In this procedure, words in italic text are defined terms which have the specific meanings set out in Gowrie Victoria Policies and Procedures – Definitions and Abbreviations.

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is provide guidelines for the planning and safe conduct of excursions and regular outings.

Scope

This procedure applies to all staff members, volunteers, students on placement and contractors/labour hire employees of Gowrie Victoria.

Procedure Statement

Excursions and regular outing are an important part of our educational program, providing opportunities for children to build connections within their local community. We are committed to ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of children during excursions and regular outings by conducting risk assessments and ensuring authorisations are obtained from families.

Regular outing

A regular outing includes a walk or trip to and from a destination:

• that the service visits regularly as part of its educational program, and
• where the circumstances relevant to the risk assessment are ‘substantially the same’ on each outing.

If an excursion is a regular outing, the authorisation from a parent/ guardian is only required to be obtained once every 12 months. A new authorisation is required if there is any change to the circumstances of the regular outing.

Excursion

An excursion is an outing organised by the service to a destination outside the service. Each excursion requires a separate risk assessment and written authorisation given by a parent/guardian.

Person responsible for the excursion

Every excursion from the service must have a clearly identified excursion coordinator. The early years leader( or educator as approved by the senior leadership team) of the group of children which will be going on the excursion will be the excursion coordinator.

The excursion coordinator must be a permanent employee of Gowrie Victoria.

The excursion coordinator is then responsible for:

• deciding the purpose of the excursion
• designing the excursion, including carrying out a risk assessment, if not already completed and ensuring all staff attending the excursion have read the risk assessment.
• obtaining permission from the families of children who will be going on the excursion, if not a regular outing

Deciding the purpose of the excursion

When designing an excursion, the excursion coordinator should ensure the excursion has a clearly stated purpose. This could be to:

• allow children to experience the natural world
• to support child-directed exploration and discovery
• develop children’s understanding of, and links to, the local community

The purpose should align with the educational program being delivered to children.

Designing the excursion

The excursion coordinator should:

• check that the required resources (destination, transport, staff members) are provisionally available
• carry out a risk assessment for the excursion, from which the coordinator will be able to determine:
• the number of educators required to ensure the proper supervision of children on the excursion
• the number of additional staff members or other adults, if any, needed to assist on the excursion
• whether the excursion plan should be modified in any respect to reduce risks to children’s safety, health and wellbeing

Carrying out a risk assessment

When a risk assessment is required

The excursion coordinator must carry out a risk assessment if:

• the excursion is not a regular outing.
• if the risk assessment was last carried out more than 12 months before the intended date of the regular outing
• If there has been any changes to the circumstance of the regular outing since the last risk assessment was completed.
• The risk assessment must be reviewed at least quarterly

Purpose of a risk assessment

When preparing a risk assessment you must (National Regulations r101(1)):

• identify and assess risks that the outing/ excursion may pose to the safety, health or wellbeing of any child being taken; and
• specify how the identified risks will be managed and minimised

What risks need to be assessed

The risk assessment must consider (National Regulations r101(2)):

• the destination
• the proposed route
• the transport to and from the proposed destination.
• the proposed activities
• the proposed duration of the excursion
• any water hazards
• any risks associated with water-based activities
• the number of adults and children involved in the excursion
• the number of educators or other responsible adults that is appropriate to provide supervision and whether any adults with specialised skills are required
• the items that should be taken on the excursion

In addition to these mandatory matters, the excursion coordinator should consider:

• boarding and disembarking from public transport
• any requirement for seatbelts/ restraints
• process for entering and exiting the service/ destination
• road crossings
• other identifiable hazards
• where to take children who need to go to the toilet
• whether crowds and crowding will be significant factors
• whether dogs or other animals will be significant factors
• the effect of different types of weather

Documentation for the excursion and regular outing

Risk assessment

Once the risk assessment has been completed by the coordinator and signed by the early learning manager, all educators who will be attending the excursion or regular outing are required to read this and ensure that they are aware of the risks.

The excursion coordinator must obtain the early years manager’s authorisation for:

• the risk assessment
• the excursion budget, if applicable

A copy of the approved risk assessment and the excursion budget, if applicable, must be placed with the service records.

Getting authorisation from children’s families

Families must provide written authorisation for their child to leave the service on an excursion or regular outing.

If the excursion is a regular outing, authorisation from families is required once within a twelve month period (National Regulations r102(5)). If at any stage during the 12 months the circumstances of the regular outing change a new authorisation form must be completed.

If the outing is not a regular outing the excursion coordinator must ensure that notice of the proposed excursion is sent to each of the families of children who are included on the excursion at least 3 days before the date of the excursion. The notice must include (National Regulations r102(4)):

• details of the excursion including proposed activities, transport etc. complete the template available
• space for a parent or guardian to give authorisation for their child to go on the excursion, including permission for the child to use public transport.

If family members are invited to join in the excursion, the excursion coordinator will ensure the notice also includes:

• an invitation for family members to attend (to attend, family members will need a Working with Children Check)
• a statement of how many family members in total can be included in the excursion
• a summary of the expected role of family members during the excursion
• space for the family member to give their name and their emergency telephone number

A child cannot be included on the excursion unless authorisation has been given (National Regulations r102(1,2).

Preparation for the excursion

Confirmation of resources

Once the risk assessment is approved by the early years manager, the excursion coordinator must:

• make/confirm any necessary reservations/bookings for the destination and for the journey from and to the service
• ensure that educators and other staff members will be available

Preparation in the day leading up to the excursion

In the days leading up to the excursion, the excursion coordinator must:

• brief all educators who will be going on the excursion about:
• the risk assessment
• their individual roles during the excursion and in the event of an emergency
• order any necessary food from the service kitchen
• ensure that the excursion is discussed with the children participating, including what they will be doing, items of special interest and expected behaviour
• make arrangements for the education and care of children who were not given authorisation to go on the excursion by their families
• prepare a written outline of the excursion to be given to reception and to family members coming with the children. This could include:
• a timetable for the excursion
• a list of the children
• a list of the names of educators and their telephone numbers
• a telephone number to be used if educators or family members become separated from the group
• any other relevant information

Conduct of the excursion

Before leaving the service

Before leaving on the excursion the excursion coordinator must:

• Complete the excursion attendance list
• brief the family members coming on the excursion, providing them a copy of excursion attendance list, assigning them to particular educators and giving them their roles
• ensure that the service reception has a copy of the excursion attendance list and a person in the senior leadership is verbally informed of the excursion before departing
• ensure that all first aid, medical, sunscreen, communications and other equipment, and emergency contact numbers for each child, are taken with the excursion
• ensure that all children going on the excursion are clearly identifiable (using lanyards/ wrist bands.)
• ensure that all educators are clearly identifiable, are wearing name badges and the excursion coordinator is carrying a phone
• sign children out of the service

During the excursion

At regular intervals during the excursion, and especially before moving from one place to another, the excursion coordinator must ensure that a headcount of children and accompanying family members is taken.

Educators must provide responsible, responsive supervision of the children at all times, and must communicate clearly with each other so each knows where children are going and who needs to do what to keep them safe. All educators should ensure they remain in sight and/or sound of each other and are not left with one child on their own, including when taking children to the bathroom.

If using public transport, the embarkation and disembarkation form must be completed each time you embark or disembark on any transport.

If the excursion is running late, the excursion coordinator must inform the service reception.

On returning to the service

The excursion coordinator must ensure that children are signed back into the service and that all excursion forms and paperwork are correctly completed and filed.

Authorisation

Approved by the Executive Manager, Early Learning

Name	Nicole Pilsworth
Signature
Date	2/05/2024

References