Health and safety policy

Updated: June 2026
Reviewed By: Dylan Pomietlo
Approved By: Clinical Director

Purpose of Policy

1: Teenage Mental Health Ltd (“TMH” or “the Employer”) takes health and safety issues seriously and is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its employees, workers, volunteers, contractors, patients, visitors, and all others who may be affected by its business activities or who attend its premises. This policy is intended to help the employer achieve this by clarifying who is responsible for health and safety matters and what those responsibilities are.

2: This is a statement of policy only and does not form part of your contract of employment. This policy may be amended at any time by the employer in its absolute discretion. The employer will review this policy at regular intervals to ensure that it is achieving its aims effectively.

Payment and Fees

Teenage Mental Health Ltd (TMH) is an independent private limited company and does not receive statutory funding. Fees are charged to enable us to provide safe, ethical and sustainable therapeutic services.

An initial assessment is provided free of charge and usually lasts between 30 and 50 minutes, although it may be shorter or longer depending upon the needs of the individual.

TMH reserves the right to refuse or discontinue an assessment where it is not clinically appropriate or safe to continue.

The weekly therapy service fee is £85 and is payable on or before each scheduled appointment. At the commencement of therapy, £170 is payable, covering the first week’s service and the final week’s service in advance.

The final week’s service prepayment supports a planned therapeutic ending, is non-refundable, and may be applied towards any outstanding fees owed to TMH.

Who is responsible for workplace health and safety?

3: Achieving a healthy and safe workplace is a collective task shared between the employer and staff. This policy and the rules contained in it apply to all staff of the employer, irrespective of seniority, tenure, and working hours, including all employees, directors, officers, and consultants. Specific responsibilities of staff are set out in the section headed ‘responsibilities of all staff’ below.

Employer Responsibilities

4: The employer is responsible for:

a: Taking reasonable steps to safeguard the health and safety of staff, people affected by the employer’s business activities and of people visiting its premises.
b: Identifying health and safety risks and finding ways to manage or overcome them.
c: Providing a safe and healthy place of work and safe access to and from all premises, including arrangements for emergency evacuation.
d: Providing and maintaining safe working areas, equipment and systems and where necessary, appropriate protective clothing.
e: Providing safe arrangements for the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
f: Providing adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to enable all staff to do their work safely, to avoid hazards and to contribute positively to their own health and safety at work. The employer will give you the opportunity to ask questions and advise who best to contact in respect of those questions, if you are unsure about how to safely carry out your work. This includes providing appropriate training relating to safeguarding, lone working, violence and aggression, infection prevention and control, and other risks identified through workplace risk assessments where relevant to an individual’s role.
g: Ensuring any health and safety representatives receive appropriate training to carry out their functions effectively.
h: Providing a health and safety induction and appropriate safety training to your role.
i: Promoting effective communication and consultation between the employer and staff concerning health and safety matters and will consult with staff directly relating to health and safety.
j: Where significant public health incidents or other major emergencies occur, providing instructions, arrangements, and advice to staff as to the organisation of business operations and steps to be taken to minimise the risk of infection.
k: Regularly monitor and review the management of health and safety at work, making any necessary changes and bringing those to the attention of all staff.

5: The employer has appointed an appropriate Health and Safety Officer to oversee the day-to-day management of health and safety. The individual fulfilling this role will be identified within the organisational structure and may be updated from time to time without requiring amendment of this policy.

6: Any concerns about health and safety matters should be notified to the Principle Health and Safety Officer.

Responsibilities of all staff

General staff responsibilities

7: All staff must:

a: Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
b: Co-operate with the Principle Health and Safety Officer and the employer generally to enable compliance with health and safety duties and requirements.
c: Comply with any health and safety instructions and rules, including instructions on the safe use of equipment.
d: Keep health and safety issues in the front of their minds and take personal responsibility for the health and safety implications of their own acts and omissions.
e: Keep the workplace tidy and hazard-free.
f: Report all health and safety concerns to the Principle Health and Safety Officer promptly, including any potential risk, hazard or malfunction of equipment, however minor or trivial it may seem.
g: Co-operate in the employers investigation of any incident or accident which either has led to injury or which could have led to injury in the employers opinion.
h. Report safeguarding concerns immediately in accordance with the Teenage Mental Health Ltd Safeguarding Policy where there is any concern regarding the welfare of a child, young person or vulnerable adult.

Staff responsibilities relating to equipment

8: All staff must:

a: Use equipment as directed by any instructions given by representatives of management or contained in any written operating manual or instructions for use and any relevant training.
b: Report any fault with damage to or concern about any equipment (including health and safety equipment) or its use to the Principle Health and Safety Officer, who is responsible for maintenance and safety of equipment.
c: Ensure that health and safety equipment is not interfered with.
d: Not attempt to repair equipment unless suitably trained and authorised.

