Annual Health and Safety Report 202526
North Ayrshire Council · 1 September 2026
Back to Cabinet — 1 September 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 1 September 2026 Cabinet Title: Health and Safety Annual Report 2025/26 Purpose: To provide Cabinet with an annual report on the Health and Safety performance within Council Services during 2025/26. Recommendation: That the Cabinet notes the Annual Health & Safety Performance update for 2025/26 and the statistics covering a 3-year period. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Health and Safety cuts across every Service within the Council. North Ayrshire Council has a legal duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of its employees and others who are affected by its business. Corporate Health and Safety (CHaS) operates in partnership with all Services and external partners to provide advice, guidance and support to improve health and safety culture and reduce the risk of injury and ill-health incidents. 1.2 The Corporate Health and Safety Team issues and keeps under review a range of guidance documents to reflect organisational change and new updated working practices. 1.3 With reference to the Corporate Health & Safety Annual Report at Appendix 1, information is provided which illustrates the trends in incidents within the Council and includes 3 years of data. 2. Background 2.1 The Health and Safety at Work Act places a Duty of Care on employers towards employees while they are at work. To meet its Duty of Care, it is essential that the Council works pro-actively to provide safe systems of work, risk assessments and training, as well as monitoring health and safety performance. 2.2 The Corporate Health and Safety Annual Report, which is attached at Appendix 1 to this report, is a key part of the monitoring and reporting process to Senior Management and Elected Members.
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2.3 The Annual Report outlines in detail the following: • Improvements During 2025/26. • Review of Policies & Guidance. • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Visits. • Health & Safety Training. • Incident Statistics and Monitoring. • Planned Improvements for 2026/27. Improvements 2.4 One of the most important areas within Health & Safety Management is continuous improvement, which sits at the heart of the Council’s Health & Safety Management System and is modelled on the Health & Safety Executive’s HSG65 Guidance and the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle. The following are some of the improvements implemented in 2025/26. Incident Reporting System 2.5 The CHaS team continues to work with services, including trade unions, to streamline and improve the Assure Incident Reporting System. In 2025/26, we introduced a multi-incident report form specifically for additional support needs (ASN) locations across Education. Within these settings it is recognised that a child can have multiple incidents on the same day; this would, in turn, normally result in individual incident reports and individual management action plans for each incident, which has placed an additional administrative burden on staff. The new multi-incident report form addresses this by requiring only one form to be submitted at the end of the day. This new approach has helped reduce the administrative burden for staff and has been welcomed by staff in the ASN sector. This in turn frees up staff time to address the behavioural and developmental needs of the child. 2.6 The Assure reporting system was launched in 2023. In terms of incident reporting and influenced by the ease of access in reporting incidents, we continue to see an increase in the number of incidents being reported. Fire Risk Assessment 2.7 A key area of risk to the council is in relation to Fire Safety Management. Within last year’s report, it was stated that CHaS were developing a new Premises Fire Risk Assessment Register and Action Tracker. With a significant resource effort within the team the new process was successfully implemented in 2025/26. 2.8 Premises Fire Risk Assessment Register: The register covers every non- domestic property owned by the council but also includes sheltered housing units as the Council has responsibility for all the communal areas within these buildings. The register shows, at a glance, when the last fire risk assessment took place for each premises and, so far, this has proved to be a valuable quick reference tool to discuss the current FRA status. 2.9 Premises Fire Risk Assessment Action (FRA) Tracker: The tracker shows, at a glance, the responsible service for dealing with issues raised during the FRA. The tracker will show progress for each action and will be a valuable tool for senior officers and managers to monitor the closure of actions.
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2.10 The implementation of the new system will also be welcomed by the Council’s insurance provider, helping demonstrate that the Council is effectively managing fire risk. 2.11 Fire Risk Assessments are now a standing agenda item for the quarterly Directorate Health and Safety Planning Group meetings. Health & Safety Training 2.12 The 3 types of IOSH training courses: IOSH Managing Safely, IOSH Managing Safely Refresher and IOSH Working Safely will be progressed through a procurement process during 2026/27 to source a training supplier to deliver the IOSH training. 2.13 The CHaS Team delivered 7 Risk Assessment courses and 13 Risk Assessment Update courses during the course of the year. First Aid 2.14 In 2025 CHaS, in conjunction with the Procurement team, and to support regional collaboration across Ayrshire, took the lead on the new Pan Ayrshire procurement process to source and evaluate a new First Aid Training supplier. The successful tenders were evaluated by CHaS and representatives from East and South Ayrshire. The contract award went to First Stop Safety Training who will deliver the following courses: • First Aid at Work – 3 days, 18 hours. • Emergency First Aid at Work – 1 day, 6 hours. • First Aid at Work Requalification/Refresher – 2 days, 12 hours. • Paediatric First Aid – 2 days, 12 hours. Incident Monitoring 2.15 Monitoring the Council’s health and safety performance requires statistics to be analysed to identify appropriate actions. Monitoring is undertaken by a variety of stakeholders including Elected Members, Chief Officers, Senior Management and Trade Unions. To support effective Health and Safety monitoring, each Directorate holds a Health and Safety Planning Group meeting, normally chaired by a Chief Officer, on a quarterly basis. The purpose of these meetings is to review, discuss and plan operational Health and Safety performance, actions and improvements. 2.16 Section 4 of the annual report provides a detailed statistical review across a three- year period. Following the restructure within the Council and the introduction of the Communities and Housing Directorate, this means that the new directorate has now produced 2 years’ data to compare. The data shows that there has been a total of 3117 incidents for this year, which is up by 885 compared to last year. 2.17 The new Assure Incident Reporting System continues to have an impact on the higher number of incidents being reported. 2.18 With regard to the more serious incidents, which are reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Incidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), there were 41, which was an increase of 2 on the previous year. Of the 41 incidents:
