Risk management

1. Risk management

2. Group task • Think back to a particular visit and remember the visit leader, the group, the visit/activity they did, transport used etc. • The LA/employer has been notified of a claim over an accident that is alleged to have occurred on this visit 2 years ago. • In order to decide whether to contest the claim, they have asked you to provide evidence that can be used to demonstrate that this leader, and therefore the LA/employer, did not act negligently. • What evidence could you provide?

3. What records do we need to keep? • Who went? - register of staff and young people • What did they do and when? - programme of visit Individual visits or series of repeated visits • Was planning reasonable? - risk assessment/forms • Provider check prior to booking? (if relevant) • Evaluation of visit? • Visit/activity objectives met? • Accident/incident on the visit and resulting action? General record keeping • Policy for off site visits current at the time of the incident • Personnel records – training, qualifications etc. How long do we need to keep them for?

4. Managing risk sensibly Reasonable and practicable Suitable and sufficient Focus on significant hazards Not ‘normal life’ risks Foreseeable risks Follow good practice Use common sense Efficient Cost effective ‘I’ve been doing this for twenty years without a hitch’ ‘Someone else should do the risk assessment’ ‘It’s not worth the risk’ ‘You have to risk assess everything’ ‘My risk assessment is 5 pages long’ Apathy Paranoia Overkill No consideration ‘We’ve done the best we can’ ‘We can always review and improve this’ Model by Paul Airey

5. Conventional Model of Risk Hazards Controls

6. Risk / Benefit model Benefits Hazards Controls

7. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/play/ http://www.englishoutdoorcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/Nothing-Ventured.pdf December 2008

8. Written risk assessment But….risk assessment is an essential part of the planning process for visits. On it’s own, paperwork never saved anyone. It is a means to an end – not an end in itself. Action is what protects people. HSE, 2007 • Risk assessment is a legal requirement that provides evidence of the process. • In this session we will look at a minimal paperwork approach that you can use.

9. 2 levels of written risk assessment Generic Specific Visit Leader’s written risk assessment for a visit – issues not already covered by employer’s generic risk assessment/S.O.P. Employer’s or organisation’s existing written standard risk assessment or operating procedures for educational visits Adapted from model by Adge Last

10. Specific risk assessment The visit leader’s specific risk assessment needs to address issues not already covered by the employer / organisation generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures relating to: • the Staff (all adults on the visit) • the Activity • the Group • the Environment • the Distance away from base (and transport)

11. Risk management Ongoing Active risk management that takes place as the visit unfolds. Not written but may trigger a review/update of generic risk assessment/s.o.p. on return to base. Generic Specific written risk assessment/standard operating procedures written risk assessment Adapted from model by Adge Last

12. Ongoing risk management The gut-feeling - acceptable or unacceptable ‘my child’ test?

17. OK or not OK?

29. Ongoing risk management = spotting issues/picking up on clues… and responding appropriately to manage the risk. How do visit leader’s develop this ability … and how can you help this to happen?

30. OEAP Leader TrainingCourse details: • Ongoing risk management • Group management on Educational Visits • A practical, Nationally recognised course • Courses for individual staff (whole staff available on request) • Contact the Outdoor Education Adviser for further details

31. Risk Benefit Assessment – the process Why are we doing this? Identify benefits and desired outcomes. Identify significant hazards and risks associated with the visit/activity and the safety measures needed to reduce risk to a tolerable level. Can/should it be done? Do the benefits justify the level of risk? Yes? Start detailed planning. No? Move to Plan B

32. Identify significant hazards and risks associated with the visit / activity and the safety measures needed to reduce risk to a tolerable level. Does the employer have a generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures for this type of visit/activity? Yes Does this cover all of the hazards/safety measures for this visit and group? Yes Ensure there is a copy of the risk assessment for the visit on file. Ensure safety measures are implemented and make sure those involved in the visit understand their role in managing safety.

33. Identify significant hazards and risks associated with the visit / activity and the safety measures needed to reduce risk to a tolerable level. Does the employer have a generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures for this type of visit/activity? Yes Does this cover all of the hazards/safety measures for this visit and group? Yes No Specific risk assessment for additional hazards used in conjunction with Generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures. Ensure there is a copy of the risk assessment for the visit on file. Ensure safety measures are implemented and make sure those involved in the visit understand their role in managing safety.

