Spelthorne Borough Council
Health and Safety Service Plan
2026 – 2027
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary………………………………………………………………… 2
Service Aims and Objectives … … … … … … … … … … … … … 3
Background … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 6
Service Delivery… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .. 9
Resources… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . … … 11
Quality Assessment… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 13
Review… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .. 14
Summary
Local Authorities are required by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to produce service plans for health and safety services. The service plan must outline the aims and objectives for the two years ahead and evaluate the achievements of the past two years.
Our objectives are outlined on Page 3 and include targeting our resources on the list produced by the HSE of higher risk activities/sectors suitable for targeting for proactive inspection, responding to at least 95% of health and safety service requests and accidents within six working days and to participate in selected national/regional projects along with other Surrey LAs and HSE where resources allow.
As in previous years, reactive work was prioritised and actioned as required but there was very limited available resource to undertake proactive inspections or projects. The team focused our resources on three projects out of the four projects as outlined in the previous Service Plan (electrical safety, inflatable amusement devices, and gas safety in commercial catering settings).
The team has continued to provide a professional and quality service. Overall, the higher priority objectives of the services were met and a detailed review including identification of any variation is included on page 15.
1. Service Aims & Objectives
1.1 Aims
1.1.1 The aim of the health and safety service is to protect the health and safety of those working within the borough in workplaces where we are the enforcing authority. We also aim to protect members of the public and others who may be harmed by the work practices of those businesses.
1.1.2 Enforcement is shared with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with Spelthorne being responsible for workplaces such as offices, shops, hotels, restaurants, nurseries, pubs, wholesale distribution and warehousing.
1.2 Objectives
Spelthorne’s role as a regulator is to support, encourage, advise and, where necessary, hold to account business to ensure that they effectively manage the occupational health and safety risks their work activities create.
Our Health & Safety at Work enforcement objectives are also incorporated into the wider Environmental Health Service Plan.
1.2.1 For 2026 - 2027 we have the specific objectives: -
|
Objective |
|
|
1. |
To target our resources on the list produced by the HSE of higher risk activities/sectors suitable for targeting for proactive inspection (the ‘List’). Under the Code, proactive inspection should be used only for the activities on the ‘List’ or where there is specific intelligence that risks are not being effectively managed. |
|
2. |
To respond to at least 95% of health and safety service requests and accidents within six working days. The team adopts the HSE’s risk-based approach to complaint handling and incident selection criteria, to select relevant incidents and complaints. This will target reactive interventions to make best use of regulatory resources. |
|
3. |
To comply with all new legislative requirements imposed on the Borough regarding the enforcement of Health & Safety at Work. This includes any relevant guidance, codes of practice, etc., published by the HSE. |
|
4. |
To actively participate in selected national/regional projects along with other Surrey LAs and HSE. |
|
5. |
To undertake a review of our procedures. |
1.3 Links to corporate objectives and plans
1.3.1 The Council’s Corporate Plan 2024 – 2028 has five strategic priorities for Spelthorne. These are:
· Community
· Addressing housing need
· Resilience
· Environment
· Services
1.3.2 The Health and Safety Service Plan is key in protecting our community by providing a safe environment. An effective health and safety team contributes to these priorities by protecting the health of its residents and businesses through the provision of safe workplaces, and by ensuring that good businesses are not disadvantaged by non-compliant traders.
1.3.3 The Service Plan incorporates these priorities while also meeting our statutory duties.
1.4 Links to the HSE’s Strategy – National Local Authorities’ Enforcement Code
1.4.1 This National Code was developed by the HSE to ensure that Local Authority (LA) health and safety regulators take a more consistent and proportionate approach to enforcement. This Code provides statutory guidance and a framework to guide local approaches.
1.4.2 It identifies that local authorities should use the full range of regulatory interventions available to influence behaviours and the management of risk with proactive inspection utilised only for premises with higher risks or where intelligence suggests that risks are not being effectively managed.
1.4.3 The HSE Local Authority Circular (LAC 67/2 (rev 11)) specifies how local authorities should prioritise interventions to comply with the National Local Authority Enforcement Code. The Code provides LAs with a principles-based framework that focuses regulatory resources based on risk. It supports LAs to develop their health and safety priorities and target their interventions to consistently comply with the Code. The Code provides flexibility for LAs to address local priorities alongside the national priorities set by HSE.
