In Northampton, Delapré Abbey is a Grade II listed building, and listed by Historic England as a registered battlefield. For two years, Cognitious has been providing the Abbey with contract client support in health and safety matters, including a ‘Competent Person’ designated to act on behalf of the Abbey Trust in matters pertaining to health and safety law, compliance, operations and training.
The Abbey is a venue for events, weddings, corporate and private hire. Besides permanent staff, volunteers work as tour guides, in front of house, and as gardeners, researchers and maintenance workers.
Cognitious is a part of Ashridge Group, a facilities management and security company. Initially it provided security consultancy, to identify potential risk, operationally and during quiet hours. Once a scope of work was agreed, a security survey was undertaken and a full report provided, a fuller security strategy was then submitted and then a technical document with a summary of technical solutions.
The Abbey at first needed guidance through procedures involved in leasehold occupancy of the Abbey and its land. This was accompanied by detailed consultancy which included education and understanding of the legal requirements involved in the setting up of the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, with particular reference to its role in the transition across to leaseholder status for the premises. This involved much work with the incumbent holder, the local authority, Northampton Borough Council. Cognitious wrote a full health and safety policy, as a formal procedures manual. This ran to some 150 pages and was made available as digital and hard copy. This was then supplemented with familiarisation training for DAPT.
Covered were product training (in individual and specialist operational matters, for example ladder safety), legal policy familiarisation, general risk assessments and plans, a disaster recovery plan and any specialist matters relevant to heritage sites. It took a consultative process, engaging with various stakeholder groups such as directors, Trust and board members, volunteers and the representative of the local authority.
Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust Director Rachael Boyd says that approaching two years into the relationship, it’s the word ‘confidence’ that most succinctly sums up the current position. She reports that the Abbey is doing well, with healthy visitor numbers and many people enjoying the public event programme.
“With the huge variety of events held here and the unique nature of the site, our concerns for the wellbeing of our staff and our visitors were soon allayed. Health and safety matters are absolutely crucial to our reputation and our future. For myself and other members of the board, it’s the confidence of knowing that our ‘Competent Person’ is just that.
“For example, when we held a Halloween event with specialised equipment we asked Cognitious to review our detailed risk assessment. With some operating templates established this was then supported with continuous communication and conference calls. When we go into an event, we want to concentrate on providing our customers with the best experience possible. Not having to worry about the integrity of our health and safety regime is such a reassurance. For us competence means confidence.”
