Health and Safety Policy

1. Introduction

1.1. This is the Health and Safety Policy (the Policy) for Fairhive Homes Limited and its subsidiaries (the Group). This Policy confirms the intentions, method of organisation and practical arrangements for ensuring the health and safety at work of its employees and those affected by its undertaking.

1.2. This Policy covers the Group’s health and safety obligations in connection with both workplace and asset based health and safety. The former refers to risks associated with the workplace and those located within it, the latter refers to risks associated with the fabric, fixtures and fittings of properties the Group owns and/or manages.

1.3. This Policy contains details of the arrangements and management systems put in place to ensure the objectives outlined below are met by the Board and all Group employees.

1.4. As employer for the purposes of health and safety law, the Group has a clear set of legal duties. The Board is ultimately responsible for the Group’s compliance with Health and Safety legislation and regulation. The Group will manage these duties through the Board, the Chief Executive (CE) and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), all of whom shall be involved in meeting the Group’s responsibilities as employer (and as duty holder or responsible person under the relevant health and safety legislation).

1.5. The Group has approved the implementation of a Health and Safety Working Group (HSWG) to enable the development of specific health and safety compliance practices and procedures. The Chair of the HSWG shall report proceedings directly to the CE, the ELT and to the Board.

1.6. The Board will be kept appraised of health and safety throughout the Group by a report that will be presented to Board regularly. Between meetings, if any matters arise which require escalation; these will be notified to the Chair immediately and in consultation with the CE will agree the appropriate course of action. Qualifying matters for escalation include but are not limited to fatality, mass component failure or fundamental audit finding.

2. Policy Statement

2.1. It is the policy of the Group to ensure in so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare of its employees while they are at work and all other persons who may also be affected by its undertaking. In doing so, the Group intends to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and all other relevant health and safety legislation and guidance.

2.2. This Policy and the practices and procedures set out within it are designed to ensure that where a risk to health and safety may exist, that risk is considered and appropriate control measures are put in place including a suitable and sufficient risk assessment which is acted upon, monitored and if necessary improved through regular review.

2.3. The pursuit of excellence in health and safety is as important as the pursuit of excellence in all Group activities and other work performed by Group employees in support of the community. If there is a conflict between safety and another aim, then safety must not be sacrificed. If necessary the CE, members of the ELT, Senior Management Group (SMG) and Health and Safety Compliance Manager, have the absolute authority to stop or suspend any dangerous activity or practice. Employees should escalate any safety concerns through their line management and the Health and Safety Team immediately. (HealthandSafetyTeam@Fairhive.co.uk)

3. Objectives and Principles

3.1. The Group understands that it has a duty to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of those affected by its undertaking as a registered provider of social housing.

3.2. To comply with this duty, the Group has set the following health and safety objectives:

• To make the provision of sufficient resources to enable the group to implement this Policy.
• To identify risks to health and safety across the Group by way of suitable and sufficient risk assessments carried out by those competent to do so.
• To then set in place practices and procedures to implement the recommendations made in those risk assessments in the specified timescales
• To ensure that all employees are given information, instruction and training to enable them to comply with the practices and procedures referred to above and therefore to work in as safe environment as established by this Policy.
• To monitor the effectiveness of the Group’s Health and Safety Policy, practices and procedures and to improve them where appropriate and in any event on an ongoing basis.
• Generally to ensure the dissemination and discussion of information amongst its staff on health and safety issues including the introduction of promotional campaigns.

General Principles

3.3. Even when the actions or omissions of an employee or a contractor give rise to a breach of health and safety law, the Group may be held liable and prosecuted for that breach. The Group therefore recognises that it is unable to contract out of its liabilities under health and safety law or to pass all blame for breaches onto specific employees or contractors.

The following General Principles and detail must therefore be applied at all levels of the organisation.

We are all accountable and responsible for complying with the Policy.

• All management employees (including Board members, the CE, the ELT, SMG, supervisory mangers and other managers) must be aware of their specific requirements under health and safety law and make such organisational arrangements to ensure compliance with this Policy and its practices and procedures.
• All employees are responsible for complying with this Policy and all relevant practices and procedures developed further to this Policy, including any Contractors instructed by the Group to undertake risk assessments and /or to carry out work in respect of control measures, practices and procedures.

We will work to prevent incidents so far as it is reasonably practicable to do so.

