DSE Assessments

Client

cafcass

Online

https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/

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CAFCASS is a national organisation that represents children in family court cases. With more than 40 offices nationally they employ people who are in and out of offices, yet often have detailed reports to write. This means that their team members can be sedentary for long periods of time and need comfortable work spaces that enhance rather than aggravate any posture issues.

As the Cafcass team deal with sensitive issues and members of the public, it’s important that Cafcass can provide continuity of their own people, so that the young people and their parents feel confident and relaxed with them. Any serious back pain can lead to absenteeism, pain that causes mental anguish impacting on their performance at work and ultimately affect their ability to do their job causing a backlog of appointments.

VergoUK was appointed to carry out workplace DSE assessments approximately two years ago by the Cafcass Occupational Health manager, Terry Johnson. He wanted a trusted supplier who he was confident would offer impartial yet sound advice. With more than 10 years’ experience of workplace assessments it was a natural extension to our work.

VergoUK DSE assessments involve more than just advising on a new chair. We:
• Talk to the individuals involved
• Watched them work as they would normally
• Looked at where and how they position every piece of workplace equipment from their keyboard and monitor, to their chair and its height.
As part of our process we suggest measures that Cafcass employees can easily change. For example their posture or the position of their monitor.

Finally, we provided Cafcass with written recommendations for alternative chairs where required to help their team members. Being independent we are able to offer a range of options for them to choose from.
Cafcass are delighted with the way we assessed and deal with their people and the quality of the recommendations we give them as well as our transparent costs for ongoing assessments and subsequent seating requirements. Following some early assessments Cafcass invited us to apply to become part of their supplier framework. We did and were successful and now udertake assessments nationwide.
Because Cafcass is a national organisation we agreed, going forward, that we would provide assessments on a sliding scale of charges depending on their location. This means that Cafcass can be guaranteed a VERGO UK trained assessor will attend and have certainty of cost to budget.
Mr. Johnson said: “VergoUK have always adopted a very professional and ethical approach to all our assessments. They understand the needs of our team and following each assessment they will make impartial recommendations for furniture based on the needs of the individual, their experience and our Health and Safety commitments. They have helped us save time through lost days.
“Thanks to the assessments and advice from VergoUK we have been able to improve the health of colleagues, reduce absenteeism and boost productivity.”