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• 28 were within the less serious category where an employee was off work for more than 7 days with injuries such as strained backs, sprained ankles etc. • 10 incidents were categorised as specified injuries such as broken bones or loss of consciousness. • 1 incident involved an individual who was taken to the hospital from the scene of the incident and received treatment or remained in hospital for over 24 hours. • 2 incidents were categorised as Dangerous Occurrences, where one of the incidents was linked to a possible asbestos exposure and one incident involved a telehandler which tipped over. 2.19 The type of incident returning the highest numbers is aggression and violence within education settings. This was in line with expectations within the new reporting mechanism, with the ease of reporting making it far easier for incidents to be recorded. A number of these incidents were identified as “without intent”. 2.20 Aggression and Violence continues to be the incident type causing the highest number of incidents within all local authorities in Scotland. NAC’s Education service continues to have a clear focus on improving current approaches to aggression and violence, wellbeing and health and safety. Some of the current measures include; • Development of a bespoke Violence and Aggression Policy with a specific focus on educational establishments. • Scrutiny of the incidents from senior managers, in conjunction with heads of establishment to ensure that all relevant policies are in place. • Access to additional government funding has enabled investment in tailored risk-assessment training for colleagues to strengthen approaches to ensuring safety. • In order to support staff to manage dysregulated behaviour which can lead to violence and aggression, all senior leaders were trained in CALMS Theory, functional behavioural assessment and personal safety planning, and the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme continues, with all 9 secondary establishments in North Ayrshire taking part. 2.21 The local authority Health & Safety SPDS group (Society of Personnel Development Scotland) continues to discuss and share improvements within this incident category. The SPDS chairs also continue to engage with the HSE to look at ways of reducing incident numbers. Planned Improvements 2.22 Plans are in place to deliver further improvements to the Health and Safety framework during 2026/27 – these include the: • Review and cascade new or amended Health and Safety Policies/Guidance. • Procure supplier for Lone Worker Devices. • Develop a new Corporate Risk Indicator Database (Council IT Department); and update the guidance document. • Issue updated Driving at Work Guidance. • Issue updated 6 Monthly Inspection Form. 3. Proposals
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3.1 It is proposed that the Cabinet notes the Annual Health & Safety report for 2025/26 and the statistics covering a 3-year period. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 Supporting health, safety and wellbeing for Council employees, customers and service users. Legal 4.3 Ensuring that the Council meets its Duty of Care and complies with Health and Safety legislation. Failure to do so may result in prosecutions or financial penalties. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 A robust Health and Safety culture supports the delivery of the key priorities in the Council Plan 2023-2028. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. Islands Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) 4.8 None. United Nations Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 4.9 None. Consumer Duty 4.10 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 The Corporate Health and Safety Team consults regularly on Health and Safety with
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Elected Members, employees and Trade Unions. The subject matter within this report has been shared at directorate planning groups and at the Corporate Health and Safety group. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact James Walls, Team Manager (Health & Safety), on 07920 845048. Background Papers None.
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Appendix 1 CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2025/26 & 3 Year Statistical Comparison (2023/24 – 2024/25 – 2025/26) Version: 1.0 Date: August 2026 Author: James Walls Classification: Public
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2025/2026 1 Background 1.1 The Health and Safety at Work Act places significant requirements on employers to ensure a Duty of Care to employees while at work. To meet its Duty of Care, it is essential that the Council provides safe systems of work, carries out risk assessments and monitors health and safety performance in relation to its services, employees and service users. Monitoring the Council’s performance of health and safety requires statistics to be gathered and analysed, to identify appropriate action. The monitoring is undertaken by Elected Members, Chief Officers, Senior Management, Employees and Trade Unions. 1.2 To support effective Health and Safety monitoring, each directorate holds a Health and Safety Planning Group meeting, normally chaired by a Chief Officer on a quarterly basis. The purpose of these meetings is to review, discuss and plan operational Health and Safety performance, actions and incident statistics. 1.3 On a quarterly basis, the Corporate Health and Safety team reports on combined directorate statistics, health and safety projects and performance to the Corporate Health and Safety Group, chaired by the Leader of the Council and attended by senior health and safety representatives from all Council Services, including Trade Unions. 1.4 The Corporate Health and Safety Team comprises three Health and Safety Advisers, and the Health and Safety Manager who provide professional advice, guidance and support to Council Services, including the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP). 