Health and Safety Policy

1. Introduction

Luma Education Recruitment Ltd ("Luma") is committed to the health, safety and welfare of the workers we supply to schools, our own directors and staff, and everyone affected by their work. This policy reflects our duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (the Conduct Regulations).

2. Shared responsibility with schools

When a Luma worker is placed in a school, the school controls the workplace and is responsible for day-to-day health and safety on site. Luma remains responsible for making sure the worker is suitable for the role and has the information they need. Our terms of business set out how these responsibilities are shared.

3. Before a placement starts

In line with regulation 18 of the Conduct Regulations, before a worker starts we obtain from the school:

• the hours, location and nature of the work, and any specific risks to health and safety the school knows of;
• the steps the school has taken to prevent or control those risks (for example its risk assessments, behaviour and positive-handling arrangements, manual handling, and any medical or personal care needs of pupils);
• any qualifications, training or experience the role requires.

We pass this information to the worker before the first day, and we do not place a worker in a role where we are not satisfied the risks are being properly managed.

4. Responsibilities

Directors

• Make sure there are enough resources to manage health and safety for workers and staff.
• Approve this policy and review how well it is working at least once a year.

Luma consultants

• Obtain and pass on the school's health and safety information for every placement.
• Check that workers have the training the role requires before they are placed.
• Keep in touch with workers during long placements and act quickly on any concern.

Workers

• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others, including pupils.
• Attend the school's induction, and follow its health and safety, fire, first aid, behaviour and security procedures.
• Not carry out any task they have not been trained for or that they believe is unsafe.
• Report hazards, accidents, near misses and work-related ill health to the school and to Luma immediately.

Schools

We ask schools to give every Luma worker a site induction on their first day, covering fire and evacuation, first aid, accident reporting, safeguarding, behaviour and any role-specific risks, and to tell Luma straight away about any accident or incident involving a Luma worker.

5. Accidents and incidents

• Workers report any accident, near miss or incident to the school (using its accident book) and to Luma on the same day.
• The school, as the organisation in control of the premises, normally reports reportable incidents involving a Luma worker under RIDDOR. Luma checks that this has been done and keeps its own record.
• Luma investigates with the school to find out what went wrong and prevent it happening again, and supports the worker.

6. Wellbeing, lone working and violence

• Workers should not be left alone with pupils in situations that put them or the pupils at risk, and should follow the school's lone working arrangements.
• Any incident of violence, threats or abuse towards a worker is taken seriously. We will support the worker, raise it with the school, and review whether the placement should continue.
• Workers can speak to a Luma director in confidence about stress or any wellbeing concern.

7. Luma's own staff

Luma's directors and staff work mainly from home. We assess display screen equipment and home working arrangements, keep business travel to a minimum, and follow our Staff Wellbeing Policy.

8. Training and competence

Schools provide school-specific training (such as emergency procedures, manual handling and positive handling) unless agreed otherwise. Luma checks that workers have the training their role requires, including safeguarding, Prevent, and allergy and anaphylaxis awareness, before they are placed.

9. Monitoring and review

We monitor health and safety through school feedback, incident records and audits. This policy is reviewed every year, or sooner after a significant incident or a change in the law or our operations.

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