The Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund

8 March 2004
Annex to HSC/04/45
The Workers’ Safety Adviser
Challenge Fund
The Workers’ Safety Adviser working in partnership with
workers and employers to secure improvements in health
and safety
Information pack
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The Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund
Information pack
Contents
Page
What is worker involvement and consultation in health and safety ?
3
What is the Worker Safety Adviser Challenge Fund ?
4
Why is the Government providing funding ?
4
How much money is available ?
6
Who is eligible to apply for a Challenge Fund award ?
6
The role, responsibility and characteristics of the Workers’ Safety Adviser 7
What kinds of projects are eligible ?
8
What criteria are used to assess applications for a Challenge Fund award ?
9
What support is available ?
9
What are the eligible costs ?
9
When can I apply ?
10
How do I apply ?
10
Publicising the projects
10
Where can I get further information ?
11
Frequently asked questions
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The Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund
What is worker involvement and consultation in health and safety ?
All workers have a legal right to work in places where risks to occupational
health and safety are properly controlled. All workers have the right to be
consulted on decisions concerning the management of occupational health
and safety.
Workers who have a voice, influence and responsibility on health and safety
matters are safer and healthier than those who do not. By involvement we
specifically mean relationships between workers and employers based on
collaboration and trust – essential elements if we are going to build the
partnerships necessary to produce real improvements in health and safety.
Where employers recognise trade unions workers have access to skilled and
competent safety representatives. Evidence shows that trade unions safety
representatives make a substantial contribution to ensuring significant risks to
occupational health and safety are properly controlled – injury and ill-health
rates are significantly lower for these workers.
However many workers are not properly consulted on health and safety as
required by law. The Government, the Health and Safety Commission and
Health and Safety Executive have re-affirmed their commitment to putting
measures in place that will help us to achieve the goal of proper and effective
involvement and consultation with all workers on health and safety.
The evidence shows that in certain sectors we need to do far more to properly
involve workers in the management of risks to occupational health and safety.
The HSC’s Workers’ Safety Adviser Pilot, details of which are set out below,
focussed on the construction, hospitality, light engineering and automotive
and voluntary sectors, ones needing a far greater degree of worker
involvement and consultation in order to achieve the improvements health and
safety desired by all social partners.
HSC’s “Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and
beyond”, published on 23 February 2004, sets out what needs to be done to
achieve the vision and gain recognition of health and safety as a cornerstone
of a civilised society; achieving a record of workplace health and safety that
leads the world1. An essential part of this vision is a fully involved workforce
and a vibrant system of workplace health and safety representatives operating
in partnership with management.
The HSC, on 3 March 2004, published a statement detailing the principles,
evidence and the measures for social partners, including employers and trade
unions, to agree to and endorse that are considered essential to deliver this
1
www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/hsc/strategy.htm
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vision of workers fully involved and consulted on health and safety2. It also
links to HSE’s developing intervention strategy and the important role of
partnership to drive improvements in standards of health and safety.
What is the Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund ?
The Challenge Fund is a grant scheme designed to increase worker
involvement and consultation, through the intervention of the Workers’ Safety
Adviser, as a means of building of partnership and driving improvements in
occupational health and safety. Projects for support under the Challenge
Fund are invited on a competitive basis during fixed rounds (see page 6).
Organisations could be looking to work together in partnership for the first
time or build on existing relationships.
An independent Challenge Fund Management Board comprising a Chair and
seven members appointed by the Health and Safety Executive will assess
applications for Challenge Fund awards against the published criteria (see
pages 8 –9 below).
The Challenge Fund award scheme offers funding to eligible projects that are
looking to adopt and build partnership approaches. The focus of the
Challenge Fund will be on small organisations employing between 1 and 250
employees.
Why is the Government providing funding ?
The Government in setting up the Challenge Fund recognised the real value
to employers and workers that the HSC’s Workers’ Safety Adviser (WSA) Pilot
had produced through the deployment of skilled and knowledgeable safety
representatives in small private and voluntary organisations in the
construction, retail and voluntary sectors lacking any arrangements for
involvement and consultation.
The WSA Pilot introduced new and innovative mechanisms through the work
of the WSAs who provided support, advice and training to get the workforce in
those organisations more involved in health and safety.
Ministers paid tribute to the work of the WSAs and the knowledge and
commitment they brought to the workers and employers who participated in
the Pilot. When announcing the creation of the WSA Challenge Fund in
October 2003 Ministers made clear that the approach must be about getting
workers and employers to work together in partnership to secure
improvements in health and safety.
