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Identifying and Ameliorating Risks

Identifying and Ameliorating Risks. for Service-Learning Projects. Something to think about . . . Are you liable for the safety and action of students who participate in service-learning?

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Identifying and Ameliorating Risks

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  1. Identifying and Ameliorating Risks for Service-Learning Projects © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  2. Something to think about . . . • Are you liable for the safety and action of students who participate in service-learning? • Are your students protected in the case of personal injury related to the service-learning experience? • Are they liable for damages to others? © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  3. Today’s Goals Risk is always present to some degree in the activities that add value to our personal and professional lives. Goals: • To assess the potential risks in service-learning • To plan steps to minimize the risks • To plan for emergencies that could happen anyway © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  4. Philosophy of LSU Service-Learning LSU Service-Learning Program is … • committed to protecting its human, financial and goodwill assets through the practice of effective risk management • dedicated to protecting the safety and dignity of its students, faculty and anyone who has contact with the service-learning program. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  5. Goals of Risk Management • To do no harm to students, faculty, and community partners • To protect the goodwill assets of the program • To provide a safe environment for students and staff who participate in service-learning © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  6. Purpose of Risk Management • Risk management need not be expensive, time consuming, or labor intensive. • It is a way of thinking - a discipline for dealing with the possibility that some future event may cause harm. • The primary purpose of risk management is to provide an approach and process for managing those risks. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  7. Liability Protection • The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, U.S. Public Law No: 105-19 • University insurance covering “student interns” who serve without remuneration as a part of their educational requirement © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  8. Liability is dictated byFour Points of Law • Duty to Care In doing good, you must do so responsibly • Negligence Recklessness/indifference in performing duties • Breach of Duty Could have foreseen problems • Standard of Care What a reasonable person would do in the situation © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  9. 4 Steps of Risk Management • Identify risks • Evaluate risks • Manage risks • Review © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  10. Identifying Risks Some call this ‘disaster imaging’ • Ask yourself what could go wrong. • Think about what your students will be doing during the service-learning experience. • No matter how farfetched some thoughts may be, include them on your list. • Consider the following risk categories when you image what could go wrong: people, property, income and goodwill. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  11. Examples of Identifying Risks • a student is injured during the service-learning activity • a student molests a child during a tutoring session • confidential information is disclosed by a student working in a social service agency • equipment is lost, stolen or broken by a student • a student speaks to the media about an incident occurring at a partner agency © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  12. Risk Continuum Consider the work your students are doing in the community using the following continuums of risk-- © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  13. List & Rate Risks: to people, property & goodwill 1. ___________________ 2. ___________________ 3. ___________________ 4. ___________________ 5. ___________________ 6. ___________________ High, Medium, or Low Overall Frequency Cost Risk Faculty Project Worksheet © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  14. How vulnerable are community partners? How vulnerable are your students? High risk: disabled elderly children Low risk: able-bodied adult © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  15. What is the setting for service-learning activities? High risk: Low risk: home of client classroom © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  16. What are the tasks and responsibilities of the service-learner? High risk: Low risk: one to one group project mentoring newsletter design © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  17. What level of supervision is provided? High risk: Low risk: no supervision supervisor limited supervision always present © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  18. Evaluate and Prioritize Risks Ask yourself these questions about each risk: • How frequently could the event occur? • If the event occurs, how much will it cost? Rate the level of each risk - high, medium or low © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  19. Risk Management Strategies • Avoid: stop any activity that is too risky • Retain: accept the risk and prepare for any consequences • Modify: change the activity to reduce the chance of harm and/or the impact of damage © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  20. Risk Management Strategies • Define students’ roles and responsibilities in written position descriptions. • Provide training and supervision for students prior to and during service. • Open lines of communication between faculty and students; faculty and agencies to report problems. • Evaluate student skills and judgment before service assignment. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  21. Risk Management Strategies • Informed consent • Insurance coverage (health, accident, auto) • Screening applicants • Work agreements/contracts • Encourage public transportation • Encourage working in pairs or groups (the two-deep model) © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  22. Transfer Risk • Acquire insurance (LSU public safety contact: Fran 578-3603 or fran1@lsu.edu) • Hire a contractor who assumes risk (Buses to transport students) © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  23. Summary • Acknowledge and identify risks • Evaluate and prioritize risks • Select and implement appropriate risk management techniques • Monitor and update programs as required (repeat steps 1-3 periodically) © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  24. Emergency Management Protocol Emergencies can occur ---regardless of preventive measures. All partners should know a general procedure to follow in the event of a service-related emergency. See manual for full protocol. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  25. If student or another person is injured or harassed at the project site • Make sure area is secure and safe. • Avoid moving injured person. • Send messenger for help. Call 911 for serious injury. Inform agency director. Call SL program director. Contact LSU occupational and Safety Office. • Do not allow students to help if professionals are present. • Consult handbook for follow-up documentation and protocol. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  26. Injury or harassment Protocol, cont. The student should: • Remain calm. • Call for agency professionals to help. • Contact faculty member as soon as possible. • Consult manual for follow-up. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  27. Injury or harassment Instigated by an LSU student The site/agency supervisor should: • Contact the student’s instructor. • Escort student away from location. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  28. Instigated by student, cont. The faculty member should: • Document everything. Get witnesses’ names and contact info. • Contact student immediately to schedule an appointment. Document this meeting in detail. • Forbid student to return to agency until further notice. • Contact SL director immediately. • Refer media to director. © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

  29. Sources Special thanks to Ginny Dowdle, Community Partner, who assembled this information from the following references: • Campus Compact, Establishing and Sustaining an Office of Community Service, Chapter 8 “Liability and Risk Management” (available in the LSU Service-Learning Office, B-31 Coates Hall) • Partner Handbooks, see Agencies and Faculty Info at www.cas.lsu.edu service-learning website. • Colorado State University Faculty Manual • Fisher & Cole, Leadership and Management of Volunteer Programs © LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

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