PRESS RELEASE: Health and Safety Executive officially endorses CECOPS’ Code of Practice for Community Equipment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has added its name to the long list of organisations endorsing CECOPS’ Code of Practice, joining other high profile supporters such as Care Quality Commission and the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services, for example.

 

Brian Donnelly, CECOPS CEO, has welcomed the HSE endorsement and says,

“The official endorsement given by HSE is very timely and is greatly welcomed; this will help us immensely in getting organisations across the UK to register with CECOPS. Having had a close dialogue with HSE over recent years I know they have been aware of the serious problems associated with equipment, and I am delighted they have now endorsed the Code. The endorsement from HSE, along with other regulators, brings an expectation that organisations will work to the Code, so we should see a reduction in serious incidents and fatalities, with an overall improvement in the quality of care where equipment is concerned. We are in the process of setting up a working group with HSE and other key regulators and professional bodies to help organisations in the UK adopt the Code”.

 

The Health and Safety Executive commented:

“The provision of community equipment is a very important growth area.  HSE recognises the need for guidance, and welcomes the code of practice developed by CECOPS. The code will help organisations who commission or provide community equipment make health and safety improvements in their businesses.”

  

Sir Bert Massie CBE, CECOPS Chair, says:

“I am very pleased that HSE appreciate the importance of community equipment and recognise that this is an area of significant growth. As an equipment user for many years I am all too familiar with the perils and risks associated with equipment. Having the wrong assessment can sometimes cause more damage than not having an assessment at all. Being provided equipment without any maintenance arrangements really exposes disabled people to significant risk – sometimes even costing them their lives. We will be working closely with HSE in the future to make sure all organisations responsible for commissioning and providing equipment make the necessary health and safety improvements to their services. With many of the main regulators and professional bodies now officially endorsing the Code and expecting organisations to register with CECOPS, we should begin to see improvements in these services.”

 

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Media contacts

For images, interviews with spokespeople or more information please contact info@cecops.org.uk or call 01494 863398

Brian Donnelly

Chief Executive

CECOPS CIC

07511 667 330

brian@cecops.org.uk

 

Notes to editors

About CECOPS:

The Community Equipment Code of Practice Scheme, known as CECOPS, is a not for profit community interest company which has been set up to manage registration, training and accreditation of users of the Code of Practice for community equipment.

The Code of Practice is a recently written handbook. It is essentially a quality framework for the procurement and provision of services. It is primarily aimed at services in England, but also applies to other parts of the UK, and beyond.

CECOPS’ objectives are to assist all public and private sector providers and commissioners in bringing a high quality service to disabled children and adults, including elderly people, by promoting, encouraging adoption of, and providing training on, the Code of Practice for Community Equipment.

In terms of how the Scheme works: organisations, either commissioners or providers (including clinical teams), can register as working to the Code of Practice, as a Full or Associate Registrant, depending on their level of involvement with community equipment. Organisations can self regulate/monitor their own compliance with the Code either manually or with CECOPS recommended software.

In addition, for reasons of credibility ‘Accreditation’ can be sought. Accreditation is optional, and involves external assessment of a registered user’s compliance with the Code of Practice. Assessments for accreditation are undertaken by DNV Healthcare, global leaders in Quality, Safety and Risk Management – DNV are the current assessors for the NHS Litigation Authority and the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark ®

About Community Equipment

Examples of equipment types:

• home nursing, e.g. pressure relieving mattresses, ventilators

• aids for daily living, e.g. shower chairs, kettle tippers

• children’s equipment, e.g. postural support chairs

• sensory impairment equipment, e.g. flashing doorbells

• minor adaptations, e.g. ramps, grab rails

• wheelchairs (short term)

• communication aids

• telecare/telehealth, e.g. environmental aids.

CECOPS activities cover all public and private sector provision and all areas where equipment is used, e.g. health and social care equipment services, continuing healthcare providers, care homes, special schools, domiciliary care providers and hospices.

 

About Health and Safety Executive:

HSE is the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness.

They are an independent regulator and act in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces.

Contact at HSE

Dan Hutley

HM Inspector of Health & Safety

Health & Social Care Services Unit (HSCSU)

Health and Safety Executive

Tel: 01752 276347

 

Visit HSE here: www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/