1.5 The Corporate Health and Safety Team continues to promote the theme of “Safety in Mind”. The overarching aim of this theme is to raise the profile and understanding of Health and Safety in the workplace and to keep health and safety at the forefront of all our employees' minds on a day-to-day basis. 2 Improvements during 2025/26 2.1 The sections below include the areas where the Corporate Health and Safety Team has supported all Services. Drug and Alcohol Testing 2.2 CHaS played a significant role in the work to update the Alcohol, Drug & Solvent Misuse Policy, to include a new section for the introduction of drug and alcohol testing. Under the Health & Safety At Work Act, the Council has a statutory “Duty of Care” to protect employees and others who may be affected by our operations. With reference to those who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, North Ayrshire Council will conduct “With Cause” drug and alcohol testing, where appropriate. Employees suspected or believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at any time, during the working day or whilst in control of a Council vehicle and/or machinery, will be subject to “with cause” testing. This new approach involved working closely with the trade unions and the current occupational health provider, PAM. The process also included an update to the Dealing with Alcohol
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] Drugs & Solvent Misuse Guidance document, to assist managers through the testing process. It should also be stressed that the Council will continue to provide support to those employees who require it. Fire Risk Assessment 2.3 One of the biggest risks to the Council is in relation to Fire Safety Management. Within last year’s Cabinet report, it was stated that CHaS were developing a new Premises Fire Risk Assessment Register and Action Tracker. This was a significant task in relation to time and resource; however, the new process was successfully implemented in 2025/26. 2.4 Premises Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) Register: The register covers every non-domestic property owned by the Council, but also includes sheltered housing units, as the Council has responsibility for all the communal areas within these buildings. The register shows, at a glance, when the last fire risk assessment took place for each premises and, so far, this has proved to be a valuable quick reference tool to discuss the current FRA status. 2.5 Premises Fire Risk Assessment Action Tracker: The tracker shows, at a glance, the responsible service for dealing with issues raised during the Fire Risk Assessment. The majority of actions will sit with PMI and will require both time and finance to close out; the other actions will be the responsibility of the Premises Manager/Responsible Person. The tracker will show progress for each action and will be a useful tool for senior service officers and managers to monitor the closure of actions. 2.6 The implementation of the new system will also be welcomed by the Council’s insurance provider, demonstrating that the Council is managing fire risk. Fire Risk Assessments are now an agenda item for the quarterly Directorate Health & Safety Planning Group meetings. Reviews of Policies and Guidance 2.7 The following documents are currently under review and will be updated in 2026/27: • Fire Guidance. • Asbestos Guidance. • DSE Guidance. • CRID (Corporate Risk Indicator Database) Guidance. • 6 Monthly Inspection Guidance. • 6 Monthly Inspection Form. • Lone Working Guidance (dependent on procuring Lone Working Devices). HSE Visits 2.8 In 2025/26, there were 2 visits conducted by the Health & Safety Executive. The first was carried out on 26th August 2025 and was in relation to the construction work being carried out on the 4th floor West of Cunninghame House. The visit focused mainly on the work undertaken by the Principal Contractor, where a couple of minor issues were raised which were subsequently closed out in a timely manner by the Principal Contractor.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] The second visit was conducted on 25th March 2026 and focused on the Vibration at Work Regulations, where the inspector wanted to review all aspects of our procedures, training and health surveillance programmes. The visit took place at the Building Services Depot, where the inspector reviewed the testing and monitoring system used within the service. The inspector also interviewed front- line staff as part of the visit. During the site visit, the inspector raised no issues and was very satisfied with current arrangements. CHaS would like to commend Building Services for their professionalism during this visit, which contributed to a satisfactory outcome. Some of the best practice in use within Building Services is now being implemented in other services within the Council. 3 Corporate Health and Safety Training 3.1 The 3 types of IOSH training courses: IOSH Managing Safely, IOSH Managing Safely Refresher and IOSH Working Safely will be progressed through a procurement process during 2026/27 to source a training supplier to deliver the IOSH training.. 3.2 The CHaS Team delivered 7 Risk Assessment courses and 13 Risk Assessment Update courses during the course of the year. 4 Incident Statistics 4.1 A key part of the Corporate Health and Safety Team’s monitoring role is to collect and review statistics on all reported Health and Safety incidents and near misses. Please Note: When analysing the statistics in the following sections within the report, we need to take into consideration the introduction of a new Communities & Housing Directorate from April 2024. All Health and Safety Incidents 4.2 Graph 1 below provides an analysis of incidents over a 36-month period and shows a comparison of all incidents from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. Graph 1 Total Number of Incidents
