Supervision of young people in outdoor activities

The importance of risk assessment and head counts in groups

As we enter the new school term I would like to take this opportunity to remind all adults within Scouting of the importance of following our rules and guidance. There have been a number of recent incidents in which it has been apparent that guidance has not been followed during both planning and running of Scouting activities.

The Scout Association rules and guidance require risk assessments be carried out for all activities. A risk assessment allows those running the activity to identify potential hazards and to take steps to minimise these whilst delivering an exciting activity to the young people in their care. In addition The Scout Association rules and guidance sets out adult to young people ratios in certain circumstances and in others these should be determined by a risk assessment. However, some people may rely too heavily on these ratios in terms of monitoring the group and need to consider the importance of when head counts need to be conducted, where and by whom.

 

 

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment must be carried out for all activities but this does not need to be a time consuming process. More important is that a risk assessment is regularly reviewed both before and during an activity. Experience shows it is often the activity which is run regularly with little perceived risk where incidents may occur. Regular re-assessment of familiar activities will allow those running the activity to identify changes in the risks over time. Further information can be found in factsheet FS120000 Activities – Risk Assessment.

Head Counts

 
It is difficult to be prescriptive as to when head counts should be done. It is important that these are considered for all age groups in all outdoor activities and, specifically, when young people are moving as a group. A considered view is that these should be done when there is a change of terrain or overcoming a particular hazard. In the younger age groups this could be done when a walking group moves from one terrain to another (eg from one field to another or from a road to a track) or crossing the road. For those in adventurous activities it could be when paddling around a bend, moving around a rocky outcrop or, generally, when moving in poor visibility. Furthermore, for larger groups, it should be agreed as to who conducts these to remove the expectation that these will be conducted by someone else.

 

Finally, as points of action, please can I ask you to:

• Increase awareness by ensuring this information reaches all section leaders and by following up at local sectional meetings
• For those delivering Module 17 (Activities Outdoors), specifically cover risk assessments and head counts in the risk assessment exercise at the end of the module. A revised PDF version of this module will be sent to all training managers by 1 October 2010.

Alex Minajew      
Chair, Safety in Scouting Working Group  
UK Commissioner for Programme