Draft notes from

H & S Consultative group Meeting 11th June 2002

County Hall

Present: David Thornton, Alan Aldred, Nick Wilding, Mike Peck, Malcolm Gibbs, John Osborne

1) Incident Reports – Availability of Data NW gave JO a copy of the Incident Report data on floppy (e-mails having failed to get through). Copied to Division Secretary. The data provided covers eight months from 1/4/01 to end of Dec 01. This data was circulated to AA but no action is normally taken by him other than to look for trends. There has been some improvement in the use of the new Incident Report forms. NW is now ready to process the next set of data (Jan to May 2002). We should have access to this soon. DT is keen to look at a similar scheme for logging incidents with pupils.

2) Audit Tools for Schools (Evidence of Monitoring) and Health and Safety Training Update. The LEA is keen to put the emphasis back onto Heads to do H&S work, and take responsibility for it. They are aware that many schools need to do more active H&S work. We have been putting pressure on the LEA to take a much more active role in running sessions for Heads to this end to make them aware of their responsibilities. This was brought into focus with the disappointing deployment of the new Incident Report form, which many schools simply seem to have ignored. The form is important to the LEA as evidence of their responsibility to monitor schools. We have been attacking the inadequacy of it.

The LEA proposes extending the work of John Ling to do more monitoring, but recognise that there is a limit to the amount one person can achieve. The LEA has therefore now decided that all Heads need an H&S update. This will take place in the Autumn term, and will be an intensive and extensive review of their responsibilities on this front. The aim is to get Heads to raise the profile of H&S significantly in schools. School Governors are to get similar training to perhaps be in a position to put pressure on Heads. This is clearly a major improvement on the present position. DT recognised the need for an H&S appointment within Education Department and was moving towards this. It was however likely to be a year away. Whilst there was some training on H&S at induction we have stressed the need for additional training for staff, for example when they take up a new responsibility post. We have suggested a series of Red Book H&S courses coordinated by the LEA. This was agreed. These would be plugged at the Heads training, and Heads would be encouraged to pay for staff to attend them as evidence that they are taking the H&S initiative seriously.

3) Health and Safety Documentation A number of key documents were in the process of being updated. We will continue to press for the completion of this. Schools need a written risk assessment for fire Safety. The LEA is to follow this up with Fire Dept with a view to offering or arranging coordinated training on producing these.

4) Excluded Pupils – History for Risk Assessment Purposes: The LEA has agreed to draw up a protocol for the admission of pupils to schools where risks of violence exist. Community Ed has also been asking for this as a result of the increasing number of students who are being disapplied from school courses and are becoming involved in Community Education programs. A similar need may exist where these pupils are sent out on work experience, to warn employers of the risk. It was felt this would be a requirement for schools and LEA to produce before transfer of the student was agreed. We would continue to investigate this. On the matter of violence, new guidance was becoming available on the role of the Police in this matter. This was being discussed at JNC.

5) School Visits and Journeys. Some risk assessment activities were taking place, but these were not always leading to safer activity. There has been a review of the School Visits and Guidance documentation, and a draft of this was in circulation. We will be sent a copy. The final version will appear after new DfES guidelines issued soon. Whilst we were happy that dangerous activities were being adequately assessed, we felt that most trips out were not following the DfES guidance, and again Heads need to ensure that this was taking place. Some analysis of visits forms was taking place, but the LEA acknowledged that this needs development. We discussed the need for some generic risk assessments being made available for schools to use to promote safer practice. This would be considered further.

6) Wellbeing Project: Adrian Grey was now in post as coordinator. Some 80 schools have signed up for the counselling element of this. There has been some good feedback from this to date. However on the full Wellbeing project, there were fewer schools involved - only 30 to 40 schools have signed up. The LEA hoped feedback and success from these would encourage other Heads to sign up. The LEA will allow Schools to sign up during the year so it is not too late for other schools to join now.

7) Roving Representatives: I outlined the background to this idea. We all felt that having inspection work done by staff in their own establishments was the ideal, but recognised the problem that this was not happening in many schools. It may be that following the Heads training outlined earlier, there will be more local activity, and Heads will encourage union reps and inspections, and give them adequate time and support to carry out the work. (Pinch me someone…). From a Union point of view we also felt that it should not be seen as a substitute for LEA monitoring and control. Whilst Unison have a tradition of carrying out their own inspections and not collaborating with other Unions, Malcolm Gibbs (Unison rep) felt he could support such an initiative, and we agreed to discuss this further. The thorny issue of funding the activity was not mentioned, but we will continue to explore this option. In addition I would try to discuss it with the NAS/UWT H&S equivalent. This will be a long term development.

8) Action Planning Summary 2002/03 Last year we were shown the LEA H&S Action Planning summary. We would be shown this years one when it has been produced

9) Date of Next Meeting Thursday 17th October 2002

John Osborne, NUT Divisional H&S Adviser, June 2002