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 4.3 Graph 1 shows that in 2025/26 we had a total of 3117 incidents, which is 885 more than in 2024/25, followed by 2023/24 with 1784 incidents. The trend clearly shows an increase year on year. This would be aligned to the higher number of Aggression & Violence incidents that we are now seeing recorded, with more employees now aware of how easy it is to record an incident or a Near Miss. RIDDOR Incidents by Directorate Graph 2 Total Number of RIDDOR Incidents 4.4 The Council has a legal duty to report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive as per the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Graph 2 above shows the total number of incidents for the 3-year period, with 41 for 2025/26, 39 for 2024/25 and 42 for 2023/24. 4.5 With regard to the 41 RIDDOR incidents, it should be noted that 28 incidents were of a less serious nature and were categorised as Over 7 Day Incidents where the outcome could be a strain or a sprain or a back problem resulting in the employee being off work for more than 7 days. 4.6 Ten incidents were categorised as Specified Injuries; this is where the outcome is more serious such as broken bones or unconsciousness.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 4.7 One incident involved an individual who was taken to the hospital from the scene of the incident and received treatment or remained in hospital for over 24 hours. 4.8 There were also 2 incidents categorised as Dangerous Occurrences. 4.9 Graph 3 below shows that the Education Directorate has reported the highest number of RIDDOR incidents with a total of 16, up by 3 on the previous year, followed by PLACE with 12, up by 3 on the previous year, HSCP with 11 which is the same as the previous year and then Housing & Communities with 2, which is 4 fewer than the previous year. Graph 3 4.10 It should be noted that Directorates comply with the findings identified in all RIDDOR Incident Investigation reports which detail corrective actions to help prevent reoccurrence. Directorates also share their RIDDOR incidents and findings with the Corporate Health and Safety Group to help others learn from experience. All Incidents by Directorate 4.11 Graph 4 below gives an analysis of the total number of all incidents that have occurred over the 3-year period and breaks down the incident statistics by Directorate, the figures include Aggression & Violence incidents. Graph 4
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 4.12 Graph 4 shows that Education continues to record the most incidents with a total of 2298 which is up by 678 on the previous year. Health & Social Care Partnership returned 541 up by 121 on the previous year. Communities & Housing returned 137, up by 34 and lastly Place returning 130 incidents, up by 41 on the previous year. 4.13 Further details on the incidents within the four main Directorates is provided later in this report; however, no further information is provided on Chief Executive’s as the number of incidents is very low. This helps to focus attention on the most significant areas. Most Common Incidents (excluding Aggression and Violence) 4.14 Graph 5 below shows the total number of incidents by cause across the Council over the past 3 years. Graph 5 4.15 The incident type showing the highest numbers across the 3-year period is ‘Slip Trip and Fall’, with 141 recorded for 2025/26, which is up by 16 on the previous
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] year. Struck Against/Struck By is next with 91 incidents, down by 2 on the previous year, followed by Moving & Handling of People with 45, up by 7 on the previous year, and Use of Work Equipment with 32, up by 6 on the previous year. 4.16 The reporting of near miss incidents is a pro-active way of investigating issues before they become accidents/incidents where people are injured and a high number of Near Miss Incidents is a positive safety performance indicator. Graph 5 above shows that we had 168 recorded for 2025/26 which is up by 66 on the previous year. Aggression and Violence Incidents 4.17 Graph 6 below gives an indication of where the most aggression and violence incidents are taking place, with Education returning the most incidents. Significant work is ongoing in the directorate both to ensure all incidents are recorded and to ensure that an early intervention and prevention approach is taken to health and safety. A more detailed breakdown can be found later in this report. 4.18 The HSCP has been pro-active in ensuring that staff are reporting all incidents of physical and verbal aggression towards staff, however minor. 4.19 The Place Directorate are returning low numbers however still realise the need to train staff and, as a result, Corporate Health and Safety have been continuing to deliver Aggression and Violence training to employees. 4.20 The new Communities & Housing Directorate has returned the third highest A&V numbers with 69 incidents recorded, more information on this can be found within the Communities & Housing section later in the report. Graph 6 4.21 Graph 7 below, gives more detail on the type of aggression and violence incidents that are taking place across all Directorates, with Physical Violence being the most
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] significant cause. Graph 7 Analysis of Incidents by Directorate Place Directorate 4.22 Graph 8 below gives a detailed analysis of the common types of incidents (excluding Aggression and Violence) within the Place Directorate. Graph 8 4.23 For the year 2023/24, there was a total of 107 incidents, 72 for 2024/25 and 115 for 2025/26. Over the 3-year period, the incident types returning the highest numbers were ‘Struck Against/Struck by Object’ (51), ‘Slip Trip Fall’ (45), ‘Manual Handling’ (41), and ‘Use of Work Equipment’ (31). 2 3 3 21 0 14 4 17 19 15 9 107 5 1 5 5 0 13 8 9 16 6 4 72 1 0 2 15 1 33 11 19 16 10 7 115 Place Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 4.24 With reference to graph 3 in the report, we can see that there have been 12 RIDDOR incidents which is up by 3 on last year. Further analysis shows that 10 of the incidents were categorised as Over 7-day injuries, 1 was a Specified Injury (fracture) and 1 incident was a Dangerous Occurrence. We continue to roll out learning outcomes from all our incidents and with increased training and awareness the focus is to drive the number down. Household Waste Recycling Centre Site Fire Safety 4.25 During 2025/26, significant improvements were made to fire safety arrangements across HWRC sites. Fire risk assessments and safe systems of work were reviewed and strengthened in response to a number of site fire incidents, primarily involving lithium battery fires within waste compactors. Enhanced control measures were introduced, including updated fire risk assessments, revised fire evacuation procedures, increased staff awareness and fire safety training, clearer emergency response arrangements and improved management controls for fire prevention and response. The updated arrangements have strengthened the Council’s ability to prevent, manage and respond effectively to fire incidents on site. 4.26 Supporting evidence from a 2025 fire risk assessment identified three lithium battery-related fire incidents during 2025 with no injuries or property damage, resulting in a review of existing controls and fire management arrangements. Key Fire Safety Improvements 4.27 Key improvements made in the year include the following: • Reviewed and updated Fire Risk Assessments to reflect emerging fire risks, including lessons learned from lithium battery fire incidents. • Enhanced safe systems of work and emergency response procedures for dealing with fires on site. (see Appendix 2) • Strengthened staff fire safety training and awareness, including Fire Wardens responsibilities and emergency procedures. • Improved fire management controls, including weekly inspections of fire safety equipment, signage, lighting and escape routes • Reinforced arrangements for the safe storage and management of combustible materials and waste streams to minimise fire spread risk. • Maintained and strengthened fire detection, firefighting equipment and emergency maintenance regimes, supported by regular testing and record keeping. • Introduced additional controls and awareness measures in response to lithium battery-related fires, helping to reduce the risk of recurrence. Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome 4.28 With regard to HAVS, there has been an ongoing project throughout 2025/26. Neighbourhood Services is no longer utilising the post that was created with Building Services to complete tool testing within the service. Streetscene has trained 6 staff who are now able to carry out tool testing within the service. This
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] is also a resource which can be used throughout the service, as and when required. 4.29 Tool testing began at the end of March 2026. Since then, it has been continuously rolled out, with all equipment made available for testing. Upon completion of the tool testing, labels were generated and attached appropriately to provide employees with visual information on the duration for which machines can be used safely without breaching vibration exposure limits. 4.30 HAVS results have been issued to IT and a similar version of the HAVS app which Building Services uses has been generated for Streetscene to follow. This app is intended for use by operators to log their equipment and machinery daily usage. 4.31 Looking towards 2026/27, the Place Directorate will focus on improvements in the following areas: • Hand Arm Vibration • Fire Safety, • Asbestos Awareness, • Aggression & Violence, • Risk Assessments • Incident Reporting including the encouragement of near miss reporting • Parking Enforcement Officer aggression and violence • Coffin Manual Handling risk assessment for Bereavement Services • Cemetery grave headstone safety Health and Social Care Partnership 4.32 Graph 9 below gives a detailed 3-year breakdown of incidents within the Health and Social Care Partnership (excluding aggression and violence). This shows that 2023/24 returned 109 incidents, 2024/25 returned 147 and 2025/26 returned 189. Graph 9 4.33 Over the 3-year period, the incident type returning the highest numbers is ‘Slip Trip Fall’ with a total of 155. The next highest incident type is Moving & Handling of 5 3 7 5 11 1 14 38 9 6 1015 2 0 38 15 0 5 51 14 6 1 19 3 5 42 18 1 5 66 14 4 12 Health & Social Care Partnership Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] People with 85 and then ‘Animal’ with 39. 4.34 Near Miss Incident Statistics are pro-active indicators, and are up by 3 on last year, however overall, numbers are still low. It is hoped that these numbers will increase with the on-going use of the new health and safety reporting system. 4.35 With reference to RIDDOR incidents, graph 3 shows that there were 11 RIDDOR incidents, the same as last year. With regard to the RIDDOR category, 7 incidents were over 7 day related and 4 were specified injuries (broken bones). 4.36 Planning was undertaken for the workforce Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programme and, in conjunction with colleagues from the East and South Partnerships, the Childhood Flu Programme was successfully planned and coordinated across Ayrshire. Clinics were delivered within localities across community centres, nurseries, primary and secondary schools, as well as community pharmacies. In addition, pop-up clinics were arranged at staff events to target hard-to-reach staff groups and improve accessibility to vaccination services. 4.37 Following the successful delivery of both programmes, early planning has now commenced for the forthcoming vaccination season. Lessons learned and feedback from this year's programme will be used to inform service improvements, enhance accessibility, and support continued collaborative working across Ayrshire to maximise vaccine uptake amongst both staff and eligible children. 4.38 The Moving & Handling Team, based at the Castleview Hub in Ardrossan, continued to deliver a comprehensive training programme focused on maintaining and enhancing staff competency in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Existing staff received refresher training, while new employees completed the full Moving & Handling induction programme. During 2025/26, a total of 1,660 staff members achieved Moving & Handling accreditation. 4.39 In addition to Moving & Handling training, the team continued to offer a Basic Lifesaving Skills overview on a voluntary basis following training sessions. This programme equips staff with the skills required to respond to medical emergencies, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), managing severe bleeding, and assisting individuals who are choking. All trainers have successfully completed a Level 3 Teaching Qualification, ensuring a high standard of training delivery. 4.40 The Team also continued to undertake People Handling Risk Assessments within community settings, providing specialist advice and support to staff and service users. Collaborative work with Corporate Health and Safety colleagues remained a key aspect of service delivery, with Moving & Handling Trainers leading "incident re- enactments" alongside staff involved in workplace incidents. These reviews help identify any additional control measures required, provide targeted support and guidance, and capture lessons learned which are then shared across wider staff groups to promote safer working practices. 4.41 Looking ahead to 2026/27, the Team’s primary development focus will be the implementation of the Proportionate Care Project. This work will seek to promote person-centred approaches to care, ensuring that support provided is both appropriate and proportionate to individual needs while continuing to uphold safe moving and handling practices. The team will also continue to review training provision, strengthen risk assessment processes, and support services in
