7 - Health & Safety Annual Report
North Ayrshire Council · 29 August 2023
Back to Cabinet — 29 August 2023 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 29 August 2023 Cabinet Title: Health and Safety Annual Report 2022/23 Purpose: To provide Cabinet with an update report on the Health and Safety performance within Council Services during 2022/23. Recommendation: That the Cabinet notes the Annual Health & Safety Performance update for 2022/23 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 operates in partnership with all Services and external partners to provide advice, guidance and support to improve the 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 incident trends within the Council. The report includes important information regarding the three years of statistics; and recognising that 2020/21 is a stand-alone year due to the COVID 19 pandemic and should not be used for meaningful trend analysis. 1.4 The Corporate Health and Safety team has been particularly active during 2022/23 in supporting Council Services to return to normal working following the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. 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: • Developments during 2022/23 • Corporate Health and Safety Training • Incident Statistics and monitoring • Planned Improvements for 2023/24. Developments 2.4 Much of the focus of the team during 2022/23 related to supporting Council Services to return to normal working following the COVID pandemic. 2.5 There was a continued focus on working from home during the pandemic and then the subsequent return to work and engaging in the new hybrid way of working. This initially posed challenges regarding first aid cover and fire warden cover due to the possibility of employees who cover these roles working from home and not in the office, however solutions were put in place to address those issues. 2.6 The Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy communicates the Council’s commitment, direction and priority of protecting employees' health, safety and wellbeing within the workplace. The policy was updated in January 2023 and the Policy Statement of Intent was approved by the Chief Executive. 2.7 The Council has an on-going Duty of Care regarding elected members, and the Personal Safety for Elected Members Guidance was updated in April 2022 and issued out to all members. Training 2.6 The suspension of face to face training due to the COVID pandemic continued into 2022, however, from January 2023 we have gradually re-introduced face to face training commencing with Risk Assessment. It is planned to introduce the IOSH courses at the beginning of 2023/24. Incident Monitoring 2.7 Monitoring the Council’s performance of health and safety requires statistics to be analysed to identify appropriate actions. The monitoring is undertaken by Elected Members, Chief Officers, Senior Management and Trade Unions. 2.8 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. 2.9 Furthermore, on a quarterly basis, the Corporate Health and Safety team reports on directorate performance 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 Services and Trade Unions. 2.10 Section 4 of the annual report provides a detailed statistical review across a three-year period, however, 2020/21 should not be used for meaningful comparison or trend analysis as the Covid-19 pandemic had an effect on the health and safety
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performance for that particular year. The data shows that there has been a total of 1567 incidents for this year which is up by 59 compared to last year. 2.11 With regard to the more serious incidents which are reported under the RIDDOR (Reporting of Incidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), there were 25 incidents this year compared to 25 incidents last year. 2.12 The type of incident returning the highest numbers is aggression and violence within education settings. The number of recorded incidents of aggression and violence in ASN schools was proportionally higher than in other education settings. A very high percentage of these were identified as “without intent.” This was in line with expectations within the new reporting mechanisms and relates to specific additional support needs, including medical conditions. 2.13 A working group, including trade unions and corporate health and safety, is being set up to look at ways of reducing the incidence of aggression and violence incidents, with a relationship-based approach as the focus for improvement. The working group will consider report into the Corporate Health & Safety Group on a quarterly basis. Planned Improvements 2.14 Plans are in place to deliver further improvements to the Health and Safety framework during 2023/24 – these include: • Implement the new Evotix Assure Incident Reporting System • Develop guidance for the new Evotix Assure System • Review and cascade new or amended Health and Safety Policies/Guidance • Procure supplier for Lone Working Devices • Procure new COSHH Assessment System; and • Increase delivery of health and safety training for all Services. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Cabinet notes the Annual Health & Safety report for 2022/23 and the statistics covering a 3-year period. Also, that Cabinet notes in 2020/21, COVID 19 was still having an effect on Council Services and this was reflected in health & safety data. 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.
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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. 5. Consultation 5.1 The Corporate Health and Safety Team consults regularly on Health and Safety with 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 07920845048. Background Papers None.
