The benefits to young people of being exposed to managed risk are well known. A visit to a Kingswood Centre will give students an opportunity to learn first hand the thrill of the outdoors, with the comfort of knowing they are supported by our excellent safety standards.

Top priority

Consideration for health and safety runs through everything we do, but we still encourage all of our staff and visitors to be on the look-out for further improvements. Our centre management teams receive nationally recognised health and safety qualifications, and our programme of regular health and safety audits are conducted by our own senior staff members. Everyone from Centre Managers to Board Directors, Operations Staff through to the CEO are involved on a daily basis in making sure all aspects of our centres meet our very exacting standards. We also work closely with outside consultants to ensure we set ourselves appropriate targets, all experts in activity provision, facility maintenance or health and safety management.

Safe programmes

All of our activity and learning programmes are operated in accordance with strict operating standards that define the minimum requirements for staff qualifications, supervision arrangements, equipment, facilities and appropriate clothing. Individual activities follow a defined session plan and all instructors are regularly observed to ensure they are complying with our safety standards and delivering a quality experience to our visitors.

Operating standards also extend to cover our off-site programmes, such as excursions, beach visits and field studies groups. All instructors are trained in our detailed ‘off-site procedures’ which cover everything from boarding a coach to systems for remote supervision. All off-site venues are vetted for their suitability before being used, and all groups visiting an off-site venue take a first aid kit and mobile telephone with them.

Risk assessments

Risk Assessments form the building blocks for ensuring effective health & safety management at every Kingswood Centre, and underpin the health & safety of all school trips. Kingswood operates comprehensive baseline risk assessments for all its activities, which are backed up by centre-specific risk assessments to take into account any local requirements to ensure health & safety is maintained. In addition, ‘dynamic risk assessments’ are carried out on an ongoing basis by the instructor leading each activity to reflect ongoing changes to conditions.

Meeting external standards

Some higher risk activities, such as watersports, require the provider to prove they meet additional safety standards. The Adventurous Activities Licensing Service (AALS) issues licences to activity providers to operate activities that have been externally inspected to confirm they are safe, well organised and risk is being managed. Details of the licenses Kingswood holds can be found here, or at www.aals.org.uk

Kingswood is a founder member of BAHA, the British Activity Holiday Association. BAHA seeks to safeguard standards and be a voice to champion the benefits of activities for young people. Member centres must abide by the BAHA ‘Code of Practice’ and are committed to high standards of health & safety. This commitment is tested during inspections by independent BAHA inspectors. Further details on BAHAs ‘Code of Practice’ and other information can be found at www.baha.org.uk.

Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge

Kingswood has been inspected and we have proudly been awarded the LOtC Quality Badge for all of our operational centres.

Adventuremark

Adventuremark is a safety accreditation scheme devised by the Adventurous Activities Industry Advisory Committee on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Adventuremark compliments the Quality Badge scheme that supports the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto, and confirms that providers of adventurous activities that are outside the scope of statutory licensing regulations have been inspected against nationally agreed and recognised standards.

Travelsafe

You may choose to use the services of our preferred transport provider, Britannia Coach Services. All vehicles provided through Britannia, whether to collect you from school or return you there at the end of your stay, or for a field studies visit or excursion during your stay, have been vetted against the TravelSafe safety management standards. These set minimum safety requirements for all aspects of vehicle operations, from licensing requirements to seat belt provision. A copy of the TravelSafe standards can be downloaded here.

Safe in our hands

Each of our centres has an on-call Duty Manager available to deal with any issues that may arise during your stay and to help solve problems. There is also a Duty First Aider available 24 hours a day, with a dedicated first aid room at their disposal.

All centres have had a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment completed and operate to our Fire Safety Policy. All guests have the fire evacuation procedure explained to them on arrival, and will undertake a fire drill during their first evening on centre.

The security of our guests on a Kingswood centre is extremely important to us. All of our centres have well defined boundaries, often with security fencing, and our largest sites have security gates and CCTV at the main entrance. All staff, teachers and visitors are issued with a security badge which must be worn at all times.

Further help

For any further information on our Health & Safety standards, please contact your chosen centre or healthandsafetyinfo@kingswood.co.uk