Describe four reasons why good practice is important in outdoor adventure
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1. To avoid injury and create a safe working environment that’s free from unnecessary hazard and risk. Failure to comply with any of the acts could result in people being injured at work that could lead to criminal prosecution, personal injury claims and corporate manslaughter. Procedures put in place and good practice provide a healthy and safe environment to work in.
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2. Caring and appropriate leadership is important to ensure participants get enjoyment out of the activity. To avoid psychological/physical damage, good customer care, to create a caring environment in which clients learn and develop. For example “The type of leadership behavior displayed by the coach can have a significant effect on the performance and psychological well being of the athlete (Horn, 1992).” And “Certain coaching behaviors may be more productive than others” (Tinning, 1982). The aim of good practice in the areas of leadership also minimises the chance of a false accusation occurring and to provide procedures, which make investigation of any accusations fair to all parties. The good practice also touches on other areas of Child Welfare.
Reference www.kilvecourt.org
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3. Equal opportunities are very important in outdoor adventure as it prevents unlawful or unfair discrimination as local authorities must abide by legislation, as failure to could make the authority or individuals liable to legal action, however discrimination and prejudice are not just unlawful but also morally wrong. Equal opportunities promote inclusion of a diverse range of people from different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to participate in activities. Equality is important for society, as citizens should feel that can fully participate in society and that they have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. One of the main principles of morality should be the act of treating others as you would like to be treated yourself, and most people generally want to have the same opportunities in society as everyone else therefore it is wrong to not support the equal opportunities of others.
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4. Defacing the environment will stop people in the future from being able to use it. For example a Kenyan proverb that Charterhouse outdoor activity centre agrees with is “Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.” Which basically means we should live without degrading the environment and take care of it so future generations can use it. An unhealthy environment can trap people in poverty and cause diseases that are otherwise easy to prevent for example global warming can cause floods and drought and people can die from lack of clean water. Launching into the water in a craft such as a kayak may also have a negative impact on the environment as it could cause the sides of the bank to erode, damage vegetation and wildlife.
Litter, noise, pollution, etc for e.g. from boats and vehicles decrease the quality and attractiveness of outdoor recreation areas. Also buildings for example housing and holiday cabins are built along more and more stretches of the coast that were once attractive recreation areas. Any environmental pressure that causes deterioration of the environment has a negative effect on our opportunities for outdoor activities. Another example is the MSC Napoli wreck on Branscoumbe Beach where at least a hundred sea birds have already been found contaminated by oil and the health of the reef has deteriorated on which the Napoli is grounded because of the pollution the ship has caused.
Describe four methods used to promote good practice in outdoor adventure.
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1. Risk assessments, health and safety protocols, emergency procedures and legislations are all used to help promote good practice in outdoor leisure. Also having qualified staff to deal with not only immediate dangers but also being able to cope with foreseeable dangers and threats that may not be obvious to the participants. Legal factors that influence health and safety in sport include the law, duty of care and loco-parentis. Regulatory bodies that influence health and safety in sport include the British Canoe Union (BCU), the Mountain Leader Training England (MLTE), the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and authorities such as the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA).
Charterhouse activity centre has very sufficient methods used to promote good practice especially in the areas of health and safety for example:
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▪ Before any participant takes part in any activity a consent form is filled out so that any emergency details are available.
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▪ All of the out building are well lit and secure providing the residents with peace of mind when staying.
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▪ There is a fire alarm and sprinkler system built into the complex, and on arrival each group is briefed about the drills that are to be taken place in case of a fire.
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▪ Charterhouse work with the County Health and Safety Unit sharing advice and information also they ensure that all activities have been risk assessed.
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▪ Charterhouse provides minibuses driven by trained drivers, and the minibuses are well maintained and fitted with seat belts.
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▪ The Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority has licensed the Centre to provide adventurous activities - all of the instructors are qualified to nationally recognised standards.
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▪ All staff has been CRB checked and have the correct qualifications and experience needed.
Reference www.charterhousecentre.org.uk
Kilve court holds an adventure activities license. They have been inspected for safety management of activities such as risk assessments, staff qualifications and the maintenance of equipment related with the activities they offer. Instructors also carry out generic risk assessments by reviewing them daily to take into account any variables e.g. the weather, which may affect the safety of an activity.
Kilve Court also follows the Somerset County Council policies, which are further supported by their own Health and Safety Policy and Codes of Practice, the centres has specific security arrangements for example they have night time lock up procedures in place and CCTV put up, and the centres also meet the Council’s Fire Safety standards.
Reference www.kilvecourt.org
Mill on the Brue activity centre also has very sufficient methods used to promote good practice in the areas of health and safety for example their staff are all first aid qualified. Also the centre is licensed by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and is a member of the Institute of Outdoor Learning, the British Activity Holiday Association, and is a British Canoe Union Approved Centre.
Reference www.millonthebrue.co.uk
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2. Correct training, staff development, quality assurance procedures, and qualifications all promote good practice in the areas of good coaching.
Kilve Court promotes good practice in the areas of coaching by ensuring that all staff leading activities either holds a relevant National Governing Body qualification or has been assessed as competent by an appropriately experienced and qualified person.
Kilve Court also make sure that their staff is all aware of the transfer of responsibilities so participants are always being cared for. For example visiting staff is responsible for the supervision of their groups when not in a structured session and centre staff is responsible for the safety and management of participants on activities that are ran by the centre and if for instance a participant was withdrawn from their activity the responsibility would revert back to the visiting staff.
Reference www.kilvecourt.org
The Charterhouse Centre demonstrates good practice in the areas of coaching by ensuring that:
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▪ All their instructors are qualified to the national standards and are personally active to high levels in their respective sports so therefore they are experienced which gives everyone confidence in their ability.
