Health and Safety Policy

Child Therapy Service CIC & Child Therapy Practitioners Limited

Child Therapy Service CIC
Company No. 12067820

Child Therapy Practitioners Limited
Company No. 13945877

Registered address: 14 St. Gregory Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 7JL

Policy owner: Tracy Elizabeth Chadwick, Director of both entities

Contact: [email protected] | 01323 749434

Date adopted: June 2026
Last reviewed: June 2026
Next review due: June 2027
Review frequency: Annually as a minimum, or sooner following any accident, incident, near-miss, significant organisational change, new activity, or update to relevant legislation or guidance.

Statement of Commitment

Child Therapy Service CIC and Child Therapy Practitioners Limited are committed to providing and maintaining safe, healthy and well-managed working environments for all staff, contractors, volunteers, clients, families, professionals, visitors, and any other person affected by the activities of either organisation.

The majority of services delivered by both organisations are digital, educational, advisory and support-focused in nature. Nevertheless, both organisations recognise that health and safety responsibilities apply equally to online, remote and in-person activities.

Both organisations are committed to preventing accidents, incidents, avoidable harm, and work-related ill health, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Health and safety is treated as a shared responsibility. Everyone working for or on behalf of either organisation is expected to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and the health and safety of others who may be affected by their work.

Corporate Structure and Health & Safety Responsibility

Child Therapy Practitioners Limited owns the BOUNCE Approach® framework, intellectual property, digital platforms, training content, resources, and related infrastructure.

Child Therapy Service CIC delivers services, support, training, professional development, and community-facing provision using licensed resources and systems.

Where the activities of both organisations overlap, health and safety responsibility applies to both organisations. Neither organisation can discharge its health and safety responsibilities by reference to the other.

For the purposes of this policy, references to “both organisations” mean Child Therapy Service CIC and Child Therapy Practitioners Limited.

Scope of This Policy

This policy applies across all activities carried out by or on behalf of either organisation, including:

• online training, CPD courses, webinars, workshops, and practitioner programmes
• the Learning Portal, live drop-ins, Q&A support, and live chat
• family coaching and professional support sessions delivered remotely or in person
• the BOUNCE Approach® framework, resources, and licensed content
• the Child Therapy Service Directory
• the Snapshots wellbeing assessment platform
• school visits, local authority work, NHS-related work, and commissioned services
• in-person training, meetings, events, and site visits
• content creation, consultancy, administration, digital work, and remote working

This policy applies to directors, staff, self-employed contractors, consultants, volunteers, placement students, and any third party acting on behalf of either organisation.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy has been written with regard to the following legislation and regulations:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992, as amended
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, where applicable
• Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
• Equality Act 2010, where relevant to reasonable adjustments and safe access

Both organisations will review and update this policy whenever relevant legislation, regulation, or guidance changes.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Overall responsibility

Tracy Elizabeth Chadwick, as Director of both Child Therapy Service CIC and Child Therapy Practitioners Limited, holds overall responsibility for health and safety across both organisations.

The Director is responsible for:

• ensuring this policy is implemented, reviewed, and communicated to relevant persons
• ensuring suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out where required
• ensuring appropriate control measures are put in place to reduce identified risks
• ensuring staff, contractors, and volunteers receive relevant health and safety information
• ensuring accidents, incidents, and near-misses are recorded and reviewed
• ensuring RIDDOR reports are made where required
• ensuring health and safety concerns are acted upon promptly
• reviewing this policy annually or sooner where required

Staff, contractors and volunteers

All staff, contractors, volunteers, and representatives of either organisation are responsible for:

• taking reasonable care of their own health and safety
• taking reasonable care not to put others at risk through their actions or omissions
• following this policy and any relevant risk assessments, procedures, or guidance
• reporting hazards, accidents, incidents, near-misses, or concerns promptly
• not undertaking any activity they reasonably believe to be unsafe
• using equipment safely and appropriately
• co-operating with reasonable health and safety arrangements

Risk Assessment

Both organisations will carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for activities that present a foreseeable risk of harm to staff, contractors, volunteers, clients, children, families, professionals, visitors, or members of the public.