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] embedding best practice across Health and Social Care Partnership settings. 4.42 The HSCP continues to maintain a PPE Distribution Centre to support the Care at Home workforce, ensuring staff have access to essential personal protective equipment, including gloves, aprons, wipes, hand gel and other infection prevention and control supplies. Full-body coveralls and shoe coverings are also held and issued in line with current infection control guidance and risk assessment requirements. This PPE remains available to all staff groups were identified as necessary through service-specific risk assessments. 4.43 Existing staff can replenish and restock PPE as required from either the main equipment store or the satellite store located within Irvine Royal Academy. New staff members, following completion of their initial induction programme, are issued with PPE packs from the main store. Staff are required to sign for these items and are provided with copies of relevant risk assessments applicable to the Care at Home Service. 4.44 During the year, face-fit testing renewals were completed for staff within the ALERT and Trindlemoss services for the use of FFP3 masks, ensuring continued compliance with respiratory protective equipment requirements. In addition, selected HSCP staff and Corporate Health & Safety colleagues successfully completed accredited face-fit testing training, enabling them to undertake face-fit testing for relevant staff groups as required. 4.45 The continued investment in PPE provision, training and face-fit testing supports the safety and wellbeing of both staff and service users, ensuring the workforce remains equipped to respond effectively to identified risks and infection prevention requirements. 4.46 The West Road Centre in Irvine has been successfully established as a key facility supporting the delivery of Mental Health Services across Ayrshire and Arran. The centre now serves as a dedicated outpatient hub for the all-age Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS) and the Neuro-CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), providing a modern, purpose-designed environment where individuals can access specialist support closer to home. 4.47 Owned by North Ayrshire Council, the building was previously occupied by the Children and Families Service and underwent extensive refurbishment to transform it into a calm, welcoming and therapeutic setting. The facility includes clinical consultation rooms, a treatment room, kitchen facilities, and a soundproof therapy room that can support a range of interventions, including music therapy. 4.48 Since becoming operational, the West Road Centre has proved to be a key resource for patients and staff across Ayrshire and Arran. The dedicated environment has enhanced service delivery, improved the overall patient experience, and provided increased opportunities for therapeutic engagement. Individuals accessing Neuro-CAMHS and Community Eating Disorder Services now benefit from a high-quality, purpose-built facility that better meets their clinical and wellbeing needs than traditional hospital outpatient settings. 4.49 The Health and Social Care Partnership continues to actively promote North Ayrshire Council's Healthy Working Lives and employee wellbeing initiatives across all services. Information on available health, wellbeing and support activities is regularly shared with staff, encouraging them to take advantage of the wide range of resources and
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] programmes available to support both their physical and mental wellbeing. 4.50 Staff have continued to benefit from a variety of council-led wellbeing initiatives, including access to Occupational Health services, employee counselling support, health improvement campaigns, Healthy Working Lives resources, wellbeing information sessions, and staff wellbeing hubs designed to provide opportunities for rest, relaxation and peer support. These services form part of North Ayrshire Council's wider commitment to supporting a healthy, safe and resilient workforce. 4.51 Within HSCP properties, staff are also encouraged to make use of the wellbeing and relaxation spaces that have been established across a number of locations, providing a supportive environment in which colleagues can take time away from their work activities to focus on their wellbeing. 4.52 Occupational Health services continue to be well utilised by staff, providing access to professional advice, support and interventions that assist employees in maintaining their health, wellbeing and attendance at work. Employee counselling services and other wellbeing supports also remain available to staff when required. 4.53 Feedback received from staff regarding these initiatives has been positive, with many colleagues recognising the value of the support available and the Partnership's ongoing commitment to promoting health, wellbeing and resilience across the workforce. 4.54 The Wellbeing Grant Scheme, which is currently suspended, previously supported team building and team development through organised events and activities, as well as the creation and enhancement of dedicated wellbeing spaces for staff teams. 4.55 The scheme was positively received and provided opportunities for colleagues to strengthen working relationships, promote staff wellbeing, and support a positive workplace culture. Should the scheme be reinstated, the Partnership will actively encourage staff and teams to participate, recognising the benefits that such initiatives can bring to employee wellbeing, engagement and team cohesion. The HSCP remains committed to supporting opportunities that enhance workforce health, wellbeing and resilience. Education Directorate 4.56 Graph 10 below gives a detailed analysis of incidents within the Education Directorate (excluding aggression & violence), where across the 3-year period, Slip Trip Fall returned 156 incidents, Struck Against/By Object’ returned 133, followed by Use of Work Equipment which returned 31 incidents. Graph 10
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 4.57 Comparing this year with last year, Slip Trip Fall returned 48 incidents, down by 8 on the previous year; ‘Struck Against/By Object’ returned 46, the same as the previous year; and Use of Work Equipment returned 14, up by 5 on the previous year. 4.58 With reference to Near Miss Incidents, this is a positive health and safety performance category and would fall into the proactive bracket, as it results in corrective actions being implemented to prevent an incident taking place where someone suffers an injury. 2025/26 returned an excellent improvement, with a total of 92 incidents, which is up by 40 compared to the previous year and up by 55 when compared to 2023/24. Therefore, we can see that the trend is upwards, which is positive. 4.59 With reference to RIDDOR incidents, graph 3 shows that in 2025/26 there were 16 which is up by 3 on the previous year. 4.60 Regarding the RIDDOR category, 10 incidents were over 7 days, where an employee was absent for more than 7 days due to injury, 5 incidents were Specified (broken bones) and 1 was where an individual was taken to hospital from the scene of the incident and received treatment or remained in hospital for more than 24 hours. 