Children, Families & Culture Cabinet Member – Minutes – 30 December 2019
8 UPDATED EDUCATIONAL AND OFF-SITE VISITS POLICY AND GUIDANCE – The Director: Operations submitted a report seeking approval to publish and circulate the updated Educational and Off-Site Visits Policy and Guidance.
The Educational Off-Site Visits Policy described key principals the Local Authority (LA) would follow when managing the educational and off-site visits function. The supplementary guidance supported staff implementation of the policy to ensure trips continued to be undertaken safely.
The policy and practice guidance supported the LA to meet its statutory duties to its employees as required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
School and recreational visits were an important feature of a child’s learning and education. Visits provided the opportunity of new learning environments and helped children to develop a range of new skills and experiences such as team working, confidence building and increased self-esteem. North Lincolnshire schools and academies ran a number of activities ranging from overseas skiing trips to local nature walks.
The most significant updates to the Educational and Off-Site Visits Guidance document were included at paragraph 2.2 of the report.
The Educational and Off-Site Visits Guidance document was mandatory for establishments where the LA was the employer. Additionally, North Lincolnshire Council offered professional advice and guidance to schools and academies through a service level agreement where the LA was not the employer. Organisations that purchased the service level agreements were required to adopt the NLC Educational and Off-Site Visits Guidance document.
Resolved – That the publication and circulation of the updated Educational and Off-Site Visits Policy and Guidance to schools, academies ad local authority services be approved.