Policy on risk assessment and management

The Direct Medics Ltd. statement of general policy relating to health and safety is:

i. to provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our employees work activities;

ii. to consult with our employees on matters affecting their health and safety;

iii. to ensure that our clients provide and maintain safe plant and equipment;

iv. to ensure safe handling and use of substances;

v. to provide information, instruction and supervision for employees;

vi. to ensure all employees are competent to do their tasks, and to give them adequate training;

vii. to prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health;

viii. to maintain safe and healthy working conditions; and

ix. to review and revise this policy as necessary at regular intervals.

Risk Management

Risk management is recognised within the organisation as an integral part of good practice. It is the ultimate goal of this policy that the effective management of risk is an integral part of everyday practice.

Incident reporting is a fundamental tool of risk management, the aim of which is to collect information about adverse incidents, including near misses and hazards, which help to facilitate wider organisational learning. Incidents and their consequences, if not properly managed, may result in loss of public confidence in the organisation, loss of assets and unnecessary proliferation of loss.

The following arrangements are aimed at providing a comprehensive and reporting system within Direct Medics Ltd.:

i. A designated senior person within the organisation with responsibility for the local complaints procedure;

ii. The arrangements for making complaints are publicised to service users;

iii. All staff receive training and guidance on the complaints procedure to enable them to deal with complaints on the spot;

iv. The organisation has an effective system for the recording of complaints;

v. The organisation monitors how it, or those providing care on its behalf, deals with, and responds to, complaints;

vi. The organisation learns from complaints and improves services as a result

vii. All reported complaints are graded according to severity as well as potential future risk to users and/or to the organisation;

viii. Information on complaints is reported to and considered by the management team.

Examples of Verification:

i. Complaints policy/procedure;

ii. Compliance with the standards for complaints handling;

iii. Evidence of dissemination of learning within the organisation and use of the Equality Good Practice Review on the handling of complaints;

iv. Management meeting minutes;

v. Training programmes;

vi. Training evaluation forms;

vii. Induction programme;

viii. Customer feedback;

ix. Independent review reports (including those from RQIA and BSO).

The organisation must be aware of its risk profile across its entire range of activities. Specific risk assessments may be undertaken but in order to prioritise action an annual organisation-wide review is necessary to ensure that all exposures are duly considered.

Key Risks

“Key risks” (those which have significant potential to impair or affect the operational or financial ability of the organisation to deliver services and meet objectives, and may be strategic or operational in nature) themselves require a comprehensive assessment of risks, creating a continuum of risk assessments across the length and breadth of the organisation, encompassing all risks.

Examples of Verification:

i. Risk management strategy;

ii. Risk identification tools;

iii. Risk assessment tools and forms;

iv. Completed risk assessments;

v. Risk treatment options;

vi. Evidence of risk treatment;

vii. Business plans;

viii. Annual report;

ix. Risk registers;

x. Management meeting minutes;

xi. Monitoring and review procedure;

xii. Incident and complaints analysis.

The above contributes to the organisation’s risk management culture, which needs to be embedded at all levels throughout the organisation. An appropriate training programme is an important means of achieving competence and helps to ensure compliance with safe working practices. All job descriptions for employees within the organisation should contain reference to their risk management responsibilities.

Independent Review

Reviews by independent bodies assist the organisation in demonstrating performance, and also in highlighting areas that need to be addressed. This gives the organisation assurance that controls are working satisfactorily and that local and national targets are being met.

The following aspects of company practice provide assurance that Direct Medics Ltd. could meet the requirements of an independent review:

i. The role of the Audit Committee in reviewing and providing assurance on the risk management systems in place is clearly defined;

ii. The role of the internal audit function in reviewing and providing verification on the systems in place is clearly defined;

iii. The internal audit function carries out periodic reviews to provide assurances to the organisation that a suitable risk management system is in place and working properly taking into consideration reviews by other review bodies;

iv. The organisation has a system in place to ensure that reviews carried out by external agencies are effectively co-ordinated and any recommendations implemented within the context of available resources;