The RoSPA Awards are now accepting applications for their prestigious awards ceremonies in 2017. Matt Cryer, standards manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, takes SHP through the organisation’s top tips on how to write a winning entry for the RoSPA awards.
The sooner you register, the sooner you can access the online entry system and start work on your submission, maximising your preparation time.
The deadline for registration is December 16 (April 28 for the Scotland ceremony), so make sure you don’t miss out!
Before you start working on your entry, make sure you fully understand what is required of your submission. This information is found in the guidance documents when you log in to the online entry system.
A comprehensive help guide can also be found, demonstrating how to use the entry system itself.
A RoSPA Awards entry will take time to complete – don’t underestimate this.
The evidence and detail asked for in the submission is something that sets RoSPA winners apart. Avoid a last minute rush and plan ahead.
Answer a couple of questions each week between now and the submission deadline – and you’ll still have time to check and review before you need to submit.
Supporting evidence is paramount to maximising your Awards grade. It’s our primary proof that the safety management system you describe is being successfully implemented.
Even well-written answers will fall short if they aren’t well supported by evidence documents. We have a document limit for each section, and recommend that you utilise it as fully as possible.
You can start work on your entry as soon as you’ve registered and received your login details. We also recommend keeping a file open and collecting useful evidence documents as you come across them in your day to day routine.
Having good evidence to hand when you begin work on your entry can save time, something your work schedule will thank you for.
This may sound an obvious one, but is extremely important!
The RoSPA Awards question set is designed to cover all of the important aspects of your safety management system.
Marks may be lost if you don’t answer the questions asked, or present relevant information in the wrong section. We therefore recommend reading over all of the questions before you start answering.
Even if you’ve been successful in the Awards before, you should presume that the assessor knows nothing about your organisation.
We have an emphasis on quality over quantity, but Gold winners do tend to make good use of the word and document limits available for answers.
Use the space wisely to help paint a clear picture of your organisation, and what drives its health and safety management.
Be sure too that you don’t forget to give a sense of your organisation’s passion for health and safety, and the culture that stems from it.
Follow these instructions and you will maximise your chances of achieving a grade that accurately represents and rewards your real-world health and safety management achievements.
Start your application for the RoSPA Awards 2017 today.
