Holidays, Outings and Specialist Activities

1. The nominated group leader must consider
   • The type of activity and the level at which it is being undertaken;
   • The location;
   • Suitability of the outing;
   • Clothing;
   • Emergency equipment and emergency procedures;
   • Technical and protection equipment;
   • The need for specialist instruction;
   • Supervision;
   • The competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
   • Seasonal conditions, weather and timing
     • In addition an assessment should be made of the degree of responsible behaviour that particular children and young people have currently demonstrated;
     • There should be no more than 3 children or young people to 2 members of staff;
     • The overall management of the group always remains with the nominated group leader (who must be clearly identified to the rest of the group) and must not be handed over to another organisation. The only exceptions are the emergency services i.e. Police, Fire Services, Ambulance Service, and Coast Guard Service.
2. A child or young person’s wishes must be sought about the outing.
   
   Parental consent (including consent from those with Parental Responsibility) should also be sought for children and young people who are accommodated under Section 20 (Children Act, 1989).
   
   If a child or young person is subject to a Care Order then an Area Manager may give permission. However, the views of parents/those with Parental Responsibility would also need to be sought and considered.
   
   If the social worker has any concerns these should be discussed with the Area Manager and if necessary with the Service Manager;
3. If the outing is ‘high risk’ then the Holidays and Outings Procedures and Risk Assessment Form must be completed by the Home Manager and sent to the Resource Manager seven days before the planned outing.
   
   The Resource Manager must give permission in order that a high-risk outing can take place. If in doubt about whether the outing is high risk then it should be discussed with the Resource Manager. The Home Manager can sanction non high-risk outings.
4. The outing must have a nominated group leader who should be clearly identified to the rest of the group he/she should:
   1. Involve the children/young people who are expected to take part;
   2. Outline to the group the expectations concerning behaviour and the plan for the day. The group must agree these;
   3. Maintain a written account of the planning and organisation of the day;
   4. Provide written details to those with Parental Responsibility/parents for the young people/children, detailing:
      • The purpose of the day trip;
      • Content of the day and the planned activities;
      • Dates and times;
      • Destination and location (telephone number and address);
      • Travel arrangements;
      • Expectations concerning behaviour of the child/young person;
      • Special clothing or equipment needed;
      • Insurance details;
      • Emergency procedure for contacting parents
5. If the outing includes any specialist activity then Section (iii) Specialist Activities must be consulted;
6. Each member of the group must have the relevant Third Party and Person Travel insurance in relation to an outing that has been approved by the Resource Manager (Relief Care Officers may need to check their personal cover for limited loss of earnings in the event of an accident);
7. If an East Riding of Yorkshire minibus is to be used, staff will need to have, taken and passed, the required minibus test;
8. If a member of staff is to use their own transport, they should check to ensure that this covers them for carrying children and young people;
9. Copies of consent forms from parents or those with Parental Responsibility, a First Aid kit and a list of telephone numbers should be carried by the group leader at all times. The telephone numbers should include:
   • A list of all the participants including names and telephone numbers of parents/those with Parental Responsibility;
   • The contact telephone number for emergency situations.
10. Incident and Emergency Procedures
    
    The first consideration must be the safety of the children, young people and the staff involved.
    
    As soon as possible contact should be made with the line manager to inform them of the events and any action that has been taken or is planned.
    
    If an incident involves a child or young person then parents/those with parental responsibility must be informed as soon as is practicable. Further medical consent should be sought if necessary.
    
    The Local Authority deals with all comments to the media and therefore no interview or details about the incident should be given by any member of staff.
    
    If the accident involved personal injury East Riding of Yorkshire’s reporting procedure should be instigated.

1. The child’s participation in the activity should be recorded in the child’s Placement Information Record. Otherwise, permission must be obtained from the Home Manager or child’s social worker/foster carers’ link worker and recorded;
2. The leisure session must have a nominated group leader who must be clearly identified by the group;
3. The expectations of behaviour whilst on the leisure session are to be made explicit and agreed to by the group;
4. The nominated group leader must consider:
   • The type of activity and the level at which it is being undertaken;
   • The location;
   • Suitability of the leisure activity;
   • Clothing;
   • Emergency equipment and emergency procedures;
   • Technical and protection equipment;
   • The need for specialist instruction;
   • Supervision;
   • The competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
   • Seasonal conditions, weather and timing
     • In addition an assessment should be made of the degree of responsible behaviour that particular children and young people have currently demonstrated;
     • There should be no more than 3 children or young people to 2 members of staff;
     • The overall management of the group always remains with the nominated group leader (who must be clearly identified to the rest of the group) and must not be handed over to another organisation. The only exceptions are the emergency services i.e. Police, Fire Services, Ambulance Service, and Coast Guard Service.
5. If the outing includes any specialist activity then Section (iii) Specialist Activities must be consulted;
6. Each member of the group must have the relevant Third Party and Person Travel insurance which on an outing that has been approved by the Resource Manager (Relief Care Officers may need to check their personal cover for limited loss of earnings in the event of an accident);
7. If an East Riding of Yorkshire minibus is to be used, staff will need to have, taken and passed, the required minibus test;
8. If a member of staff is to use their own transport, they should check to ensure that this covers them for carrying children and young people;
9. Copies of consent forms from parents or those with Parental Responsibility, a First Aid kit and a list of telephone numbers should be carried by the group leader at all times. The telephone numbers should include:
   • A list of all the participants including names and telephone numbers of parents/those with Parental Responsibility, next of kin, doctors;
   • The contact telephone number for emergency situations.
10. Incident and Emergency Procedures
    
    The first consideration must be the safety of the children, young people and the staff involved.
    
