Sycamore Training Solutions

Our Commitment to Health and Safety 

It is the policy of Sycamore Training Solutions to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees, associates, contractors and visitors, and to provide such information, instruction and training as may be needed for this purpose. We aim to achieve the commitment and active involvement of everybody in order that safety awareness and positive attitudes are promoted and continuous efforts are made to continually improve our safety performance. It is also the policy of Sycamore Training Solutions to ensure that its business is conducted in a manner so as to reduce the risks to members of the public. 

Health and Safety Contact Representative 

David Thorpe (Managing Director) is responsible for the implementation of health and safety policy and procedure and can be contacted on 07794851173. Should an issue arise regarding the health or safety of employees and associates, this should be brought to his attention as soon as reasonably practicable. 

Freelance Associate Trainer Agreement and Responsibilities 

Any person who is employed through a contract of agreement to provide a service on behalf of Sycamore Training Solutions are considered to be a freelance associate tutor or trainer. This means that the freelance associate trainer remains responsible for their own health and safety risk assessments in accordance with their own line of work as a professional working within the sector. All associate freelance tutors and trainers are expected to comply with all policies and are responsible for working in a safe way and following safe practices. The ‘purchase’ of an associate freelance service (i.e. a tutor or trainer) is contractually bound that the associate freelance tutor or trainer makes suitable and sufficient health and safety arrangements and checks in line with legal requirements and the policy of Sycamore Training Solutions. All freelance and associate tutors and trainers have a duty in law to act responsibly and to take reasonable care for the health and safety at work of both themselves and others who are involved, in any way, in the delivery of services. 

Associate freelance tutors and trainers are required to ensure that they; 

• Work safely and legally at all times 

• Carry out health and safety checks as required at all work locations 

• Using any protective equipment provided by Ringway Training Limited or their customers 

• Reporting accidents and incidents that have caused injury or damage or any near misses 

• Adhering to Ringway Training Limited's procedures for securing a safe workplace It is the policy of Ringway Training Limited to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its associate freelance tutors and trainers and the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by their activities. 

Sycamore Training Solutions will take steps to ensure that its statutory duties are met at all times. Associate freelance tutors and trainers must only undertake work which they are competent and authorised to do so and must undertake all duties as instructed and not deviate. All hazard and warning signs and notices displayed on any premises where you are working as an associate of Sycamore Training Solutions must be complied with. 

On the agreement of each contract of work, you are confirming, as a freelance associate tutor or trainer, that all required risk assessments and protocol has been put into place and practiced at all times and that all policies produced and implemented by Sycamore Training Solutions will be adhered to. This agreement of each contract of work by you as an associate freelance tutor or trainer also confirms that you feel competent and confident to challenge any health and safety concerns which they may have when working on any customer premises, in line with this health and safety policy. 

One of the most significant considerations to those working as associate freelance tutors and trainers who may have multiple locations of work over a number of different days is the high level of lone working. Sycamore Training Solutions take lone working very seriously and we want to do everything which we can to protect all of our associate freelance tutors and trainers. All associate freelance tutors and trainers are required to read, adhere and agree to the following health and safety related policies and statements; 

• Lone working policy 

• Alcohol policy 

• Health and Safety statement 

Health and Safety Training for Associate Freelance Tutors and Trainers 

As part of our dedication to ensuring the health and safety and continued professional development of all of our associate freelance tutors and trainers, we will facilitate the completion of the Level 2 CIEH award in Health and Safety at Work, which is a nationally recognised qualification which demonstrates your knowledge and commitment to health and safety practices. If you would like further details about the training which is available to you, please speak with your contact person at Sycamore Training Solutions. 

Risk Assessment 

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require risk assessments of work and activities and all reasonably foreseeable risks must be assessed as should other risks which are identified by specific health and safety regulations. As an associate freelance tutor or trainer, you are required to follow all risk assessments produced by a customer of Sycamore Training Solutions when working on their premises and to inform the customer should you have any concerns about any part of any risk assessment. As an associate freelance tutor or trainer working on behalf of Sycamore Training Solutions, you are expected to produce and maintain your own risk assessments for your own professional practice and you remain responsible for these at all times. These risk assessments can be requested at any time by Sycamore Training Solutions or customers. 

Reporting Hazards and Concerns 

All associate freelance tutors are trainers are required to report all hazards to the customer and to Ringway Training Limited. These include (but are not exclusive to) 

• Electrical (e.g. faulty equipment, trailing electrical cables) 

• General safety hazards (e.g. dangerous shelving, tripping hazards) 

• Fire (e.g. blocked escape routes, missing/fault fire equipment) 

• Accidents, incidents, injuries and near misses • Incidents which cause damage to property 

• Incidents, accidents or injuries in which you require first aid assistance 

You must be seen by the first aider on site for the customer for any injury you may receive, irrespective of how minor, and ensure details are entered into their accident book. Any health and safety concerns or medical attention received whilst you are representing Sycamore Training Solutions must also be reported to David Thorpe (Managing Director – Sycamore Training Solutions) as soon as possible and at maximum within 24 hours. 

