Digital Content Executive at Experience Education
Daisy Mae started working at Experience Education last summer , before working as a ski rep in Alpe d’Huez with SkiBound! Daisy studied Marketing and Management at the University of East Anglia and loves to travel, having interrailed around Europe and explored West Coast USA. Daisy loves creating case studies from schools who have had amazing residentials with JCA, and highlighting how much you can get out of a school residential.
Here at JCA Adventure, our top priority is ensuring safe and secure school trips, for both students and teachers. Our extensive expertise ensures that we create exciting trips, that also provide peace of mind from the start. We sat down with Matt Smith, Compliance and Operations Manager at Experience Education, who has been ensuring safe practices with us for over 18 years. Here’s a run down of the top health and safety questions we get asked from teachers, when planning JCA residential.
General safety and Oversight
At our JCA residential centres, what are the key safety measures which are carried out before a group arrives?
“All the activity areas are checked daily to ensure they are fit for use by our qualified instructors. The activity equipment is also checked regularly by a qualified external auditor. The accommodation areas are checked prior to groups having access and any maintenance related issues are reported and rectified immediately.
This thorough approach not only gives teachers peace of mind, but also allows students to fully immerse themselves in each activity with confidence, knowing they are participating in a safe and well-managed environment.”
How do you ensure each JCA residential centre consistently meets your organisation’s safety standards?
“Each department that operates at Condover have department manuals that clearly highlight how to ensure we meet safety standards. These manuals work in conjunction with our operating procedures and site/department specific risk assessments. We also carry out monthly compliance audits of all departments as well as regular observations of the team performing their duties, to ensure we provide excellent support every time.”
What about at Croft Farm?
“The team at Croft Farm that deliver the water sports and overall facilities, are held to the same standard as those that work for JCA. We have regular meetings with the team onsite to ensure standards are maintained. Prior to the season commencing, and JCA groups arriving, we confirm that all relevant safety and compliance checks have taken place, with no actions outstanding or H&S issues are recorded.
This safety‑first approach ensures teachers can trust that every aspect of the trip is expertly managed, while students benefit from a secure, high‑quality environment that allows them to focus on learning, adventure and personal development.”
Qualifications
How often are centres reviewed or audited, and what does that process involve?
“Our JCA residential centres are inspected by BAPA (British Activity Providers Association) every two years against their code of practice. We also use LOtC Quality Badge (Learning Outside the Classroom) and Adventuremark to inspect our centres too. All our JCA facilities are checked against various health and safety compliance regulations such as Fire, Legionella, Food Safety, Gas and Electric. By meeting these rigorous industry standards, teachers gain reassurance that their group is staying in a professionally accredited environment.”
What qualifications or experience do your on-site teams have in managing safety?
“Many of our managers have completed the IOSH managing safety course. Also, several senior managers hold the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. This means that we ensure safety to the highest extent, for all our visitors at our JCA centres.”
Accessibility
What accessibility considerations do you build into JCA residential centre design and planning?
“We advise that all groups visit the centre prior to their trip, for what we call an inspection visit. This is helpful to discuss any specific needs for their groups prior to travel. This allows our team to understand individual’s needs and plan for any reasonable adjustments we may need to make. This ensures everybody is able to participate in activities and enjoy their trip.
Another good point to mention is that we are currently reviewing our activities and working with external experts in disability awareness and accessibility. This should create further opportunities for individuals that require additional support. This proactive, inclusive approach gives teachers confidence that every student’s needs are considered well in advance, while students benefit from tailored support that helps them feel safe, included and fully able to take part in all aspects of their residential experience.”
Security
What security measures are in place at night?
“We have duty instructors and managers on duty 24 hours a day, to ensure the safety of both students and staff. We also have night security on duty from 10.30pm through to 07.30am every evening. They patrol our residential centres and are available for any issues that may arise overnight. The centres have CCTV covering the main entrance and exit gates. It’s also important to note that the entire centre is either walled in or fenced around the perimeter for extra security.”
Are gates to our sites locked at night time? How are sites kept secure overnight?
“The main gate at Condover is locked throughout the week, the only exception to this is on arrival and departure days. On arrivals and departures we have a senior member of staff on duty, supervising this process. We also have instructors on the main gate welcoming the visiting groups and also restricting access to anyone that is not authorised to enter the centre.
At Croft Farm, the entrance has a barrier and intercom that is used for entry to the site. The site is fenced and only JCA groups and customers of the site have access. During the evenings, the JCA areas of the site are patrolled by the JCA Night Security member of staff. Areas of the site are covered by CCTV, as well as the main entrance of the site.”
Staff and Supervision
How do you train your staff to manage risk, without getting in the way of the fun?
“All of our staff go through department specific training to ensure they operate at the required standard covering specific health and safety for their role.
Our activity instructors go through training in all activities, during this training they must demonstrate that they are aware of the potential hazards, and how to control them. From all the in-air activities, the staff are assessed by an external technical advisor. All our water sports instructors are holders of the Paddle Sport instructor award and have been through specific training on managing water sports activity safely.
This level of specialist training provides teachers with the reassurance that their group is in the hands of highly competent professionals, while giving students the confidence to take on new challenges knowing they are supported by instructors who prioritise their safety and wellbeing.”
But what happens if something goes wrong?
“All the JCA instructors are qualified first aiders, with senior staff holding a higher level of first aid. All staff are aware of the accident, incident and near miss procedures as well as the importance of reporting them. The JCA staff team will run through simulations to ensure that they are aware and well-practiced in the processes to deal with incidents. We run practical simulations in lockdown, missing guests and First aid scenario training. This ensures that we are prepared to support both teachers and students for any situation.”
Are all staff DBS-checked and trained in safeguarding?
“Yes, absolutely! All staff have had a DBS check, and our instructors all hold an enhanced DBS check. JCA staff go through safeguarding training with the companies safeguarding team prior to working with groups. They must also complete an online training module for safeguarding.”
Food, Hygiene & Wellbeing
How do you cater for allergies or dietary requirements?
“This is a common question we get. We have trained staff within our catering facilities across our JCA sites. Using coloured bands as visual indicators for those individuals with food allergies, this makes mealtimes a seamless process. We work with accompanying adults at mealtimes to ensure that the food that is served is correct for each person. Our menus are also visible in the restaurant and explain the allergen information clearly for the food which is being served throughout the week. Moreover, our staff will verbally check with students to confirm if they have an allergy.
We know how important it is to ensure confidence when it comes to allergies, so we take these extra steps for peace of mind.”
How are medical needs and allergies managed ahead of a group’s arrival?
“We request information from all groups regarding the people they are bringing to our residential sites. We request this information to be sent to us 8 weeks prior to travel to ensure that we can review this and communicate with the groups to ensure we can meet the needs of everybody on the trip.”
As you can see, our JCA staff prioritise safety at every point possible, providing reassurance whilst ensuring fun. With over 30 years of experience looking after your students, JCA makes sure that every child has the chance to get the most out of each activity.
Ready to get started on your adventure? Click here to contact our expert team.
