Chief Executives Service Mid-year Health and Safety Report 2025 FRCS 201125
Renfrewshire Council · 20 November 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 20 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 1 _________________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 20 November 2025 Report By: Chief Executive Heading: Chief Executive’s Service – Mid-year Health and Safety Report 1. Summary 1.1 The Chief Executive’s Service – Annual Health and Safety Report 2024/25 and Action Plan & Performance Indicators 2025/26 was approved by the Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board, setting out priorities for the service aligned to those within the People Strategy – Ongoing implementation of key priorities (Health and Wellbeing Plan 2024/2029). 1.2 The Council’s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy requires each service to submit a mid-year Health and Safety report to the relevant Policy Board. The Chief Executive’s Service mid-year report is attached as Appendix 1, summarising the achievements from 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025. 1.3 The report sets out the planned actions the service has undertaken to date as well as outlining the service’s commitment to continuous improvement in health and safety performance. ________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board: i) notes the content of this report and its appendices. __________________________________________________________________
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HS/12/23/24 Page 2 3. Background The Chief Executive’s Service delivers a range of strategic services within the organisation. We do this through a range of activities delivered across our service areas: policy and partnerships, economy and development, City Deal and infrastructure, and communications, marketing and events. Our services are delivered by 241 employees, led by the Chief Executive who is supported by the Head of Policy and Partnerships, the Interim Head of Marketing and Communications, the Head of Economy and Development, and the Programme Director (City Deal and Infrastructure). 3.2 The Chief Executive’s Service Head of Policy and Partnerships is the lead officer for health, safety and wellbeing within the service and is supported by the Strategy, Policy and Insight Manager. We have a proactive approach and commitment to health, safety and wellbeing which is supported by the service’s working group. 3.3 As is now standard practice for local government staff who are primarily office- based, employees are mostly hybrid workers, splitting their working week between home and office. The service has adapted its processes and procedures to ensure that standards for all employees working from home or in the office are maintained, with the health, safety and wellbeing of employees being a priority. The service’s health and safety working group meets quarterly via Teams. 3.4 The mid-year Health & Safety report (Appendix 1) looks at the work undertaken from 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025. 3.5 The preparation of this mid-year report has been supported by the Finance and Resources, People and Organisational Development (People & OD) Health and Safety Team.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 3 4. Health & Safety activities 4.1 The Chief Executive’s Service Action Plan 2025/26 covers a range of actions and performance indicators allowing the service to recognise, manage and monitor health, safety and wellbeing. The action plan ensures compliance with key policies, monitoring and reviewing risk assessments and encouragement of health & safety training. The service encourages the reporting of accidents and incidents, and these are monitored. 4.2 All services are required to have a planned programme of Workplace Observation Reports (WOIR) and the Chief Executive’s service aims to complete at least one per quarter. In the first half of 2025/26, three WOIRs have been completed in three of the premises used by Community Learning and Development. All teams undertaking an inspection are fully supported by management and corporate Health & Safety as required, with management monitoring actions identified during the inspection 4.3 Managing large-scale public events remains a key focus for the service, and event safety management plans are in place for all our events. The team works closely with health and safety colleagues in the planning and delivery of events and where it is appropriate (e.g. for large events such as Paisley’s Hallowe’en), safety consultants will be brought in to add capacity and expertise. 4.4 A key requirement of the Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Policy 2021 is that the services should engage with trade unions to representatives to attend service meetings where relevant. The service continues to invite trade unions representation where appropriate.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 4 Implications of the Report 1. Financial Implications – None. 2. HR & Organisational Development Implications – None. 3. Community/Council Planning Implications – None. 4. Legal Implications – None. 5. Property/Assets Implications – None. 6. Information Technology Implications – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights Implications - None. 8. Health & Safety Implications - The report supports and demonstrates the Council and the Chief Executive’s service’s commitment to ensuring effective health and safety management. 