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CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2022/23 & 3 Year Statistical Comparison (2020/21 – 2021/22 – 2022/23) Version: 1.0 Date: August 2023 Author: James Walls Classification: Public
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10/08/2023 Page 2 of 14 [PUBLIC] CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2022/2023 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 and also Trade Unions. 1.4 The Corporate Health and Safety Team comprises four 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. 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 Developments during 2022/23 2.1 The sections below include the areas where the Corporate Health and Safety Team has supported all Services. Reviews of Policies and Guidance 2.2 To ensure all Employees have access to current health and safety information and advice, all policies and guides have been published on the Council Intranet Site Connects. 2.3 The Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy communicates the Council’s commitment, direction and priority of protecting employees' health, safety and wellbeing within the workplace. The policy provides clarity and definition of workplace responsibilities at each level within the Council and was developed in partnership with Chief Officers, Employees and Trade Unions. The policy was updated in January 2023 and the Policy Statement of Intent was signed by the Chief Executive.
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10/08/2023 Page 3 of 14 [PUBLIC] 2.4 The following documents have been Developed/Updated since the last Cabinet report: • Corporate Health, Safety & Wellbeing Policy • Infection Guidance • Personal Safety Elected Members Guidance • New & Expectant Mothers • Corporate Health & Safety Group Meeting Guidance 2.5 The following documents have been under review and will be updated in 2023/24: • Fire Guidance • CRID (Corporate Risk Indicator Database) Guidance • 6 Monthly Inspection Guidance • 6 Monthly Inspection Form • Lone Working Guidance • New Health & Safety Reporting System Guidance. Health and Safety Audits 2.6 Corporate Health & Safety along with the Service Support Officer for H&SCP have carried out a number of visits to premises, with a total of 17 being audited on Fire Management and First Aid Management. Premises responsible managers were very appreciative of the help and advice given. HSE Visits 2.7 In 2022/23 we received one visit from the Health & Safety Executive which was carried out at the Bartonholm Waste Transfer Site in January 2023. The inspector issued NAC with 3 Prohibition Notices and an action plan was developed to implement corrective measures. The actions have all been completed. 3 Corporate Health and Safety Training 3.1 During 2020/21 and 2021/22 all face-to-face training was suspended due to the COVID-19 lockdown. 3.2 The Corporate Health and Safety Team recognised that additional training was required especially regarding risk assessment. Towards the middle of the pandemic we started on the development of a virtual risk assessment course which was available in May 2021. This continued through 2022 and it is only at the end of 2022/23 where we have re-introduced face to face training which commenced with Risk Assessment Training. 3.3 The plan going forward for 2023/24 is to get the IOSH Managing Safely Course back up and running and then bring the rest of the corporate courses into play as well.
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10/08/2023 Page 4 of 14 [PUBLIC] 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, please note that 2020/21 cannot be used for meaningful comparison or trend analysis as the Covid-19 pandemic had an effect on the health and safety performance for that particular year. 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 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2023. Please Note: 2020/21 was heavily influenced by the COVID 19 Virus and this is reflected in the total number of incidents in the year. This means that as stated in section 4.1 above, 2020/21 cannot be included when doing a trend analysis, only the last 2 years should be used to compare health & safety performance. Graph 1 4.3 Graph 1 shows a split between the RIDDOR Reportable incidents and the non- Reportable incidents. If we add both together, in 2020/21 we had a total of 798 incidents, 1508 incidents in 2021/22, and 1567 incidents in 2022/23. The total number of RIDDOR incidents reportable to the HSE are shown above in Graph 1, however, further detailed analysis is provided in the paragraphs below. RIDDOR Incidents by Directorate 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 below shows a comparison of RIDDOR reportable incidents across all Directorates over the last 3 years. 