Competencies

The DfES good practice guide “Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits” (HASPEV) and supplements provide the main source of guidance on competence in connection with adventure activities and for educational visits.

• Department for Education and Skills

For those in Scotland, the Scottish Executive Education Department guidance "Health and Safety on Educational Excursions" should be accessed at:

• http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hsee-00.asp

It is important that you also look at the 10 vital questions which we believe are the essential things anybody should ask about a visit.

Any references in brackets refer to the paragraph numbers in the Investigation Report.

The key points on competencies emerging from, or reinforced by, the Glenridding tragedy are set out below:

Competencies for leading adventure visits

DfES advise that the LEA (or employer) should set the standards of competence required for each type of visit. If the school is leading an adventure activity the LEA (or employer) must ensure that the group leader and other supervisors are suitably competent to lead or instruct pupils in the activity. Competencies should be demonstrated by holding the relevant National Governing Body (NGB) award or through the LEA’s/employer’s own procedures.

Nobody should lead water/rock activities or other adventure activities unless they have been assessed as competent, understand the full range of hazards and risks and can implement rescue and emergency procedures (Para A 3).

The level of competence/qualification of leaders likely to be required should be identified though the risk assessment (Para D 8).

Leaders must be competent in dynamic risk assessment for the activity, so that they can continuously evaluate the implications of changing conditions. (Para A 7).

It is essential that prospective leaders are familiar with all relevant guidelines, including relevant guidance on outdoor and open water activities, and seek expert advice if necessary (Para D 3).

The leader should have the competence and confidence to implement the planned alternative activity “Plan B” (Para D 10).

There is much useful technical guidance on the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) website (Para A 2).

Assessing competence

DfES advise that head teachers should ensure that the group leader is competent to monitor the risks throughout the visit.

For adventure activities, ensuring the competence of proposed leaders may be a wider task than a simple check of qualifications (Para G 10).

There should be verification that leaders of combined water/rock (and other adventure) activities are technically competent and have appropriate personal qualities (Para A 5).

Head teachers and other senior managers should be the best placed to consider whether a member of staff has appropriate leadership skills, experience and other personal qualities needed to run a particular visit. (Para A4)

For adventure activities, in-house training and assessment, verified by a Statement of Competence signed by a suitable experienced person is acceptable, and is the only option when no external qualification exists (Para G 12).

If adventure activities are to be provided by school staff, the head teacher should seek independent verification by a competent person of the suitability of the venue and the competence of the proposed leader(s) to provide the activity at that venue (Para A 5).

Checking claimed qualifications and competencies

LEAs and schools need to be clear about where the day-to-day responsibility for checking qualifications and competencies lies (Paras B 2, G 8).

It is good practice for LEAs to provide concise guidance for head teachers and governors on their expectations for checking staff qualifications and competencies (Paras B2, G 10).

LEAs, schools and teachers need to be clear about the scope and limits of the first aid and other qualifications (e.g. lifesaving) held and ensure that they are relevant to any activities being done (Para D 7).

If an external provider handles recruitment, the service user needs to be very clear about the extent and limits of any checks of staff qualifications and competencies undertaken by the provider (Para G 8).

A requirement to produce original certificates to demonstrate qualifications held is very valuable, but there is no substitute for cross-checking with the awarding bodies (Para G 10).

As recommended in “Standards for LEAs in Overseeing Educational Visits” it is good practice for LEAs to have a suitably qualified and experienced outdoor education adviser or a member of staff with the relevant functions in their job description, and clear arrangements for obtaining specialist/technical advice where needed (Para G 11).

Note: DfES also advise that it is good practice for each school to have an Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC). A suitably trained and competent EVC may carry out a number of tasks on behalf of the head teacher/governing body/LEA in terms of advising on and monitoring visits, but the final responsibility for ensuring that appropriate competencies are in place lies with those who have managerial accountabilities.