Staff responsibilities relating to accidents and first aid

9: All staff must:

a: Promptly report any accident at work involving personal injury, however trivial, to the Principle Health and Safety Officer so that details can be recorded in the Accident Book and co-operate in any associated investigation.
b: Familiarise themselves with the details of first aid facilities and trained first aiders.
c: If an accident occurs, Immediately contact Reception or the designated First Aider using the contact details displayed within the premises.
d: the Principle Health and Safety Officer is responsible for investigating any injuries or work-related disease, preparing and keeping accident records, and for submitting reports under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), where required.

Staff responsibilities relating to national health alerts

10: If significant public health incidents or other major emergencies occur, all staff must comply with the instructions, arrangements and advice issued by the employer regarding business operations and measures to minimise any associated risks. Any questions should be referred to the Principle Health and Safety Officer.

Staff responsibilities relating to emergency evacuation and fire

11: All staff must:

a: Familiarise themselves with the instructions about what to do if there is a fire.
b: Ensure they are aware of the location of fire extinguishers, fire exits, and alternative ways of leaving the building in an emergency.
c: Comply with the instructions of fire-wardens if there is a fire, suspected fire, or fire alarm (or a practice drill for any of these scenarios).
d: Co-operate in fire drills and take them seriously (ensuring that any visitors to the building do the same), fire drills will be held at least annually.
e: Ensure that fire exits or fire notices or emergency exit signs are not obstructed or hidden at any time.
f: Notify the Principle Health and Safety Officer immediately of any circumstances (for example, impaired mobility) which might hinder or delay evacuation in a fire. This will allow the Principle Health and Safety Officer to discuss a personal evacuation plan for you, which will be shared with the fire-wardens and colleagues working near you.

12: On discovering a fire, all staff must:

a: Immediately activate the nearest fire alarm and begin evacuation in accordance with the Fire Evacuation Procedure. Where it is safe and practicable to do so, call 999 to request the Fire & Rescue Service, providing the full address of the premises and the location of the fire. As soon as reasonably practicable, notify the Clinical Director or the designated Health & Safety Officer.
b: Attempt to tackle the fire only where it is safe to do so, the fire is small and contained, a safe escape route remains available, and the individual has received appropriate training in the use of fire extinguishers.

13. On hearing the fire alarm, all staff must:

a: Remain calm and immediately evacuate the building, walking quickly without running, following any instructions of the fire wardens.
b: Leave without stopping to collect personal belongings.
c: Stay out of any lifts.
d: Remain out of the building until notified by a fire warden that it is safe to re-enter.

The Principle Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring fire risk assessments take place and changes made where required, and for making sure there are regular checks of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, escape routes, signage, and emergency lighting, risk assessments, display screen equipment, and manual handling.

Further Health and Safety Considerations

14: Risk assessments are simply a careful examination of what in the workplace could cause harm to people. The employer will assess any risks and consider measures to best minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. The employer will carry out general workplace risk assessments when required or as reasonably requested by staff. Managers must ensure that any necessary risk assessments take place and resulting recommendations are implemented. The Principle Health and Safety Officer is responsible for workplace risk assessments and any measures to control risks.

15: Staff who use a computer for prolonged periods of time should try, where possible to organise regular short breaks away from the computer screen, but may request a workstation assessment and/or an eye test by an optician by contacting the Principle Health and Safety Officer. The Principle Health and Safety Officer will then provide you with more details and make arrangements if you would like to proceed. This also applies to employees working remotely or from home where Display Screen Equipment forms a significant part of their work.

16: Guidance on manual handling (for example, lifting and carrying heavy objects) can be obtained from the Principle Health and Safety Officer and where necessary, training will be provided by the employer, but the employer will try to minimise or avoid the need for manual handling where there is a risk of injury.

17: TMH recognises that some employees may work alone, including during home visits (where authorised), remote working, or whilst opening or closing premises. Appropriate measures will be implemented to minimise foreseeable risks associated with lone working. Employees must follow any Lone Working Procedures issued by TMH and immediately report any concerns or incidents.

18: Violence, Aggression and Personal Safety. TMH has a zero-tolerance approach to violence, threatening behaviour, abuse or aggression towards employees, volunteers or contractors. Staff should remove themselves from situations where they believe there is an immediate risk to their safety and report all incidents promptly in accordance with TMH procedures.

19: TMH recognises that psychological wellbeing forms an important part of workplace health and safety. Employees are encouraged to raise concerns regarding workload, stress, wellbeing or psychological health with their manager at an early opportunity so that appropriate support can be considered.

Non-compliance with health and safety rules

20: Any breach of health and safety rules or failure to comply with this policy will be taken very seriously and is likely to result in disciplinary action against the offender, in accordance with the employer’s disciplinary policy, up to and including immediate dismissal.