4.5 Graph 2 below shows that over the 3-year period, the Place Directorate has reported the highest number of RIDDOR incidents with a total of 34, followed by Communities & Education with 26 and then Health and Social Care Partnership with 21. It should be noted that the H&SCP are showing a distinctive trend downwards over the last 3 years. All Incidents RIDDOR Reportable and Non-Reportable 2000 1483 1542 1500 1000 767 500 31 25 25 0 Non-Reportable Reportable 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 5 of 14 [PUBLIC] Graph 2 4.6 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 4.7 Graph 3 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. Graph 3 4.8 This shows that over the 3-year period, Communities & Education recorded the most incidents with a total of 3041, Health & Social Care Partnership returned 586 and Place 242. These totals include aggression and violence incidents. Please Note: In 2020/21 within Communities & Education, there was a significant reduction in the number of incidents, however this covers the period of school closures through the COVID-19 lockdown. RIDDOR Incidents by Directorate 20 16 15 10 11 10 10 10 7 8 5 5 4 0 Communities Health and Social Care Partnership Place 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Total Incidents by Directorate 1317 1189 535 198 223 165 0 3 1 65 93 84 Chief Executives Communities Health and Social Care Partnership Place 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 6 of 14 [PUBLIC] 4.9 Further detail on the incidents within these three 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) 4.10 Graph 4 below shows the total number of incidents by cause (excluding Aggression and Violence) across the Council over the past 3 years. Graph 4 4.11 The incident type showing the highest numbers across the 3-year period is ‘Slip Trip and Fall’ with 243 incidents, Struck Against/Struck By with 217, Use of Work Equipment 66 and Manual Handling 56. 4.12 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 The Near Miss Campaign in 2018/19 raised awareness and encouraged employees to report Near Misses. Graph 4 above shows that we had 25 more Near Miss Reports last year compared to this year. Aggression and Violence Incidents 4.13 Graph 5 below gives an indication of where the most aggression and violence incidents are taking place, with Communities & Education returning the most incidents. Significant work is ongoing in the directorate to 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. 4.14 H&SCP have been pro-active in ensuring that staff are reporting all incidents of physical and verbal aggression towards staff, however minor. 4.15 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 Housing employees. Type of Incident (exc Aggression & Violence) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 85 88 96 76 70 56 65 15 25 16 51 36 14 24 28 5 3 8 0 1 5 8 11 7 19 0 1 2 1 3 5 9 7 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 7 of 14 [PUBLIC] Graph 5 1400 1200 Aggression & Violence Incidents by Directorate 1159 425 Communities 122 140 118 Health and Social Care Partnership 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 12 24 Place 26 1000 800 600 400 200 0 4.16 Graph 6 gives more detail on the type of aggression and violence incidents that are taking place across all Directorates, with physical violence being the most significant cause. Graph 6 Analysis of Incidents by Directorate Place Directorate 4.17 Graph 7 below gives a detailed analysis of the common types of incidents (excluding Aggression and Violence) within the Place Directorate. 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 Verbal Abuse Threatening/Intimidating Behaviour Physical Violence 0 103 115 74 134 202 131 800 600 400 354 200 854 1000 Aggression & Violence Incidents by Type 1066 1200
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10/08/2023 Page 8 of 14 [PUBLIC] Graph 7 4.18 For the year 2020/21 there was a total of 53 incidents, 69 for 2021/22, and 58 for 2022/23, however, COVID 19 impacted on the figures returned for 2020/21. Over the 3-year period, the type of incident returning the highest numbers was ‘Slip Trip Fall’ (49) ‘Struck Against/Struck by Object’ (42), ‘Manual Handling’ (27), and Use of Work Equipment’ (25) 4.19 With reference to graph 2 in the report, we can see that RIDDOR incidents have increased slightly on last year with a total of 10. 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. 4.20 Focusing on 2022/23 activities, improvements have been made in the following areas: • Streetscene bin and dog waste collection routes were visited to review manual handing concerns. • Provided support and guidance for public events including pedal Irvine and motorcycle safety events. • Met with trade union representatives to discuss aggression & violence at HWRC sites. • Provided guidance for the change in approach to COVID-19 and return to work within the buildings. Toolbox talk developed for vehicle use. • Visited Eglington Country Park and Mackerston Play Park to review play equipment following an incident. • Visited various schools with insurance and risk to review external fire safety for schools during the holidays. • Met with the Ardrossan hostel to review staff security and fire safety. • Assisted the new Lochshore hub with fire risk assessments, fire evacuation and their opening day. • Reviewed pedestrian and vehicle segregation at Dreghorn Primary school following a serious near miss incident with facilities management. • Visit to Garnock Campus to review vehicle parking interference with delivery loading and unloading at the kitchen loading area. • Manual handling risk assessments for Streetscene, Waste and Facilities Management. Place Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 25 20 15 21 16 12 19 16 9 11 10 10 5 0 7 4 4 7 5 7 7 8 4 4 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 9 of 14 [PUBLIC] • Refuse collection team to review the manual handling of wheelie bins. • Slip, Trip Fall Campaign was again launched at the start of winter. 