    As soon as possible contact should be made with the line manager to inform them of the events and any action that has been taken or is planned.

E.g. climbing and abseiling, canoeing, horse riding, caving, motor biking, mountaineering, high level walking, camping, surfing, sailing, sub aqua diving, water skiing, all terrain mountain bikes, (this list is not exclusive).

1. The nominated group leader must consider
   • The type of activity at the level at which it is being undertaken;
   • The location;
   • Suitability of the outing;
   • Clothing;
   • Emergency equipment and emergency procedures;
   • Technical and protection equipment;
   • The need for specialist instruction;
   • Supervision;
   • The competence and qualifications of supervisory staff;
   • The name, address and telephone number of the organisation providing the instruction;
   • Seasonal conditions, weather and timing
     • In addition an assessment should be made of the degree of responsible behaviour that particular children and young people have currently demonstrated;
     • There should be no more than 3 children or young people to 2 members of staff;
     • The overall management of the group always remains with the nominated group leader (who must be clearly identified to the rest of the group) and must not be handed over to another organisation. The only exceptions are the emergency services i.e. Police, Fire Services, Ambulance Service, and Coast Guard Service.
2. A child or young person’s wishes must be sought about the outing.
   
   Parental consent (including consent from those with Parental Responsibility) should also be sought for children and young people who are accommodated under Section 20 (Children Act, 1989).
   
   If a child or young person is subject to a Care Order then an Area Manager must give permission. However, the views of parents/those with Parental Responsibility would also need to be sought and considered.
   
   If the social worker has any concerns these should be discussed with the Area Manager and if necessary with the Service Manager;
3. Confirmation of a specialist instructors qualifications should be gained in writing prior to the completion of the ‘Holiday & Outings Procedures & Risk Assessment’ form being completed.
   
   As from 1 August 1996, holiday/activity organisers must ensure that any organisation selling specialist activities must comply with the Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) Act 1995 and The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996. (See Appendix 8 for more information),
   
   The Social Worker/Group Leader should confirm that the organisation is licensed with the Adventure Activity Licensing Authority. The licence registers the organisation for sports in 4 categories (caving, trekking, mountaineering, water sports) and the conditions in which it is licensed to provide them. The Social Worker/Group Leader should look for:
   • Licence number. This will be a double number e.g. L1234/R5678;
   • You should verify the licence by ringing the Licensing Authority;
   • What sports and conditions it is licensed for.
   The licence is an indication of the standard of health and safety the organisation achieves. It also indicates that Police checks and references have been taken up for staff.
   
   Some activities, which contain an element of risk, fall below or outside of the licensing level and requirements. For organisations not licensed with the Adventure Activity Licensing Authority, the following checks should be carried out:
   
   Ask for the following:
   • A list of staff and their qualifications for the activities offered;
   • Whether all staff and volunteers are Police/DBS checked;
   • Whether references are taken up on all staff and volunteers;
   • Whether the organisation undertakes formal risk assessments on the activities; ask to be sent copy/copies of the risk assessment(s). These should identify risks as well as measures and procedures by which the risks are controlled.

The relevant qualifications needed for individuals to lead and instruct some of the most common activities are as follows:

4. The Holidays and Outings Procedures and Risk Assessment Form must be completed by Home Manager or the child’s social worker and sent to the Resource Manager seven days before the planned outing.
   
   The Resource Manager must give permission in order that the outings can take place;
5. The outing must have a nominated group leader who should be clearly identified to the rest of the group he/she should:
   1. Involve the children/young people who are expected to take part;
   2. Outline to the group the expectations concerning behaviour and the plan for the day. These must be agreed by the group;
   3. Maintain a written account of the planning and organisation of the day;
   4. Provide written details to those with Parental Responsibility/parents for the young people/children, detailing:
      • The purpose of the specialist activity;
      • Content of the specialist activity;
      • Dates and times;
      • Destination and location (telephone number and address);
      • Travel arrangements;
      • Expectations concerning behaviour of the child/young person;
      • Special clothing or equipment needed;
      • Insurance details;
      • Emergency procedure for contacting parents.
6. Each member of the group must have the relevant Third Party and Person Travel insurance which on an outing that has been approved by the Resource Manager (Relief Care Officers may need to check their personal cover for limited loss of earnings in the event of an accident);
7. If an East Riding of Yorkshire minibus is to be used, staff will need to have, taken and passed, the required minibus test;
8. If a member of staff is to use their own transport, they should check to ensure that this covers them for carrying children and young people;
9. Copies of consent forms from parents or those with Parental Responsibility, a First Aid kit and a list of telephone numbers should be carried by the group leader at all times. The telephone numbers should include:
   • A list of all the participants including names and telephone numbers of parents/those with Parental Responsibility, next of kin, doctors;
   • The contact telephone number for emergency situations.
10. Incident and Emergency Procedures
    
    The first consideration must be the safety of the children, young people and the staff involved.
    
