Outdoor education - support and guidance services for off-site activities and educational visits

Key purpose of the service:

To ensure the health and safety of young people involved in educational visits, off-site and adventurous activities from Portsmouth City Council Schools as identified by Portsmouth City Council and including DofE expeditions managed on behalf of Portsmouth City Council by Motiv8. This service will guarantee good practice and safety management for off-site educational visits and outdoor learning.

Support for Portsmouth City Council in complying with its legal framework as employers in relation to;

• Off-site activity and educational visits, as outlined in DfE Guidance to Schools (2014), and including Health and Safety: Responsibilities and Powers (2011), and National Guidance for Off-Site Visits (2018)
• Physical education and sport, see Physical Education and the Law in safe Practice ain PE and School Sport (AfPE, 2017)
• Liaise with named and agreed Council staff

Key activities are;

• Provide legal guidance on off-site activities and educational visits, DofE expeditions and physical education and sport through publications, information notes, communications and access to website(s), this to include up-to-date advice on best and safe practice and risk management.
• Provide an agreed approval system in order to assess the needs of individual educational visits and Daffi expeditions. Offer access to a web-based approval and guidance system.
• Provide access to an Outdoor Education (PE and Sport) Service to make available:

o advice and guidance, and support problem/issue solving

o additional access to advice from Service managers

o advice on further related contacts as required, for example technical advisers.

• Monitor activity providers of outdoor education/ outdoor activities, physical education and sport and confirm that their safety management systems are in place. Follow up any issues, inspect centres and visit providers as issues arise or near misses are reported. In liaison with City Council staff and as agreed, support and follow up any incidents or emergencies.
• Operate an Adventure Activities Licence for outdoor activities in scope of the scheme to ensure compliance and provide advice.
• Offer a comprehensive outdoor education training programme to ensure that training needs are addressed. Provide access to initiatives such as safety management, curriculum development and high quality physical education and sport, in addition to those available through the sports partnerships and Local Delivery Agency.
• Provide data from the approval system to demonstrate the range and extent of approved ventures. (Continue to develop and support data provision through the web system.)
• Provide an annual report that will include:

o educational visit and venture statistics

o training recommended and numbers attending (both areas)

o advice given and typical activity undertaken (both areas)

o any areas of concern or recommendations to consider (national and local information - both areas).

• In addition, liaise with:

o City Council staff to ensure that incident and emergency arrangements for off-site activities and educational visits are in place and effective.

o the City Council's Insurance and Risk Manager to ensure that current practice is shared, and issues are addressed.

• Liaise directly over the provision of suitable training and the development of training teams.