Supervision

Effective, high quality supervision is essential for the safety of learners and for the quality of the outdoor learning that will take place.

This health and safety guidance explains the importance of the following factors to the supervision of outdoor learning:

Ratios

Having a suitable ratio of adult supervisors to learners is vital for any outdoor learning experience.

Factors to take into consideration include:

• gender, age and ability of group
• additional support or medical needs
• nature of activities
• experience of adults in off-site supervision
• duration and nature of the experience
• type of any accommodation
• competence of staff
• requirements of the organisation/location to be visited
• competence and behaviour of participants.

Some local authorities set their own levels of supervision for off-site excursions, which must be followed.

Staffing ratios for visits are difficult to prescribe as they will vary according to the activity, age group, location and the prevailing conditions.

However, higher levels of supervision are often appropriate for:

• children under the age of 8
• those with additional support needs
• higher risk activities and potentially hazardous locations.

'Health and Safety on Educational Excursions' (HSEE) provides advice on ratios for swimming.

Group leaders should assess the risks and establish a level of supervision appropriate to their group and its circumstances.

More hazardous or remote activities require closer ratios of supervision, as do residential visits or those abroad.

National Governing Bodies for Sport may be able to advise on ratios for adventure activities.

For residential and certain non-residential visits consideration should be given to providing a teacher from each gender. Local authority guidance should be followed.

In all cases, a single group leader should be appointed to take overall charge. Leadership by committee should be avoided. This is especially important if more than one establishment is involved.

Parents/volunteers

With careful planning and selection, parents or volunteers may be used to supplement the supervision ratio. Do not overestimate the capabilities of such individuals.

Anyone who has not been vetted by Disclosure Scotland should never be left in sole charge of participants.

Child protection

It is vital that the leader refers to the detailed guidance provided by local authorities or by the Scottish Government in HSEE.

The guidelines on child protection used by local authorities should be followed.

Local authorities provide support and advice for group leaders when assessing potential risks to children on any excursion. This might include inappropriate or abusive conduct by adults or peers.

Group leaders should be familiar with the child protection procedures and contacts within their service and their local authority.

In schools, a designated child protection co-ordinator will be the first point of contact and advice; the education service will have a manager with designated responsibility for child protection.

All staff involved in an excursion should be familiar with the need to prevent child abuse, to understand signs that a child is at risk or has been harmed, and to respond appropriately if they have concerns.

Bullying may be considered less serious but does cause significant harm and upset to children.

Staff should plan to minimise situations where children are at risk of inappropriate contact with adults, or other children and young people.

Wherever possible, adult supervisors should avoid being alone with a young person.

It is essential that the group leader has received child protection training.

Vetting suitability - Disclosure Scotland

Any adult who is in substantial and regular contact with children should be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Check - this includes volunteers and parent helpers.

There are some circumstances in which a Disclosure-checked and child-protection-trained group leader may judge that the limited level of contact means such a check is not necessary.

Supervisors' responsibilities

All adult supervisors must understand their roles and responsibilities at all times. They should be aware of any participants who may require closer supervision or support.

Group leaders retain responsibility for the group at all times.

Leading an adventure activity

The key issue is ensuring that the group leader and other supervisors are suitably competent to lead or instruct participants in the activity.

Competence to lead should be demonstrated by one or more of the following:

• Holding a relevant national governing body (NGB) award
• Having been approved by a local authority as appropriately experienced and skilled for the planned activity 
• Such approval should originate from an appropriately qualified technical adviser - it may be restricted to a particular location
• Many local authorities issue a matrix of qualifications appropriate for different activities.

Head counts

Regular and frequent head counting of participants is essential.

For many experiences it is good practice for:

• leaders to carry a list of all participants and adults involved
• participants, particularly young children, to be easily identifiable.

Remote supervision

Working without immediate supervision can help learners to develop independence and self-reliance.

When such activity is planned the leader must be confident that learners have the appropriate skills to operate without undue risk. Training and briefing should reflect this.

Parents should give specific agreement to remote supervision taking place.

Group leaders remain responsible for participants even when not in direct contact with them. They should not underestimate the difficulties of remote supervision.

Further guidance

This guidance is aimed primarily at teachers and other leaders providing outdoor learning experiences to children and young people. The advice is not comprehensive but aims to cover 90% of the most common outdoor learning situations

More extensive guidance can be found:

• by utilising specialist advice from your local authority
• in 'Health and Safety on Educational Excursions'.

Further information

See chapter 3 – Supervision of outdoor learning:

• Ratios (para 59-62)
• Parents/volunteers (63-64)
• Vetting suitability - child protection (65-71)
• Vetting suitability - Disclosure Scotland (72-74)
• Supervisors' responsibilities (75)
• Competences if leading an adventure activity (76)
• Head counts (77)
• Remote supervision (78-80)