Safety on a Rockley Adventure Trip
We appreciate the concerns of parents when their children are away from home and we take the responsibility of being in "loco parentis" very seriously indeed. Every year hundreds of schools entrust the organisation of outdoor adventure courses, at our UK centres and French centres, to Rockley.
Safety is of paramount importance in all our trip arrangements, so whilst your child is having fun you can be sure that they’re being well looked after too! Although they are not subject to the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations, as these only apply in the UK, our French centres operate to the same high safety standards as our centres in the UK. In addition, all our watersports activity centres in France, as well as in the UK, are RYA (Royal Yachting Association) recognised teaching establishments
We pride ourselves on our safety record both on and off the water.
Our high safety standards come from many years’ experience of teaching watersports to groups of adults and children. Our procedures fall within the guidelines of the RYA (our national governing body). We also incorporate the Health and Safety Executive and DCSF guidelines for school activity trips and comply fully with the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations.
Management of Safety
Rockley Watersports operates a Safety Management System, which has set health and safety procedures for four main areas of operation:
> Emergency procedures
> Safe operating procedures
> Risk assessment procedures
> Child protection procedures
The Safety Management System incorporates a comprehensive system of monitoring, review, and feedback as well as guiding principles for training and implementation. Our Safety Management System is based on guidelines issued by the Health and Safety Executive as well as those issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) and various National Governing Bodies (RYA, BSA, BCU etc).
Rockley Adventure continues to set the highest of standards within the watersports holiday and training sector and this is achieved by continuous review of all Health and Safety procedures and implementation of new procedures when and where appropriate.
Risk Assessments
Whilst it is not possible to entirely remove the risk of an accident, Rockley Adventure aims to both minimise the chance and the seriousness of an accident occurring through adoption and adherence to its operating procedures. Rockley Adventure has a legal obligation to do this “as far as is reasonably practical”.
Rockley Adventure carries out annual Risk Assessments for all areas and activities.
Staff
Ask any child what they liked best about their Rockley Adventure trip and they’ll more than likely say “the staff!” Our team of staff are energetic, enthusiastic and are dedicated to the enjoyment and safety of all group members. Our instructors and support staff are carefully selected from over 600 applicants each year. They are not only selected on the basis of their own sailing qualifications or experience but also on their previous work with children, ability to communicate and teach to effectively and especially on their personality.
Our staff members are CRB checked at enhanced disclosure level, or equivalent for non-UK staff. All our activity instructors participate in training, which covers NGB procedures as well as Rockley Adventure’s own operating procedures and undergo periodic performance reviews.
Security Procedures
Rockley Adventure staff are resident at our centres and therefore provide supervision during the day and evening. Certain staff are nominated as contacts for Group Leaders and group members throughout the day and evening, we also have a member of staff on duty through the night.
Registers
Rockley Adventure staff are responsible for checking that all children in a group are present at the start, during and at the end of activity sessions, including evening activity sessions. It is the Group Leader’s responsibility to know the whereabouts of their group members at all other times, although our staff will obviously assist during these other times.
Identification Wristbands
After the welcome talk on arrival at all our French centres, each child is issued with a unique identification wristband which is to be worn at all times until departure from the centre. Wristbands serve a number of purposes; they identify which children on the campsite are Rockley Adventure customers, they list contact telephone numbers in case of separation from the group and they provide access to the campsite facilities such as the swimming pools (provided they are accompanied by a member of the school or Rockley Adventure staff). Pupils without a wristband are not allowed on activities. Wristbands deliberately removed will only be replaced upon payment of a fee.
Site Access
Our centres are situated on private campsites accessible by one main entrance – our centres themselves are located in a separate area of the main campsite.
Accommodation Layouts
Accommodation at our UK centre is in 4 and 6 berth bunk rooms all with their own ensuite facilities. All rooms are accessed by the occupants using a coded lock and windows have security locks. The main entrance to the building is also protected by a code lock. In addition to the 10 bedrooms, this building also offers a large dining area and social area for the use of the group.
Accommodation at our French centres is in chalet-style frame tents for 6 persons with single, sprung beds and separate sleeping compartments. Each tent has electric lighting and a personal alarm. Tents are arranged in “Villages” of approximately 5 to 8. Teacher tents are normally allocated their own “Village” adjacent to the tents for their group.
In all our accommodation, children are divided into appropriate groups depending on their age and gender, on the basis of the names list provided by your child’s Group Leader.
Toilet Blocks
At our UK centre we have separate male and female toilets, showers and changing blocks.
At our French centres, loo and shower facilities are located a short walk (under 1 minute!) from our tent villages. These blocks are lit throughout the night, although we do also advise group members to bring a torch. Should a child need to visit the toilet block at night, they must follow the relevant procedure, which will be discussed at the safety briefing on arrival.
Safety - Afloat
Buoyancy Aids must be worn at all times when on or near the water. These should be securely fastened at two points (zipped and buckled) except where stipulated by a National Governing Body that they should not be worn.
Swimming
If children wish to swim either in the lake or the pools, they are accompanied by at least one Instructor. At all or centres in France, boys are required to wear “Speedo” style trunks in order to be allowed to swim in the campsite pools – baggy swim shorts are not allowed. Click here for clarification.
The Channel
At all our centres there is a main channel used by other water users as well as our own safety boats, where swimming or bathing is strictly forbidden.
Sun Protection
We insist that all children apply a high factor, waterproof sunblock and our Instructors will carry more for the students to reapply on the water. We also advise the wearing of a hat and long sleeved top or rash vest (which has UV protection) and trousers if appropriate.
Water
Our Instructors always carry drinking water and pupils will be provided with drinks throughout the sessions. We further advise they bring their own, named, water bottle (plastic) with them.
Shoes
Sensible and appropriate footwear must be worn at all times to prevent any unnecessary injuries to feet. For watersports, wetsuit shoes really are the best and most comfortable option, these are now quite widely available and certainly cheaper than a pair of trainers.
Safety – Ashore
When the group go off site, registers will be taken throughout the duration of the off site visit and when leaving and returning to the coach. If the group have time to go shopping they may go, on condition that they stay in groups of three.
Accommodation
In each tent there is a personal alarm. A full explanation of the correct use of the alarm is included in the welcome talk and safety briefing, which is held on the group’s first evening. It is the Group Leader’s responsibility to ensure that all members of the party attend this initial briefing.
If for any reason the alarm is misused, the accommodation’s occupants will be sent home. The offending parties will meet any cost resulting from such an event.