The main findings from the evaluation of the WSA Pilot are attached below.
2
www.hse.gov.uk/workers/involvement/index.htm
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The WSA pilot introduced new and innovative mechanisms for deploying safety
representatives into small firms to act as worker safety advisers. This sector is
notoriously hard to reach and one that needs particular support in encouraging the
partnerships and joint working fundamental for improving health and safety (see “The
Workers’ Safety Advisers Pilot”, HSE Research Report 144/2003).
The WSAs worked in a range of sectors to provide support, advice and training for
getting the workforce more involved in health and safety and create channels for
improving dialogue between employers and employees. The pilot was set up to test
the effectiveness of WSAs in:
·
Promoting greater consultation on health and safety;
·
Raising health and safety standards; and
·
Broadening/increasing employers’ and workers’ knowledge of health and
safety.
The nine-month pilot deployed nine WSAs in England (North East, North West, South
West and London), Scotland and Wales. The HSC/E chose areas they believed
would benefit most from external support including those within the voluntary,
hospitality, engineering and construction sectors. A total of 88 employers participated
in the pilot, predominantly from small firms, with two thirds having less than 25
employees.
Bill Callaghan in announcing that the report of the pilot was now available said; “ I am
pleased to have been personally involved with the WSA Pilot. I have met with the
employers, employees and WSA’s and what has impressed me was that where
employees were involved they really did help solve health and safety problems. We
now want to take forward the approach but more work needs to be done to find
practical and cost effect ways of doing this.”
The WSAs visited each of the organisations and quickly gained the trust of both the
employers and employees. This was largely due to the sensitive handling by the
advisers and was identified by the report as a key factor for success.
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Employers and workers were surveyed before and after the pilot to evaluate the
effectiveness of WSAs. The findings indicate that:
·
Involvement of WSAs led to improvements in small non-unionised workplace
approach to health and safety;
·
Nearly 73% of employers said awareness had increased on health and safety
matters and a third of employers stated that communications had improved;
·
Over 75% of employers said they had made changes to their approach to
health and safety as a result of the pilot with those changes taking place in:
·
-
Revising or introducing new policies and procedures (61%);
-
Regular health and safety discussion with staff (21%);
-
Risks assessments being carried out (11%);
Nearly 70% of workers observed an increase in the amount of discussion on
health and safety;
The pilot facilitated the creation of safety committees in some workplaces; and
Joint working on risk assessments and training for workers.
·
·
How much money is available ?
The Government has announced funding of £3 million over a three-year
period :
·
·
·
£1 million in the First round – July 2004 – March 2005
£1 million in the Second round – April 2005 – March 2006
£1 million in the Third round – April 2006 – March 2007
The funds made available by the Government have to cover not only the
awards but also the costs of managing and administering the Challenge Fund
and running the Challenge Fund Management Board. The costs of evaluating
the effectiveness of the WSA Challenge Fund will met from other sources.
Who is eligible to apply for a Challenge Fund award ?
For the First round of the Challenge Fund applications would be particularly
welcome from the construction, hospitality, retail and voluntary sectors –
building on the work of the WSA Pilot. Although these sectors will be the
priority for the first year applications would be welcome from other sectors too.
Any organisation is eligible to apply for an award from the Challenge Fund.
The organisation or individual applying for an award must identify the partners
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who will be participating in the planned project and have secured their
agreement to participate.
Applications may come directly from organisations intending to work in
partnership or from organisations representing the partners – for example :
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
employers’ associations
trade unions workers
employers voluntary organisations local authorities chambers of commerce
academic bodies consultancies Project applications must be signed by all of the participating organisations.
“Partners” in this context means different stakeholders seeking to work
together in partnership in workplaces subject of the award from the Challenge
Fund. The project must focus on developing and improving worker
involvement and consultation in occupational health and safety in the
workplaces subject of the award.
Each application must identify a lead partner who will be responsible for the
management and administration of the Challenge Fund award for the whole
project and who will be the point of contact with the Challenge Fund Manager.
Projects will attract funding for a period of twelve months. Organisations who
have been granted a Challenge Fund award to undertake projects during the
First round will be eligible to apply for continuing support during the Second
and Third rounds subject to satisfactory performance.
