Investigation - Conclusions
The investigation identified two main issues:
- The inappropriate actions of the party leader before and during the
incident
- The weaknesses of the management systems which allowed an unsuitable
leader to be in charge of a party of schoolchildren in a high-hazard environment
The main lessons are:
- Leaders need to be competent, diligent and always put the safety and
best interests of the young people at the top of their agenda. They should
always follow the published guidance.
- Schools and providers of outdoor education/adventure activities need
to have effective management systems to prevent unsuitable leaders taking
young people into hazardous environments. Effective arrangements for assessing
and ensuring competence and for monitoring are particularly important.
