Employee Participation and Consultation

We want everyone to be actively involved in health and safety. Not just because it’s a legal requirement, but also because we know it improves health and safety culture of the Council, reduces accidents and makes risk management more effective. We promote partnership working between employees and their nominated health and safety representatives. We do this through both formal and informal meetings and working groups, such as:

• Corporate Health and Safety Committee
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing Development Group
• Directorate Joint Consultative Committees

Trade union health and safety representatives are entitled to carry out inspections and audits in schools where they have members.  Visits should be arranged in advance with the headteacher.

We also expect our head teachers and their senior managers to discuss health and safety with their teams on a regular basis, and make sure they’re actively involved in the risk assessment processes.

Health and safety representatives' charter

Our Health and Safety Representatives' Charter explains the arrangements that help appointed Health and Safety representatives carry out their legal role. It also includes an outline of the Corporate Health and Safety Committee’s Constitution.

Consultation groups

Corporate Health and Safety Committee

The Corporate Health and Safety Committee, CHSC, is the Council’s statutory mechanism for consulting on, monitoring and reviewing health and safety policy and performance in partnership with the Trade Unions. More details about the Committee’s constitution and objectives are given in the Health and Safety Representatives’ Charter. The Committee meets every quarter. Its members include Councillors, trade union health and safety representatives and members of the Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Development Group

The Health, Safety and Welfare Development Group, HSWDG, is the practical working policy sub-group of CHSC. It was set up to enable members of the Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service and trade union health and safety representatives to develop and review Council health and safety policy and procedures together. The Group meets approximately monthly, and produces mutually agreed draft policies and proposals for formal consideration by CHSC and Chief Officer Group.

Children and Young People Joint Consultative Committee

The Children and Young People Joint Consultative Committee, JCC, is one of four Directorate Joint Consultative Committees where our recognised trade unions meet with representatives of the Council, such as the Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, the Strategic Director - Children and Young People and other senior managers to discuss issues concerning the employees working in children and young people’s services. These range from, for example, developments in schools, Government Education Policy, to health and safety in schools.