Logo

Purpose of the Health and Safety SLA

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 determines British health and safety law. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with local authorities, enforce this Act.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 supports the Act and in particular Regulation 7 requires all organisations (this includes schools) to ensure that they have access to competent health and safety advice.

Schools must appoint a competent person to ensure they meet their health and safety duties. A competent person is someone with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to give sensible guidance about managing the health and safety risks at the school.

The cost of training a school based competent person and ensuring their continuing competency can be high. In addition, further costs may be experienced with documentation purchases and time off to attend courses and seminars for updates.

The service provided by Haringey Council’s Corporate Health and Safety (CHS) Team therefore offers a cost-effective solution. The team has considerable knowledge and experience of health and safety hazards and risks within a school environment, enabling them to offer practical advice and support.

When you buy into the Health and Safety Service Level Agreement (SLA) you have immediate access to competent, experienced, and professional health and safety advisors whenever you need it.

We offer sensible health and safety support to sure that risk is managed responsibly and proportionately. It is about creating a safe learning environment, giving pupils an appreciation of risk and how to deal with it. It means doing what is reasonably practicable to reduce significant risks by putting in place control measures to manage the real risks, not about the elimination of all risk.

An annual “health check” of your safety management system is an integral part of the SLA. The health check, which is in the form of an audit, inspection or school visit, allows for gaps in compliance to be identified and advice given on how to address the gaps. The school will receive a written action plan with clear guidance on what actions will be needed along with advice on how compliance can be achieved with a proportionate and pragmatic approach

Key benefits of the service

• Safe environment for staff and students - peace of mind.

2.Compliance with legislation and policy.

3.Follow up on accidents and incidents where needed.

4.Access to expert advice and support – telephone and email support immediately on hand.

5.Updates as regulations change or new guidance is issued.

6.Comprehensive guidance and templates.

7.Annual “health check” report providing assurance.

Provision of support available

The telephone support and advice service provides:

1.Assistance in developing school specific health and safety policies and procedures

2.Competent and technical advice and assistance on health and safety issues or concerns

3.Assistance in dealing with external organisations (e.g. HSE)

4.Advice on the management of contractors

5.Advice on undertaking general and specialist risk assessments

6.Advice on factors to consider prior to purchasing safety equipment

7.Advice on the development of a health and safety management system

8.Advice on health and safety considerations for off-site activities (EVOLVE)

Service standards

The service will meet the following standards:

1.Email/queries will be answered within 4 working days

2.Personal visit: appointment kept within 15 minutes of appointed time

3.Annual health check (audits, inspections, training etc) will be carried out by arrangement and at mutually agreed times in accordance with this agreement.

EVOLVE

The Head Teacher must appoint an Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) and ensure all off-site school trips are entered on the online platform EVOLVE and under the SLA the CHS Team will provide advice and guidance.

All high-risk activities that require CHS approval include:

1.Residential visits, overseas visits including student exchanges.

2.Adventurous activities and centres for activities such as abseiling, canoeing, climbing.

3.Swimming or water activities where no lifeguard is available.

4.Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions (all are classed as ‘adventurous’).

5.When a high-risk activity is submitted, the CHS Team will review the documentation and risk assessments under the STAGER variables (Staff, Activities, Time, Group, Environment, and Remoteness of the trip) and review plans for any students who have been identified as having additional requirements, for example allergies, known medical conditions, have a ECHP in place.

The CHS Team will not be able to approve a trip it is submitted with less than 2 weeks (14 days) notice and will only process it. In the event of this occurring, the CHS Team recommend that the school postpones the trip until it is properly planned. If the trip proceeds will need to provide their own insurance and will have full liability.

The Head Teacher and EVC are responsible for:

1.Ensuring trips that require CHS approval are submitted at least 6 weeks prior to commencing to enable CHS approval.

2.Monitoring submitted trips on EVOLVE and responding to CHS Team queries in a timely manner.

School’s responsibilities

The school will be responsible for:

1.Reporting accidents appropriately and school management investigating thoroughly as required. Schools are to send through all accident forms to health.safetyadvice@haringey.gov.uk

2.Ensuring that the responsibilities and arrangements contained in the school’s Health and Safety Policy are always complied with. This is the responsibility of the Head Teacher.

3.Ensuring employees follow the school’s health and safety policies and procedures.

4.Notifying health.safetyadvice@haringey.gov.uk of all projects undertaken by the school which have health and safety implications.

5.Monitoring day to day feedback from employees and students to identify areas for improvement.

6.Compliance with EVOLVE and ensuring high-risk activities are submitted for approval by the CHS Team as outlined in the SLA.

Free courses as part of the SLA

*Please note, the EVC course is a two-part course:

• Part 1- Participants will receive an email sign-in once registered to enable them to complete the e-learning module.
• Part 2- TBC: The live training will be delivered as a virtual classroom session online via Zoom. Link will be provided once part 1 has been completed. Participants will need to have a working camera and mic. No access will be granted if delegates haven't completed part 1 by 08:00am on the live session day. 

The EVC course can be purchased through Traded Service platform.

Note: All courses are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please purchase the courses from the Traded Service platform as soon as possible to secure your spot. All training event registration is closed 3 weeks prior to commencement, to will enable delegates to complete any necessary pre-learning.

Additional health and safety training courses and costs

All courses listed above will be delivered via Microsoft Teams.

Note: Please note that a non-attendance fee will be applied in full if a place is not cancelled 10 days in advance. This will ensure we are able to offer places to those who need it.

Schools will be invoiced following the completion of each course.

What will it cost to buy into Haringey’s Health and Safety SLA?

Basic charge: £1,610 to £3,190 per year, depending on the school size.

When you buy in to the SLA, the Health and Safety Advisor (Schools) will contact you to discuss your requirements, and to book in your annual school visit.

For enquiries, please contact the Haringey Corporate Health and Safety team on health.safetyadvice@haringey.gov.uk

Please note:

• Schools that bought into the SLA in the academic year 2024/2025 will be automatically enrolled for the 2025/2026 academic year unless advised differently.
• CLEAPPS membership renews separately. If a school does not buy-in to the SLA 2025/2026 academic year, then CLEAPPS cover will cease on 31 March 2026.