9. Procurement Implications - None. 10. Risk Implications - The report supports the overarching management of risk within Renfrewshire Council. 11. Privacy Impact Implications - None. 12. Cosla Policy position – None. 13. Children’s Rights – this report is for noting and has no direct implications on children’s rights. 14. Climate Risk – None. ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Pamela McDonald, Policy Officer, pamela.mcdonald@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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HS/12/23/24 Page 5 APPENDIX 1 CHIEF EXECUTIVES SERVICE Mid-year Health and Safety Report November 2025
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HS/12/23/24 Page 6 This mid-year report is prepared by Chief Executive’s Service in accordance with Renfrewshire Council’s Health and Safety Policy and Plan, the purpose of which is to evaluate the health and safety performance of the Service against the health and safety objectives. 1. Management of health and safety within the Service 1.1 The current corporate policy on health, safety and wellbeing was approved in February 2022. The policy outlines the organisational responsibilities of the Chief Executive, managers, employees and others (e.g. fire wardens, first aiders and lone workers). The following details are included: the health and safety arrangements within the service; the specific information regarding health and safety advice and training; how to raise health and safety concerns and how to report an accident. 1.2 While the Chief Executive has overall responsibility for the implementation of the policy, the Senior Management Team and managers have a general responsibility to ensure that safe conditions of work apply at all times. All employees also have a responsibility to act with due care for their own safety and that of others, and to comply with the requirements of the policy. 1.4 The service’s strategy aims to ensure that health and safety is an integral part of the overall management of the service and the service continually seeks ways to ensure a safe workplace for all employees. 2. Implementation of health and safety management within the service 2.1 The Head of Policy and Partnerships is the lead officer for health, safety and wellbeing within the Chief Executive’s Service and is supported by the Strategy, Policy and Insight Manager and Policy Officer, who acts as the service’s health and safety co-ordinator. This ensures that health and safety remains high-profile within the service. Health and Safety is a standing item on the agenda of the Chief Executive’s Senior Management Team meeting. 2.2 The service’s health and safety co-ordinator attends the Corporate Health and Safety Committee (CHSC) and provides a service update on health, safety and wellbeing. The working group is informed of outcomes from the CHSC which are shared with managers across services. The CHSC also enables the escalation of any health, safety and wellbeing issues that cannot be resolved at local level and allows for sharing of lessons learned. 2.3 The service has a working group which is attended by representatives from across the service and meets quarterly. It is also attended by a Health & Safety Adviser from People and Organisational Development (People & OD) Health and Safety Team. The group works well to communicate and discuss
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HS/12/23/24 Page 7 key corporate information, service performance and a channel to raise local health and safety issues. 2.4 Quarterly meetings take place between the Head of Policy and Partnerships, the service’s H&S Coordinator and Corporate Health & Safety Adviser and these provide a formal opportunity to discuss both service and councilwide issue. Discussions include updates from the service’s working group and the CHSS, ensuring key issues are raised with the service Departmental Management Team (DMT). Where required, issues are also raised on an ad hoc basis between quarterly meetings. 2.5 It is a requirement of the Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Policy 2021 that the service should engage with trade union appointed safety and the service has contacted trade unions inviting representation where required. 3. Planning and setting standards: Plan - Do - Check - Act 3.1 The Chief Executive’s service health & safety arrangements are based on the Plan – Do – Check – Act approach referred to in the Corporate Health & Safety policy. This methodology achieves a balance between the systems and behavioural aspects of management. It also treats health and safety management as an integral part of good management generally, rather than being stand-alone. 3.2 The Chief Executive’s service has a risk control strategy in place to minimise employees and service users’ exposure to significant risks. The risk profile includes delivering public events, activities undertaken by Communities, Learning & Development, Building Standards, City Deal, Estates, Development Management as well as management responsible for premises outwith Renfrewshire House. These risks include: Musculo-skeletal (DSE); Working at height;