4.61 With reference to Aggression and Violence, the following totals were generated across the 3-year period, 2023/24 (1199) for 2024/25 (1431) and for 2025/26 (2073). 4.62 Graph 11 below gives further analysis and shows that over the 3-year period, the highest number of incidents are taking place within Primary Schools with a total of 2657, followed by Additional Support Needs with a total of 1513 and Secondary Schools with 444. It is acknowledged and reported nationally that COVID-19 and the ongoing cost of living crisis has had an impact on behaviour in schools. 1 2 8 3 0 37 0 12 52 41 8 21 2 7 7 2 52 1 5 56 46 9 10 1 10 5 2 92 1 6 48 46 14 0 Education Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] Graph 11 4.63 Graph 12 below shows a comparison of the types of aggression and violence incidents, with physical violence returning the highest numbers: a total of 1762 in 2025/26, which is an increase of 600 incidents compared to the previous year. Please note that Connected Communities was still part of Education in 2023/24. 4.64 The Assure System allows staff to record incidents that they believe to be unintentional (without intent) and with reference to the Aggression & Violence incidents recorded last year (2025/26): Graph 12 4.65 Staff and Trade Unions continue to work collaboratively to explore ways of trying to reduce the number, type and negative impact of Aggression and Violence incidents; establishments will continue to review pupil plans in consultation with Parents/Carers and Health Partners. A working group including the trade unions and Corporate Health and Safety was set up to look at ways of reducing the incidence of aggression and violence incidents, including a focus on relationship- 387 9 668 134 1 0 430 20 797 179 0 5 696 50 1192 131 0 4 Additional Support Schools Early Years Centre Primary Schools Secondary Schools Connected Communities Facilities Management Education Incidents by location 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 1040 103 66 1162 150 119 1762 211 100 Physical violence Threatening/intimidating behaviour Verbal Abuse Education Incidents by type 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] based approaches. The policy was introduced to establishments in session 2025/26 detailing the approaches taken by establishments to reduce incidents of violence and aggression and also to lay out a consistent approach to responding to such incidents. We continue to support establishments in ensuring all possible approaches are in place to reduce the number of violent and aggressive incidents. 4.66 Education continues to have a clear focus on improving current approaches to aggression and violence, wellbeing and health and safety: • Working alongside Corporate H&S and Trade Union colleagues, we developed a bespoke Violence and Aggression Policy which had a specific focus on educational establishments. This made clear the position that whilst our understanding of child development enables us to work with compassion and empathy, there is no place for violence and aggression within any of our establishments. • A new approach to analysing the school-level data was created to enable link Senior Managers to meet with Heads of Establishment, scrutinise the incidents and ensure that all relevant policies are in place. This flagged that in some establishments where figures are high, there was scope for strengthening policy adherence in order to better support children, young people and staff teams. • Additional government funding enabled us to invest in tailored risk- assessment training for colleagues in order to strengthen approaches to ensuring safety. This was rolled out in a targeted manner to ensure that there were appropriate numbers of trained staff in all establishments. This training will continue in the coming session to implement the training strategy: particular posts are targeted to ensure consideration of staff movement. • In order to support staff to manage dysregulated behaviour which can lead to violence and aggression, all senior leaders were trained in CALMS Theory, functional behavioural assessment and personal safety planning. We have 4 trained staff able to deliver CALMS training and these staff are also accredited to deliver training in escape techniques and small holds (to support staff in Early Years). A quarterly oversight group will be set up in 2026/27 to monitor the data held on physical intervention. • The implementation of the Building on Positive Relationships (BPR) programme continues to build staff capability in understanding the underlying causes of dysregulated behaviour. The programme supports teachers to apply evidence- informed, relationship-based approaches, increasing confidence and consistency in responding to individual needs and creating positive learning environments across establishments. BPR skills support staff to be able to raise adult presence and create calm, predictable learning environments that promote emotional regulation, wellbeing and positive behaviour.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] • The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme continues, with all 9 secondary establishments in North Ayrshire taking part. Senior pupils are trained as peer mentors annually, and deliver lessons to S1, S2 or S3. To ensure breadth and depth of learning, and embed the programme, establishments are encouraged to use trained staff to deliver the remaining MVP lessons as part of the PSE/HWB curriculum. We have 3 local authority staff who are trainers and 1 day staff training is offered twice annually. All Secondary Schools have registered for the Equally safe at School (ESAS) programme which provides e-learning opportunities to support staff to recognise their role in addressing gender-based violence alongside providing access to self-evaluation and improvement tools. • A gender-based violence early intervention programme is offered to primary schools (Everyone’s Included). The aims of the programme are to support social inclusion and reduce bullying by encouraging children and young people to be active bystanders in a safe way when they witness harmful behaviours. Four members of education staff are trained to support establishments to deliver the programme, and evaluation measures are built in. • Senior Education Staff have supported national work around the HWB Curriculum Improvement Cycle. Curricular staff are encouraged to utilise resources shared through the glow HWB Blog. This session there have been 4,279 engagements with the site. • A comprehensive HWB Professional Learning Programme has been delivered with more than 300 members of staff taking part in a range of programmes. Including Applied Suicide Prevention Skills (ASIST) offered twice yearly and Assessing Suicide Risk in Kids (ASK). In addition, staff have engaged with Professional Learning programmes which support management of anxiety LIAM (Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management) and Kitbag. Two members of staff have trained as Sleep Counsellors and are using their skills to deliver parent/carer workshops at our Enhanced Nurture Resources (ENR) coupled with intensive 1-1 sleep support to children and families as needed. • Through the Children and Young People’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework grant funding we have supported 2,957 children and young people and 1418 family members through a range of programmes. 