    As soon as possible contact should be made with the line manager to inform them of the events and any action that has been taken or is planned.

1. Children must not be taken on holiday during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances that would be approved by the Social Worker's Manager for the child and the Head of School. Requests must be made in writing. (Note that under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, the previous ability of head teachers to grant leave of absence for the purpose of a holiday during term time in ‘special circumstances’ of up to ten school days leave per year has been removed. The 2013 Regulations make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.);
2. If the holiday is with a group and is not a family holiday with the foster carers, the nominated group leader must consider:
   • The type of holiday and the level at which it is being undertaken;
   • The location;
   • Suitability of the holiday;
   • Clothing;
   • Emergency equipment and emergency procedures;
   • Technical and protection equipment;
   • The need for specialist instruction;
   • Supervision;
   • The competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
   • Seasonal conditions, weather and timing;
   • Accommodation
     • In addition an assessment should be made of the degree of responsible behaviour that particular children and young people have currently demonstrated;
     • There should be no more than 3 children or young people to 2 members of staff;
     • The overall management of the group always remains with the nominated group leader (who must be clearly identified to the rest of the group) and must not be handed over to another organisation. The only exceptions are the emergency services i.e. Police, Fire Services, Ambulance Service, and Coast Guard Service.
3. A child or young person’s wishes must be sought about the holiday and the dates and arrangements for the holiday must be included in the child’s Placement Plan by the child’s social worker.
   
   Where the holiday involves a trip with a group and is not a family holiday, then parental consent (including consent from those with Parental Responsibility) should also be sought for children and young people who are accommodated under Section 20 (Children Act, 1989).
   
   Where the holiday involves a trip with a group and is not a family holiday, if a child or young person is subject to a Care Order then an Area Manager may give permission. However, the views of parents/those with Parental Responsibility would also be sought and considered.
   
   If the social worker has any concerns these should be discussed with the Area Manager and if necessary with the Service Manager;
4. Where the holiday involves a trip with a group and is not a family holiday the Holidays and Outings Procedures and Risk Assessment Form must be completed by Home Manager/child’s social worker and sent to the Resource Manager fourteen days before the planned holiday.
   
   The Resource Manager must give permission in order that the holiday can take place;
5. Where the holiday involves a trip with a group and is not a family holiday, the holiday must have a nominated group leader who should be clearly identified to the rest of the group he/she should:
   1. Involve the children/young people who are expected to take part;
   2. Outline to the group the expectations concerning behaviour and the plan for the holiday. The group must agree these;
   3. Maintain a written account of the planning and organisation of the holiday;
   4. Provide written details to those with Parental Responsibility/parents for the young people/children, detailing:
      • The purpose of the holiday;
      • Content of the holiday and the planned activities;
      • Dates and times;
      • Destination and location (telephone number and address);
      • Travel arrangements;
      • Expectations concerning behaviour of the child/young person;
      • Special clothing or equipment needed;
      • Insurance details;
      • Emergency procedure for contacting parents.
6. If the outing includes any specialist activity then Section (iii) SPECIALIST ACTIVITIES must be consulted;
7. Each member of the group must have the relevant Third Party & Person Travel insurance which on an outing that has been approved by the Resource Manager (Relief Care Officers may need to check their personal cover for limited loss of earnings in the event of an accident);
8. If an East Riding of Yorkshire minibus is to be used, staff will need to have, taken and passed, the required minibus test;
9. If a member of staff is to use their own transport, they should check to ensure that this covers them for carrying children and young people;
10. Copies of consent forms from parents or those with Parental Responsibility, a First Aid kit and a list of telephone numbers should be carried by the group leader at all times. The telephone numbers should include:
    • A list of all the participants including names and telephone numbers of parents/those with Parental Responsibility, next of kin, doctors;
    • The contact telephone number for emergency situations.
11. Incident and Emergency Procedures
    
    The first consideration must be the safety of the children, young people and the staff involved.
    
    As soon as possible contact should be made with the line manager to inform them of the events and any action that has been taken or is planned.

1. The procedures set out in iv apply as for a holiday in the UK;
2. In addition permission to undertake any holiday abroad for children and young people who are ‘looked after’ by the Local Authority must be sought from the Service Manager;
3. Passports.