The Statement of Commitment between local authority and HSE regulatory services sets out the governance arrangements for HSE and local authorities (LAs) working together as co-regulatory partners.
HSE Local Authority Unit supports 2 national committees working within this framework, the HSE/LA Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA) and the Local Authority Health and Safety Practitioner Forum.
HELA – Health and Safety Executive/Local Authority Enforcement Liaison Committee
HELA was set up in 1975 to provide effective liaison between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities (LAs). HELA provides strategic oversight of the co-regulatory relationship between HSE and local authorities with a view to:
- maximising effectiveness
- improving health and safety outcomes
- ensuring health and safety legislation is enforced in a targeted, proportionate, consistent and transparent way
- ensuring delivery of the HSE strategy
HELA also provides a national forum for discussion and exchange of information on LA activity and enforcement.
Role of HELA
HELA provides strategic oversight of the co-regulatory relationship between HSE and local authorities, with a view to maximising effectiveness, improving health and safety outcomes and ensuring delivery of the HSE strategy.
Structure of HELA
HELA meets at least twice a year and is chaired jointly by a senior representative of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chair of the Local Authority Health and Safety Practitioner Forum.
Membership is comprised of senior HSE officials concerned with policy development and operations and senior LA officers representing:
- Local Government Association (LGA) in England
- Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) in ScotlandÂ
- Welsh LGA (WLGA) in Wales
- Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS)
- Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
Local Authority Health and Safety Practitioner Forum
The purpose of the forum is to provide LA regulator input to matters of operational policy and operational delivery. This includes:
- contribution to the development of operational materials to assist LAs’ delivery of health and safety enforcement in a targeted, consistent and proportionate manner
- informing the development of LGA policy on health and safety matters and on wider regulatory issues
Members of this forum are nominated from LA liaison and regional groupings from across England, Scotland and Wales, providing a 2-way communication link between national and local forums.