Pitstone Community Car Scheme

RISK ASSESSMENT

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation	
Road Accident while volunteer is transporting client	L	H	•	Driver & vehicle safety information issued for compliance by all volunteers.
•	Only experienced volunteer drivers over the age of 25 utilised.
•	Any client concerns about unsafe driving or vehicles to be immediately reported to the co-ordinator.
•	Any unsafe driving or vehicles reported by clients or others will be immediately reviewed and drivers removed from the list of available volunteers where considered appropriate. 	
Client harmed due to frailty, illness or infirmity (e.g. falls when getting in or out of car)	M	H	•	Volunteers will not attempt to lift or support ill or infirm clients.  Clients needing such assistant must be accompanied by a carer.
•	Volunteers will not provide help for which they are not medically qualified or trained.
•	Should a client be taken ill when being transported by vehicle, volunteers will immediately summon medical help.
•	Clients who are considered too ill or infirm will not be transported by vehicle but alternative arrangements made via trained social services or NHS staff.
•	Volunteers will not collect client’s medication on their behalf.	
Volunteer harmed through manual handling or use of tools & equipment	L	M	•	Volunteers will not take on tasks for which they are untrained, inexperienced or ill equipped.
•	Volunteers will not to attempt to lift any heavy objects without appropriate experience, help or support.
•	When agreeing to any task, volunteers must be realistic about their abilities and experience. 
•	Volunteers to wear clothing and footwear appropriate to the task being undertaken.
•	When assisting clients, volunteers will not use tools, appliances or other equipment unless they are qualified or experienced and confident to do so. 
•	Volunteers will not take on any task that is outside the scope of the scheme. 

Volunteer harmed by client’s dog or other animal	L
	M	•	Volunteers should not undertake a task involving a client’s pet, such as dog walking.
•	Volunteers should not undertake any task where there is the threat of injury from a client’s dog(s) or other animals.
•	Volunteers will report such incidents and future requests for help will only be undertaken if the relevant client negates the threat.	
Abuse, physical violence or sexual assault of client by volunteer	L
	H	•	All volunteers will undergo DBS checks.
•	All volunteers must comply with the Safeguarding Policy.
•	Any complaint from a client to a volunteer will be immediately reported to and acted upon by the co-ordinator and, in appropriate cases, the police will be informed if the client has not already done so.
•	Volunteers will ensure all clients are treated equally in accordance with the Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities Policies.	
Abuse, physical violence or sexual assault of volunteer by client 	L	H	•	Volunteers must refuse to complete a task when confronted with abuse, threats or violence from a client or other person and must report this fact to the co-ordinator.
•	In cases of abuse and violence directed towards volunteers, the volunteer concerned will decide if a report to the police is necessary.
•	The scheme will decline all future requests for help from any client who has been abusive, threatening or violent.
•	More than one volunteer will be allocated to a particular task when it is considered acting alone would render a single volunteer vulnerable. 	
Theft, fraud or improper use of funds by volunteers	L	M	•	All volunteers will undergo DBS checks.
•	Volunteers will not accept payment of any kind for their services other than the mileage charges agreed and published by the Pitstone Community Car Scheme.
•	Volunteers must not purchase items for clients or handle client’s money to avoid any misunderstandings or allegations.
•	Clients/their families wishing to make a donation to the scheme will be directed to speak to the co-ordinator. 
•	Volunteers will treat clients’ property with respect and will not undertake any tasks for which they are not qualified or experienced and confident. 
•	Any complaint from a client to either a volunteer or the co-ordinator will be immediately reported to and acted upon and, in appropriate cases, the police will be informed if the client has not already done so.	
Volunteer experiences stress or overwork	M
	M	•	The coordinator will ensure that tasks are shared between all volunteers and that no client becomes unreasonably dependent upon a single volunteer.
•	Volunteers will be encouraged to report any excessive demands on their time. 
	
Breach of client confidentiality by volunteer	M	H	•	Volunteers will ensure that all information obtained about clients and the service provided to them is kept strictly confidential.
•	Clients will not be identified by name during any meeting.
•	Care will be taken to ensure activities are not the cause of village gossip thus increasing the vulnerability of clients.
•	Volunteers will always carry and show their identity card when asked to do so. 	

Review
 
This Risk Assessment was adopted by Pitstone Parish Council on ..............................................   minute reference ..................................................... and will be reviewed on at least an annual basis.

Signed on behalf of Pitstone Parish Council by:

___________________________________________
Chairman