The path to a new safety culture
Empiric Student (Hello Student) is a leading provider of quality student accommodation in the UK, catering to approximately 7,000 students across 29 cities. The organisation boasts a workforce of 350 individuals, comprising 250 operational staff and around 100 personnel situated at the two hub sites, serving as the headquarters. The diverse roles within the team range from office-based positions to multi-site managers, customer service advisors, housekeepers, caretakers, and night operatives.
Review and Renew
Faced with the challenge of accommodating various job roles, Empiric recognised the importance of making policies and procedures accessible and comprehensible to the entire business. Seeking to depart from traditional health and safety checklists, the company aimed to mitigate the risk of unreported issues, fostering a proactive approach to safety. Collaborating with Paradigm Human Performance, Empiric initiated the development of a new safety culture characterised by positivity, support and a commitment to continuous learning. The overarching goal was to establish an environment where all team members felt secure in voicing concerns or reporting incidents without the fear of backlash, thereby promoting ownership of safety measures.
The Problem with Policy
To address the complexity of existing policies, Empiric replaced them with a more manageable “Blueprint” and “Standards.” These documents, rooted in legislation, adopted a language that was universally understandable. This streamlined approach facilitated a comprehensive review of current arrangements, ensuring compliance with legal obligations. The emphasis on simplicity permeated throughout the entire management system.
Leadership Learnings
Paradigm Human Performance (now GRIT) conducted two enlightening discovery sessions with senior leadership, introducing Human and Organisational Performance (HOP) principles. These sessions, including a “Future Backwards” workshop, aimed to instil key safety principles and encourage leaders to reflect honestly on fostering a positive safety culture.
A New Identity for Safety
Though the implementation is ongoing, safety is already becoming a topic openly discussed across the organisation. A positive safety culture at Empiric now encourages teams to share experiences and learn from incidents. The organisation has embraced a mindset where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, leading to the development of strategies to reduce the recurrence of incidents.
The Path to a New Safety Culture
Taking charge as Head of Health and Safety and Fire, Paul Simpson spearheaded the journey and became a certified HOP Practitioner with Paradigm Human Performance (now GRIT). The culture change was initiated through consultations with senior leadership, followed by two workshops involving a cross-section of the business, including the CEO. He emphasises the organisation’s proactive approach to developing protective controls, fixing systemic issues rather than blaming individuals.
Paul Simpson commented, “Although in the early stages, the feedback from workshop participants has been positive. Most noticeably, we are starting to talk about safety differently. We have shared ownership and a collective responsibility for delivering a positive safety culture that ensures a safer place for our customers to live and for our teams to work.”