34. Identify significant hazards and risks associated with the visit / activity and the safety measures needed to reduce risk to a tolerable level. Does the employer have a generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures for this type of visit/activity? Yes No Does this cover all of the hazards/safety measures for this visit and group? Start from scratch! Risk assess the significant hazards and identify the safety measures Yes No Specific risk assessment for additional hazards used in conjunction with Generic risk assessment/S.O.P. Ensure there is a copy of the risk assessment for the visit on file. Ensure safety measures are implemented and make sure those involved in the visit understand their role in managing safety.

35. Identify significant hazards and risks associated with the visit / activity and the safety measures needed to reduce risk to a tolerable level. Does the employer have a generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures for this type of visit/activity? Yes No Does this cover all of the hazards/safety measures for this visit and group? Start from scratch! Risk assess the significant hazards and identify the safety measures Yes No Specific risk assessment for additional hazards used in conjunction with Generic risk assessment/S.O.P. Ensure there is a copy of the risk assessment for the visit on file. Ensure safety measures are implemented and make sure those involved in the visit understand their role in managing safety. Ongoing risk management during visit. Change plans if needed but re-assess risk and safety measures before doing so. After the visit – do we need to update the generic RA?

37. Falls: objects / people Collisions Drowning Cold related: frost bite / hypothermia Smoke inhalation Fractures Concussion / head injuries Amputations Asphyxiation / gassing Cuts / open wounds Internal injuries Asthma Sight / hearing loss Sprains / strains Electrical injury Burns: heat / chemical Scalds Poisoning Psychological Disease Diabetes / Epilepsy Dehydration Stings / Bites / Allergies Abuse Getting Lost Checklist of Possible Injuries /Outcomes

39. Task 1) Generic risk assessment/standard operating procedures for off site visits As a group, draw up a generic risk assessment/S.O.P. to cover the typical significant risks involved in any off-site visit/activity (5 minutes). [N.B Significant = likely to cause serious harm unless something is done to reduce the risk.] 2) Specific risk assessment for a visit Using the scenario given to your group, identify any significant risks and safety measures that are not already covered in the generic risk assessment /S.O.P. (5 minutes).

40. Day visit (river study) with 15 young people (15/16 year olds). One young person has ADHD (controlled by medication). There are no toilet/café facilities at the venue. You have walked 15 minutes from your minibus in the car park on a rough riverside path to get to the waterfall area. You are 45 minutes drive from your base.

41. Walk up popular local hill (550m above sea level and 8 miles from your base) with 32 young people aged between 8 and 12 in May. Weather forecast is dry with sunny spells but cold, moderately Easterly wind. You have been dropped by coach at a car park where the photo has been taken and are following a major path from the road bend to the top – a 2 km walk.

42. Day visit to Gordale Scar in November to look at gorge and limestone pavement with 30 young people (13/14 year olds). One young person is deaf and another has a peanut allergy (requiring epipen to control). You have travelled by Coach for 2 hours to get to the venue and have then walked for 20 minutes on an increasingly rocky but mainly flat path to get to this point. Your plan is to look for fossils in the rocks at this point before returning the way you came to go to the visitor centre.

43. Day visit to a castle with a group of 30 young people (10/11 year olds). One young person has asthma (controlled by ventolin inhaler) and another is confined to a wheelchair. There is a small gift shop and toilets on site but no café. Parking is in the car park shown in the picture and you have travelled an hour to the venue by coach.

44. Overnight camp with a group of 27 young people (8/9 year olds). You are staying on a public camp site with toilet facilities and a village shop nearby. You have walked 1 mile on a footpath from your base to get to the campsite.

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46. Benefits of this approach - shared knowledge / good practice – involve visit leaders writing generic RA/standard operating procedures - reduces duplication of effort - focuses visit leaders on specific issues (SAGED) - EVC can use the risk assessment as a monitoring tool - creates a useful induction tool for new visit leaders

50. Risk assessment responsibilities – who does what? Our staff risk assess the areas that they are responsible for. Independent providers risk assess what they are responsible for. This should be confirmed through standard checks before booking with a provider. Our staff still retain duty of care relating to pastoral care of young people. If there are any grey areas these should be resolved through discussion with the independent provider. Where provision is collaborative (ie shared between more than one establishment), who is responsible for what, including risk assessment? This can only be confirmed if all parties share the risk assessment process.