4.21 With regards to the control of Hand Arm Vibration, we have re-created a version of the HSE Exposure Calculation which can be used on a phone or tablet to record operative’s use. The HAVs meter has been recalibrated and a few members from Streetscene received training on using the HAVs meter. The next step is now to appoint an employee to measure and record the vibration from equipment and input this into the exposure calculator to allow employees to start recording their equipment usage. 4.22 Looking towards 2023/24, the Place Directorate will focus on improvements in the following areas: Slip, Trip, Fall awareness, Hand Arm Vibration, Manual Handling, Fire Safety, Incident reporting and Investigation and aggression & Violence. Health and Social Care Partnership 4.23 Graph 8 below gives a detailed 3-year breakdown of incidents within the Health and Social Care Partnership (excluding aggression and violence). This shows that 2020/21 returned 76 incidents, 2021/22 returned 96 and 2022/23 returned 47. Graph 8 4.24 Over the 3-year period, the incident type returning the highest numbers is ‘Slip Trip Fall’ with a total of 65. The next highest incident type is ‘Struck Against/By Object’ with 33, followed closely by ‘Manual Handling’ with 24 and ‘Vehicle’ incidents with a total of 19. Vehicle incidents are down by 2 compared to last year and down by 14 compared to 2020/21. 4.25 Near Miss Incident Statistics are pro-active indicators, and are up by one on last year, however numbers are still low. It is hoped that these numbers will increase with the introduction of the new health and safety reporting system, Assure, in 2023. 4.26 With reference to RIDDOR incidents, graph 2 shows that the RIDDOR incidents are on a downward trend, down by 3 compared to last year and down by 6 on the previous year. The majority of RIDDOR incidents within HSCP are in relation to direct assistance/personal care with service users whose needs are becoming more varied and complex. HSCP Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 29 26 20 13 121415 15 4 3 7 10 6 7 6 0 0 0 1 2 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 1 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 10 of 14 [PUBLIC] 4.27 HSCP continue to assist NHS Ayrshire and Arran in the delivery of the Spring/Summer 2023 Covid-19 Booster Vaccination programme to cohorts identified as “at risk”. Planning has also commenced for the Winter Covid-19 and Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programmes. 4.28 HSCP along with East and South Ayrshire colleagues are in the process of planning the Childhood Flu Programme across Ayrshire. Clinics will be delivered within nurseries, primary & secondary schools and local centres. 4.29 HSCP continue to maintain a reduced PPE distribution centre to the Care at Home workforce mainly gloves, aprons, wipes, gel etc. Full body coveralls and shoe coverings are also held as per infection control guidance and risk assessments. 4.30 The Partnership have developed a bespoke training hub for Care at Home staff in the former Castleview Day Services building in Glasgow Street, Ardrossan. The facility will act as a hub for staff working within the service to learn the essential moving and handling skills they require in their day-to-day role, allowing them to move and position clients safely, respectfully, and in a way that promotes their independence, dignity and functional mobility. The space contains classroom areas for theoretical training sessions, with additional areas set up to mirror a home environment including a living room area, bedrooms with different types of beds and a shower room. These zones will allow staff to learn how to use a variety of lifting equipment such as hoists, slings, slide sheets and other aids that they may encounter when caring for people in their own homes, with moveable dividers meaning that the dimensions of the rooms can be altered to mimic particular issues staff may encounter – in a smaller or awkward shaped room, for example. Equipment is also in place that will allow more in-depth training on how to move plus-size clients, including a suit that will allow staff to personally experience the difficulties that plus-size clients may have when moving around, promoting empathy and a greater understanding of the challenges faced by those they care for. In addition, Castleview offers space for Care at Home induction sessions, medication training, SVQ work and meeting spaces. Staff can also pop into the hub for advice and guidance. A staff wellbeing space has also been created within the facility, which is equipped with massage chairs, calming mood-lighting and relaxing music. 4.31 Healthy Working Lives activities and information was promoted within the Service. Information is circulated across the Partnership notifying staff of available activities to assist with health and wellbeing across the workforce. 4.32 Scottish Government allocated funding to North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership in 2021/22, with additional funding being agreed by North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board in 2022/23, to continue to support the wellbeing and mental health of staff who work within the Primary Care and Social Care sectors, including independent contractors, out of hours services and support staff.
