Category: Health and Safety

Are you a mum?  Did you breastfeed your baby?  Would you like to volunteer to help other mums in Haringey with feeding their babies?

Peer Supporters are local mums who train to volunteer their time to offer information and support to other mums. Our team helps new mums at baby clinics, on postnatal wards and drop-ins.

The course is:

• One x two-hour class each week  for 12 weeks (excluding school holidays) starting in February 2017
• Based in Tynemouth Medical Centre N15 4RH on Wednesdays from 10 am to 12 noon
• Free and accredited by the Open College Network

For more information call Jane on 07933 733955 or email: jane.taylor@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk

Visit the BreastFeeding Network website (external link).

Find out more about the Breastfeeding Network on their website.

Fraudsters are sending out a high number of ‘phishing’ emails to personal and business email addresses, pretending to come from ‘donotreply’ followed by a name similar to a recognised security or policy address, for example: ‘donotreply@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk’. The subject line currently is shown as a series of random numbers and letters: ‘RNP0024D5D73B3A’ and ‘KMBT_C220’ have both been seen.

The emails include an attachment – a .zip file, usually with the current date followed by random digits in the file name. These attachments contain a password stealing component, with the aim of stealing your bank, PayPal or other financial details along with your email or web log-in credentials. Many of them are also designed to steal your Facebook and other social network log-in details. A very high proportion also contain ‘Locky’ ransomware that, once downloaded, will encrypt files and demand money (typically about £350) to recover the files.

Protection/Prevention Advice

Having up-to-date virus protection is essential; however it will not always prevent your system from becoming infected. Please also consider the following actions:

• Don’t click on links or open any attachments you receive in unsolicited emails or SMS messages. Remember that fraudsters can create an email address to look like one used by someone you trust. If you are unsure, check the email header to identify the true source before you open any attachment or click on any links.
• Always install software updates as soon as they become available, the update will often include fixes for critical security vulnerabilities.
• Create regular back-ups of your important files. It’s important that the device you back up to is not left connected to your computer as any malware infection could spread to that too.
• Don't pay extortion demands – there is no guarantee that access to your files will be restored if you do pay.
• If you think your bank details have been compromised, contact your bank immediately.
• If you have been affected by this, or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visit Action Fraud's website (external link)   

All schools where the Council is the employer will shortly be sent a Health and Safety Assurance Questionnaire.  The questionnaire will allow us to assess how well schools are carrying out their duty of care under health and safety legislation and Council policy.  This is mandatory for all schools to complete. 

As well as completing the questionnaire, you will be required to provide copies of key documents as evidence.  

The deadline for returns is by 16 December 2016.

Haringey Health and Safety has also created a CPD health and safety training package available from the school traded services portal. This training package enable educational settings to purchase the training package outside of the service level agreement.

The CPD Health and Safety Training Package is available for your perusal and booking via the School Traded Services Portal (external link).
 

The Emergency Planning and Guidance for Schools page is now live.

Check online (external link) where you can find the  School Emergency Plan Template.
 

As winter approaches, it is important that schools are reminded and updated on important health considerations for their pupils/students, parents/carers and staff.

Pupils and staff in schools are particularly susceptible to infections which increase over the winter months such as seasonal influenza (flu) and stomach infections (such as norovirus). These can be very infectious and cause outbreaks in school settings due to the close contact amongst pupils and staff. The spread of these illnesses can be limited by improving infection control practices within the school.

Young children and/or those with chronic illnesses are also at risk of developing complications from certain vaccine preventable infections such as measles and flu. It is important that they are immunised to prevent any complications and to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks in a school setting.

The Winter-readiness pack for schools (PDF, 3MB) provides:

• key messages for care head teachers on winter preparedness
• two checklists on flu and norovirus readiness and when and how to report outbreaks
• leaflets and further information on flu, norovirus and meningitis

Barnet Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Mental Health NHS Trust will provide a new service to support children and young people  who may be experiencing emotional and well-being difficulties.

The service, named CHOICES, is available for people in Haringey.

Staff will provide an initial one-to-one session to establish the appropriate support that will help children and young people self-manage their emotional wellbeing.

It’s free and confidential and can really make a difference. This is being delivered via Bruce Grove Youth Space as an accessible and non-stigmatising location for young people, and as part of the council’s wider Early Help offer.

Children are able to self-refer, as are parents who may be concerned about their child. Referrals can be made either by telephoning 020 8702 3405  or visiting the CHOICES website (external link) and completing the online web form.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sending you some leaflets about the service, please display these in the schools  and hand them out to parents and young people who you think the service could help.

If you want to find out more, please visit the BEH website (external link) or call 020 8702 3405 to speak to a member of the team.

A new school health and safety policy was drafted and sent for consultation to all head teachers of the local authority maintained schools.

The aim of the new policy is to bring clarity about where responsibilities lie for managing health and safety. Where the council is the employer, it retains overall responsibility, but allocates to head teachers the task of ensuring that the school is a safe place for employees, pupils and visitors.

The consultation period runs until 22 September 2016.

The council will be changing how it seeks assurance from schools.

Going forward, and starting at the end of the autumn term 2016, we will be asking all schools to provide us with an annual self-assessment of their health and safety arrangements, with a requirement to provide copies of relevant documentation for review by the health and safety team.