Norwood, as a registered care provider, is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees, adults, children, and families we support, our volunteers, Trustees and the people who work for and on behalf of Norwood, sofar as is reasonably practicable. We also fully accept our responsibility for other people who may be affected by our activities, and we will take steps to ensure that our statutory duties are always met.

Norwood expects all staff, visitors, contractors, and other employers who work at Norwood to share this commitment by complying with our policies and procedures and to understand that they too have legal and moral obligations to themselves and to one another.

Norwood acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities placed on it as an ‘Employer’ by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other relevant legislations. Norwood considers that a safe and healthy working environment is a prerequisite to achieving the safe, high-quality care and support and a safe working environment for our staff and those who work on our behalf.

Norwood will provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment to minimise the number of instances of occupational accidents, incidents, illnesses and near misses. Through the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy and Procedure, Norwood is committed to the following objectives:

• To provide, as far as reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy working environment, safe premises and facilities for staff, adults children and families who use our services, contractors and others who work on our behalf.
• Maintaining the workplace in a safe condition and providing adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.
• The provision and maintenance of equipment and systems of work that are safe.
• Arrangements for ensuring safety in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances are in place.
• Providing information, instructions, training, and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees and other persons.
• Health and safety policies, standards, and management systems (including procedures and work instructions) will be defined, documented, implemented, and maintained.
• Creating for staff and volunteers, as far as is practicable, a working environment where potential work-related stressors are avoided, minimised, or mitigated through good management practices, effective human resources policies and staff development.
• Ensuring, as far as reasonably practicable, that risks associated with travel by staff for Norwood are appropriately managed.
• Making sure that all staff are aware of their health and safety responsibilities and know what is expected of them and what they must do to discharge the responsibilities assigned to them.
• Providing access for staff to appropriate training and development to enable them to discharge competently the responsibilities assigned to them.
• Having an effective system for communicating and consulting on health and safety matters and securing the co-operation of staff, the people we support, and commissioners in implementing the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.
• To have in place arrangements to plan, implement, monitor and review measures to address risks arising from the activities of Norwood.
• To strive to continuously improve the health and safety performance of Norwood.
• Appointing a competent person to support Norwood to meet our statutory duties.
• To provide sufficient resources with which Norwood can effectively discharge their duties in maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for all who work and live at our properties and homes.
• Norwood will undertake to continually review and develop our safety management systems, with the overarching aim of conducting our activities in a manner that does not affect the health and safety of any staff, contractors, visitors, or members of the public.
• Norwood is committed to this policy and to the implementation and maintenance of the highest standards of health, safety, and welfare within We expect every person at Norwood to share this commitment and to work together to achieve it.

This Policy statement will be reviewed at least annually.

Naomi Dickson
Chief Executive Officer
Date 28 April 2023