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10/08/2023 Page 11 of 14 [PUBLIC] 4.33 The Primary & Social Care Staff Wellbeing Grant Scheme continues and to date 327 grant applications have been received for a wide range of wellbeing activities such as cycling and wellbeing retreats, yoga sessions, escape rooms, fitness and wellbeing equipment, therapy treatments eg Reflexology, Reiki, Indian head massage, team wellbeing and development days. 4.34 Staff continue to have opportunities to sign up for Mindfulness training and a programme of Optima Health workshops: Nutrition; Keeping Active at Work; Improving Concentration & Focus; Mental Health Awareness. Health checks are being delivered in various settings in conjunction with KA Leisure Active Lifestyles. All events and activities are offered to Primary & Social Care staff as well as our third and independent providers. 4.35 Taster sessions for Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) were delivered during April and May 2023 and due to positive feedback, the 4-week TRE programme will be offered to staff in the coming months. Partnership staff also continue to have access to free National Trust Passes throughout the year. Communities & Education Directorate 4.36 Graph 9 below gives a detailed analysis of incidents within the Communities & Education Directorate (excluding aggression & violence), where across the 3 period, ‘Struck Against/By Object’ (140), followed by ‘Slip Trip Fall’ (129) and ‘Use of Work Equipment’ (35) are showing the highest numbers. Graph 9 4.37 Over the 3-year period, ‘Struck Against/By Object’ returned 140 incidents, Slip Trip Fall 129 and Use of Work Equipment 35. 4.38 With reference to Near Miss Incidents, this is a positive health and safety performance category and would fall into the pro-active bracket as it results in corrective actions being implemented to prevent an incident taking place where someone suffers an injury. 2022/23 returned 25 less incidents than the previous year. It is hoped that this number will increase with the introduction of the new Incident Reporting System. Communities & Education Incidents (exc Aggression & Violence) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 55 55 4648 35 42 43 30 20 0 0 0 0 1 1 7 8 6 0 1 4 0 0 2 1 3 5 5 12 18 0 1 1 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 12 of 14 [PUBLIC] 4.39 With reference to Aggression and Violence, the following totals were generated across the 3-year period, 2020/21 (425), 2021/22 (1007) and 2022/23 (1159). 4.40 Graph 10 below gives further analysis and shows that over the 3-year period, the highest number of incidents are taking place within the ASN sector with a total of 1,587, followed by primary schools with a total of 701 and secondary schools with 274. It is acknowledged and reported nationally that Covid and the ongoing cost of living crisis has had an impact on behaviour in schools. In addition, in 2021, the 4 ASN Schools closed, and the pupils relocated to Lockhart Campus. This change of environment understandably had an impact on the children and young people, which has produced some challenges which has taken some time to work through. However, quarter four statistics for 2022/23 were showing a slight improvement and this is reflected in the overall annual totals with a reduction of 29 incidents. Graph 10 4.41 Graph 11 below shows a comparison of the type of aggression and violence incidents, where physical violence is returning the highest numbers with a dip in 2020/21 due to the lockdown school closure. 4.42 Analysis of the data from the HSIR system shows that the number of recorded incidents of aggression and violence in ASN schools was proportionally higher than in other education settings. This was in line with expectations and relates to specific additional support needs, including medical conditions. 4.43 The health and safety reporting system allows staff to record incidents that they believe to be unintentional, and with reference to the Aggression & Violence incidents recorded last year (2022/23), 87 were deemed to be without intent. Communities & Education Aggression & Violence by Location 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 683 654 346 220 250 135 142 93 100 0 1 11 14 39 0 0 3 Early Years Centre Primary Schools Secondary Schools Additional Support Schools Connected Communities 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 13 of 14 [PUBLIC] Graph 11 4.44 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; Schools will continue to review pupil care plans in consultation with Parents/Carers and Health Partners. A working group including the trade unions and Corporate Health and Safety has been set up to look at ways of reducing the incidence of aggression and violence incidents, including a focus on relationship based approaches. The group will report into the Corporate Health & Safety Group on a quarterly basis. Education continues to have a clear focus on improving current approaches to aggression and violence, wellbeing and health and safety: • 50 staff have been trained in the Mentors in Violence Programme which means we now have 8/9 secondary schools taking part in the programme, reaching out to over 1000 pupils; • Promotion of Education Scotland’s