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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Team Building Events Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} implements structured, meaningful, and inclusive team-building events that contribute to staff cohesion, professional development, and employee well-being. Team-building activities may assist in fostering collaboration, communication and morale among employees and may support staff retention and the quality of the working environment.

This policy operates within the following legal and regulatory framework:

• The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016.
• The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended, including regulations 12, 34, 36, 38 and 57.
• The statutory guidance for service providers and responsible individuals on meeting the service standard regulations, as amended.
• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
• The Equality Act 2010.
• The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.
• The applicable Codes of Professional Practice issued by Social Care Wales.

Team-building activities are not a regulatory substitute for staff induction, supervision, appraisal, mandatory training, continuing professional development or formal staff meetings. Where an activity includes required training or another compulsory work activity, the relevant training, working time, pay, health and safety and employment arrangements will apply.

This policy ensures that all team-building events are planned, implemented, and evaluated effectively to provide maximum benefit to staff and, ultimately, service users.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees of {{org_field_name}}, including care workers, administrative staff, team leaders, and managers.
• Any external facilitators or trainers involved in organising team-building activities.
• Volunteers and agency workers, where appropriate.

For the purposes of this policy, a work-related event includes an event organised, funded, promoted or endorsed by {{org_field_name}}, whether it takes place during or outside normal working hours and whether it is held at the workplace, online or at an external venue.

External facilitators, venue personnel, contractors and other third parties are expected to comply with the behavioural and safety standards communicated by {{org_field_name}} while participating in or supporting an event.

It covers:

• Types of team-building events.
• Planning and organisation.
• Participation guidelines and inclusivity.
• Health and safety considerations.
• Evaluation and continuous improvement.

3. Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} is committed to creating a positive and supportive workplace culture where employees feel valued and connected. Team-building events are designed to:

• Strengthen relationships among staff to improve teamwork and cooperation.
• Encourage open communication, trust, and a sense of belonging.
• Promote staff well-being, reducing stress and burnout.
• Enhance professional skills, including leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability.
• Recognise and reward employees for their dedication and hard work.

4. Managing Team-Building Events Efficiently

4.1. Types of Team-Building Events

Team-building activities can take various forms, depending on the objectives and team dynamics. {{org_field_name}} organises:

Professional Development Events

• Workshops and training sessions – Covering leadership skills, communication strategies, and problem-solving exercises.
• Case study discussions and role-playing scenarios – Encouraging teamwork and decision-making in real-life care situations.
• Cross-departmental meetings and collaborative projects – Enhancing integration between different roles.

Well-being and Recreational Activities

• Outdoor activities – Such as walks, nature retreats, or adventure-based activities that promote resilience and teamwork.
• Team lunches or social gatherings – Encouraging informal bonding in a relaxed setting.
• Mindfulness and wellness sessions – Stress management workshops and relaxation techniques.

Charitable and Community Engagement Events

• Volunteering activities – Supporting local charities or community projects as a team.
• Fundraising events – Encouraging teamwork while making a positive social impact.

All events must align with company values, be accessible to all employees, and respect diversity and inclusion.

4.2. Planning and Organisation

To ensure team-building events are well-structured, purposeful, and successful, {{org_field_name}} follows a clear planning process:

• Identifying objectives – Determining whether the event aims to improve morale, communication, skills, or conflict resolution.
• Staff consultation – Gathering feedback and preferences to ensure inclusivity.

• Equality and accessibility assessment – Identifying whether the proposed date, time, location, activity, transport arrangements, facilities, food, communications or participation requirements may place any worker at a disadvantage because of a protected characteristic.
• Reasonable adjustments – Identifying and implementing reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and considering suitable alternatives where an employee cannot safely or reasonably participate in the proposed activity.
• Harassment risk assessment – Considering the risk of sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected characteristic, bullying, victimisation and inappropriate behaviour, including risks involving alcohol, overnight stays, isolated locations, social media, external facilitators, venue staff or members of the public.
• Health and safety risk assessment – Identifying hazards, the persons who may be affected, suitable control measures, emergency arrangements and the person responsible for implementing and reviewing those controls.
• Service continuity assessment – Confirming that the event will not reduce staffing below the level required to deliver each individual’s personal plan, scheduled visits and continuity of care.

