An inquest earlier this year into the tragic death of a 16-year-old Scout during a hike in 2018, once again highlighted the importance of managing risk at all times. It is vital to create and maintain a safe environment for children and young people in everything we do. As we approach the start of the new session we’d remind everyone of the following.
All leaders should be fully registered with The Boys’ Brigade, and have completed the Safeguarding and Managing Risk e-learning modules.
Risk assessments are an important part of managing risk and should be part of the planning and preparation for any activity within the BB. The five steps in assessing risk:
There are a range of template risk assessments for a variety of activities and settings including games/sports, crafts, cooking, transport and premises. The templates are a tool to help leaders create their own risk assessments and need to be adapted based on local circumstances.
If any young person, leader or anyone else sustains an injury whilst participating in a BB organised activity/event and they require professional medical attention (e.g. visit to A&E) either at the time of the accident or at any time as a result of the accident, then an Accident Notification Form must be completed and submitted.
Company visits: At the start of the 2024/25 session we will be starting a series of visits to Companies with the purpose of ensuring that BB policies and procedures are understood by leaders, and implemented locally, and that Safeguarding and Managing Risk is embedded throughout BB activities.
Whilst these visits are linked to a request from our insurers, they will be aimed at providing
support and offering reassurance to leaders on these important areas.