The role, responsibility and characteristics of the Workers’ Safety
Adviser
The role of the WSAs will be to :
·
·
consult with workers and employers on health and safety matters
work with employers and workers to identify and manage risks to
occupational health and safety
· recommend actions to control risks
· work with other intermediaries to ensure measures put in place to
effectively control risks to health and safety are effective and
appropriate
· give general advice and support on occupational health and safety
matters and arrangements for improving worker involvement and
consultation
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Activities of the WSAs are likely to include :
·
·
·
·
·
carrying out workplace health and safety inspections and audits
assisting workers and employers in carrying out risk assessments
acting as an expert source of health and safety information
facilitating improved communication between workers and employers
on health and safety matters
providing support through training and development on the management of health and safety
The WSAs will need to quickly secure the confidence and trust of the
participating employers and workers and have the necessary, skills,
competence and qualities to carry out this demanding role. The WSAs may
well have developed the skills and qualities while serving as trade unions
safety representative or representative of employee safety. The WSAs may
have acquired the skills and qualities through their work as a health and
safety manager or consultant. A key requirement is the commitment of the
WSA to work to build trust between workers and employers on health and
safety matters and to provide workers with the support they need to be
properly involved in managing health and safety.
What kind of projects are eligible ?
Projects may cover one workplace or a number of workplaces subject to the
limitation that support provided through the work of the Workers’ Safety
Adviser will only be directed at organisations employing between 1 and 250
employees. Projects, through the work of the partners and the Workers’
Safety Advisers, should aim to :
· build WSA capacity through identifying WSAs and developing their
skills, awareness and capability
· implement a change programme to introduce and sustain
partnership to increase worker involvement and consultation in
health and safety in the workplace including risk awareness
· promote partnership by addressing the business and social issues
concerning the management of risks to occupational health and
safety
· build links with other occupational health and safety initiatives
including occupational health support schemes
· produce lasting improvements in health and safety.
We are particularly keen to see innovative projects that develop and promote
new measures for worker involvement and consultation in occupational health
and safety – either formal or informal measures. The measures put in place
should be capable of running on after the support provided through the
Challenge Fund award ends. We will assess the success of individual
projects against the agreed measures put in place and which form the basis of
the award and follow up later to assess whether the planned improvements
have been maintained.
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What criteria are used to assess applications for a Challenge Fund
award ?
The WSA Challenge Fund Management Board against the laid down criteria
assesses bids for an award from the WSA Challenge Fund. Bids should :
· utilise the skills and knowledge of the WSAs to help employers
·
·
·
·
·
·
and workers to focus on partnership on health and safety within
the workplace
set out the skills, knowledge and experience the WSAs they plan
to employ including work to promote and involve workers in
occupational health and safety have or will acquire
address specific health and safety initiatives to be explored and
developed that are key to the business and the health and safety
of workers within it
demonstrate that the partners are committed to continuing the
approach after funding ends
be innovative – applications should explore the feasibility and
practicability of informal and formal and both proven and untried
arrangements
demonstrate additionality – that is that the project would not have
gone ahead or on a much smaller or slower scale without support
from the Government. An award from the WSA Challenge Fund
should act as a spur and initiate partnership activity
be good value for money and cost effective. The aim is to
optimise the award to ensure that as much of the resource as
possible goes in to the front line work of the WSA and the
delivery of the planned outputs. Applications for awards must
clearly set out how the resources will be used, what resources of
their own they plan to invest, identify the employing organisations
and their workplaces at which the award will be directed and the
outputs (both volume and time) that will be achieved.
What support is available ?
The maximum award of a grant available during the first round (April 2004 –
March 2005) of the Challenge Fund is £100,000 to an organisation and its
partners. Where a cost of a project exceeds £100,000 the partners will be
expected to supplement an award from their own resources. VAT costs have
to be met by the organisation from the award.
What are the eligible costs ?
To be eligible, costs must be directly incurred in producing outputs agreed as
a condition of the Challenge Fund award. These may include :
• direct costs of personnel involved for the time spent on project work;
• up to a reasonable level of overheads and office equipment costs where
they are specific to the project;
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• the development or delivery of training packages related to the project’s
objectives;
• dissemination/meeting costs relevant to the project work, e.g. hire of venue
for conference;
• promotion/publicity material for in-house or external promotion of the project;
• reasonable travel and subsistence costs relevant to the project.
Capital costs, including buildings, equipment and machinery, are not eligible
costs. Costs for employing temporary staff to replace employees involved in
project activities are not eligible.
When can I apply ?
The Health and Safety Executive is planning to launch the WSA Challenge
Fund and officially invite bids on 26 March 2004. For the first round of
Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund awards applications should be sent
to Matthew Holder, Innovate Engagement Unit, Health and Safety Executive,
6SW Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS or by e-mail to
[email protected] by 7 May 2004 at the latest.
How do I apply ?
• You will need to send the completed application form, signed by all the
organisations intending to collaborate in the partnership and organisations
that will be representing the partners to Matthew Holder at HSE;
• A representative from each partner taking part in the project will need to sign
the application form to confirm they are committed to collaborating on the
project, for example this might be a representative from management
and employees. If necessary, partners can supply a letter of consent if they
are not able to sign the form;
• You will also need to send evidence of the financial viability of the applicant
organisation or organisations – the last two years’ annual accounts would be
the most appropriate documents. If accounts are unavailable or are more than
six months old, draft or management accounts for the later period should be
provided.
Publicising the projects
The Health and Safety Executive reserves the right to publish the names of
successful applicants and projects – HSC/E plans to hold an event on 9 June
2004 at which the names of the organizations that have been successful with
their bids will be announced.
We would like to publicise successful projects more widely and will therefore
seek permission to use specific material on a case by case basis.
CASE STUDY
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Where do I go for further information?
Call Neal Stone or Matthew Holder at the Health and Safety Executive on 020
7717 6484 or 020 7717 6977 for further advice or e-mail
[email protected] or [email protected]
You can also visit HSE’s Workplace Safety Advice Challenge Fund website
on www.hse.gov.uk/challengefund.
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The Workers’ Safety Adviser Challenge Fund
Frequently asked questions
1. What exactly is meant by Workers’ Safety Adviser intervention to
promote partnership working and increased worker involvement in
health and safety ?
The following key elements demonstrate a partnership approach through the
intervention of a Workers’ Safety Adviser:
• an emphasis on improving both business performance and health and safety
of workers;
• an appreciation of the business and social benefits that can arise from
consulting workers;
• the recognition that employers and workers have health and safety rights
and responsibilities, commitments and obligations;
• the recognition that a satisfactory work-life balance is an important element
of successful partnership;
• open management, an independent voice for workers and a commitment to
involvement, ownership and responsibility;
• a shared commitment to developing every individual in the organization.
2. What is a partner?
In the context of the WSA Challenge Fund, partners in a project might be, for
example :
• the management of a single business and its workers or the workers’ trade
union;
• a trade association, a business or businesses in that sector, a Chamber of
Commerce, trade unions and other key stakeholders;
• a Business Link or Learning & Skills Council and local businesses or a trade
association, trade unions and other key stakeholders.
This list is by no means exhaustive – a fuller list is set out on pages 6 – 7 of
the Information pack. The main point is that the project partners must be
committed to working together to improve worker involvement and
consultation on health and safety in the workplace.
The project must concentrate on developing increased worker involvement in
health and safety through partnership within the organizations involved.
3. What is meant by Additionality?
Additionality simply means what activities will be undertaken or what changes
will take place that would not otherwise happen if the Government did
not provide funding. Where an organisation makes a large profit or has
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substantial resources, a case for funding assistance is more difficult to argue
than for a small cash constrained organisation. However, the Challenge Fund
recognizes that often organisations would like to undertake activities to
improve worker involvement in health and safety but hesitate to commit
scarce resources. Government funding can act as a catalyst to help an
organisation find the resources to bring these projects to the top
of the agenda. We would expect you to support these arguments within your
application.
4. Can a project be solely about training ?
In any business training is an important part of developing partnership
between employers and workers. If it is to have any real value, the
decision about health and safety training, or training to promote better worker
involvement and consultation, must be arrived at through joint discussions
between managers and workers. If training is introduced by a top-down
approach and workers are not fully involved, this does not demonstrate a
partnership as required by the WSA Challenge Fund criteria.
To meet the WSA Challenge Fund criteria, training should be provided to
enable the two parties to develop their health and safety relationship together.
It should be provided as a result of consultation between the employers and
the workers.
CASE STUDY
5. If we are already developing partnership type projects, can we apply
for funding towards that existing activity?
You can apply to the WSA Challenge Fund for support if you are developing
new initiatives that help to strengthen partnership and improve health and
safety within the organisation. You should demonstrate that the work for which
you are seeking support adds significant value to earlier efforts, is distinct
from the main project and could not be undertaken without Government
support.
You will need to provide a strong additionality argument (see question 3).
6. Which partner should submit costings and financial information?
If the project is taking place in one organisation between the employer and the
workers then the application form need only be completed once by the
organisation. If there is more than one organisation involved in a partnership,
then each organisation needs to signify on the application form their
agreement to participate.
The lead partner in the project should provide financial reports and requests
for payment to the Challenge Fund Manager on a monthly basis.
7. What can be claimed as eligible costs?
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Capital equipment, such as new machinery, buildings, cars, is not an eligible
cost. Remember, however, that you will have other costs to consider and the
maximum funding toward any project is up to £100,000. VAT costs have to
be met from the award.
8. Can a company that is a subsidiary of an overseas parent apply for
funding?
Yes, any organisation which is based and trading in England, Scotland or
Wales is eligible to apply to the scheme.
9. Where can I get help with putting my proposal together?
The WSA Challenge Fund award application form can be found at :
www.hse.gov.uk/challengefund
Call [ Neal Stone or Matthew Holder at the Health and Safety Executive on
020 7717 6484 or 020 7717 6977 for further advice or e-mail
[email protected] ] [ replace with contact details for CFM once appointed ].
You can also visit HSE’s Workplace Safety Advice Challenge Fund website
on [ www.hse.gov.uk/challengefund ].
10. How will my application be assessed?
Proposals are assessed in the first instance by the Challenge Fund Manager
against the laid down criteria. The application together with Challenge Fund
Manager’s assessment will then be considered by the independent Challenge
Fund Management Board. The Challenge Fund Manager will score and rank
the applications and provide the results to the Management Board to assist
their deliberations. The Management Board, appointed by the Health and
Safety Executive, is made up of experts in the field of worker involvement
and/or health and safety drawn from representatives of trade associations,
employers’ organizations, trade unions and other key stakeholders. Final
decisions will be taken by the Challenge Fund Management Board.
11. When will I hear whether my proposal has been successful or not?
Acknowledgements will be sent to all applicants soon after the closing date for
first round WSA Challenge Fund awards of 7 May 2004. Winners will be
announced by the HSE on 8 June 2004. The Challenge Fund Manager will
however write to all applicants informing them whether their project has been
successful or not. Unsuccessful bidders will be receiving an explanation for
the decision that was made.
12. What happens if I am successful?
The Challenge Fund Manager will send you an offer letter that will set out the
terms and conditions of the WSA Challenge Fund award. You will be required
to sign the offer letter and a collaboration agreement accepting these terms
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and conditions and return it to the Challenge Fund Manager. You will also be
required to indemnify the HSE and the Challenge Fund Manager in respect of
any liabilities or claims arising from the work of the WSA.
13. When can I start?
Successful bidders will be informed as soon as possible and then invited to
sign and return a formal offer letter. Costs incurred before the issue of an offer
cannot be considered. If you start your project before the formal offer
letter is signed and returned to the WSA Challenge Fund Managers, you do
so at your own risk.
14. If I am successful how will I be paid?
Payments are made monthly and in arrears direct to the lead partner. You will
be required to breakdown the costs covered by the monthly invoice for
payment and provide a report of spend against budget and a budget forecast
for the remaining period covered by the award.
Once the WSA Challenge Fund Manager and the HSE are satisfied that all
criteria for the claim have been met, they will make a payment to the lead
partner to cover the expenditure, in line with the conditions set out in the offer
letter that will be sent to the successful applicants
15. How would my project be monitored?
You will be required to submit regular progress reports usually on a quarterly
basis (depending on the length of your project) to the WSA Challenge Fund
Manager for review.
The lead partner in the project will be provided with a progress report proforma by the Challenge Fund Manager that must be completed on a quarterly
basis. Project progress will be judged against the objectives and milestones
you provide in your application. The Challenge Fund Manager must therefore
approve any deviation from the original project in content or timescale.
16. Audit
It is also a condition of the award that the Challenge Fund Manager can ask to
see all documentation relating to the conduct and progress of the project,
project spend and all claims. The Challenge Fund Manager reserves the right
to undertake ad hoc audits. The Challenge Fund Manager’s accounts are
subject to annual and ad hoc audit by the HSE.
A final end of project report will have to be provided to the Challenge Fund
Manager within three months of the completion of the project. Final payment
is dependent on the submission of the final report to the satisfaction of the
Challenge Fund Manager and HSE.
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