Trinity United Church Lone Worker Policy
 
We have adopted the URC lone worker policy and procedure and adapted it to our local circumstances. 
This is the current working draft of the document which is awaiting formal approval from the trustees.
Published in November 2023 this will be our reference document for risk assessing lone working in and around the Trinity and Wesley Centres. 
Staff and volunteers who work alone for significant parts of their roles will have individual risk assessments recorded and filed in the Trinity Centre office. 
If you would like assistance with a lone worker risk assessment, please contact the Centres Manager. 


Lone Working Policy and Procedure

Policy Statement
Trinity United Church (“the Church”) recognises and accepts its liabilities to staff under the Health and Safety Act at work Act 1974 and its associated regulations.

Purpose
The purpose of this Policy is to ensure the safety of lone workers when exercising their duties in the absence of any colleagues or managers. It should be read in conjunction with Good Practice 6.

Scope
This policy applies to all staff, lay and ordained, who work alone at the Trinity or Wesley Centres, off site at events, and or out of hours. It does not apply to staff working alone at home.

 1.       Definition
 
The definition of lone worker, in the context of the Trinity and Wesley Centres, includes (but is not limited to):

1.1.       Staff in The Trinity and Wesley Centres where only one person is working on the premises;

1.2.       Staff who work outside normal hours; cleaners, security, centres manager etc;

1.3.       Staff who work alone away from the office on visits or at events;

1.4.       Staff where driving is part of their role e.g. pastoral care visitors, appointed ministers. 
 
1.5.     Volunteers and employees have equal rights and protection as members of staff and as lone workers.
 
1.6.     Contractors are entitled to protection under the terms of their own lone worker policy. The Centres Manager should check they have one in place and are complying with it.
 
1.7.      Hirers of the building must either have their own lone worker policy in place and satisfy the Centres Manager that they are complying with it; or they must agree to comply with the lone worker policy of Trinity United Church (this document).

 



 
2.     General Health and Safety
 
2.1.       The overall responsibility for health and safety within the Church lies with the Trustees who are supported in the daily execution of these duties by the Centres Manager.   

2.2.       The Centres Manager has day to day responsibility for managing health and safety which includes staff members who work alone.

2.3.       Line managers will ensure the Centres Manager is informed of staff who are required to work alone as part of their duties.

2.4.       The Centres Manager will ensure that suitable risk assessments are carried out before any lone working begins, and that adequate control measures are implemented to reduce and/or manage any risks involved with lone working.

2.5.       When carrying out the risk assessments, the Centres Manager will consider access and egress to the place of work, any physical fitness that may be required, any medical conditions the staff member may have, whether there is a risk of violence or harm befalling them, whether they need to use tools or machinery etc.

2.6.       The Centres Manager, in conjunction with line managers, will ensure that the staff member is given all the training they need to be able to work safely in a variety of environments.

2.7.       The Centres Manager will ensure that training records are kept.



2.8.       The Centres Manager will ensure that the staff members personal data, including information about their health collected during lone working risk assessments, is handled in accordance with the church’s Data Protection policy.

2.9.       Only those staff deemed ‘competent’ by the Centres Manager will be permitted to work unsupervised.

 



 
3.     Risk Assessments

3.1.       The Church will carry out risk assessments on all types of work that are (or likely to be) undertaken alone with regard to the following factors: risk of violence (particularly when handling money or dealing with the public); equipment and materials (must be suitable and safe to use by one person); location; proximity to help.

3.2.       The person conducting the lone working risk assessment will:

3.2.1.   consider the greater risks to expectant mothers and those with specific needs, e.g. a disability;

3.2.2.   involve the staff member who is working alone in the assessment process and the development of safe working methods;

3.2.3.   advise the staff member undertaking the lone working of the findings of the risk assessment;

3.2.4.   maintain a file of all lone working risk assessments;

3.2.5    ensure that staff personal data, including information about their health, collected during loan working risk assessments is handled in accordance with the Church’s Data Protection Policy.

 
4.     Staff duties

4.1.       Working with the Centres Manager and line managers, staff shall ensure that any hazards inherent with their work activities are properly managed, and that the same protocols that would apply at the Church’s premises are also implemented during off-site work.

4.2         If any part of the work area becomes unsuitable by dint of the work process changing, damage or breakdown of equipment etc., or by the staff member’s physical needs, the staff member must inform their line manager as soon as reasonably practicable.

4.3       Staff will inform their line manager of any incidents, safety concerns or accidents. All accidents must be reported in the Accident book.                            

4.4       Where personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed following a risk assessment, the staff member is required to use it.

4.5       Staff who conduct visits away from The Trinity Centre should ensure that the details are set out in their work Calendar with expected timings, location and where appropriate, name of the person they are visiting.

 
5     Emergency Procedures

5.1.      No staff member of the Church will be permitted to work alone without their immediate line manager or nominated person (acting as their safety buddy) being fully aware of their whereabouts, and an approximate finishing time.

5.2.       Staff will be required to contact their safety buddy at pre-arranged intervals.

5.3.       Should any staff member fail to make contact as agreed, the safety buddy will attempt to reach them by phone.

5.4.      Should this be unsuccessful, the safety buddy will contact the relevant trustees, duty member of the ministry team or the emergency services.

5.5       Staff members and for those volunteers to whom this policy is relevant must ensure that their work diaries are visible to their line manager as a minimum, and ideally to all team colleagues.

            

 
6     Associated Policies

             6.1       Good Practice 6 to be found here:   https://urc.org.uk/safeguarding/safeguarding-good-practice/

 

Policy Owner: Trinity United Church, Ringwood. 

Any queries regarding this policy should be addressed to the Centres Manager in the first instance or the Trustees. 

Policy updated by minister Revd. Mike Shrubsole & Centres Manager, Alan Ball.

The source policy was approved for use by the Church House Management Group on 2 November 2023.
 
Policy approved by the Trustees of Trinity United Church. Date: 8th October 2024

Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed months 24 from the date of approval.