Risk Assessment Policy
Last reviewed:
The Healing Hubs is committed to identifying and managing risks to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of all staff, volunteers, service users, and members of the public. This policy sets out our approach to risk assessment in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
1. Purpose
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and implementing controls to reduce risk to an acceptable level.
Risk assessments help us to: comply with our legal obligations; protect everyone involved in our activities; make informed decisions about how we deliver our services; and demonstrate our commitment to safety.
2. Scope
Risk assessments must be completed for all Healing Hubs activities, including: in-person events and group sessions; home visits and outreach work; lone working activities; use of external venues; and any new activity or significant change to an existing activity.
3. Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for ensuring that risk assessments are completed, reviewed, and acted upon. Team Managers are responsible for completing and maintaining risk assessments within their projects.
Team leaders and activity coordinators are responsible for completing risk assessments for the activities they manage.
All staff and volunteers are responsible for following risk assessment controls and reporting any new hazards or concerns.
4. The risk assessment process
Step 1 — Identify the hazards: consider what could cause harm to people involved in the activity.
Step 2 — Decide who might be harmed and how: consider staff, volunteers, service users, and members of the public, including those who may be particularly vulnerable.
Step 3 — Evaluate the risks and decide on controls: assess the likelihood and severity of harm, and identify measures to eliminate or reduce the risk.
Step 4 — Record the findings: document the hazards, who is at risk, and the controls in place.
Step 5 — Review and update: review the risk assessment regularly and whenever there is a significant change in the activity or circumstances.
5. Recording and storing risk assessments
All completed risk assessments must be recorded in writing and stored securely.
Risk assessments must be made available to all staff and volunteers involved in the relevant activity.
6. Review
Risk assessments will be reviewed at least annually, following any accident or incident, or whenever there is a significant change in the activity, venue, or personnel.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees.