Risk assessments

[mynamechangemyrules]

As individual teachers with no responsibility points, do you have to do risk assessments for anything?

I have never had to do them before. I worked in large well-run schools. Now I am at a small -badly run- school and I randomly get asked for risk assessments about everything- a new bookshelf/ a child with allergies/ the hooks in my room
things which must have functioned before I was here but I need to write a risk assessment. Usually I'm asked 'have you done a risk assessment for that?' when I point out that their current systems for something don't work.

Is this normal and I've just avoided it by working in a larger setting where management know what they're doing and there are individuals responsible for H&S/ medical care etc?

I do have a responsibility point, but the only risk assessments I have to complete are for visits. Everything in school is fine as far as I know, but my own kids were toddlers when I started there (adults now) so I didn't need anything pg related.

For kids with allergies, their EHCP covers everything in my school. It is my responsibility to read it, but the fact that it is there is flagged up on the management system.

Thanks for the reply @Malbecfan It just feels wrong that everything from a child tripping in class to a window breaking could be 'my fault' as I have to make up these random risk assessments which I have no training or experience in writing. I've been trying to use info from the internet but it seems mad when we have a paid H&S person for the group. Have tried to suggest them doing it and I think they think I'm a shirker.

I haven't had any training either, but those I have written for trips tend to be common sense eg "how will the students get to the venue? Answer: by coach, then dropped at the bus stop. We will cross the road using the pedestrian crossing with an adult at the front and at the rear of the group." We do have pro-formas on the website we use (Evolve).

It might be worth getting the H&S person to go round your classroom with you after school one day looking for all potential hazards then thinking of mitigations. So for the tripping incident, it could be "all bags to be stored on pegs/under chairs/in plastic boxes". If windows are old or poorly maintained, note it on the RA. Keep your own copies ideally emailed to a personal email account in case of disputes. Are you in a Union? It would be worth talking to the rep if there is one. If you aren't in one, join ASAP.

I've done trip ones fairly often. The classroom one I worked out (despite thinking it's not my job to risk assess a classroom which has existed for 20 years and I've just entered 😬), but the individual children ones are weird, I think. I mean there should be a rigorous allergy/ medical needs policy (there isn't) so I'm not having to write a risk assessment for every single child with medical needs (I'm talking eczema upwards) in my class. But if it's legally required then it is what it is.

I think my main gripe really is the crappy organisation. If these things are a legal requirement, they should have a system in place which isn't someone in passing saying 'have you done a risk assessment for X?' but rather- 'new entrants need A, B and C before their start date.'

@Malbecfan every child with allergies has an EHCP?? How do you organise that? Or is it just luck.

@mynamechangemyrules I think we may possibly work in the same school 😬😆

So yes risk assessments abound at the moment but I think, to be fair, they're becoming more of a thing generally due to the compensation culture and a much higher risk of getting sued.

@MissMelanieH they don't all have an EHCP, but their allergies are noted on Arbor (management system, inferior to SIMS). The severe ones, those requiring epipens and the like have flags against them.

@mynamechangemyrules it's not your responsibility to write them, merely to know which kids have allergies etc. That's the SENCO's job!