Hi
Just wondering if anyone out there in the local authority / public sector is running their corporate H&S organisation using an “out posted” model where the H&S managers’ report directly to a central corporate safety manager, but remain embedded within individual departments with a dotted reporting line within that department.
At the moment we run the opposite, dotted line to the corporate safety manager and solid line within the department
I’m not saying model is right or wrong but I’m interested in your experiences, does it work and what are the advantages and inevitable difficulties?

(It's also quite a big subject to reply to on a forum so happy to call if you are happy to have a chat
Thanks)

I didn't like the dotted line to the central H&S manager, because a lot that i put through was stopped at the first port of call. I then raised this in the central H&S meeting and was disciplined by the department manager for 'grassing' as he put it.

I said raising concerns his answer was 'put it how you like it is still grassing'

The various models of H&S provision were analysed in the (now out of print) IOSH' Safety Means Business' - guide for LA H&S service managers. So I can recall the various options, including the 'combined with EHO' model (ugh).

It (was) common in LAs to have independent departmental SAs, and a Corporate Safety Adviser, with a dotted line. May be less so now that resources are tight, and many have shrunk.

It can work, and I was part of one, but felt it created an odd set of loyalties. I was quite respectful of the Corporate SA who was a great mentor for me. I asked him how it worked with not having any actual line management role, he was accepting of it (and I sensed, not keen to get wrapped up in operational nitty-gritty). But I would not have liked it if I had been the CSA. When it happened in my LA, I left.

Downsides, apart from what has been mentioned (which never cropped up in my time):

Distorted work loads; LA departments are not all the same, and get restructured constantly. (or even out-sourced - does the SA go too?).
Lack of opportunity to bounce ideas and learn from others, have support and develop team spirit.
No easy cover for absences (this is quite a good argument for the central team model) and proven by the way tight resources tend to re-centralise.
Variations in interpretation / systems etc. multiplied by however many dept SAs there are (this may not be a bad thing in itself, but not done in a controlled way, just how the SA feels).
Compartmentalizes team, and reinforces client belief that only a 'special' SA can be their adviser.
Weakens strategic H&S as objectives may be countered.
Loses the chance for SAs to learn other areas of LA H&S, be reallocated easily for CPD or other purposes.
Chance for the CSA to develop management skills.

I am OK with embedding SAs, to give the client better contact, but only if they are part-time embedded, and still a line-managed part of the big team. This gives the best of both worlds.

The Education dept can be a particularly tricky customer, for political, funding and 'employer' variation reasons.

Can somebody explain to me in layman's terms the difference between a 'dotted' and 'solid' line

Thank you