1.4.4 Whilst the primary responsibility for managing health and safety risks lies with the business that creates the risk, local authorities have an important role in ensuring the effective and proportionate management of risks, supporting business, protecting communities, and contributing to the wider public health agenda.
1.4.5 The Code includes an annual list of LA regulatory priorities and the HSE also publishes a list of specific activities in defined sectors that are considered suitable for proactive inspection (known as the ‘List’)
1.4.6 National Priorities are collated from the most recent intelligence from HSE’s Sector teams, and address work strands supporting the wider strategy for the health and safety regulatory system and for Spelthorne the following priorities have been identified.
Priority 1: Electrical safety in hospitality settings
The Electricity at Work Regulation 1989 requires that any electrical equipment which has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. Local authority enforcement officers are asked to increase awareness to improve standards of compliance. The pandemic has meant that many hospitality venues have extended their space to make the most of outdoor areas. Pubs, restaurants and cafés are urged to ensure outdoor electrical equipment such as lights and heaters are specifically designed for outdoor use, installed by a competent person and checked regularly for damage or water ingress.
Priority 2: Inflatable amusement devices
There have been a number of serious incidents where inflatable amusement devices have collapsed or blown away in windy conditions. Inflatables can be found at many premises that fall to LAs for enforcement, and LAs should raise awareness of the general risks associated with the operation of such devices. In particular, that devices are correctly anchored to the ground, there are suitable arrangements for measuring wind conditions at regular intervals, there is written documentation from a competent inspection body to show it complies with British Standard BS EN 14960 and it is subject to an annual inspection by a competent person.
Priority 3: Gas safety in commercial catering premises
LA health and safety regulators should raise awareness, with their local duty holders, of the risks of exposure to carbon monoxide in commercial kitchens from badly installed or faulty appliances; poor ventilation resulting in lack of make -up air to support combustion; and/or inadequate extraction systems. LA regulators should consider a range of interventions to raise awareness of this issue.
1.5 Links to the HSE Section 18 – Guidance to Local Authorities
1.5.1 Local Authorities are responsible for the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW Act), to the extent as defined and prescribed in the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998.
1.5.2 Section 18 (4) of the HSW Act requires us to perform our duties in accordance with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The “Section 18 Guidance” is therefore mandatory.
1.5.3 Section 18 (4) of the HSW Act states ‘it shall be the duty of every local authority to: -
I. Make adequate arrangements for the enforcement within their area of the relevant statutory provisions; and
II. To perform the duty imposed on them by (a) above and any other functions confirmed on them by any of the relevant statutory provisions in accordance with such guidance as the commission may give them.
1.5.4 The HSE considers the following elements are essential for a LA to adequately discharge its duty as an Enforcing Authority: -
· A clear published statement of enforcement policy and practice.
· A system for prioritised planned inspection activity according to hazard and risk, and consistent with any advice given by the HSE.
· A Service Plan detailing the LA’s priorities and its aims and objectives for the enforcement of health and safety.
· The capacity to investigate workplace accidents and to respond to complaints by employees and others against allegations of health and safety failures.
· Arrangements for benchmarking performance with peer LAs.
· Provision of a trained and competent inspectorate; and
· Arrangements for liaison and co-operation in respect of the Primary Authority Partnership Schemes.
1.5.5 We need to ensure that we devote sufficient resources to the health and safety enforcement to comply with our duties under section 18 (4). HSE will take a view on the performance of LA enforcement and promotional activities, in accordance with its strategy using information supplied by authorities as requested (e.g. Annual LAE1 returns) and by reviewing the reports of inter-authority audits.
1.5.6 If a LA fails to meet its legal obligation under Section 18 of the HSW Act, the Secretary of State may, after considering a report submitted by the HSE, cause a local enquiry to be held. If the Secretary of State is satisfied by such an enquiry that a LA has failed to perform any of its enforcement function, he may make an order declaring the Authority to be in default. The order may direct the LA to perform their enforcement functions in a specified manner within a specified period of time.
