At SEN Space, we take steps to reduce and mitigate risks which contribute towards our setting being a safe and healthy place for children, parents/carers, staff, and volunteers. By assessing and minimising the hazards and risks our environment enables the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment. Our risk assessment procedures are part of a continuous process to mitigate against any dangerous incidents taking place. They are the responsibility of the SEN Space Management, CEO, and Board of Directors.

In accordance with our duties under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the setting is required to undertake regular risk assessments and take any necessary action arising from these.

The SEN Space Management are responsible for:

• Making sure that risk assessments are completed, logged, and effectively monitored.

• Conducting reviews when there is any change to equipment or resources, any change to SEN Space premises, or when the particular needs of a child or other person necessitates this; and

• Conducting any necessary reviews or making changes to the setting’s policies or procedures in the light of any potential risks that they or other members of staff discover.

 

Our risk assessment processes follow five steps:

1. Identification of risk or hazard: Where is it and what is it?

2. Decide who is at risk and how: For example, staff members, volunteers, students, children, parents/carers, visitors, cleaners.

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions – can you eliminate the risk altogether, if not how can you control it?

4. Record the findings and implement them – prioritise, plan of action if necessary.

5. Monitoring and review – how do you know if what has been decided is working, or is it thorough enough? If it is not working, it will need to be amended, or maybe there is a better solution.

 

 

Procedure

 

 

Our risk assessment process covers adults and children. It includes:

• Checking for and noting hazards and risks in our premises and for activities;

• Assessing the level of risk and who might be affected;

• Deciding which areas need attention; and

• Developing an action plan that specifies the action required, the time-scales for action, the person responsible for the action and any funding required.

 

At the start of each day the Manager carries out a daily risk assessment check of all areas of the SEN Space environment which is recorded on a chart. Any hazards that cannot be rectified are assessed and reported to the Management Committee. If the Manager decides the setting is not safe to open, they will inform the CEO and the final decision will be made. 

Individual risk assessments are provided for all the children in our care after they have attended sessions for 7 weeks.      

During a SEN Space session, staff members will be vigilant and continuously aware of any potential risks to health and safety arising from:

• The environment, both indoors and outdoors;

• All surfaces, both indoors and outdoors; and

• All equipment used by children and/or staff (or other adults).

 

On discovering a hazard, staff members will take all steps necessary to make themselves, and any other people potentially affected, safe. They will then notify the Manager and ensure that a written record is made on an incident form.

The Manager, in conjunction with the CEO and Board of Directors, are then responsible for ensuring that any necessary action is taken.

A full risk assessment is carried out each time we attend an activity outside of the SEN Space premises.

SEN Space has a complex risk assessment which is updated accordingly following the latest guidelines outlined by the Government and Public Health NI.

 

 

Written by Vikki Benton 1/10/2023

To be reviewed 1/10/2024