Southwell House Youth Project: Risk management.

This policy is in addition to the policy applying to groups working at Southwell House or off-site with our staff.

Groups are escorted by one staff per ten young people, minimum two. For difficult groups, or groups containing children (under 13) staff should be increased to three minimum to allow proper crocodiling, and maybe more if there are difficult young people, or young people with handicaps who will need assistance.

Each staff member takes a mobile, and knows the number of each of their colleagues, and the SHYP emergency dial-in number. Each staff member has some money (depending on distance etc.) including some coins for the telephone.

These arrangements apply to walking, bus, tube, national rail, private coach or minibus, and air (special arrangements apply to overseas travel, see separate section).

For destinations beyond the locality, each young person is given a piece of paper with the name of the project and the ordinary phone number.

When using a car, child protection rules should be observed (see separate policy).

These arrangements do not include arrangements for hazardous activities.

At the destination, in a contained locality (such as Hampstead village, a museum, etc.) yps are allowed to go off in groups of not less than three, not more than six. Be clear about assembly point, assembly time, where staff are to be found at any time.

Medical and emergency contact information are held by:

Group staff when they are bringing groups and are staying with them all the time (this information is usually held at Southwell House and is not carried round);

SHYP admin. staff when groups do not have their own staff with them all the time (this information is usually held at Southwell House and is not carried round);

SHYP admin. staff and the group leader for trips that are overseas or overnight.

Southwell House Youth Project: Risk management.

The Safety, Security, Risk Assessment and Risk Management polices for escorting groups form part of this policy.

The following points are modified or noted:

As not all mobile phones work in other countries, staff should be especially careful to establish rendezvous times and places. Communications can take place via SHYP emergency dial-in line.

Group leader ensures that 24 hour rota of SHYP senior staff is established at base, contactable by the emergency dial-in number.

Group leader ensures that copy of medical information, parental contact information, and where relevant school contact information, is left with senior staff at Southwell House, and takes originals with him/her.

Group leader ensures that group members have details including phone numbers and addresses of SHYP and destination with them at all times. Group leader ensures that group members also have itinerary (flight numbers, times etc.) with them at all times.

Staff all take with them currency for every country passed through, for making phone calls and other small emergencies.

Group leader to check that travel insurance is obtained, including medical repatriation.

This policy is additional to the risk assessment policy applying to groups visiting the house and off-site groups run by our staff.

Risk policies for residential groups apply at Southwell House and at the centre in Oswiecim in Poland (including fire drill, house safety and security rules, etc.).

Risk policies for escorting group apply on journey to and from the centre, and on local trips.

Risks policies for international travel apply on journey to and from the centre.

The leader of the group (Kasia Lichon) has worked at this centre on numerous occasions, and is satisfied with safety provision (including fire alarms and drills), security (including at night) and communications (phone etc.). The centre is also able to provide additional staff if needed in emergencies.

Three staff will be taken on this trip.

The leader of the group is fluent in Polish and English.