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Striking the right balance between protecting children from the most serious risks and allowing them to reap the benefits of play is not about eliminating risk. Nor is it about complicated methods of calculating risks or benefits. In essence, play is a safe and beneficial activity. Sensible adult judgements are all that is generally required to derive the best benefits to children whilst ensuring that they are not exposed to unnecessary risk.

Children’s Play and Leisure: Promoting a balanced approach (Joint HSE/Play Safety Forum High Level Statement)

Children love having the opportunity to play outside and engage with the great outdoors. Such experiences help them to appreciate, from a young age, the importance of the natural world and the environment. There is also evidence of the health benefits to children who have access to outdoor surroundings and play. It boost’s confidence, encourages good physical health, agility, and stamina.  It also develops social skills, motivation, knowledge and understanding.

The health and safety executive recognises that play brings the world to life for children.  They also understand that play comes with its risks. Outdoor play helps with mental and emotional wellbeing.  It also develops a child’s risk awareness and prepares them for their future lives.

It is your responsibility to protect and keep children in your care safe. But how do you do this to the best of your ability whilst helping your children to embrace all that the great outdoors has to offer?

Jacqui Thompson, Liability and Safeguarding Risk Consultant at RSA Insurance, provides her top tips on ensuring your children are kept safe when playing outdoors. 

Come rain or shine, ice, or snow.  Outdoor play is the perfect opportunity to blow away the cobwebs and bring smiles to children’s faces.  With forest schools, bug hunting, den making, play equipment and park visits gaining in popularity. The opportunity to get things wrong is heightened.

Whatever outdoor experience you provide, you need to consider the following:

When planning and providing play opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and the benefits. In any activity, some level of risk is inevitable. For both health and safety and safeguarding – the important thing is to recognise the risks.  You will then be in a better position to minimise them and be clear on how you are going to handle them. 

Here are my top tips:

First things first and as dull as it might sound...  When did you last complete a risk assessment for outdoor activity/events? And was it completed and documented by a competent person?

If you haven’t done one recently or aren’t sure if it was completed by a competent person, then now is the time to review what you have or put one in place.

You need to consider the following areas:

• Have you identified all the hazards and risks? Such as:
  
  • Climbing high objects
  • Being near risky elements e.g. water or fire
  • Using tools and equipment – such as cutting utensils
  • Rough and tumble play
  • Disappearing games – such as hide and seek
  • Games involving speed e.g. log swings and slides
  • Changing facilities
  • Line of sight issues (where children aren’t in view at all times)
  • Transport used
     
• Have you outlined the significance of the risks – how dangerous is each risk?
   
• Have you considered how the weather can exacerbate or minimise each risk?
   
• Have you documented the actions that will be taken to control or limit the risk?
   
• Most importantly does the benefits from the risk outweigh the potential harm?
   

Next you need to consider communications with your staff.

A well-rounded and thought through risk assessment is only as good as the communications and procedures that underpin it. The best risk assessments, in terms of their performance, are living breathing documents.  Ensuring staff are involved in and aware of the risk assessment is one thing. It is something entirely different to ensure they fully understand the risks to protect the children in your care. 

• Have all staff and volunteers been briefed on the risk assessments? Only answer yes to this question if you are 100% confident that your staff are living and breathing the actions in all relevant activities.
   
• Have specific roles and responsibilities been assigned and communicated effectively?  How was this communicated? Periodically check the understanding of all staff.  If necessary, carry out further training where gaps in knowledge exist.  

Do you have all your procedures in place and up to date?

Outdoor play and events inevitably come with additional risk, especially with young children. Have you considered what emergency procedures and provisions are needed? Such as first aid, trained first aiders, missing child procedures.  You should also consider allergies, emergency contact details, meeting points, communication methods. 

• When were these last updated and checked?
   
• Have you made all staff aware of the emergency plans and do the children know who to contact and where to go in the event of an emergency?
   
• Have all employees and volunteers received proper training including training on safeguarding?  I’d recommend that you keep copies of training records confirming receipt and understanding of the training.  
   
• Have all the background, vetting and barring checks been completed for all employees and volunteers?
   
• Are all outside activities supervised at the appropriate level, have you built in any contingency?
   
• Have you assessed how weather conditions will impact the activity e.g. sun/heat exposure, stormy and wet weather?
   
• If you are using third party providers, have you completed the appropriate due diligence? E.g checked their:
  
  • Competence
  • Public liability cover
  • References
  • Safeguarding policy and controls
  • Equipment checks
  • Activity risk assessments
     
• Have you obtained parental consent forms? Including any specific child health and wellbeing considerations that you need to be aware of?
   
• Have you sought the appropriate consent on taking photographs and videos and sharing images of children. Is it clear which children shouldn’t be photographed if consent hasn’t been granted?
   
• What equipment is being used and has the safety and condition of the equipment been assessed adequately. Are there specific safety instructions that need to be followed. Where there is fixed outdoor play equipment has a recent documented safety audit been completed?    
   
• Have you prepared a children’s briefing, so the children understand the rules of the activity/event and why they are there?
   
• Does the location present any additional safeguarding risks that you need to consider? E.g is it open and accessible to the public, large crowds, unsafe or unsuitable areas, dogs, broken glass, discarded hypodermic syringes?
   
• What facilities are available for toilets, washing and changing? How will their use and supervision be managed?  

Finally, we at RSA understand how important outdoor play is for a positive mental wellbeing. Jacqui’s guidance throughout this blog is designed to protect your setting and the children in your care – it should not deter you in any way from encouraging and embracing all that the great outdoors has to offer.

It is worth remembering that if a child or member of staff are injured as part of your outdoor activities, that RSA are there to help. Your liability insurance cover could protect you if a claim is made against you or your setting. This includes if you are held responsible and must pay damages. 

If you need any additional support, please find below more information from RSA partners ROSPA and NSPCC. They have produced some great resources.

Resources

RSA is a headline sponsor at the ÎÞÂëÌìÌÃ's Annual Conference 2024. You can view RSA's virtual exhibition page for this year's event here.