• Budgeting – Ensuring cost-effectiveness and proper allocation of resources.
• Scheduling appropriately – Avoiding conflicts with shifts and ensuring minimal disruption to care services.
• Assigning organisers – Designating individuals to oversee event planning and execution.

The Registered Manager will ensure that a named competent event organiser is appointed for each event. The organiser will complete and retain the required assessments, confirm that identified control measures are implemented, communicate relevant safety and conduct information to participants, and escalate any unresolved risk to the Registered Manager before the event proceeds.

The Registered Manager remains responsible for confirming that the proposed event will not compromise the safety, continuity or quality of the domiciliary support service.

4.3. Participation Guidelines and Inclusivity

Participation in a recreational or social team-building activity is voluntary. An employee will not be subjected to detriment, unfavourable treatment or pressure because they decline to participate.

Where an event includes mandatory training, a required staff meeting or another contractual work activity, {{org_field_name}} will identify that element clearly in advance and apply the relevant working time, pay, reasonable adjustment and attendance arrangements. A suitable alternative will be considered where an employee cannot participate in the specified activity because of disability, pregnancy, maternity, religion or belief, caring responsibilities or another relevant protected circumstance.

Staff are expected to:

• Engage in activities positively and respectfully.
• Support and encourage colleagues with diverse abilities and preferences.
• Provide feedback on experiences to improve future events.

Inclusion and Accessibility Considerations

• Before an event is confirmed, {{org_field_name}} will consider whether any provision, criterion, practice, physical feature or lack of an auxiliary aid would place a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage. Reasonable adjustments will be made where required. Adjustments may include an accessible venue, adapted equipment, accessible transport, additional support, changes to timing, alternative communication formats, remote participation or a suitable alternative activity.
• No employee will be excluded from, disadvantaged by or denied an employment-related benefit associated with an event because of a protected characteristic. Where participation in the principal activity is not reasonably possible, the organiser will consider an appropriate adjustment or alternative means of obtaining the employment-related benefit.
• Staff with cultural, dietary, or religious considerations must be accommodated.
• Events must adhere to the Equality Act 2010, ensuring no discrimination occurs.

4.4 Conduct, Harassment and Safeguarding at Work-Related Events

All work-related events are extensions of the working environment. The standards contained in the organisation’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy, Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy, Staff Conduct Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Disciplinary Policy and Grievance Policy continue to apply.

Sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected characteristic, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, victimisation, unwanted physical contact, offensive comments, sexualised behaviour and other inappropriate conduct are prohibited. This applies to conduct:

• between employees;
• involving agency workers, volunteers, contractors or facilitators;
• involving venue staff, service providers or members of the public;
• occurring in person, online, through messaging applications or on social media;
• occurring during travel, accommodation or informal activity connected with the event.

Before each event, the organiser will take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and other prohibited conduct. These steps will include, where proportionate:

• assessing foreseeable risks;
• communicating expected standards of behaviour;
• identifying a manager or other designated contact to whom concerns can be reported;
• considering the risks associated with alcohol, isolated locations, overnight stays and third-party contact;
• making arrangements for safe travel or departure where reasonably required;
• responding promptly to inappropriate conduct.

Any person who experiences or witnesses inappropriate conduct should report it promptly to the event organiser, their line manager, the Registered Manager or through the organisation’s grievance, safeguarding or whistleblowing procedure, as appropriate.

Reports will be taken seriously, handled sensitively and investigated in accordance with the applicable procedure. No person will be subjected to victimisation or retaliation for raising a concern, supporting a complaint or participating in an investigation.

Where an allegation concerns abuse, neglect, improper treatment or a risk to an individual receiving care and support, the safeguarding and regulatory notification procedures will be followed without delay.

4.5 Health and Safety Considerations

Before an event takes place, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment will be completed by a competent person. The assessment will be proportionate to the nature, location and level of risk associated with the event.

