Issue - meetings

The Council had undertaken a document-based health and safety audit of premises used by maintained and voluntary aided education establishments during 2013/14. An officer working group had identified three key actions in response -

·  Undertaking site audits including mechanical and electrical, health and safety and fire risk assessments to ascertain outstanding areas of non-compliance and implementing a planned programme of works to address these issues. 

·  Creating new guidance for schools regarding their responsibilities with regards health and safety and implementing an associated programme of training for governors, head teachers and premises management staff.

·  Ensuring an ongoing periodic audit of schools whilst they remained under local authority control.

The work was proposed to be funded from a combination of £1.8m from DSG with a £140k contribution from the Education Planned Maintenance Programme/DfE Capital Maintenance Grant.

The Forum discussed where responsibility lay between the local authority and governing bodies for various aspects of health and safety. Whatever historic deficiencies there were, the proposals were designed to provide a base line  of health and safety compliance, but some Forum members were concerned that this was not an appropriate use of DSG funding. It was also questioned why voluntary aided schools had been included, but academies were not and would not therefore benefit.

RESOLVED that the proposals be deferred for further clarification and guidance on the responsibilities involved and the legality of using DSG in this way.