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HS/12/23/24 Page 8 Lone working; Occupational driving; Violence & aggression; Stress (work and non-work related); Council-managed public events; Fire safety & management; and Slips, trips and falls The service has a Risk Register to monitor general risk assessments (tasks undertaken by employees) and fire safety risk assessments to ensure they are current and accurate. 3.3 Regular review of risk assessments is in place across the service and in the first half of 2025, support was provided to update the risk assessment for works to a mural on Seedhill Road. The service continues to monitor a performance indicator on risk assessments, which requires them to be reviewed within 30 days of the planned review date. This indicator is part of the scorecard in Appendix 2 to this report. 3.4 The events team manage a programme of public events each of which are individually risk assessed. A bespoke Event Management pack is created in conjunction with multi agency partners and Council services for each event, with public safety the main priority. The Executive Events Group is chaired by the Head of Marketing and Communications with membership from Events, Health and Safety, Civil Contingencies and Risk Management and this group has oversight of all event management plans and provides the final sign off on these. 3.5 Over the past few years the team have upskilled in crowd management profiling and science by working alongside a crowd management industry expert and undertaking crowd management training. The team continue to work with council services, blue light partners and freelance health and safety support to design and deliver the major events programme. So far in 2025, the safe and successful delivery of events has included the Paisley Food and Drink Festival, Sma’ Shot Day, Renfrew Pipe Band Competition, and Paisley’s Hallowe’en. 3.6 Health and safety is a standing item on the agenda for meetings of the Chief Executive’s Senior Management Team, A focus area for 2025/26 is mental health and wellbeing, and in addition to promoting the supports already available to our staff, opportunities for service-specific activities are being explored. 3.7 Absence levels in the service met the target in Q1 (1.06 days per FTE against a target of 1.3) but in Q2 was higher than the target figure (2.17 days against a target of 1.2 days). This increase in Q2 was attributable to an increase in psychological, stomach and bowel, and respiratory conditions.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 9 4. Measuring performance 4.1 The Chief Executive’s Service Action Plan 2025/26 sets out how the service will identify, manage and monitor health, safety and wellbeing. The action plan ensures compliance with key policies, monitoring and reviewing risk assessments and encouragement of health & safety training. The service encourages the reporting of accidents and incidents which are monitored. 4.2 The service has processes in place to review risk assessments and this is monitored through our action plan. None were due for review in the first six months of this year but we are committed to carrying out these reviews in a timely manner, within 30 days of the review date. 4.3 A key requirement of the Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Policy 2021 is for services to have a planned programme of Workplace Observation Inspection Reports (WOIR) completed. The service targets a minimum of four per year, and to date, three have been completed in 2025/26. All three of these were in Community Learning and Development, who operate across multiple sites. All services areas undertaking an inspection are fully supported by management and corporate Health & Safety as required with management monitoring actions identified during the inspection. Re-active monitoring 4.4 Absence continues to be monitored and support where required is provided via Occupational Health and our employee assistance provider (currently Time for Talking). A new corporate absence policy was implemented in March 2024 and it is anticipated that the benefits of this new policy will become apparent during this reporting year. 4.5 Re-active monitoring also includes analysing accidents and incidents reported to identify and implement an accident prevention programme. Historically the number of accidents and incidents reported within the Chief Executive’s service has been low. However, the working group continued to encourage a culture of accident/incident reporting within the service. 4.6 There were three accidents/incidents involving staff from Chief Executive’s in Q1 and two in Q2. One of the Q1 incidents was RIDDOR reportable. Details are in the table below: Number of service reported accidents/incidents 2025/26 Reporting Period Who was involved? Accident/Incident Description Severity Outcome 1 x Employee Contact with Machinery Minor Injury Reviewing Risk Assessment 1 x Contact with First Aid N/A Q1
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HS/12/23/24 Page 10 Employee Machinery 1 x Employee Lifting & Handling Over 7- day absence (RIDDOR) Reviewing Risk Assessment 1 x Employee Other type of accident Minor injury N/A Q2 1 x Employee Incident with construction works No injury Contractor advised of incident and risk; corrective action taken
