SENSE Learning - Risk Management Policy

This Risk Management Policy is made accessible to all Parents, Students, Local Authorities, Schools and SENse Learning associates.

Person responsible for ensuring that these policies are implemented and reviewed in line with the review dates: Sophie Amos, Operational Director

Policy reviewed:

September 2025

Next Review date

September 2026

Introduction & Purpose

This policy is the Risk Management Policy for SENse Learning, which will be followed by all members of the Organisation and promoted by those in leadership positions within the Organisation. This policy will be applied to all students and SENse Learning associates.

Policy Principles & Values

  • The Organisation will help students learn how to keep themselves and others safe.

  • The Organisation will prepare students for adult life.

  • The Organisation recognises that the students who access SENse Learning often display challenging behaviour related to their needs.

  • The Organisation recognises that it is not possible to avoid all risk, but we have a duty of care to students and associates to plan for and manage foreseeable risks, including those related to behaviour.

Procedures

  • The Organisation will conduct a risk assessment for each student, identifying likely causes of challenging behaviour, the risks this may pose, and the strategies for managing the risk. These will be reviewed termly and updated if necessary.

  • Associates will follow the Lone Working Policy.

  • The Organisation will conduct a risk assessment for all activities outside of the student's home, control the risks identified and monitor this, checking them termly and updating them where necessary.

  • Associates will use the student team Microsoft Teams channels to confirm their location when taking their students outside of the home for activities.

  • Associates will enable the trackers (GMaps sharing location) on their self-supplied work phones during sessions. See video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pu452mFqqAyY8AmsPMw66A-vpw5aiwAG/view

  • The Organisation will ensure that all associates have had the necessary training to complete their work safely.

  • The Organisation will maintain appropriate staffing ratios based on each individual student’s needs.

  • The Organisation will provide training and updated information to associates in relation to Risk Assessments and will utilise the Resources folder on the G-Drive to share relevant training and updates for associates.

  • The Organisation may sometimes have accidents where students, associates or others are injured. Please refer to the First Aid policy for guidance on these situations.

  • In the event of a violent or high-risk situation out in public, associates must inform the police or emergency services using 999. The Incident form will need to be completed and associates then need to contact the Pastoral Team, who will advise on next steps.

Risk Assessments

What is a Risk Assessment?

‘A systematic process of identifying hazards and evaluating any associated risks within a

setting, then implementing reasonable control measures to remove or reduce them.’

  • An accident is ‘an unplanned event that results in a generally negative outcome’

  • A hazard is ‘something that has the potential to cause harm’

  • A risk is ‘the likelihood and the severity of a negative occurrence (injury, ill-health, damage, loss) resulting from a hazard.’

A risk assessment can be broken down into the following 5 steps:

  1. Identify hazards

  2. Assess the risks

  3. Control the risks

  4. Record your findings

  5. Review the controls

What do we need to Risk Assess?

We risk assess locations and activities, which are broadly environmental and physical risks.

  • Environmental - where we go and what we are doing, including science/PE and high-risk curriculum areas. People, (the main risk reducing factor we have is that we are 1-1), inclement weather, interaction between others and vehicles, traffic management.

  • Physical- slips, trips, falls, working at height, manual handling,

We also need to consider:

  • Chemical- science/bleach.

  • Biological- food, faeces, mould, body fluids, COVID, infection control, e.g animals.

  • Mechanical- cars/vehicles/how you sit, hazardous equipment.

  • Psychological- we consider this throughout all other risks.

  • Organisational - unsafe work practices.

Whose responsibility is it?

  • SENse Learning will maintain and update the process and policy documents.

  • Case coordinators will follow the process and write the Risk Assessments, ensuring the team understands them and has the opportunity to input into the controls where they know the location/student best.

  • Associates will follow the procedures and policies put in place and update their case coordinator if anything changes or they have any concerns.

  • Associates will not attend or carry out an activity with a student if there is no risk assessment in place, or where they have any concern that the Risk Assessment is not sufficient.