Estate Risk Reporting and Action Procedure

This procedure applies to [school name] where it has been adopted for managing risks associated with buildings and external areas. It enables staff and pupils to report risks through [estate risk reporting channel].

1. Reporting an estate risk

Staff and pupils should report any observed estate risk as soon as reasonably practicable using [estate risk reporting channel]. A report should identify what was seen, where it was seen, when it was seen and any immediate concern about people being exposed to it.

If the risk requires immediate attention, the reporter should also notify [immediate estate risk contact] and follow any local arrangements for keeping people away from the affected area.

2. Logging the report

The person receiving the report should enter it in [estate risk log]. The record should include the report reference, date and time received, reporter category, location, description of the risk, immediate information provided and the person responsible for taking it forward.

Reports from pupils should be recorded in a way that is accessible and appropriate to the reporting arrangement used by the school.

3. Assigning and assessing the report

The [estate risk coordinator] should review each logged report and assign it to [estate risk action owner] or another person with suitable responsibility for the location or issue.

The action owner should assess the reported condition, identify who may be affected, record the assessment in the report and decide whether further advice or a formal risk assessment is needed. The assessment should be based on the information available and should not be represented as complete until the relevant checks have been made.

4. Applying controls

The action owner should record the control selected for the reported risk, the person responsible for applying it and the target date recorded in [estate risk log]. Controls may include restricting access, arranging corrective work or communicating temporary arrangements, where appropriate to the reported condition.

Where a temporary control is used, the report should remain open until the underlying issue has been addressed or a documented decision has been made by [estate risk authorising role].

5. Escalating the report

The action owner should escalate the report to [estate risk escalation role] when the risk cannot be adequately controlled within the recorded action, requires resources or authority outside the action owner’s responsibility, or remains unresolved by the recorded target date.

The log should record the reason for escalation, the person or role receiving it, the date of escalation and any further action or control agreed.

6. Closing the report

A report may be closed only when the action owner has recorded the action taken, the control or corrective work completed or the documented decision made, and the basis for considering the reported risk addressed or otherwise dealt with.

The closure record should include the closure date, the person confirming closure and any continuing control, monitoring arrangement or follow-up required. If the issue remains unresolved, the report should remain open or be re-escalated rather than being closed.

7. Records and access

[estate risk log] should retain the report, assignment, assessment, controls, escalation and closure information together so that the school can identify what was reported and what action was taken.

Access to the log should be provided to [estate risk record access roles] in accordance with the school’s arrangements for managing health and safety information.

8. Local contacts

Reporting channel: [estate risk reporting channel]. Immediate estate risk contact: [immediate estate risk contact]. Estate risk coordinator: [estate risk coordinator]. Escalation role: [estate risk escalation role]. Authorising role for unresolved or exceptional controls: [estate risk authorising role].