Posted By Zoe Barnett We run very successful out of hours learning sessions throughout the year, offering a range of activities. They are run by teachers and instructors, generally using schools/libraries/museums etc and cater for youngsters aged 10-11. We want to improve our monitoring of H&S procedures, improve the formal recording of risk assessments etc but this has opened a huge can of worms and they are wriggling all over my desk. The basic problem is identifying who should actually carry out the H&S work - teachers running the activities? The LEA? If so, who? School Advisers are unwilling, teachers say they are too busy (though I did have to grit my teeth when they said their six weeks' summer break wasn't long enough) and there isn't anyone in a central position to co-ordinate it all. The problem is compounded by the fact that there are often several staff at a session and no-one has overall leadership as it is understood that to offer this role would be a disincentive and would cause problems with recruiting teachers to the programme. Not unnaturally, especially on a Friday afternoon, I am keen to get out of doing as much work on this as possible and so wondered if any colleagues have management/co-ordination systems that work in similar scenarios. I am happy to draw up audits, checklists, generic risk assessments etc for completion by whoever - I just want to know what sort of chain of command works (though of course if you have documents that you're happy to share I'd be grateful.) As ever I would be happy to return the favour as and when I can.

Posted By Ken Taylor If you are Medway Council providing education within your own buildings, I would have thought that this work should be done by your management as advised by your H&S advisers. If you don't have the people to do this, you may have to bring in a consultant but management will still have to 'own' the assessments, etc and I suspect that much of what goes on will be able to be covered by generic assessments, policies, etc for existing activities within the buildings described.

Posted By Ken Taylor Thanks Zoe, so it's a problem of how to manage and monitor the health and safety. Sounds like you need a sort of peripatetic visiting manager/co-ordinator.