1.1.7 Duty of Care

Overview

Duty of care means taking reasonable steps to keep participants safe and prevent harm. It is both a legal and professional responsibility for everyone involved in educational visits.

Staff must plan carefully, supervise effectively, act responsibly and be prepared to respond if something goes wrong.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, risks must be reduced so far as reasonably practicable. This means taking sensible precautions while balancing the time, effort and cost of control measures against the level of risk.

Key Principles

Several important principles guide duty of care during educational visits:

• Reasonable Care You are not expected to eliminate all risk, but to take responsible care given the same circumstances.
• Standard of Care Non-specialist staff are expected to act as a “reasonable person.” Teachers and specialists are expected to meet the higher standard of a “reasonable professional.”
• Non-delegable Duty Even if supervision or activities are delivered by a third party provider, the school remains responsible for ensuring reasonable care is taken.

Responsibilities of Visit Leaders

To fulfil your duty of care, you should ensure that key arrangements are in place:

Risk Assessment

Identify potential hazards linked to activities, locations and travel. Put appropriate control measures in place and consider the needs of all participants, including those with medical, behavioural or additional needs.

Supervision

Maintain suitable staff-to-participant ratios and remain vigilant throughout the visit. Provide clear instructions, set boundaries and monitor behaviour.

Competence

Ensure staff and helpers understand their roles and have the skills and confidence needed to supervise the group and respond to challenges.

Safeguarding

Confirm that all adults working with pupils are appropriately vetted and understand safeguarding procedures.

Emergency Planning

Be prepared for unexpected situations. Ensure staff understand first aid and emergency procedures and know who to contact. Carry essential information such as medical details and emergency contacts.

Communication

Keep staff, participants and parents informed about the visit’s purpose, arrangements and expectations. Provide guidance on behaviour, clothing and equipment where necessary.

Review

After the visit, review what worked well and identify any issues or incidents. Learning from experience helps improve future visits.

Working with External Providers

External providers may deliver activities during a visit. However, the school must still ensure that:

• The provider is competent and suitable
• Roles and responsibilities are clearly agreed
• Appropriate supervision is maintained
• Safety standards are monitored during the visit

Even when activities are led by others, the school/setting retains overall responsibility for the safety and welfare of participants.

Parent helpers

Parent helpers’ responsibility is practical and limited: they must act safely and responsibly within their role, follow the school staff’s instructions, and help supervise. Teachers remain legally and professionally accountable for the overall safety and well-being of the group.

Whilst parents accompanying visits can help to boost ratios, there can be an issue if, for example, there is incident or emergency situation, when they could naturally focus their attention on their own child rather than the whole group. This risk can be reduced by appropriate vetting, briefing, monitoring and placing them with another group or giving them an ‘accompanying’ role rather than a leadership one.

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