Health & Safety Policy

CVA HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

REVIEWED: Jan 2026

 

Name of organisation:  CHEER VALLEY ALLSTARS - CVA 

 

Designated person(s):  Sarah Williams, Ellie Barber, Leonie Ellison, Alison Waters

 

The following statement sets out the health and safety objectives for our establishment. 

 

We

• will take all reasonable steps to provide safe and healthy conditions for children, staff, volunteers, members of management committee, visitors and others who may be affected by its activities;

• will ensure compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation;

• accept responsibility as an organiser and will provide adequate resources to implement this policy;

• accept that health, safety and welfare are an integral part of all its activities and will take steps to manage these;

• expect all staff and volunteers to co-operate in complying with their legal obligations and take reasonable care of their own health and safety and give due regard to the health and safety of others;

• are committed to providing the necessary information, instruction and training to all employees, volunteers and children where applicable;

• are committed to regular evaluation and review of our health and safety policy to ensure its objectives are met and, as necessary, to modify the policy in light of new legislation and other changing circumstances.

 

Responsibilities for implementing and reviewing the organisation’s health and safety policy are detailed below.

 

1. Management committee

 

The management committee has overall responsibility for health and safety. For its part, the management committee will:

• delegate one person to be the health and safety officer for the organisation. This person’s name is Sarah Williams

• make sure health and safety issues are paramount;

• make sure adequate resources for health and safety are made available;

• consult with staff and make sure relevant training is carried out; and monitor and review the health and safety arrangements.

 

2. Named Designated Persons

 

The named designated persons are responsible for day-to-day health, safety and welfare and will:

• develop a safety culture throughout the organisation.

• take day-to-day operational decisions;

• draw up safety procedures;

• make sure coaching staff and volunteers are aware of their responsibilities;

• make sure that visiting adults working with children are made aware of all relevant agreed health, safety and welfare routines and practices;

• update the notice board;

• make sure everyone is told about any hazards on site;

• make sure that a system for reporting and recording accidents is in place and monitored;

• make sure that effective arrangements are in force to facilitate ready evacuation of the building in the case of fire or other emergency; and

• monitor effectiveness of procedures.

 

The designated persons may delegate any of these tasks to named individuals by agreement of all parties. However the designated persons remain responsible for health, safety and welfare on a day-to-day basis.

 

3. Staff and volunteers

 

All staff and volunteers will:

• support the implementation of health and safety arrangements as required by health and safety legislation;

• take reasonable care of themselves, children and others;

• make sure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that training areas, recreational spaces and other areas accessed by athletes are safe and free of hazards;

• report any concerns, shortcomings or near accidents immediately to the relevant coach, the designated persons, or health and safety officer Jodie Stott;

• read the policy and comply with the agreed standards; and store potentially dangerous materials safely.

 

4. Training

 

The health and safety officer will attend regular training courses about health and safety matters, including first aid. Relevant information will be passed on to other members of staff and volunteers after the training.

 

5. First aid

 

The first aid kit is kept by Sarah Williams and is accessible to all members of staff and volunteers. The health and safety officer is responsible for keeping the first aid kit up-to-date with supplies. There must be at least one qualified first-aider on site at all times. A list of First Aiders can be found in Appendix 1.

 

6. Accidents and dangerous occurrences

 

All accidents and injuries that result in any first aid given must be recorded in the accident book which is kept at the unit/with the first aid kit if not at the gym. 

All head/facial injuries, regardless of severity, must be recorded in the accident book. The Coach of the class and parents must also be told. If necessary, the health and safety officer will be responsible for informing the appropriate parties, and for setting up any subsequent enquiry.

 

In an emergency, if a child needs to go to hospital, an ambulance should be called by the health and safety officer or designated person or coach by dialling 999. Parents or carers will be told immediately. If both the parent and the next emergency contact are unavailable, a member of staff must accompany the child to hospital acting in ‘loco parentis’.

 

7. Health and safety induction

 

The health and safety officer runs sessions for new staff and volunteers to discuss the general health and safety management arrangements and emergency procedures, including this policy.

 

8. Jewellery and Piercings

 

• No jewellery is to be worn for training 

• If ears are freshly pierced, one pair of stud earrings may be taped up for the 6 weeks healing time. Once that period is over then the earrings must be removed for training. 

• All belly bars must be removed for training.

• If an athlete has a fresh belly piercing then they must wear a gymnastics leotard for training until it is healed and the bar can be removed. 

• No other piercings will be allowed or accommodated.No “sports/plastic earrings” 

 

9. Monitoring and review of policy

 

The designated persons or leader and the health and safety officer will carry out an annual review of the health and safety policy to make sure that new regulations are followed and that the contents of policy remain valid.

 

The views of children, young people and their families, staff, volunteers and members of management committee will be sought.

 

Risk assessments will be carried out by the health and safety officer and the designated person or leader on a regular basis.

 

Further information

 

For more information about any aspect of this policy or on any health and safety issues in general, please contact the health and safety officer Sarah Williams on coachsarah1@yahoo.co.uk

 

CVA will hold a register of all coaches and athletes who are in the building. This will include those athletes who are attending a team training session (as an athlete or a Junior Coach), a private lesson, or an open gym session.

 

On arrival a parent must ensure they have registered their child’s attendance with a Coach. Athletes in Junior, Senior, and Open teams may register their attendance themselves. Any athlete who has arrived early for the session must register their attendance on arrival.

 

All staff and children will be told where the meeting point is, and what to do in case the building has to be evacuated.

 

The meeting point is the front or rear of the building.

 

Evacuation Procedure

 

When the alarm bell sounds, all children line up immediately at the nearest fire exit.

Coaches will escort the children to the meeting point.

The Senior Coach will collect a register (held online through devices), and contact details.

At the meeting point the Senior Coach will take registration.

A Coach/Staff member will call the fire brigade.

 

The Senior Coach will contact parents and arrange collection of children from the meeting point if applicable.

 

Appendix 1: Trained First Aiders

 

Sarah Williams, Ellie Barber, Leonie Ellison