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HS/12/23/24 Page 2 APPENDIX 2 Chief Executive's Health & Safety Action Plan 2025/26 Action Status Cancelled Overdue; Neglected Unassigned; Check Progress Not Started; In Progress; Assigned Completed Actions Action Code Action Status Progress Due Date Update CEH&S25.01 Continue to implement the Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy ensuring all employees are aware of initiatives and participate where relevant / required, including any related performance management measures. The service focus will primarily be supporting employee mental health. 50% 31-Mar-2026 Health and Safety is a standing item on the service’s SMT agenda, and SMT have identified mental health and wellbeing as a priority for 2025/26. Corporate supports and initiatives are promoted across our teams. Absence figures are regularly monitored, trends identified and supports sought where appropriate. CEH&S25.02 Awareness and compliance with the current corporate policy on Health, Safety and Wellbeing. 50% 31-Mar-2026 Health and Safety is a standing item on the CE SMT agenda. Quarterly meetings take place between the H&S Co-ordinator and the Head of Policy and Partnerships. The CE H&S Working Group meets quarterly.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 3 Action Code Action Status Progress Due Date Update CEH&S25.03 Monitor all task based risk assessments on the services risk assessment register to ensure they remain suitable and sufficient. 50% 31-Mar-2026 Processes are in place for reviewing risk assessments and compliance is monitored in our performance scorecard. Risk assessments are reviewed according to a schedule and/or as changes emerge which require review and re-assessment. CEH&S25.04 Ensure all work in progress Risk Assessments are completed and uploaded to the service Risk Assessment register. 50% 30 Jun 2025 Processes are in place for risk assessments to be reviewed and uploaded as required. CEH&S25.05 Implement a planned management led health and safety inspection programme for 2025/26 across all service locations. 75% 30 Jun 2025 Our inspection programme has been agreed, with four inspections scheduled for 2025/26. Three of these have already taken place and the fourth is scheduled for Q3. CEH&S25.06 Monitor DSE assessments across the service with regular updates from managers 50% 31-Mar-2026 All line managers have access to reports showing them the status of DSE assessments for their team. . CEH&S25.07 Monitor the completion of health and safety training on iLearn across the service. 50% 31-Mar-2026 Managers are asked for completion rates each quarter to ensure that required health and safety training is completed. CEH&S25.08 Implement a system for managers to monitor employee H&S training needs within their service area providing service overview of overall H&S training compliance. 5% 31 Dec 2025 This is linked to a corporate initiative and will be rolled out in the service as tools become available. CEH&S25.09 Ensure iLearn courses for relevant employees are completed: Display Screen Awareness, Evacuation Process for Renfrewshire House and for managers outwith HQ: Asbestos Awareness, Duty to Manage Asbestos Refresher and Control of Contractors courses. 30% 30 Nov 2025 Information to confirm this is still being collated. Due date has been revised to 30 November 2025. CEH&S25.10 Continue to encourage and monitor reporting of accident/incidents. 100% 31-Mar-2026 Accidents and incident reporting continues to be encouraged through the service. Training on how to record these on BW was delivered to all service staff at GR10 and above in January 2025. CEH&S25.11 Ensure that all events planned have an individual event manual which includes health and safety 80% 31-Mar-2026 Sma’ Shot Day and Renfrew Pipe Band competition were delivered successfully in quarter two with Event Safety management plans produced for both events. Work is ongoing to produce the safety management plans for the winter events programme being delivered throughout Q3 CEH&S25.12 Ensure all service areas are represented at the Chief Executive’s health and safety working group. 100% 31-Mar-2026 Group membership ensures all service areas are represented.
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HS/12/23/24 Page 1 Chief Executive's Health & Safety Scorecard (Q2) 2025/26 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Code Performance Indicator Current Status Short Term Long Term Value Target Value Target Explanation of performance CEHSWOIR Introduce a planned WOIR programme ensuring inspections are completed within the relevant reporting quarter 2 1 1 1 During the first half of the year, three WOIRs have taken place. In June, these were undertaken at Foxbar Youth Drop In and at the CLAD Base in West Primary School. In September, a third was carried out at West Johnstone Shared Campus. CEHSDSE Monitor the number of DSE assessments completed within 28 days Not measured for Quarters Not measured for Quarters This is an annual indicator and will be reported at year end. CEHSRA Ensure risk assessments have been reviewed within 30 days of their planned review date 0 - 0 - One new risk assessment was created in Q1 but no risk assessment reviews were required during Q1 or Q2.