2539 children, young people and families have reported a positive outcome following engagement with activities. • Young people continue to engage with the SQA Award in Mental Health and Wellbeing at levels 4 and 5. Achievement of this award aims to reduce stigma, build resilience, and improve understanding of mental health by equipping young people with coping strategies, promoting informed choices, and raising awareness of the impact of behaviour, social media, and myths surrounding mental health. This session 343 young people across the authority have achieved the full award.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] • Services continued to invest time and effort to repost Livewell opportunities and initiatives through service wide SharePoint sites to promote uptake and participation. At Service quarterly meetings, there is a direct input from the Livewell team which ensures information is directly shared with senior leaders. • Engaging establishment link Senior Managers in supporting establishments to complete their Education Business Continuity Plans. • Education staff continued to assist with the sharing and promotion of any new initiatives, processes and procedures relating to Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Communities & Housing Directorate 4.67 The Communities & Housing Directorate has completed its second full year operating under the updated Health, Safety, and Wellbeing reporting framework, reflecting strong performance and a firm commitment to fostering a robust safety culture. Throughout 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Directorate successfully embedded the new Health & Safety performance and reporting framework, consistently applied effective risk management practices, maintained high compliance levels in workplace inspections, and implemented targeted initiatives to reduce serious incidents. The comprehensive data and reflective insights gathered over the year are now guiding focused improvements for 2026/27, with particular attention to addressing violence and aggression, near misses, and physical safety concerns. This data will also serve as a benchmark for measuring and comparing future performance. Graph 13 4.68 Graph 13 shows the incident data for the new Housing & Communities Directorate which covers 2 years of data 4.69 The category returning the highest number of incidents was Struck against/By object with 14, followed by Slip/Trip/Fall with 8 and fire with 5. It is encouraging that Housing & Communities have reported 25 Near Misses over the course of the year. 5 1 5 5 13 0 8 9 16 6 41 0 5 4 25 1 3 8 14 4 3 Communities & Housing Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] Key Year-End Highlights 4.70 Highlights include the following: • Delivered all Directorate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Action Plan priorities within Directorate control, strengthening governance, compliance, wellbeing and risk management arrangements. • Maintained Health and Safety as a standing item at Directorate Management Team meetings, reviewing performance, trend analysis, emerging risks, actions and priorities. • Made significant progress in reducing outstanding fire safety risk actions, particularly within sheltered housing, through enhanced monitoring, updated Fire Action Plans and strengthened evacuation arrangements. • Achieved a 100% workplace inspection completion rate and established a quarterly meeting framework with Property Maintenance and Investment to review compliance, maintenance and health and safety property matters. • Maintained visible leadership through documented compliance, safety and wellbeing visits undertaken by Heads of Service and Senior Managers. • Progressed a targeted Violence and Aggression Action Plan and delivered bespoke toolbox talks and training on violence and aggression, personal safety, personal resilience, trauma informed practice and addiction awareness. • Raised staff awareness of the signs of radicalised behaviour, reporting routes and escalation processes, alongside issuing marauding terrorist attack awareness posters across community facilities and library settings. • Held Time to Talk discussions with a focus on training and development, alongside a vast and varied programme of role specific development undertaken across the year to support workforce competence, confidence and safe systems of work. • Developed safeguarding child and adult protection assurance certification during the period, strengthening evidence of staff awareness, compliance and assurance across service areas. • Enhanced AED readiness through a procurement framework and relocation of AED units to improve unrestricted 24-hour community access to life saving equipment. • Received positive assurance from the Health and Safety Executive following inspection of Hand Arm Vibration arrangements within Building Services. • Promoted near miss reporting and proactive hazard identification to strengthen organisational learning and preventative action. • Utilised AI enabled tools to enhance reporting and management information relating to staff absences, wellbeing trends and support interventions. 5 Corporate Health and Safety Planned Improvements 5.1 To meet the requirements of Health and Safety legislation in relation to the Duty of Care and to improve the management of Health and Safety within the Council, it is important to identify areas to improve the safety culture and performance at all levels.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] 5.2 Corporate Health and Safety in conjunction with Directorates will seek to implement continuous improvement in a variety of ways. The following improvement actions are currently planned for 2026/27: • Review and cascade new or amended Health and Safety Policies/Guidance. • Procure a supplier for Lone Working Devices. • Update Driving at Work Guidance. • Update the 6-monthly inspection guidance and template. • Develop a new Corporate Risk Indicator Database with the Council IT Department and update the guidance.
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12/08/2026 [PUBLIC] Appendix 2