Risk assessments will be carried out:

• before a new activity begins, where risk is foreseeable
• before in-person delivery in unfamiliar or higher-risk settings
• when the nature of an existing activity changes significantly
• following an accident, incident, near-miss, or concern
• as part of annual policy and governance review

Risk assessments are documented where appropriate, held by the Director, and shared with relevant persons where needed.

Risk assessments will consider physical, emotional, environmental, digital, safeguarding, lone working, accessibility, and wellbeing risks where relevant.

Any safeguarding incident will be reviewed for health and safety implications, and any health and safety incident involving a child will be reviewed for safeguarding implications.

Remote, Home and Digital Working

A significant proportion of work carried out by both organisations is delivered remotely, from home offices, or through digital platforms.

Remote and home-based workers are expected to:

• ensure their working environment is safe, suitable, and reasonably free from avoidable hazards
• set up display screen equipment in a way that supports safe posture and reduces strain
• take regular breaks from screen-based work
• manage workload and working patterns to reduce fatigue, stress, and burnout
• ensure electrical equipment used for work is safe and in good condition
• report work-related discomfort, injury, stress, or health concerns to the Director
• maintain confidentiality and data security when working remotely

Both organisations may request completion of a home working or display screen equipment self-assessment where appropriate.

Where concerns are identified, reasonable adjustments or practical changes will be considered, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Display Screen Equipment

Both organisations recognise the health risks associated with prolonged screen-based work, including eye strain, headaches, musculoskeletal discomfort, fatigue, and stress.

Staff and contractors who regularly use display screen equipment for work should:

• position screens at a comfortable height and distance
• use a suitable chair and workstation set-up
• avoid prolonged static posture
• take regular short breaks or changes of activity
• adjust lighting to reduce glare and visual strain
• report any persistent discomfort, pain, fatigue, or visual difficulties

Guidance on display screen equipment and home working is available on request.

Lone Working

Both organisations recognise that some work may involve lone working, including home working, remote delivery, school visits, client meetings, home visits, venue-based sessions, or travel to unfamiliar locations.

Lone working risks will be considered before relevant activities take place.

Where lone working is required, the following arrangements may be used as appropriate:

• confirming the location, contact details, and expected start and finish time
• ensuring another appropriate person knows where the worker is and when they are expected to return
• checking travel arrangements and parking before the visit where possible
• carrying a charged mobile phone
• ending or leaving a session where the environment feels unsafe
• reporting any concern, incident, or near-miss promptly

No staff member, contractor, or volunteer is expected to continue an activity where they reasonably believe their safety, or the safety of another person, is at risk.

In-Person Delivery, Site Visits and Events

Where work is delivered in person, both organisations will take reasonable steps to manage health and safety risks.

This may include:

• confirming the location and nature of the activity in advance
• identifying any known hazards before delivery where possible
• completing or reviewing a risk assessment where required
• checking access, parking, room suitability, emergency arrangements, and safeguarding expectations where relevant
• following the host organisation’s health and safety procedures when working in schools, local authority settings, NHS settings, community venues, or other premises
• carrying out a brief visual risk assessment on arrival in unfamiliar settings
• reporting hazards, incidents, or near-misses to the host organisation and to the Director

Where the physical environment is controlled by a host organisation, such as a school, local authority, venue, or event organiser, the host organisation remains responsible for the safety of that environment. Staff and contractors working for either organisation must follow the host’s health and safety procedures and report any concerns promptly.

Manual Handling

Both organisations aim to reduce the need for manual handling wherever possible.

Staff, contractors, and volunteers should not lift, carry, or move items that are too heavy, awkward, unstable, or unsafe.

Where materials, training resources, equipment, or event items need to be moved, the following principles should be followed:

• avoid unnecessary lifting
• break loads into smaller amounts where possible
• use suitable bags, trolleys, or assistance where available
• plan the route before moving items
• do not rush or twist while carrying items
• seek help where needed

Any injury, strain, or concern linked to manual handling must be reported to the Director.

Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures

For home-based or remote working, responsibility for fire safety within the premises rests primarily with the occupier.

Home-based workers are encouraged to:

• ensure smoke alarms are fitted and tested regularly
• keep exits clear
• avoid overloading electrical sockets
• not use damaged electrical equipment
• know how to leave the premises safely in an emergency

Where work is delivered from a third-party premises, the fire safety arrangements of that premises must be followed.

During in-person sessions, training, meetings, or events, staff and contractors should familiarise themselves with:

• fire exits
• evacuation routes
• assembly points
• alarm procedures
• the location of first aid support where relevant

Any concern about fire safety in a venue used for work connected to either organisation must be reported to the Director immediately.

First Aid

For remote and home-based working, staff and contractors are responsible for maintaining reasonable access to basic first aid provisions.

Where work is delivered in schools, local authority settings, NHS settings, community venues, or other host premises, the first aid arrangements of the host premises will usually apply.

Where work is delivered in a private setting without a host organisation, the person delivering the session should ensure they have access to basic first aid provisions and know how to access emergency help if needed.

Both organisations recommend that those delivering in-person work maintain basic first aid awareness appropriate to their role.

Any first aid incident connected to either organisation’s activities must be reported to the Director on the same day.

Mental Health, Stress and Wellbeing

Both organisations recognise that mental health, emotional wellbeing, stress, fatigue, and burnout are health and safety matters.

The work of both organisations may involve supporting children, families, schools, professionals, and organisations in complex or emotionally demanding circumstances. This can create risk of emotional fatigue, stress, secondary stress, overload, or burnout.

Both organisations are committed to:

• creating a working culture where wellbeing concerns can be raised without fear of negative consequence
• encouraging realistic workload planning
• supporting breaks, boundaries, and recovery time
• providing access to supervision, reflective practice, or debriefing where appropriate
• responding promptly and supportively to work-related stress or wellbeing concerns
• making reasonable adjustments where appropriate and practicable

Anyone working for or on behalf of either organisation who is concerned about their own mental health, stress levels, workload, burnout risk, or wellbeing is encouraged to raise this with the Director.

Where a concern suggests immediate risk of harm to self or others, emergency or crisis support should be contacted without delay.

Violence, Aggression and Personal Safety

Both organisations recognise that staff, contractors, and volunteers may occasionally encounter distress, anger, confrontation, or aggressive behaviour when working with members of the public, families, professionals, or organisations.

Abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, or violence towards anyone working for or on behalf of either organisation will not be tolerated.

Staff, contractors, and volunteers should:

• remain calm and professional where safe to do so
• end a call, session, meeting, or exchange if behaviour becomes threatening, abusive, or unsafe
• leave the environment if they feel at risk
• contact emergency services if there is immediate danger
• report any incident, threat, or concern to the Director as soon as possible

Incidents involving aggression, threats, harassment, or violence will be recorded and reviewed. Where appropriate, services may be paused, withdrawn, or referred to another agency.

Electrical Safety

All electrical equipment used for work purposes must be safe, suitable, and in good condition.

Staff, contractors, and volunteers should:

• visually check equipment before use
• not use damaged plugs, sockets, chargers, cables, or devices
• avoid overloading sockets
• keep drinks away from electrical equipment
• report any electrical safety concern promptly

Where equipment is supplied by a host organisation or venue, any concerns must be reported to the host and to the Director.

COSHH and Hazardous Substances

The work of both organisations is generally low risk in relation to hazardous substances.

Where art materials, cleaning products, sensory materials, play materials, or other substances are used during sessions, training, demonstrations, or resource development, reasonable care must be taken to ensure they are safe and suitable for the intended use.

