Policies

Activities are covered by Education Act 2006 and H&S @ Wk Act 1974 and Regulations 1999. Specific arrangements made for the Bushcraft Experience activities include:

Safeguarding - Protection for Children and Vulnerable Adults

The children involved in the activities will be safeguarded from harm in accordance with local Safeguarding Policies. This means that all staff present have had training in child protection including: definitions and signs of abuse, disclosure situations, and reporting abuse. Where harm is suspected, reported or disclosed the reporting procedure outlined here will be followed and if necessary, the activities will be suspended until the situation is resolved:

• Check immediate safety of child.
• Write record of incident.
• Report details to the Organisation's Child Protection Officer and Local Authority's Child Protection Officer.
• Follow instructions given by Child Protection Case Team.

All staff have had a satisfactory Enhanced CRB check

Health & safety

The health and safety of the group is safeguarded through assessing risk, managing risk, educating the group, training staff and establishing an emergency plan.

Risk assessments are carried out for the site, the group and the specific activities. These assessments are acted on to eliminate the risk or reduce it to an appropriate level. The Lead Instructor will check the site before the group arrives to ensure that everything is in order. On-going risk assessment is carried out by all adults in the group to identify and act on any changes in situation. The action points from the risk assessments are detailed in the Risk Management Plan.

Bushcraft Experience Instructors are trained in First Aider and will carry emergency equipment including a First Aid Kit. The Emergency Plan is known by all members of the group including the participants and additional daily safety points are explained in morning briefing or at the start of an activity.

Bushcraft Experience keeps an Accident Book to record details of injuries that must be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 1995. Any incidents are used to inform future planning and improve the Risk Management Plan.

Insurance

Our insurance is provided by acknowledged specialists Jardine Lloyd Thompson Leisure under their "Adventure Activity Insurance Scheme" to include Public and Products Liability for £5,000,000 with Errors and Omissions for £100,000 in respect of the following activities: Bushcraft and Environmental Studies. [link to insurance certificate]

Photographs and Videos

Photographs and videos taken during the course of activities will be treated with the utmost respect. Permission is sought prior to the course through the course participation form where any participant can chose not to be included.

It is the responsibility of the group leader to seek appropriate permission for their group before granting permission to Bushcraft Experience for photographs to be taken. All media given to Bushcraft Experience by a group is assumed to have permission for inclusion in promotional material such as leaflets, fliers and websites.

All media will be vetted to ensure that images are appropriate and considerate of the subject. Images will never be labelled with names or other personal details.

If you have any concerns about images displayed in Bushcraft Experience material please contact us as soon as possible and we will aim to remedy the situation as soon as possible.

Concerns or complaints

In the event of concerns or complaints please speak to the Lead Instructor during the course to enable us to rectify any issues. Where resolution is not found please email or write to Hannah Norton who will take necessary action.

Environmental Impact

Bushcraft Experience promotes the sustainable use of woodlands for leisure and education. All sites are assessed to establish likely Environmental Impact and measures are outlined to protect the sites.

It is the aim of Bushcraft Experience to teach people about their environmental impact, aspects of sustainable management and the history of woodland management in the UK. In sparking interest in playing outdoors we are reconnecting with nature and meeting physical and psychological needs. By educating both children and adults we are empowering them with a respect for the environment and engaging them in conserving it for the benefit of future generations and for biodiversity of the natural habitat.