No Smoking @ mosaic
Last updated: 7th Jul, 2007
Following a wide consultation with customers, staff, Trustees and volunteers mosaic became a no smoking organisation on 1 January 2006. This meant:
- staff cannot smoke while being paid by mosaic
- volunteers cannot smoke when working with out customers
- there is no smoking within the Overstrand bungalows, or on Sunbeam narrowboat
- there is no smoking by anyone within our offices and car parks or at venues we use to run groups in
Staff, Trustees, volunteers and customers welcomed this approach and we have received no complaints about it. This Consultation demonstrated how mosaic is ‘ahead of the game’ and we were ready for the new legislation that came in on 1st July 2007 when smoking was banned in all public places.
1st July 2007 has presented a number of challenges for mosaic in:
- the Independent Life Project
- the groups that we support and facilitate in the City and County
- services like Direct Payments Support Service and Information Service where people frequently make home visits
Home Visiting
Where workers are carrying out planned home visits (e.g., Information Service, Direct Payments Support Service, One to One Service, Services to Young People, Counselling Service) we ask:
- That disabled people, and any friends or family present, do not smoke while our worker is visiting
- If a room is smoky it would be helpful if a window could be opened for the duration of the visit
- If neither of these options are possible and the smoke is distressing to the worker then mosaic supports them in leaving the home and rearranging a meeting a meeting at mosaic offices
Working with Groups
All the groups we are working with meet in what could be described as a public place therefore smoking is not allowed. Obviously some group members may find it difficult to go up to 7 hours without a cigarette. mosaic has agreed that staff can go with someone outside the perimeter of the building. However when there is a member of staff outside the building there is less support for people within the group. We suggest that:
- smoking breaks only take place at “break” times and not during an activity
- the same member of staff does not go with the smokers
- each group comes to a written agreement about how smoking should be handled. Every group member will need to agree to this.
Independent Life Project
This area of service is more complicated. While tenants live in their own home which is exempt from the smoking laws, a tenants home is the mosaic staff workplace which is covered by employment law. We therefore need to work out a compromise. mosaic asks tenants:
- not to smoke while mosaic workers are in your home
- to ensure friends and family do not smoke while mosaic workers are in your home
- to open a window if the atmosphere is smoky within your home
*mosaic is not making any judgements about the rights and wrongs of smoking. We are trying to protect our staff. We hope you understand this and will work with us.
mosaic, as an organisation, respects an individuals right to smoke.*
As an employer, mosaic has a duty to safeguard the health and welfare of its staff. It is a dilemma
If you have any comments to make contact Barbara Howard on 0116 2515565 or email director@mosaic1898.co.uk