1.5.7 If the defaulting LA fails to comply with such an order, under Section 45 of the HSW Act, the Secretary of State may enforce the order, or make and order transferring the enforcement functions of the defaulting LA to the HSE, in which case the HSE’s expenses are paid by the defaulting authority.
2. Background
2.1 Profile
2.1.1 Spelthorne is in the far north corner of Surrey. Boroughs adjacent to us are Runnymede and Elmbridge to the south in Surrey, Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough to the west in Berkshire, and Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames to the north and east in Greater London.
2.1.2 Spelthorne’s population is approximately 103,000, based on figures from the 2021 census. The main centres of population are the towns of Staines-upon-Thames, Ashford, Sunbury-on-Thames, Shepperton and Stanwell.
2.1.3 Spelthorne is undergoing a major local government reorganisation, with the current two-tier system (county council and 11 district/borough councils) being replaced by two new unitary authorities—East Surrey and West Surrey. Spelthorne will become part of West Surrey. This will be effective from 1 April 2027. Elections for these new councils are scheduled for May 2026.
2.2 Organisational Structure
2.2.1 The organisational structure of the Council comprises of the 39 elected members and a Chief Executive who is supported by two deputies. The health and safety service forms part of the Environmental Health Department’s Commercial Team. The Commercial Team is headed by the Principal Environmental Health Officer (Commercial) who reports to the Senior Environmental Health Manager (SEHM). The SEHM reports directly to the Group Head for Place, Protection and Prosperity.
2.2.2 The Commercial Team also provide a food safety enforcement service and licensing/registration regimes, such as all animal licensing and beauty treatments in relevant premises.
2.3 Scope of the Health and Safety at Work Enforcement Service
2.3.1 Businesses, regulators, and professional bodies all have a role and responsibility to help prevent workplace death, injury and ill health and to apply health and safety at work in a proportionate way. Health and Safety law in Great Britain clearly sets out that the primary responsibility for managing risks to workers and the public who might be affected by work activity lies with the business or organisation that creates the risks in the first place.
2.3.2 Spelthorne provides a service to both employers and employees of commercial premises, and the general public who may be affected by work activity within our borough. The responsibility for health and safety enforcement within commercial premises in the Borough, is shared between the Health and Safety Executive and us. This responsibility is determined by statutory legislation (The Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998) and is established on the basis of the “main activity” carried out at the premises.
2.3.3 The main elements of the service are: -
· Targeted Health and Safety Inspections - Proactive inspection should only be used for:
a) Specific projects/programmes of inspections identified by HSE for LA attention.
b) High risk premises/ activities within the specific LA enforced sectors published by HSE
c) Locally identified potential poor performers. This is where specific local intelligence indicates that a business is failing to effectively manage risk.
· Revisits are carried out to premises to check if specific action has been taken to remedy faults found at a previous inspection/visit.
· Special/Other Health and Safety Inspections – To undertake visits as necessary having regard to the priority programmes within HSE’s Strategy, focusing our enforcement on particular hazards or sectors where the greatest action will be necessary. This may come to light having analysed trends in official accident notifications.
· Health and Safety Investigations - Investigation of complaints relating to health and safety received from employers, employees, and the general public.
· Accident Investigation - Investigation of accident notifications received via the RIDDOR notification online system. This system is managed by the HSE. The PEHO (Commercial) or, in her absence the SEHO (Commercial), checks the database on a daily basis. Accidents are investigated in accordance with the adopted Accident Investigation Procedure.
· Health and Safety Initiatives - To participate in local and national initiatives.
· Non-Food Premises Database - we will maintain the database of non-food premises allocated to us under the Health & Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998, in the Borough and take steps to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date.
2.4 Demands on the Health and Safety at Work Enforcement Service
We have the responsibility for enforcing the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and regulations made under the Act in approximately 1058 (as of 13 February 2026) commercial premises located within the Borough. This is likely to be an under-estimation as there is no longer a requirement for new businesses to inform us and as fewer inspections are being carried out this impacts the accuracy of our database.
2.5 Accessing the Service
The service can be accessed by: -
· Calling in person to the Spelthorne Borough Council, Knowle Green, Staines upon-Thames, TW18 1XB. The Offices are open from 9am to 4.45 pm Mondays to Thursdays, and 9 am to 4.30 pm on Fridays. The office is closed in the evenings and at weekends.