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▪ Their staff has local knowledge to ensure that groups get the most out of their practical studies.
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▪ They are fully equipped for outdoor studies and their staff is happy to lead or assist groups with their course.
Reference www.charterhousecentre.org.uk
Mill on the Brue promotes good practice in coaching by making sure that all their instructors at the centre are trained and qualified in the appropriate areas for the activities they are running. For example no one would be able to run a canoeing session unless they have the correct qualification from the BCU and although there are no qualifications for activities such as zip wires and high ropes they have all their instructors assessed by their technical advisor.
Reference www.millonthebrue.co.uk
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3. Duty of care, child protection act, “Duty of care' is a legal relationship that exists between all of us as to the consequences of our actions on others. One of the most important factors of any health and safety legislation is to establish a degree of ‘duty of care.’ Within health and safety a definition of ‘duty of care’ suggest that employees and employers have a duty to take all reasonable measures to ensure people will be safe. A lack of care could be regarded in law as negligence - ‘Careless conduct that causes injury or death to another.
’'Loco-parentis' is when a person or organisation (e.g. an instructor or a centre) becomes responsible for a minor this being someone under 18 and they take the place of the parent. An example of when someone is in 'loco-parentis' is a teacher taking a group of students away from the school for perhaps a trip would remain in 'loco-parentis' throughout the trip.
Charterhouse centre follows these laws by making sure that all their staff is checked with references and by Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to ensure their suitability for working with children. Charterhouse centre believes that the primary part of their service is the care and wellbeing of everyone who visits Charterhouse and therefore continually strives for the best possible standards in client care.
Reference www.charterhousecentre.org.uk
Mill on The Brue Centre selects their instructors for their interpersonal skills, their love of the outdoors, their sense of responsibility and their ability to relate to children and adults similarly.
Reference www.millonthebrue.co.uk
Kilve Court has a policy called “Following Good Practice” that is a guide for all their staff to follow, it includes a list of Do’s and don’ts that they expect their staff to abide by, for example do…avoid unnecessary physical contact with children (e.g. demonstrate how to fit a piece of safety equipment on yourself rather than on the child) and don’t …allow abusive youth peer activities such as bullying etc.
For child protection reasons Kilve Court has a criminal background check carried out on all centre staff and volunteers and their policies are consistent with Somerset County Council procedures.
Kilve Court takes all allegations of inappropriate behaviour between and with children seriously. And they warn their staff that they should be aware that their position and behaviour might make them vulnerable to inappropriate or false accusations.
Reference www.kilvecourt.org
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4. Many organisations undertake measures to ensure fairness such as “Every child matters”, “Sport England”, “Department for culture, media and sport DCMS”, and laws and regulations. Also the Council at present is an equal opportunity employer, which is committed to identifying and breaking down any discriminative barriers.
An example of equal opportunities could be a leisure centre having the correct facilities therefore making the centre accessible to everyone for example making physical amendments to the building such as having wheelchair ramps, lifts and specialist equipment such as a pool hoist they should also advertise activities and events sufficiently and appropriately making sure they appeal to people are put in places they regularly go so the event doesn’t go unnoticed and making sure the advertisement doesn’t discriminate against anyone. Clubs should promote fair play and barriers should be taken into consideration such as cultural influences, financial issues, transport, age etc and they should work to break down these barriers so activities are accessible to everyone. Coaches shouldn’t discriminate against participants for e.g. sexual discrimination and racism etc is unacceptable.
Legislations related to equal opportunities include the “Equal Pay Act 1970”
Sport England, have produced an “Equality Action Plan for London” that aims to increase participation, widen access to sport and physical activity, and tackle discrimination and barriers to sport.
Every Child Matters is an organisation that has been set up to try and support every child in England from 0-19years. It is funded by the government that tries to get children involved in issues that are happening around them in society. The government’s aim for every child to have the support they need. So they want all children to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic wellbeing. They then work to try and improve the way that they live in their local areas.
Reference www.everychildmatters.gov.uk
Organisations involved with providing services to children are teaming up in new ways to help children achieve and protect them from harm. For example DCMS the Department of Culture, Media and Sport help promote activities and get children involved they are committed to providing access to sport and work to encourage the take-up of sport across communities and by children and young people in particular, the Children’s Fund that was launched that was launched in November 2000 aims to identify young people at risk of social exclusion and help them achieve their goal and Culture, sport and play have a unique role to play in helping to deliver every child matters: change for children agenda, by being key partners in children’s trust, supporting families and promoting diversity and reaching children through out- of school activities.
Their aim is to make it easier for children to access facilities that offer culture, sport and play, therefore making it easier for them to develop their interests and talents. They do this by contributing to young peoples plans, supporting families that need it, getting young people involved in positive out of school activities and making activities for young people enjoyable, helping them achieve personal goals and play a positive role in society.
Reference www.culture.gov.uk
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5. Mill on the Brue also has sufficient methods to promote good practice in the areas of environmental awareness by having their very own eco code to help reduce negative impacts on the environment. The centre carries out many procedures included in their eco-code such as communicating their code through education and by involvement with local community groups. They also provide bins for rubbish and recycling and encourage people to use them.
Reference www.millonthebrue.co.uk
Charterhouse centre has lots of different fixtures and fittings that are included on their eco-map to contribute to an eco-friendly environment for example they have their very own nature reserve, wind turbine producing renewable energy, water saving system, woodchip boiler, insulation, timber frame, and green roof. Charterhouse has also built a new sustainable construction that will be used as accommodation out of local, natural materials that were chosen because of their minimum impact on the environment.
Reference www.charterhousecentre.org.uk