At Adventure Camps, the safety and welfare of our staff and the children in our care is paramount. It is best practice for at least two members of staff to be on duty at any one time. However, in exceptional circumstances where this is not possible, the procedures set out in this policy will be followed.
Preparation and Planning #
- All instances of lone working must be approved in advance by the Camp Manager and recorded on the staff rota.
- Parents will be notified if only one member of staff will be on duty for a session or part of a session.
- A full risk assessment must be completed and approved before lone working is permitted.
- Insurance arrangements must confirm that lone working situations are covered.
Where applicable, another responsible adult on site (e.g., site manager, caretaker or school representative) will be identified and available in case of emergency.
An ‘on-call’ person will also be nominated for each lone working session. This individual must be able to attend the site within an agreed timeframe.
Suitable Staff for Lone Working #
Staff approved for lone working must be assessed as suitable and competent. They must possess appropriate qualifications, training and experience.
- A current 12-hour Paediatric First Aid certificate.
- Up-to-date safeguarding and child protection training.
- Relevant food hygiene training where applicable.
- Competent use of English.
- Relevant childcare, playwork or supervisory qualification/experience.
- No medical condition that would affect suitability to work alone.
- Familiarity with emergency evacuation procedures and how they are adapted during lone working.
Working Practices During Lone Working #
When lone working, staff must ensure that all children remain ‘within sight or hearing at all times’, and ‘within sight and hearing when eating’, in line with EYFS requirements.
All essential resources must be kept readily accessible and not stored in a separate area of the building.
- Child records and emergency contact details.
- First aid kit.
- Camp mobile phone.
- Accident and incident forms.
- Logging a Concern forms.
- Collection by Unknown Person forms.
- Visitor log.
- Spill kit / cleaning products / sick bowl.
Meal and snack times must be carefully planned to ensure supervision requirements are maintained. Additional procedures may be required for arrival, departure, toileting or other situations where the staff member may need to move within the space.
If intimate care is provided during lone working, an Incident Log must be completed and parents/carers must sign this upon collection of their child.
Related Policies #
- Safeguarding Policy
- Emergency Evacuation Policy
- Intimate Care Policy
- Illness and Accidents Policy
- Risk Assessment Policy
Policy Review Details #
This policy was adopted by: Adventure Camps
Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2025): Safeguarding policies and procedures [3.4 – 3.6], Suitable People [3.13 – 3.19], Qualifications, Training, Support and Skills [3.29 – 3.33], First Aid [3.36 – 3.39], Staff:Child Ratios [3.42 – 3.43, 3.57], and Risk Assessment [3.91].
