Supervision of young people in outdoor activities - please check guidance

19/04/2011

Following a number of recent high-profile incidents, it has come to our attention that in some instances guidance is not being followed during the planning and running of outdoor activities.

This article is a reminder to make sure that the young people in your care are as safe as possible at all times.

Risk Assessment

The Scout Association requires that a Risk Assessment be carried out for all activities, but this does not need to be a time-consuming process, nor a laborious one.

Make it part of your regular routine and it will soon become second nature.

Please also remember that risk assement is a fundamental health and safety requirement for leaders, and that any risks should be reviewed before, during, and after an activity.

For further info check out Fact Sheet 12000 and make sure that all people under your supervision in roles of responsibility are familiar with it.

Adult-To-Young-People-Ratios

The Scout Association rules and guidance sets out adult-to-young people ratios in certain circumstances, and these guidelines are intended to support you.

Please do use common sense when assessing risk and tailor the adult-to-young-people ratios to the activity. ie Some activites, usually those outdoors, might require more adults to assit.

Head Counts

When outdoors with larger or younger groups, or when planning to move into new terrain or tackle an obstacle in the terrain, taking a head count is a good way to keep track of numbers and make sure that every one has stayed with the main group.

For larger groups it can also help to choose a responsible person to be in charge of the head count while other leaders deal with the logistics of the activity.

For more information or advice, contact Scottish Headquarters on 01383 419 073.