The assessment will identify:

• the event activities and foreseeable hazards;
• employees, volunteers, contractors, facilitators and other persons who may be affected;
• employees who may be particularly at risk, including disabled workers, new or expectant mothers and persons with relevant health conditions;
• travel, transport, parking and arrival or departure risks;
• venue access, lighting, security, weather and environmental conditions;
• the suitability and condition of any equipment;
• food safety, allergies and dietary requirements;
• alcohol-related risks, where alcohol may be available;
• lone working or isolated activity;
• first-aid needs;
• fire, evacuation, emergency communication and incident arrangements;
• the competence, qualifications and insurance of external activity providers where relevant;
• the control measures required and the person responsible for implementing each measure.

Where {{org_field_name}} employs five or more employees, the significant findings of the risk assessment and the persons who may be affected will be recorded.

Participants will receive relevant information about identified risks, required control measures, emergency arrangements and the method for reporting an accident, incident, near miss or concern.

The organiser will check that external venues and activity providers have appropriate safety arrangements. Reliance on an external provider does not remove {{org_field_name}}’s responsibility to consider risks to its employees.

An event will not proceed where significant risks have not been reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.

Accidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences and near misses will be reported, recorded and investigated under the organisation’s incident reporting procedures. A report will be made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 where the legal reporting criteria are met.

4.6 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Team-Building Events

After each team-building event, feedback and evaluation processes will be carried out to assess:

• Employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Impact on team cohesion and workplace culture.
• Suggestions for future events.

• Any accident, injury, near miss, safeguarding concern, complaint, allegation of harassment or discrimination, or failure of an identified control measure.
• Whether reasonable adjustments and accessibility arrangements were effective.
• Whether the event affected staffing levels, scheduled visits, continuity of care or the delivery of any individual’s personal plan.

Methods of evaluation include:

• Anonymous staff surveys.
• Post-event discussion forums.
• Feedback sessions with management.

Findings will be used to refine future team-building initiatives, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with workforce needs.

4.7 Ensuring Continuity and Safety of the Domiciliary Support Service

No team-building event will be arranged or authorised where it would prevent {{org_field_name}} from deploying sufficient suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff to meet individuals’ assessed care and support needs and personal outcomes.

Before authorising an event, the Registered Manager will confirm that:

• all scheduled visits remain appropriately staffed;
• the duration of each visit remains sufficient to deliver the individual’s personal plan;
• sufficient travel time and rest breaks remain allocated;
• continuity of care is maintained so far as reasonably practicable;
• on-call, emergency and escalation arrangements remain operational;
• staff attending the event are not simultaneously recorded or treated as being available to deliver care;
• agency or temporary cover has completed the required recruitment, fitness, induction and competency checks;
• individuals and representatives are informed of material staffing changes where appropriate;
• attendance does not result in unsafe working hours or fatigue.

Events may be arranged in separate groups or at different times to maintain the required staffing level. An event will be postponed, cancelled or reduced where safe staffing or scheduled care cannot otherwise be maintained.

Records of the staffing and continuity arrangements supporting the event will be retained in accordance with the organisation’s record-keeping arrangements.

5. Related Policies

This policy aligns with and should be read alongside the following:

• Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy (DCW27) – Ensuring professional growth is incorporated into team-building.
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy (DCW30) – Ensuring all activities are fair and inclusive.
• Health and Safety at Work Policy (DCW16) – Covering risk assessments for team-building activities.
• Workforce Well-being and Mental Health Policy – Promoting staff engagement and stress reduction.

• Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy.
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy.
• Grievance Policy.
• Disciplinary Policy.
• Staff Conduct and Code of Professional Practice Policy.
• Incident, Accident and Near-miss Reporting Policy.
• Risk Assessment and Risk Management Policy.
• Safeguarding Policy.
• Whistleblowing Policy.
• Alcohol and Drugs Policy.
• Working Time, Rest Breaks and Fatigue Management Policy.
• Business Continuity and Staffing Contingency Policy.
• Use of Social Media Policy.

6. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

• legislation, statutory guidance, CIW requirements or Social Care Wales Codes of Professional Practice change;
• an accident, near miss, complaint, safeguarding concern, harassment allegation or equality concern identifies a deficiency in the policy;
• an event results in, or creates a risk of, disruption to regulated care;
• monitoring or staff feedback identifies that arrangements are ineffective.

Material changes will be communicated to employees, agency workers, volunteers and managers as relevant to their roles. Where a change affects the organisation’s wider policies or statement of purpose, the associated documents will also be reviewed and amended where necessary.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.