This includes:

• checking suitability for children, adults, or settings where relevant
• considering allergies, sensitivities, choking risks, skin irritation, and safe storage
• following manufacturer instructions
• not using damaged, contaminated, or unsuitable materials
• reporting any adverse reaction, incident, or concern

Where substances with specific safety requirements are used, an appropriate risk assessment will be completed.

Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments

Both organisations recognise that safe access includes considering disability, neurodivergence, sensory needs, mobility, communication differences, fatigue, anxiety, and other access needs.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered where staff, contractors, volunteers, clients, families, professionals, or participants require support to access services safely and appropriately.

This may include adjustments to:

• communication format
• session length or pacing
• breaks and recovery time
• lighting, sound, seating, or sensory environment
• remote access options
• written materials or instructions
• arrival, transition, or participation arrangements

Access needs should be discussed in advance wherever possible.

Accident, Incident and Near-Miss Reporting

Both organisations maintain an accident and incident log covering activities connected to either Child Therapy Service CIC or Child Therapy Practitioners Limited.

The following must be reported to the Director promptly:

• accidents
• injuries
• near-misses
• hazards
• first aid incidents
• work-related ill health
• aggression, threats, or personal safety concerns
• equipment or environmental safety concerns
• incidents involving children, clients, participants, or members of the public

Reports should include:

• date and time of the incident
• location
• people involved
• what happened
• injuries, harm, or potential harm
• action taken
• whether emergency services, the host organisation, or another agency was contacted
• any follow-up action required

Incidents will be reviewed to identify whether further action, updated risk assessment, safeguarding review, training, or procedural change is required.

RIDDOR Reporting

Where an accident, incident, disease, or dangerous occurrence meets the reporting threshold under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, the Director will make the required report to the Health and Safety Executive.

RIDDOR-reportable incidents may include certain serious injuries, specified dangerous occurrences, work-related diseases, or incidents resulting in a worker being unable to carry out their normal work duties for the specified reporting period.

Advice will be sought where there is uncertainty about whether a report is required.

Contractors and Third Parties

Both organisations take reasonable steps to ensure that contractors, freelancers, consultants, venues, and third parties working on their behalf understand and comply with relevant health and safety requirements.

Before engaging a contractor or third party for an activity involving foreseeable health and safety risk, the Director may request or confirm:

• appropriate insurance
• relevant qualifications, experience, or competence
• relevant risk assessments
• DBS and safeguarding checks where relevant
• understanding of this policy and any activity-specific procedures
• safe systems of work where applicable

Contractors and third parties remain responsible for their own health and safety arrangements, equipment, insurance, and legal compliance.

Both organisations reserve the right to stop, pause, or withdraw from any activity where health and safety concerns are identified.

Monitoring and Review

Health and safety arrangements will be monitored through:

• review of accident, incident, and near-miss records
• review of risk assessments
• feedback from staff, contractors, clients, families, professionals, schools, commissioners, and partner organisations
• review of complaints or concerns
• review following any significant change in activity or delivery model
• annual policy review

Where learning is identified, both organisations will take reasonable steps to improve procedures, reduce risk, and strengthen safe working practice.

Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside the following policies where applicable:

• Safeguarding Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• Directory Conduct Policy
• Directory User Policy
• Snapshots Governance and Quality Policy
• Access Policy
• Data Retention Policy
• Complaints Policy

Policies are available at: childtherapyservice.org.uk/policies

Contact

Health & Safety Lead: Tracy Elizabeth Chadwick
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01323 749434
Post: 14 St. Gregory Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 7JL

Emergency contacts:

• Police, fire, ambulance emergency: 999
• Police non-emergency: 101
• NHS non-emergency health advice: 111
• Health and Safety Executive: hse.gov.uk

Review

This policy is reviewed annually as a minimum. It will also be reviewed following any accident, incident, near-miss, significant organisational change, change to service delivery, new activity, or update to relevant legislation or guidance.

Signed on behalf of Child Therapy Service CIC and Child Therapy Practitioners Limited:

Tracy Elizabeth Chadwick
Director, Child Therapy Service CIC & Child Therapy Practitioners Limited
June 2026