National Health and Wellbeing Hub which provides quick links to the most up-to-date Health and Wellbeing documents and national programmes; • Around 200 additional staff engaged with the Children and Young Person’s Mental Health and Wellbeing (CYPMH) Professional Learning. • The Health and Wellbeing workstream supported one Primary cluster to implement the Scottish Government’s Whole School Approach to Mental, Health and Wellbeing. A whole school approach is preventative, universal and includes targeted interventions to ensure that all members of a school community can flourish and sustain a state of being mentally healthy. • Services continued to invest time and effort to repost Livewell opportunities and initiatives through Service wide Sharepoint sites to promote uptake and participation. • Finalising the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Action Plan and communicating this via a range of platforms to all staff teams. • Commencing a review and reform of Education Business Continuity Plans with a focus on simplifying the template and raising awareness on risk management and emergency planning. Communities & Education Aggression & Violence by Type 1200 1002 1000 776 800 600 400 287 200 109 156 83 29 75 74 0 Physical Violence Threatening/Intimidating Behaviour Verbal Abuse 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
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10/08/2023 Page 14 of 14 [PUBLIC] • Engaging with KA Leisure and the Council’s Equality & Health Improvement Officer to understand and promote the wellbeing initiatives and opportunities available to the workforce. • Preparing for the changes set out by the Scottish Fire & Rescue in response to fire alarm activations by conducting fire risk management reviews and developing and communicating a package of training and awareness materials. • Proactive reporting and monitoring of incidents and accidents across services and establishments and escalating any items of concern. Education staff continued to assist with the sharing and promotion of any new initiatives, processes and procedures relating to Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Connected Communities 4.45 A short life working group was established to review and reform the Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HS&W) Action Plan taking account of new and emerging priorities. The document was endorsed by the Directorate Planning Group and Directorate leadership team. 4.46 There was a review and changes made to the format of the Directorate H&S Planning group meetings to improve and widen membership and discussion points. 4.47 The further investment was made on purchasing ICT devices to ensure site staff had electronic access to communication tools to keep abreast of H&S updates and wellbeing initiatives. 4.48 The Services developed ‘H&S and Compliance’ SharePoint sites as a portal to store relevant safety information and compliance documentation and to provide easy and quick links to guidance, systems, and templates. 4.49 Officers met with the Health Improvement and Equalities Officer to understand, discuss and help promote opportunities relating to employee Wellbeing and in particular, initiatives relating to Livewell. 4.50 Work commenced by Community resources to scope out a transition to water-based cleaning products to remove the need for PPE & COSHH assessments. A range of benefits were identified by the team, mainly the environmentally friendly credentials and removal of COSHH risks. Proof of concept was demonstrated, and plans were underway for a phased roll out across all Community Facilities. 4.51 Further detailed planning meetings took place on power resilience and Blackstart with the development of awareness sessions and additional purchase and
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10/08/2023 Page 15 of 14 [PUBLIC] deployment of generators and kit for the establishment of Public Assistance Centres. A learning conference event was hosted in November 2022, facilitated by the Community Facilities Manager and the Councils Risk Manager. 4.52 Community Learning And Development discussions commenced to initiate a review and reform of BCP’s with a risk-based approach. 4.53 All Service Business Continuity Champions actively engaged in Civil Contingency Planning Groups (CCPLG) meetings and training sessions. 4.54 An internal working group was formed and tasked with the review and update of the Venue Assistants Handbook. This documentation outlines safe systems, compliance, and standards for operating community venues with links to Health and Safety guidance. The draft document was ready for wider consultation and roll out. 4.55 The Community Association Handbook and Community Contract were revised to incorporate H&S, risk, and compliance procedures. 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. 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 2023/24: • Implement the new Evotix Assure Incident Reporting System • Develop guidance for the new Evotix Assure System • Review and cascade new or amended Health and Safety Policies/Guidance • Procure supplier for Lone Working Devices • Procure new COSHH Assessment System • Increase delivery of health and safety training for all Services.