Planning Trips Away

You must:

• Identify the aim and outcomes of the programme.
• Carry out a hazard assessment.
• Recruit and select church personnel using safe practice guidelines, including vetting See Recruitment and selection.
• Select a key staff member who has overall responsibility for the trip.
• Nominate a staff member/volunteer who is responsible for First Aid and appropriately trained.
• Check the First Aid kit is fully stocked.
• Ensure adequate and gender-based supervision in line with the Carmelite safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Appoint a contact person (at home) who has access to all information and contact details.
• Check insurance to ensure that there is adequate coverage for all the planned activities.
• Check that the transport has appropriate insurance, qualified drivers and seatbelts.
• Carry out an equipment safety check.
• Make provision for returning home early if required.
• Allocate a budget and contingency fund.
• Obtain from parents/carers and guardians any information which may be relevant to a child staying away from home overnight, for example, information concerning allergies, medical problems or additional needs.

Check out the locations and accommodation of the trip away to ensure they have:

• Appropriate safeguarding policy, practices and procedures in place.
• Insurance cover.
• Appropriately trained and qualified staff.
• Appropriate supervision and security protocols.
• Appropriate changing and sleeping areas for boys and girls, if required.
• Disability access, if required.
• If staying overnight, have checked 24/7 access to centre staff, appropriate sleeping arrangements for children, that is separate provision for boys and girls, and separate provision for leaders (within close proximity of children).

Children/young people must:

• Be involved as much as possible in the planning of the trip
• Have read and signed to agree to abide by the Carmelite code of behaviour for children.
• Have been adequately prepared for the trip and provided with relevant information including schedules, activities, clothing, expectations, codes of behaviour, supports available, etc.
• Have agreed on boundaries around unstructured time.
• Have been provided with contact details for leaders.
• Give consent to the trip away.
• Give consent to be Garda Vetted if required (for example, all 16-18 year olds attending a Lourdes Pilgrimage).

Parents/guardians must:

• Have met with leaders and been informed of the programme, cost, schedules, activities, transport arrangements, clothing, expectations, codes of behaviour, supports available, etc.
• Be made aware of the Carmelite Child Safeguarding Statement, policies and procedures.
• Give written consent to their child participating on the trip. See Consent Form.
• Have provided contact, medical details including allergies, illnesses, medications and dietary requirements, etc.
• Give consent for their child to be Garda Vetted (for 16-18 year olds).
• Be provided with contact details of the leaders and centre/accommodation being used for duration of trip.

Church personnel (including adult volunteers for the Lourdes Pilgrimage) must:

• Have been appropriately trained and prepared for the trip. They must be clear on the appropriate boundaries when working with children and how to respond and report a child safeguarding concern.
• Give consent to be Garda Vetted.
• Have been inducted in the Carmelite Child Safeguarding Statement, policies and procedures.
• Have read and signed to agree to abide by the Carmelite code of behaviour.
• If relevant, have attended Safeguarding Vulnerable Adult training and be familiar with the Carmelite Safeguarding Vulnerable Adult policy.
• Have been assigned responsibilities and scheduled for breaks.
• Have been made aware of how to respond to and who to contact in an emergency.
• Work with children to review and evaluate the success of the activity.