If your school holds camps or excursions for students, it’s important to identify and review the controls in place to mitigate risks associated. The most thorough way to do this is through a risk management review.

Risk management reviews for school camps involve an intensive review of policy and procedure to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students. Policies and procedures around school excursions and out of class situations should be up to date and cover a wide range of topics, from emergency and critical incidents, to communication and code of conduct.

In addition to policy and procedure, these should also be comprehensively documented:

• Risk register
• Accountabilities
• Standard of care
• Informed consent process
• Risk assessment plan.

Risk assessment plans should document not just the risk, but the appropriate controls for each risk identified and where applicable; who it is assigned to.

It is good practice to regularly conduct post camp or excursion interviews with staff members as it can highlight or identify improvements for future camps or excursions.

Some examples of what may be in a school camp or excursion risk assessment plan:

• First aid requirements
• Insurance coverage (including exclusions and third party)
• Volunteer management
• Appropriate staff training.

If your school is looking to conduct a full review on your camps, excursions and out of school activities with students, it’s highly recommended to use our experienced Internal Audit team to ensure your policies and procedures are up to date and in line with local requirements. Email afs@afsbendigo.com.au or call us for more information.