• The Group believes that many health and safety incidents can be prevented. However, the Group also realises that it is not possible to eliminate all risk.  
• Therefore, the Group shall provide a workplace and an asset base that is designed to reduce the risk level to the lowest reasonably practicable level. When working remotely, appropriate risk assessments will be undertaken relating to health, safety and welfare of employees.
• Employees are to be given sufficient information, instruction and training to perform their role with the lowest level of risk.
• Employees are to be provided with the correct equipment to perform their role safely including Personal Protective Equipment, Display Screen Equipment and lone working devices for remote and lone workers.
• An appropriate level of support and supervision will be provided.
• All employees must actively contribute to this goal and comply with this Policy and the Group’s practices and procedures.

We will keep under review our operations and report findings and implement a practical set of operational Health and Safety Key Performance Indicators (H&SKPIs).

H&S KPIs will be implemented and adopted for all relevant operations and will be actively monitored by the Assistant Directors, Heads of Service and the Health and Safety Compliance Manager. Regular reports as to performance will be submitted as required to the HSWG.

• The H&S Compliance Manager will review the Group’s operations to identify strengths and weakness in our health and safety policy, practices and procedures.
• The H&S Compliance Manager will consider audit recommendations arising from internal audit reviews including adequacy of the response and monitoring implementation of agreed actions.
• The H&S Compliance Manager will identify actions to be taken to prevent problems or correct deficiencies and if appropriate propose these to the relevant Board, the CE and the ELT as appropriate.

We will report on our activities to our stakeholders

• We will communicate with individuals and communities and other concerned parties where required regarding safety aspects and impacts of our operations, and report formally to the HSWG/ELT following any active concerns and/or Group involvement.
• Any circumstances requiring communication with stakeholders will be verified prior to being made by the relevant person e.g., development-related health and safety matters will involve the Executive Director of Development and Health and Safety Compliance Manager. Wider concerns may be considered with Communications team ensuring appropriate method of communication to recipients of the message and seeking prior approval from ELT.

4. Consultation

4.1. The HSWG will continue to be consulted regularly to obtain feedback on this policy and changes to be considered going forward. The HSWG will ensure that the Policy is regularly reviewed and any proposed changes be brought to the attention of relevant forum(s). Changes to this policy will require Board approval.

5. How the Policy Will Be Implemented

5.1. The Board is ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation and regulation and application of appropriate governance.

5.2. The CE and ELT are then responsible for ensuring the implementation of the health and safety policies, practices and procedures.

5.3. The HSWG is the employee-based body with Terms of Reference responsible for developing health and safety compliance policies, practices and procedures. Recommendations made by the HSWG will incorporate the subject matter expertise of the Health and Safety Compliance Manager and follow the appropriate Group protocol. For example, level 1 policies are recommended to the Board for consideration and approval.

5.4. The Company Secretary will report to the Board, ELT and appropriate Committees providing details of policies, practices, procedures and any additional incidents reviewed by the HSWG.

5.5. The Health and Safety Compliance Manager will provide training, deliver reports and attend relevant Board and Committee Meetings. The Health and Safety Compliance Manager has a direct line to the Board and vice versa on matters of Health and Safety.

5.6. The Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) provides assurance to the Board in respect of the risk management of Health and Safety. The ARC is responsible on behalf of the Board for establishing the framework for the identification and management of risk and ensuring effective internal controls.

5.7. The Development and Assets Committee provides an understanding of stock condition to provide assurance that financial planning and property compliance is applied to health and safety matters.

5.8. The policy will be implemented in line with the Group’s governance procedures.

5.9. All managers are responsible for implementing the health and safety policies, practices and procedures within their areas of responsibility, and for monitoring and reporting issues and / or incidents/accidents upwards and to the Health and Safety Team as appropriate.

5.10. This Policy also contains the Fairhive Safety Organisation Chart that identifies those upon whom specific responsibilities fall within the Group so that the Group can meet its overall employer responsibility.

5.11. This Policy must and will therefore be provided to all those external contractors who fill roles identified within the Policy. Those people must ensure they understand and fulfil the requirements contained therein, as failure to do so may mean that the Group does not meet its employer obligations.

5.12. This Policy and its whereabouts on the Group’s network will be brought to the attention of all employees during induction.

5.13. Additional guidance and training will be issued and given as required to all employees as appropriate.

6. Performance Measures

6.1. The Group will measure its health and safety practices and procedures by undertaking and recording audits and producing practical safety H&S KPIs.

