Health and Safety Policy

Thrive Leicester Health & Safety Policy

(Reviewed and updated in February 2026 – next review due in February 2027)

Introduction

Thrive Leicester is committed to protecting the health and safety of all our volunteers, representatives, and all who attend our groups and access our services. This policy outlines how Thrive Leicester will manage and mitigate health and safety risks in our regular day-to-day activities as well as our one-off or irregular trips and events. This policy applies to our volunteers, representatives, and all who attend our groups and access our services, as well as donors, contractors, oversight members, and anyone else we have dealings with at any time.

Statement of Intent

We are committed to the prevention of accidents at all Thrive Leicester activities, and to the prevention of ill health that could be related in any way to Thrive activities. Our intention is to provide a safe environment, and to comply fully with all health and safety laws and best practice guidelines.

Responsibilities of all Thrive volunteers & representatives

There are a number of things that are the collective responsibility of all volunteers and representatives who are present at group activities and gatherings. Ultimate responsibility for these rests with the Thrive Coordinator, Kat Gibson. Delegated responsibility falls to all volunteers present at Thrive activities. Where the Coordinator is not personally present, responsibilities for the below falls to the relevant volunteer with delegated responsibility for the activity. Collective responsibilities for group activities and gatherings include:

At the beginning of the group activity or gathering:

Ensuring that the space is clean and tidy, without unnecessary trip hazards.
Ensuring that all available refreshments are within their use-by date and come from trustworthy sources.

During the group gathering or activity:

Ensuring that entrances and exits are not blocked.
Ensuring that no children are left unattended but remain within view of their mother (each child’s mother retains all responsibility for children present).
Remaining vigilant and attentive throughout the activity or gathering.

At the end of the group activity or gathering:

Ensuring that the space is left tidy and clean, having cleared away all Thrive possessions and personal belongings by the time we leave the venue.
Wiping down surfaces used in our group activities and gatherings.

Individual volunteers and representatives of Thrive are also responsible for:

Maintaining good personal hygiene, including regular hand-washing with soap.
Not attending a Thrive group or activity if unwell and either: (1) Likely to pass on an infection or virus to others present, or (2) Unable to take adequate responsibility for volunteer commitments such as health & safety protocols or leadership tasks.
Alerting the Thrive Coordinator if unwell or unable to attend a group or activity to which they had previously committed to attend.

Responsibilities of the Thrive Coordinator

The Thrive Coordinator (Kat Gibson) is responsible for:

Overseeing and retaining ultimate responsibility for health & safety procedures relating to all Thrive activities and gatherings.
Ensuring that all Thrive Leicester volunteers and representatives are fully aware of Health and Safety procedures, this policy, national legal frameworks for Health & Safety, and good practice guidelines for Health & Safety. Ensuring that volunteers and representatives are aware that their compliance with all of the above is required and expected at all times.

Arrangements for Health & Safety

Risk Assessments

Thrive Leicester is responsible for undertaking risk assessments in relation to all Thrive activities, groups, gatherings, events, trips and visits. These can be written or verbal, and records are stored securely on password-protected devices.
The Thrive Coordinator and volunteers are responsible for putting in place appropriate mitigation for any and all potential hazards and risks identified.
Risk assessments are undertaken and reviewed before commencing any new regular Thrive group or activity, and before all one-off events, activities, trips, visits and gatherings.
Risk assessments for ongoing Thrive groups and activities are also reviewed at regular intervals.

Fire Safety & Emergency Evacuation

All Thrive volunteers and representatives must be aware of fire safety procedures and emergency evacuation procedures relating to each relevant activity or gathering that they attend.
The Thrive Coordinator retains ultimate responsibility for fire safety and emergency evacuation.
All Thrive Volunteers present at Thrive gatherings or activities share delegated responsibility for implementation of these procedures in case of emergency.
Fire exits are to be kept clear at all times during Thrive activities and gatherings.
When leaving the venue everyone should travel in a calm and orderly manner, not running or pushing. Parents retain all responsibility for their own children at all times.
Volunteers should assist attendees to exit the venue in an emergency where required.
Volunteers should remain calm and should not cause panic, but in an emergency should communicate evacuation procedures loudly and clearly to all attendees. The ultimate responsibility for this lies with the Thrive Coordinator, and the volunteers present share delegated responsibility for evacuation procedures in an emergency.

Hazardous substances

Thrive Leicester does not deal with hazardous substances.
Should hazardous substances be present in a venue where Thrive activities are due to take place, a risk assessment will be undertaken: in most circumstances the activities will be cancelled or postponed until the removal of all hazardous substances is complete.
Should any attendee bring hazardous substances to a Thrive activity, gathering or event, a risk assessment will be undertaken: in most circumstances the relevant attendees will be asked to leave and take all hazardous substances with them. At this point a review will be undertaken, to mitigate the risk of this re-occurring.

Training & Information

All volunteers and representatives of Thrive Leicester will receive all training appropriate and relevant to their volunteer role.
The responsibility for ensuring that relevant training is consistently offered to all volunteers and representatives lies with the Thrive Coordinator.
Volunteers and representatives are responsible for undertaking the training offered to them where relevant and appropriate to their volunteer role. Volunteers and representatives are responsible for maintaining up-to-date knowledge of legislation and good practice relating to their volunteer responsibilities.
Communication with volunteers regarding safety, risk assessments, good practice and Thrive policies and procedures takes a number of forms. Thrive policies and procedures are listed on the Thrive website, which volunteers have access to at all times. Thrive volunteer documents and resources, including training opportunities, role descriptions, working agreements and paperwork, are communicated by email and may be discussed in WhatsApp messages as well as verbally. Some volunteer resources and documents are stored on a private web page that all Thrive Leicester volunteers have access to.
Health and Safety procedures and other Thrive Leicester Policies & Procedures are also discussed at team meetings, both of the Thrive Leicester Local Oversight Group and the Thrive Leicester Volunteer Team. These teams both meet bimonthly.

Breaches & Penalties

If anyone becomes aware of a potential breach of this policy, whether intentional or unintentional, they must report it to the Thrive Coordinator, Kat Gibson, immediately.

Intentional breaches of this policy may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of voluntary employment.

Authorised by Thrive Coordinator, Kat Gibson

Date of last review: February 2026

Next review due: February 2027

Back to Policies & Procedures