Health and Safety Policy

Draft v1 — published temporarily while this policy is pending Board adoption.

How Upsurge Youth Network keeps members, mentors, volunteers, staff, trustees and visitors safe at its sessions, events and online activities, and meets its health and safety duties.

Document Control

Status	Draft v1 — pending Board adoption (target: 30 November 2026)
Adopted / Adapted / UYN’s own	UYN’s own.
Review period	Annually, after any serious accident or near miss, and before each new type of event
Responsible lead	Health and Safety Lead (a named trustee or the Programme Manager — to be confirmed); Board of Trustees (owner)
Statutory	Statutory duties apply (Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974). A written policy is legally required only with five or more employees; UYN adopts one as good practice and for insurers and funders
Required on website	No (available on request)
Ratified by Board on	[date — to be completed on adoption]
Review due	[date — to be completed on adoption]
Chair of Trustees’ signature	[signature — to be added on adoption]

Change History

Version	Date	Amendment or no change
1	October 2026	First draft. New policy created to complete UYN’s governance and compliance suite.

Website History

Version	Date on website	Notes
—	[not yet published]	[to be completed when the policy is published on upsurgeyouth.org]

Contents

1. Purpose and scope 2. Legal framework 3. Roles and responsibilities 4. Risk assessment 5. Venues, fire safety and emergencies 6. First aid, accidents and reporting 7. Events, sport and community activities 8. Lone working, home working and online delivery

9. Health needs, adjustments and wellbeing 10. Contractors, partners and opportunity providers 11. Training and communication 12. Insurance 13. Monitoring and review Appendix A. Event risk assessment form Appendix B. Accident and incident report form

1. Purpose and scope

UYN is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of everyone affected by its activities. This policy applies to all trustees, staff, mentors, volunteers, advisors, contractors and members, and to every UYN activity: weekly calls, group sessions, mentoring meetings, community events, sports and wellbeing activities, the careers festival, shadowing and visits arranged through partners, and online delivery.

UYN currently has no employees. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 also requires organisations to protect other people affected by their work, including volunteers and members of the public, so UYN applies this policy to everyone, as if they were employees. Safeguarding of children and adults at risk is covered separately in the Safeguarding Policy; the two policies are read together.

2. Legal framework

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — duty to protect employees and, so far as reasonably practicable, others affected by our activities.
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — assess risks; where an employer has five or more employees, record the significant findings.
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — fire risk assessment by the person responsible for the premises; UYN co-operates with venue owners and takes responsibility for its own events.
• Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 — adequate first aid for employees. UYN extends first aid arrangements to everyone at its activities.
• RIDDOR 2013 — reporting of certain work-related deaths, serious injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences.
• Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 — insurance once UYN employs anyone. UYN plans public liability insurance by 15 December 2026.

This list is a summary for trustees, not legal advice. UYN will check it with its insurer and, where needed, a health and safety adviser before the first in-person activity.

3. Roles and responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
Board of Trustees	Owns this policy; ensures resources, insurance and competent advice; receives a health and safety report at least twice a year (through the Finance, Risk & Compliance Committee) and after any serious incident.
Health and Safety Lead	Named below. Keeps risk assessments, the accident book and the incident log; arranges briefings and first aid cover; decides whether an activity goes ahead; makes any RIDDOR report; reports to the Board.
Programme Manager	Plans activities, completes event risk assessments (Appendix A) before every in-person event, briefs mentors and volunteers, and keeps attendance records.
Mentors, volunteers and staff	Follow this policy and instructions on the day; take reasonable care of themselves and others; report hazards, accidents and near misses straight away; never start an activity they consider unsafe.
Members and visitors	Follow instructions, behave sensibly, and tell a member of the UYN team about any concern or any health need we should know about.

Health and Safety Lead	[name — to be confirmed]
Deputy	[name — to be confirmed]
Email	[safety@upsurgeyouth.org — to be confirmed]
First aider(s) for events	[names and certificate dates — to be completed]

4. Risk assessment

Risk is assessed before each new type of activity and before every in-person event. The assessment identifies the hazards, who might be harmed, the controls in place and any remaining risk, and records who is responsible for each control. Assessments are reviewed after any accident or near miss and at least annually for repeating activities. UYN keeps written records even though they are not yet legally required, because insurers and funders expect them.

• Standing assessments will be written for weekly online calls, group sessions in a hired venue, mentoring meetings in public places, and office or home working by the team.
• Event assessments use the form in Appendix A and are signed off by the Health and Safety Lead at least 7 days before the event, or earlier for sport, outdoor, large-scale or evening events.
• Wellbeing and mental health are treated as a risk factor in the design of sessions: content warnings, a quiet space and a named contact are part of every in-person session plan.

5. Venues, fire safety and emergencies

• UYN uses venues that are accessible and have a current fire risk assessment, public liability insurance and a licence for the activity. The venue’s fire procedure is shared at the start of each session.
• Before each event someone checks the fire exits, assembly point, and the location of first aid equipment and the nearest defibrillator.
• A register of attendees (including mentors and volunteers) is kept for every in-person activity, so everyone can be accounted for in an emergency.
• In an emergency call 999 first, then tell the Health and Safety Lead or the Programme Manager. The incident is recorded the same day using Appendix B.

