and events, including those of any significant incidents or near misses, in order to identify lessons to be learnt and support improvements in practice
  • Make recommendations to the Board to update policy, procedures and guidance
  • Familiarise themselves with Woodcraft Folk’s health, safety and wellbeing policy, and the specific risk assessment and risk management procedures applicable to the activity/event they are running or participating in
  • Meet any training requirement applicable to their designated volunteer role
  • Work with other volunteers and with young members to make sure that activities provide a safe and supportive environment for all participants, in line with Woodcraft Folk’s health, safety and wellbeing policy and procedures
  • Share any concerns with respect to health, safety or wellbeing promptly with the relevant Lead Volunteer or staff member

Required Standards for Groups, Centres and Events

Each Group, Centre and major Event shall:

  • Identify a Named Lead for Health, Safety and Wellbeing.
  • Require the Named Lead to ensure that appropriate risk assessments are completed to cover venues, activities, travel and other eventualities (whether by conducting suitable risk assessments themself or by reviewing relevant risk assessments already prepared, ensuring they are sufficiently comprehensive to cover all planned activities)
  • Require the Named Lead to ensure that risk assessments are reviewed when there are any significant changes, in the light of any incidents, and in any event annually.
  • Clarify the responsibility of all persons responsible for the relevant venue, activity or event to ensure that the preventative and protective measures detailed in the risk assessments are implemented.
  • Emphasise the requirement to communicate, that is to discuss, not simply to instruct, so that everyone develops an understanding of the way in which Woodcraft Folk activities are arranged and managed, to effectively control any risks arising.
  • Report as soon as possible any concerns to appropriate persons, so that action may be taken if necessary.

Further Support & Information

Woodcraft Folk’s Lead Officer is Felix Pepler, Head of Centres. He can be contacted by emailing felix.pepler@woodcraft.org.uk or by telephone on 0203 890 1963. His deputy is Owen Sedgwick-Jell, Head of Membership & Programmes, who can be contacted by emailing owen.sedgwickjell@woodcraft.org.uk or by telephone on 020 8126 8307.

The Safeguarding Portal on the Woodcraft Folk website contains links to:

  • Online training on Health, Safety and Wellbeing
  • Good practice guidance in risk assessment and suitable preventative and protective measures
  • Guidance for responding to concerns
  • Template for local Health, Safety and Wellbeing plans, accident and incident forms

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