Purpose
The purpose of the Health & Safety Steering and Assurance Group is to provide leadership, direction, strategy, monitoring and co-ordination of all health, safety, assurance and welfare activity within BrisDoc Services.
The format of this meeting will be in the form of a by exception approach. Ensuring time is adequately afforded to addressing risks, issues and celebrating successes.
Responsibilities
The H&SSAG will hold responsibility and perform eight key functions:
1. Leadership
- Provide leadership within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enable risk to be assessed and managed.
- Provide clear communication on the outcomes of the H&SSAG to senior management and all staff.
- Ensure and monitor H&S compliance, oversee H&S policies and procedures.
2. Culture
- The H&SSAG will promote and support a positive health, safety, assurance and welfare organisation ensuring there is an effective interface between the BrisDoc services, and with external partners that realises the efficiencies and benefits of joint working and ensures compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act and associated legislation.
3. Strategy
- The Steering Group will develop and oversee the use of risk assessments, development of policy and its associated processes and procedures, strategy design, action plan development, prioritisation and implementation, and the development of guidance for staff.
4. Governance
The Health & Safety Steering and Assurance Group will review health, safety, assurance and welfare performance and monitor the effectiveness of health and safety processes through the receipt and review of data and audit results. Performance data could include for example (this list is not exhaustive):
- Accident reports
- RIDDOR reports
- H&S related Learning Events
- Fire drills
- Risk Assessments undertaken
- H&S training
- E&D
- Staff Welfare
Health, safety, assurance and welfare performance will be reported monthly by sharing an assurance report with the Quality Board.
Ensure that BrisDoc is compliant with all H&S legislative requirements
5. Quality
- Ensure the quality and safety of the service in collaboration with the Quality Board.
- Meet and ensure compliance of H&S legislation.
- Ensure BrisDoc services achieve the H&S standards required by CQC.
- To embrace and deliver a continuous improvement approach, e.g., as a result of need, incident or innovation.
6. Audit
The H&SSAG is responsible for monitoring that all compliance audits are completed in a timely fashion and that any non-compliance in completion should be reported to the Quality Board in order to safeguard the effectiveness and efficiency of BrisDoc services, this will ensure that health and safety policies and procedures included within the Health and Safety Manual are working effectively, are consistently implemented; and to capture organisational learning and improvement where necessary.
Measures will include for example:
- Completion of Checklists.
- Completion of mandatory Health and Safety training.
- Compliance against policies e.g., workstation ergonomics.
7. Risk Management
- Ensure an effective system H&S governance, risk assessment management and internal control across the BrisDoc Services.
- Ensure all services have effective and safe clinical and operational risk assessments in place.
- Identify and record all H&S risks and ensure these are communicated to the Quality Board.
8. Communication
- Ensure an effective communication channel exists between the H&SSAG, service leadership teams and staff.
Co-owners Council Engagement
The H&SSAG will maintain a clear channel of communication with the co-owners’ council, so that both parties are able to share information and consult one another as appropriate. This will ensure that the co-owners’ council remains part of this group’s consciousness when making key decisions.
Membership
The membership of the H&SSAG will be comprised of;
- Quality Manager (Joint Chair)
- Facilities Manager
- Service Managerial Health and Safety Leads
- Lead Clinical Practitioner
- People Administrator
In addition, members will be co-opted into the group if particular issues or projects arise that require expertise from individuals other than substantive members. This includes a representative of the co-owners’ council if required or is requested by the council.
Frequency
The H&SSAG will meet on a monthly basis. Additional exceptional meetings can be called by the chair as required.
Quoracy
A minimum of four members to be present for a decision to be made.
Reporting and Accountability
The H&SSAG is accountable to the Quality Board and will share an assurance report following each meeting. Project Sub-groups will report to this Health and Safety Assurance Group.
Review
The TOR for the H&SSSG will be reviewed annually.
Version Control
| Version | Date | Author | Changes Overview |
| 1.0 | 01.02.2019 | Clare-Louise Nicholls | Final v1 |
| 1.1 | 30.04.2020 | TC | Updated in order to be a joint ICS & PS H&S SG document. |
| 1.2 | 18.05.2021 | TC | No changes made |
| 1.3 | 28.09.2022 | Traci Clutterbuck | TOR rewritten in line with new structure |
| 1.4 | 12/12/2023 | Change of document / meeting name Health and Safety Steering and Assurance Group (H&SSAG) updated throughout. Agenda template updated. The reference to joint chair has been removed | |
Agenda Template
HEALTH AND SAFETY STEERING GROUP
AGENDA
- Apologies for absence. Chair
- Welcome / Introductions Chair
- Conflicts of interest Chair
- Action Log Chair
- Competent Person Update Chair
- Risk assessments Log TC/ All
- Insurance TC
- Each Policy A
- B
- C
- Any issues / Claims
- Training AP
- RA training
- Manual Handling
- Fire Safety training compliance
- H&S training compliance
- BLS?
- Accidents
- Learning Events TC
- BMC Book DD
- HHS Book DD
- CKMP Book KH
- Osprey Book GC
- Bases Books AM
- Vulnerable Workers AP
- Compliance Report
- RA Templates
- Audit Compliance SP
- RIDDOR / COSSH / Asbestos TC
- Immunisations AP
- DSE Compliance AP
- H&S Learning Events (Facilities/vehicle incidents) TC/DD/KH/GC
- Urgent Business/AOB ALL
- QB assurance report Chair