· Telephoning the support staff (01784 446291). The Business Support Team is available from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday to Thursday, and 9 am to 4.30 pm on Friday.
· A duty officer is available from 9.30 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday, and from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm on Fridays.
· By telephoning officers through their direct line telephone numbers.
· By emailing the Commercial Team at eh.commercial@spelthorne.gov.uk
· Emailing officers directly via their individual email addresses.
· Health and safety emergencies can be dealt with by telephoning our 24-hour out-of-hour’s emergency service where the on-call officer will contact a senior officer from Environmental Health.
· Information and advice can be accessed via the Council’s website at www.spelthorne.gov.uk.
2.6 Enforcement Policy
2.6.1 Enforcement will be carried out in a fair, equitable and consistent manner in accordance with the Regulator’s Code and the Environmental Health Enforcement Policy.
2.6.2 The policy was last updated in August 2023 and will be reviewed in 2026/2027.
3. Service Delivery
3.2 Health and Safety Complaints
3.2.1 Our policy is to investigate health and safety complaints in accordance with our policies and procedure notes, whilst having regard to our Enforcement Policy. The investigation of some complaints can be a lengthy process, it is expected that officers will ensure a first response within 6-days of the complaint being received. It is also recognised that certain issues will require a quick response and a duty officer rota is in place during office hours to ensure this.
3.2.2 The depth and scope of investigation required will depend on the nature of the complaint and whether the complaint arose within premises for which the Council has health and safety enforcement responsibility.
3.2.3 Complainants are advised of the outcome where appropriate.
3.3 Accident Investigation
3.3.1 Our policy is to investigate accident notifications received via the online RIDDOR notification system, in accordance with the departmental policies and Accident Investigation procedure notes, whilst having regard to our Enforcement Policy and HSE’s Guidance including selection criteria. The RIDDOR portal is checked daily during the working week.
3.3.2 The depth and scope of investigation required will depend on factors such as the nature and seriousness of the accident and whether the accident arose within premises for which the Council has health and safety enforcement responsibility.
3.3.3 RIDDOR Accident notifications shall be investigated in accordance with the Accident Investigation procedure.
3.3.4 The table below shows the numbers of notifiable accidents reported over the last four years:
|
No. of notifiable accidents |
|
|
2025 – 2026* |
29 |
|
2024 – 2025 |
35 |
|
2023 – 2024 |
28 |
|
2022 -2023 |
26 |
|
2021-2022 |
34 |
|
2020-2021 |
24 |
*full year’s data not available, accurate as of 12 February 2026.
The number of accidents reported is likely to under-represent the true picture as some businesses will be unaware of their obligations to report certain incidents and some businesses may blatantly choose not to report to avoid the subsequent scrutiny of their practices.
3.4 Asbestos Notifications
3.4.1 Asbestos notifications are received via a portal on the Health and Safety Executive’s website. Contractors and others are required by law to notify the relevant enforcing authority of their intention to carry out both licensed and unlicensed work on asbestos. The PEHO (Commercial), or in her absence the SEHO (Commercial), checks this portal once a week.
3.5 Advice to Business
3.5.1 We recognise that the majority of businesses seek to comply with the law and we endeavour to provide such advice and assistance as may be necessary. This is depending on having sufficient resource available and includes:
· providing businesses with details of our Enforcement Policy. This may be through a leaflet either left at premises during routine visits or sent with inspection reports.
· developing and providing business free information sheets, leaflets, practical information and other guides as necessary to simplify legislation and aid compliance with specific health and safety legislation.
· providing on the spot free advice during routine visits and inspections.
· provision of free telephone advice.
· the provision of information through the Council’s social media pages.
· signposting to the Health and Safety Executives website.
· Participation in Health and Safety initiatives.
3.6 Primary Authority Partnerships
3.6.1 The Primary Authority Principle (PAP) is a formal recognition of the importance of the relationship between a business and a specific local authority.
3.6.2 This is a statutory scheme and all local authorities must have regard to it when considering enforcement action in relation to a business which has a number of branches or units in other authority areas and a decision-making base in another area, the relevant “Primary Authority” (PA) must be consulted before taking formal action. The only exemption to this requirement is when a local authority needs to take urgent action to avoid a significant risk of serious harm to human health.