6.2. Active monitoring of standards will be implemented by the Assistant Directors, Heads of Service and the Health and Safety Compliance Manager.

6.3. The results of the H&S KPIs will be reported to the HSWG. The Minutes, Key Issues and reports will be reported by the HSWG to the Board, ELT and Committees as appropriate.

6.4. The H&S KPIs will be kept under review and assessed by the Assistant Directors and Heads of Service and the Health and Safety Compliance Manager as to their relevance and applicability at relevant levels.

7. Monitoring

7.1. The HSWG will receive reports as to the effectiveness of this Policy, its practices and procedures on a yearly basis via the Health and Safety Compliance Manager. This is in the form of the Annual H&S Report.

7.2. The HSWG will evaluate the Annual Report from the Health and Safety Compliance Manager and report any recommendations to the CE and the ELT.

7.3. Health and safety law requires that risk assessments be reviewed on a regular basis so that any change in the risk profile is recorded and managed within the risk assessment. If, following the completion of the risk assessment, there is a material change requiring a new risk assessment then one must be carried out and appropriate control measures introduced.

7.4. The Group recognises that health and safety compliance practices and procedures must be monitored on an ongoing basis and new risk assessments undertaken and new control measures introduced where appropriate and if sooner than the scheduled review date.

7.5. The content and effectiveness of the policy and any manual/guidance will be reviewed annually. This review will take into account any legislative or other relevant changes and details of such will be communicated to all employees.

8. Impacts

Resident/Staff Implications - 

This policy applies to all staff. It is available on the staff intranet and annual changes are communicated via Work Place.

This policy sets out how we ensure the safety of our residents and is reviewed by the resident forum annually or when pertinent amends are made to the policy document.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion - 

This Policy will conform to all Equality and Diversity Legislation and requirements as set out by the Group’s Equality and Diversity Policy

Value for Money - 

As the Group understands that it must do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of those affected by its undertaking, the Group acknowledges that it must determine the threshold of what counts as reasonably practicable. Quality risk assessments will indicate clearly to the Group what work needs to be done in order to meet the requirement of reasonable practicability.

The adoption of ‘good’ and, where feasible and financially viable, ‘best’ practice in the field of Occupational Health and Safety is an important consideration for the Group to ensure that it produces efficient and cost effective procedures in accordance with Value for Money requirements.

Data Protection - 

We may share data with our contractors to enable servicing of relevant assets or health and safety related works. We hold data sharing agreements with the relevant contractors to protect personal data.

Accountability - 

We have introduced a resident health and safety group and any resident can raise a query or concern related to health and safety to any of our staff or contractors for us to address.

Quality - 

This policy looks to ensure that our residents are safe in their home by supporting the provision of well-maintained homes which are in line with legislative and regulatory requirements.

When things go wrong - 

Residents can communicate concerns through our formal channels or via speaking with a member of staff.

9. Related Legislation and Other Documents:

9.1. This Policy complies with and reflects current requirements of legislation and relevant guidance. This Policy recognises the legal force of Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) issued by the Health and Safety Executive and will be reviewed annually.

9.2. The following policies and procedures are either already in place or shall be introduced further to this Policy to ensure the Group has sufficient arrangements for health and safety management. The related guidance will be detailed within each policy/procedure, and must be reviewed on a 3 yearly basis (or more frequently if associated law and regulations or working practices should change).

Management of Health & Safety at Work 1999
Safe Working Practices Procedure
Accident and Incident Investigation Procedure
First Aid Procedure
Fire Risk Assessment
Fire Safety Procedure
Display Screen Equipment Procedure
Manual Handling Procedure
LOLER Regulations
PWER Regulations
Hazardous Substances Procedure
Water Safety Policy & Water System Management Procedure
Personal Protective Equipment Procedure
Wellbeing Policy
Young Persons Procedure
Lone Working Procedure
Violence at Work and Client Visiting
Potentially Violent Person Procedure
Ways of Working Policy
Work Related Road Safety
Noise at Work Regulations 2005
Noise at Work Procedure
Working at Heights Procedure
Gas Saftey Procedure
Consultation and Communication Procedure
Asbestos Policy and Asbestos Management Plan
Stress Management Procedure
New and Expectant Mothers Procedure
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Eqaulity and Diversity Policy

Policy author details

Author	Holly-Anne Cole
Job title	Health and Safety Compliance Manage
Date approved	May 2023
Review due date	May 2024