Risk Assessment
Policy

Risk Assessment Policy

Policy Statement

Play Inclusion Project believes that the health and safety of children and young people is paramount. We aim to make our activities safe and healthy places for children and young people by assessing and minimising hazards and risks to enable children and young people to enjoy themselves in a safe environment. Play Inclusion Project recognises that it is extremely important that the charity has a clear and well understood policy and procedure for assessing risks and reviews risk assessments frequently.

Risk Assessments

The Health and Safety at Work Regulations require Play Inclusion Project to carry out risk assessments for all activities. All staff must be aware of all risk assessments and their guidance.
A risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards and then assessing their potential for causing harm. It also includes an evaluation of the consequences of a risk if it materialises and suggests what needs to be done in order to avoid or minimise the risk.

There are 5 steps to a risk assessment:
- Identify the hazard
- Decide who may be at risk from the potential hazard
- Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
- Record findings and implement them
- Review your assessment and update if necessary

All reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that hazards to all children, young people, staff and volunteers are kept to a minimum.
Our aim is to ensure that we protect the health and ensure the welfare of all staff, volunteers, children and young people. The risk assessment process is a key element of ensuring all appropriate measures are identified to assist the achievement of this aim.

Responsibility in Relation to Risk Assessments

The Activity Coordinator is responsible for making sure that risk assessments are completed, logged and effectively monitored. Reviews are conducted when there is any change to equipment or resources, any change to the premises, or when the particular needs of a child or other visitor necessitates this.
Every activity and trip to be undertaken must have been risk assessed prior to the session.
Staff and volunteers will be expected to read all relevant risk assessments and sign to say that have done so.

A visual inspection of the premises, both indoors and outdoors and any equipment to be used will be carried out daily. This will be carried out by the Activity Coordinators before the children and young people arrive.
During the session all staff will be vigilant and continuously aware of any potential risks to health and safety arising from the setting premises and equipment used.

On discovering a hazard, staff will take all steps necessary to make themselves and any other people potentially affected safe. The Activity Coordinator is then responsible for ensuring any necessary action is taken.
Staff and volunteers will be expected to comply with preventative measures identified by risk assessments. Failure to do so may put themselves or others at risk and as such a failure to follow these measures will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

All risk assessment will be reviewed annually by the Charity Manager.

Updated October 2022

By Joanne Barnes