Policy statement
Children benefit from being taken outside of the premises on visits or trips to local parks, or other suitable venues, for activities which enhance their learning experiences. We ensure that there are procedures to keep children safe on outings; all staff and volunteers are aware of and follow the procedures as laid out below.
Procedures
There is a designated lead for each excursion who is clear about their responsibility as designated lead, usually the Manager or Managing Director.
We ask parents to sign a general consent on registration for their children to be taken out on outings as a part of the daily activities of the setting.
We assess the risks for each local venue used.
Any written outing risk assessments are made available for parents to see.
The Early Years manager signs off every risk assessment.
Children with allergies or other specific needs have a separate risk assessment completed i.e. child with allergies visiting a supermarket.
An excursion will not go ahead if concerns are raised about its viability at any point.
A minimum of two staff also remain behind with any of the children not on the outing.
Staff frequently count their designated children and ensure hands are held when on the street and crossing the road.
Our adult to child ratio is, normally one adult to three children, 3:1, for three and four year olds, depending on sensibility and the type of venue, as well as how it is to be reached.
For children aged 2, parents/carer/staff must accompany their child on all outings, ratio 1:1.
We ensure that all children on the outing are well supervised, that no child goes astray and that there is no unauthorised access to children.
Parents who accompany us on outings are responsible for their own child only. Where parents have undergone vetting with us as volunteers, they may be included in the adults to child ratio and have children allocated to them.
We take a mobile phone on outings. This is put in a sealed envelope with a sticker across and checked by the Early Years manager as to whether it has been used on the outing and if so why and what it has been used for and this is recorded.
We take supplies of tissues, wipes, spare clothing and nappies, medicines required for individual children, a mini first aid kit, snacks and water.
The amount of equipment will vary and be consistent with the venue and the number of children, as well as how long they will be out for.
We apply sun cream to children as needed and ensure they are dressed appropriately for the type of outing and weather conditions.
We take a list of children with us with contact numbers of parents/carers, as well as an accident form and a copy of our Missing Child Policy.
We ensure that seat belts are worn whilst travelling in vehicles if they are supplied and that booster seats and child safety seats are used as appropriate to the age of the child if supplied.
We provide children and staff with ‘high viz’ vests.
As a precaution, we ensure that children do not eat when travelling in vehicles.
We ensure that contracted drivers are from reputable companies, do not have unsupervised access to the children and are not included in the ratios.