6. First aid, accidents and reporting

• At least one trained first aider (or emergency first aid at work certificate holder) attends every in-person event. A first aid kit is taken to every activity.
• Every accident, injury, near miss, unsafe condition or incident of violence or aggression is recorded on the incident form (Appendix B) and passed to the Health and Safety Lead within 24 hours.
• The Health and Safety Lead decides whether an incident must be reported under RIDDOR, for example a work-related accident to a member of the public that results in them being taken from the scene to hospital for treatment, and makes the report.
• Any incident that raises a safeguarding concern is also reported to the Safeguarding Lead (see the Safeguarding Policy).
• Records of accidents involving young people aged 16–17 are kept until the person reaches age 25 [period to be confirmed — see the Data Protection Policy retention schedule]. Other incident records are kept for 3 years.

7. Events, sport and community activities

UYN plans community socials, a sports activity, a festival and a careers event during the pilot. For each one the Programme Manager will:

• complete the event risk assessment, including crowd, transport, weather, travel home, food and drink and lone-working risks;
• check that the event is covered by UYN’s insurance and that any third-party organiser, venue or sports body has its own insurance and safety procedures;
• confirm any licences needed: a premises licence or Temporary Event Notice if alcohol will be sold or supplied, food business registration or a Food Hygiene Rating where food is prepared or sold, and public space or road-closure permissions for runs or outdoor events;
• obtain parental or guardian consent for members aged 16–17 for activities with a physical or off-site element, and collect emergency contact and relevant medical information from every participant (health data is collected with explicit consent and held in line with the Data Protection Policy);
• agree an alcohol approach: UYN events are alcohol-free unless the Board has approved a licensed event, and mentors and volunteers do not drink while on duty at an event involving members;
• set a ratio of mentors and volunteers to members that suits the activity, with at least two UYN representatives present at every in-person event.

8. Lone working, home working and online delivery

• Mentors and volunteers do not meet members alone in private spaces. One-to-one meetings take place in public places, open settings or on UYN-approved platforms, and someone at UYN knows when and where (see the Safeguarding Policy, code of conduct).
• People delivering sessions alone, setting up or closing venues, or travelling to events alone have a check-in arrangement with another UYN person.
• People working from home are asked to set up a safe workstation: a supportive chair, screen at eye level and regular breaks. The Programme Manager gives guidance and considers reasonable adjustments.
• Online sessions use approved platforms, with a named host. Participants are reminded that they can step away, and the host knows what to do if someone becomes distressed.
• Everyone has a right to raise a concern about their own safety, including abuse or harassment online, and will be listened to.

9. Health needs, adjustments and wellbeing

Members, mentors and volunteers can tell us about a health condition, disability, allergy, pregnancy or any other need that affects their safety, and we will consider reasonable adjustments, working with them in confidence (see the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy). Mental health first aid and signposting to local support are part of UYN’s wellbeing offer. Our team is not a crisis service: where someone is at immediate risk, call 999 or direct them to NHS 111 or the relevant crisis service.

10. Contractors, partners and opportunity providers

Where UYN uses a contractor, venue, sports provider or other partner, or arranges shadowing, work experience or visits with an employer, the Programme Manager checks that the organisation has appropriate insurance, health and safety arrangements and (where members aged 16–17 are involved) safeguarding arrangements, before the activity goes ahead. Written confirmation is kept. UYN does not send a member to an activity it has not checked.

11. Training and communication

• New mentors, volunteers and staff receive a short health and safety briefing at induction: fire, first aid, accident reporting, lone working, and where to find this policy.
• The Health and Safety Lead completes a recognised health and safety course appropriate to the role, and first aiders hold a current certificate [to be arranged before the first event].
• This policy is shared with everyone acting for UYN and with every volunteer on joining, and any change is communicated promptly.

12. Insurance

UYN intends to hold public liability insurance (and, once it employs staff, employers’ liability insurance) before delivering any in-person activity. The Board will check that cover includes activities with members aged 16–17, volunteer activity, events, and any sport or outdoor activity. Insurance is not yet in place: planned by 15 December 2026.

13. Monitoring and review

The Health and Safety Lead keeps the register of risk assessments, an incident log and an annual inspection checklist, and reports to the Board at least twice a year. This policy is reviewed annually and after any serious incident.

Appendix A. Event risk assessment form

Item	Detail	Risk (low / medium / high)	Controls and who is responsible
Event, date, time, venue
Expected numbers (members / mentors / volunteers)
Members aged 16–17 attending? Consent obtained?
Access, accessibility and adjustments needed
Fire exits, assembly point, first aid, defibrillator
Activity-specific hazards (sport, outdoors, equipment)
Food and drink, allergies, alcohol, licences
Travel, getting home safely, weather
Crowd, security and behaviour
Safeguarding (ratios, supervision, lone working)
Insurance and third-party providers checked
Emergency contacts and who is in charge
Assessed by / date; approved by Health and Safety Lead / date

Appendix B. Accident and incident report form

Item	To be completed
Date, time and place
Person affected (name, role, age if under 18)
What happened (facts only)
Injury or harm, and first aid or medical treatment given
Witnesses
Immediate action taken and by whom
Parent, guardian or emergency contact informed? When?
Safeguarding concern? Reported to Safeguarding Lead? (Y/N)
RIDDOR reportable? Decision by Health and Safety Lead / date
Follow-up action, learning and risk assessment updated
Completed by / date

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