When you are working as an associate freelance tutor or trainer on a customer’s premises, it is important to ensure that you confidently know the answers to the following questions; 

• Who is the safety officer or the appointed person you should liaise with throughout the day? 

• What happens in case of fire and what is the fire drill’? 

• Where are the exits and meeting points? 

• Is equipment provided safe to use and have you have been properly shown how to use it? 

• Where welfare facilities are (toilets, rest areas etc.) 

• What is the site smoking location and policy? 

If you are in doubt about any safety issues you should report these immediately and professionally to the customer’s representative and also to your contact person at Sycamore Training Solutions. If you observe anyone breaking the safety rules you should report them to the customer’s representative and also to your contact person at Sycamore Training Solutions. 

Alcohol and Drugs 

Any associate freelance tutors or trainers contracted to Sycamore Training Solutions who while at work, are under the influence of alcohol or drugs will have their contract instantly terminated and will not receive payment for that day. Any future associate work will also be reviewed and, depending on the severity of the situation, terminated. Sycamore Training Solutions have an Alcohol Policy which all associate freelance tutors and trainers are required to agree and adhere to. 

Manual Handling and Lifting 

Nationally, over a quarter of all reported accidents are associated with lifting and handling work and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations are designed to reduce this total. Sycamore Training Solutions requests that all associate freelance tutors and trainers avoid the need for operations involving a risk of injury and follow safe practices and legislation at all times. All associate freelance tutors and trainers are required to follow the TILE principle of assessing the risks of manual handing tasks which is as follows; 

• The task 

o What is the load? 

o How will the load be moved? 

o What distance is the load to be moved? 

o How many people are needed? 

• The individual ability 

o As an individual, are you physically capable of completing the task? 

o Do you have any existing and present health conditions? 

• The load 

o What is the weight, size and shape of the load? 

o Where is the centre of gravity? 

o Is it sharp or difficult to grasp? 

• The environment 

o What obstructions may get in your way when completing the task? 

o What is the lighting conditions like in the environment? 

All associate freelance tutors are trainers must ensure that the risk of manual handling tasks are managed and ideally eliminated altogether. Ways in which the risks of manual handling tasks can be reduced include; 

• Eliminate (this is the preferred option) 

• Automate 

• Mechanise with handling aids 

• Share the load 

• Reduce the weight of individual items 

As an associate freelance tutor and trainer of Sycamore Training Solutions, you are expected to complete and maintain your own manual handling risk assessments and comply with all policies of the customer and all legislation. 

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 

'Work equipment' includes items provided by an employer for the use of employees at work and, by extension, equipment provided by customers. Work equipment also covers any equipment provided by associate freelance tutors are trainers themselves for use as a contracted representative of Sycamore Training Solutions. All associate freelance tutors are trainers must; 

• Ensure that equipment is suitable for the task 

• Take into account the working conditions and hazards in the workplace 

• Ensure equipment is used only for operations for which it is intended for 

• Ensure that equipment is inspected regularly and maintained 

All associate freelance tutors and trainers in control of work equipment must assess the risks posed by the use of work equipment under their control bearing in mind the overarching principle of taking all reasonable steps to safeguard their own and others safety. 

Hazardous Materials 

In the normal course of our activities no associate freelance trainers or tutors should be exposed to hazardous materials. However, in the event that such a situation arises, you must inform David Thorpe (Managing Director – Sycamore Training Solutions) as soon as possible, and at a maximum within 24 hours. Where associate freelance tutors and trainers are ‘on-site’ at the customer’s own venue, then the matter should be first raised with the local manger and then notified to Sycamore Training Solutions. All associate freelance tutors and trainers, before they commence any work on a customer’s own premises, should assess whether the work they are to undertake might involve hazardous materials. 

Fire Safety 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order requires that precautions to prevent injury in case of fire are based on the results of risk assessment. All associate freelance tutors and trainers should make themselves aware of the specific arrangements of the customer’s venue where they are undertaking their work. In particular, the following are essential elements of the emergency plan; 

• How should the evacuation of the premises should be carried out? 

• Where should people should assemble after they have left the premises and procedures for checking whether the premises have been evacuated? 

• Where are the key escape routes, how people can gain access to them and escape from them to a place of total safety? All associate freelance tutors and trainers must also satisfy their own knowledge that; 

• Flammable liquids are stored in a suitable locked metal cupboard 

• Fire doors are always closed and never wedged open 

• Waste materials are collected daily and are stored in a secure area until collected 

• Electrical equipment not in use is always isolated from the mains 

If you are concerned about any of these, or any other health and safety related issue, you should initially speak with the representative of the customer and then inform your representative of Sycamore Training Solutions. You should, at all times, take all reasonable steps to safeguard your own safety and that of any person who may be affected by your actions. Health and safety at work is everyone's responsibility.