3.6.3 Spelthorne does not have PA arrangements with any business currently.
3.6.4 Prior to undertaking an intervention, an officer must take appropriate steps to find out if the business concerned participates in a PAP and if so the conditions of that partnership. Any inspection plan devised as part of the PAP arrangement must be adhered to and actions taken must be fed back through the specified means.
3.7 Liaison with Other Organisations
3.7.1 The Council actively participates in liaison arrangements with other local authorities, agencies, and professional organisations in order to facilitate consistent enforcement, to share good practice, and to reduce duplicity of effort.
· Surrey Health and Safety Study Group (Spelthorne held the position of Chair from 2021 until January 2024)
· Surrey Environmental Health Managers’ Group
· Health and Safety Executive
· Local Government Regulation
· Liaison arrangements with Corporate Health and Safety, Licensing, Building Control, Planning, Legal etc
· UK Health Security Agency
· The Coroner’s Service
· Immigration Enforcement
4. Resources
4.1 Financial
4.2 Staffing Allocation
4.2.1 The 2026/2027 staffing allocation is currently 1.13 full time equivalents; this includes administrative supports (0.3) and management support (0.08) such as reviewing service plans, officer performance, service development and budget controls.
4.2.2 There is no officer specifically dedicated to health and safety work, with the allocated hours shared between all the officers within the Commercial Team.
4.2.3 It should be noted that frequently this resource is diverted to other areas of work including food safety controls, public health functions and animal licensing work.
4.2.4 We anticipate the introduction of a new licensing system for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in 2026/27, this has been delayed from 2025/2026. The current regulatory framework includes a registration system for certain procedures such as tattooing and cosmetic piercing and falls within the remit of the Commercial Team; and it places few restrictions on who can perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Under the proposed scheme, which will be operated by local authorities in England, practitioners will need to be licensed to perform specific non-surgical cosmetic procedures and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed. The new licencing system is likely to have a significant impact on workloads.
4.3 Staff Training and Development
4.3.1 Spelthorne has a statutory duty to ‘make adequate arrangements for enforcement’ and to legally appoint suitably qualified inspectors to carry out the range of regulatory duties they have been appointed for.
We recognise the need for all officers engaged in the health and safety service to be trained, not only to the level required by law, but also to a level commensurate with the work they carry out. We also recognise the need to develop the personal skills needed to work effectively in the field, and for EHOs to meet the requirements of the CIEH Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme.
4.3.2 Each member of staff receives regular one-to-one meetings as per the Council’s Continuous Performance Management programme, during which development needs are identified and a development plan is agreed to address these.
4.3.3 Training and development of staff is provided by a range of methods including:
i) Post Entry Training - Nominations for formal training courses/qualifications are considered annually and in appropriate cases members of staff are sponsored on formal academic and practical courses.
ii) Short Course Training - Where appropriate, short courses, seminars and workshops can provide valuable updates for staff. We support attendance at such events through the Departments short courses training budget.
iii) In-house/cascade Training - We carry out in-house training sessions as this helps to develop an individual’s presentation skills, as well as cascading information to other members of staff following attendance at seminars and short course. They also assist in maintaining consistency of enforcement and the competency of Officers.
iv) Peer Review - We use peer review, e.g. joint visits, to monitor work performance; encourage exchange of expertise and skills between staff; achieve consistency in enforcement; to strive for continual improvement in service delivery.
v) Commercial Team Meetings - These monthly meetings provide a useful forum for exchange of information and experience amongst team members and assist in achieving a uniformity of approach to health and safety enforcement. Health and Safety is a standing item on the agenda for these meetings.
vi) Attendance at the Surrey Health and Safety study group meetings.
vii) Participating in HSE webinars which are held routinely during the year.
5. Quality Assessment
5.1 Internal Monitoring
5.1.1 We have set up documented internal monitoring procedures to monitor compliance with HSE strategies and guidance, and our own internal procedures and policies.
a. Officers carry out joint visits with each other once a year to ensure consistency between officers (Peer Review).
b. The Principal Environmental Health Officer (Commercial) checks a selection of post-inspection risk scores and correspondence that is sent out.
c. The PEHO (Commercial) shall carry out joint visits with each officer to ensure consistency between officers.
5.2 External Monitoring
5.2.1 Our health and safety enforcement service receives peer review as part of the local Surrey Districts inter-authority audit scheme.
We participated in an Inter-Authority audit organised by the Surrey Health & Safety Study Group in accordance with both the HSC Section 18: Guidance to Local Authorities, which was issued in September 2001, and the revised HELA Audit Protocol (issued in January 2002). The audits were carried out in May/June 2004. Our Health & Safety Service was audited on 29 June 2004.
There are no confirmed plans in place for further inter-authority audits at present.
5.2.2 We currently submit annual statistical returns to the HSE in respect of our health and safety enforcement activity.
5.2.3 Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel
Where service users are dissatisfied with advice given by our officers and have failed to informally resolve the issue with the officer and their manager, they will be informed of the Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel. This Panel considers complaints regarding advice given by HSE or LA inspectors about health and safety which the complaint considered to be incorrect or goes beyond what is required to control the risk adequately.
The panel consists of independent members who will have the competence and experience to assess advice that has been given on regulatory matters. The issue will be put before the panel members who will review it thoroughly and inform the complainant of its findings. The outcome will be made available on the HSE website. The panel's role is advisory, however Spelthorne will respect the independence of the panel and its advice and where appropriate take it onboard.
6. Review
6.1 Performance review against the Service Plan
6.1.1 The team continued to provide a professional and quality service; reactive work was prioritised and actioned as required but there was limited resource to undertake proactive inspections or projects. In keeping with the Code, we targeted interventions on those activities that give rise to the most serious risks or where the hazards are least well controlled.
6.1.2 The team focused our limited resources on three projects out of the four project as outlined in the Service Plan for 2022 -2024. These three projects were: electrical safety in hospitality settings, inflatable amusement devices and gas safety in commercial catering settings.
6.1.3 The following table summarised some of the work undertaken:
|
|
2023 -2024 |
2024 2025 |
2025-2026* |
|
Health & Safety site visits |
40 |
43 |
77 |
|
Enforcement notices |
6 |
3 |
7 |
|
Notifiable Accidents |
28 |
35 |
29 |
6.1.4 The team have also been very active with events and were consulted on 31 events in conjunction with the Corporate Health and Safety Team.
6.1.8 We continued to provide free advice and support to our local businesses as requested and attend regular liaison group meetings.
6.2 Identification of any variation
6.2.1 Due to the impacts of pressures from other areas of work within the team, there have been difficulties in meeting some of the objectives set out in the 2022-2024 Service Plan.
6.2.2 The team has also been very focused on food safety work including the prioritisation of high-risk food inspections and complaints. In addition, priority was given to meeting the requirement of the FSA’s Action Plan targeting the backlog of lower risk food hygiene inspections.
6.2.3 The PEHO (Commercial) is the only competent officer within the organisation to undertake animal licensing inspections as required under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. All animal licensing work including renewals, new applications, interim revisits, complaint investigations and statutory returns sits with the PEHO (Commercial) solely. The lack of resilience in this area has had a direct impact on the PEHO’s workload with time diverted from normal activities to undertake the work.
6.2.4 The team has experienced difficulties with Spelthorne’s IT systems particular the move to SharePoint and the rollout of new laptops across the organisation.
6.3 Areas of Improvement
6.3.1 The following are planned for 2026 - 2027:
· The National Local Authority Enforcement Code has resulted in a decrease to the number of proactive inspections carried out each year. This has impacted the competency of officers as they now undertake fewer inspections and has negatively impacted officer confidence when dealing with more complex cases resulting in investigations taking longer to completed. To offset this, we ensure that officers routinely attend training events and cascade the crucial points of these events to their team.
· Ensure that the service is inclusive and is provided to hard-to-reach groups. Our webpages require updating to help with this.
· Retain qualified and competent health and safety officers.
· Continue to update and implement our policies and procedures to ensure the service complies with HSE requirements. Our inhouse procedures require review and updating. This is time-intensive work that we have been unable to complete due to other higher priority pressures within the team.