Excursions, incursions and regular outings procedure

1. Purpose

Working in conjunction with the Excursions, incursions and regular outings policy, this procedure outlines how Early Learning Victoria staff plan and conduct safe and appropriate excursions, incursions, and regular outings.

2. Actions and procedures

Planning an excursion, incursion or regular outing

An excursion, incursion or regular outing must have a clear statement of purpose that relates to the educational program. The excursion coordinator works with other educational staff to develop this.

It could be a focus on:

children experiencing the natural world
supporting child-directed exploration
connecting with the local community.

The coordinator should also consider:

time away from the service
the availability of toilets and bathrooms
access to safe drinking water
adequate health and hygiene practices
access to shade
accessibility for all children and staff
transport
cost to families (if applicable)
wet weather arrangements
water safety.

The coordinator should consider safety procedures and responsibilities for staff and children, using the Excursion, Incursion, Regular Outing: Plan, Risk Assessment and Management Plan (see Links). This should include:

the destination and availability of required resources, including transport
the number of educators and additional staff needed
confirming that a minimum of one staff member with current first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training will be in attendance
a risk assessment specific to the excursion, incursion or regular outing.

Completing a risk assessment

A risk assessment must be completed for excursions, incursions and regular outings. It must be completed before seeking permission from families.

A risk assessment for a regular outing must be completed at least once every 12 months. Note that these risk assessments must be regularly reviewed, including directly after each regular outing. This ensures the risk assessment is always up to date and includes all relevant risks.

The coordinator must use the template provided in the Excursion, Incursion and Regular Outing: Plan, Risk Assessment and Management Plan. The risk assessment and management plan can be drafted as the plan is developed, then finalised.

Risk assessments help to decide:

the number of educators needed to ensure adequate supervision
the number of additional staff members or other adults, if any, needed (see the Supervision of children policy)
whether the excursion, incursion or regular outing plan should be modified to reduce or remove risks.

The risk assessment must:

identify and assess possible risks to the health, safety and wellbeing of any child or member of staff
specify how any noted risks will be managed and minimised
consider the proposed activities in relation to children and staff with disability, additional needs or medical conditions
ensure WWCCs are sighted for all adults and volunteers participating in the excursion, incursion or regular outing (a scanned photocopy or written record of the WWCC number must be kept on file at the service)
consider the ratio of adults to children involved in the excursion, incursion or regular outing
consider the number of educators and other responsible adults (and whether this will be enough for adequate supervision of children, given the level of risk)
consider whether specialised skills are needed (e.g. lifesaving skills for excursions or regular outings near water)
consider ways to consistently ensure adequate supervision during transitions, toileting, departure from the Early Learning Victoria centre and at the end of excursion, incursion or regular outing
consider the proposed route and location of the excursion, incursion or regular outing
consider any known traffic dangers and how to navigate busy roads and pathways
consider the process for entering and exiting the Early Learning Victoria centre and the pick up location or destination (as required)
consider the dynamics of the children in the group and how their needs and varying abilities may be met
consider the transport to and from the proposed location of the excursion or regular outing (see Transportation for excursions and regular outings)
consider steps for getting on and off the means of transport, including how each child is to be accounted for
consider what must be taken on the excursion (e.g. a first aid kit, emergency contact details for children, contact details of relevant Early Learning Victoria staff, medication for children with known medical conditions and a mobile phone)
ensure that for incursions, the visiting group or performer is covered by the appropriate insurance
identify any water hazards
identify any risks associated with water-based activities (see the Water safety policy).

Asthma risk assessment

An extra risk assessment is also needed on days when thunderstorms, increased pollen levels or increased pollutants (such as smoke) have been forecast.

Review the epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk by visiting the VicEmergency website or using the VicEmergency app (download for Android or Apple). Consider the safety of all children attending the excursion.

Excursions in bushfire-prone areas

In areas prone to bushfires, the coordinator must complete an extra risk assessment. This includes monitoring weather forecasts, the Fire Danger Rating (FDR) and emergency warnings before and during excursions or regular outings.

If the forecast FDR is ‘extreme’ or ‘catastrophic’ in the weather district, the excursion or regular outing must be reassessed. See also the Emergency management and evacuation policy.

Transportation for excursions and regular outings

The coordinator must consider how to transport children.

Early Learning Victoria does not allow excursions or regular outings on chartered transportation, such as buses or mini-buses. Walking or using public transport is allowed. At some Early Learning Victoria centres, learning to use public transport is a valued part of teaching children road safety skills.

If an excursion or regular outing uses public transport, the risk assessment must assess any specific risks related to this. It must also state how these risks will be managed.

The excursion or regular outing plan must also consider how to pay public transport fares for everyone taking part.

Changes in circumstances

The risk assessment must be updated if important factors change. This includes more children attending, a change of location or a change to the route travelled. Authorisation forms may also need to be reviewed and updated.

Approval and documentation

Before an excursion, incursion or regular outing can be approved, the Excursion, Incursion and Regular Outing: Plan, Risk Assessment and Management Plan must be completed.

The excursion coordinator must:

get the nominated supervisor’s approval for the excursion plan. This includes the budget, risk assessment and management plans. (They must get approval from the area manager for regular outings)
ensure a copy of the approved plan, including the budget, risk assessment and management plan, is kept on file at the Early Learning Victoria centre
ensure the excursion, incursion or regular outing is recorded in the Student Activity Locator (SAL) once approved by the nominated supervisor. This must be done at least 5 business days before the excursion is to take place.

Student Activity Locator (SAL)

The SAL is an interactive database tool. It is used by Early Learning Victoria, the Department of Education (the department) and non-government schools to record excursions.

In an emergency, the SAL gives the department’s emergency management staff and emergency services essential information. For the system to work well, accurate records must be kept. See the SAL User Guide for instructions (approved access only).

Once an excursion or regular outing has been approved, the excursion coordinator must record that activity in the SAL. This can also be done by a delegated staff member (e.g. centre administrator).

Gaining family authorisation

The coordinator must get written authorisation from each child’s family for them to participate. If an excursion is changed, families must be told as soon as the change is made. The coordinator must seek their permission again using the correct authorisation form (see authorisation template in Links).

If the excursion is a regular outing, authorisations are current for a maximum of 12 months (see authorisation template in Links). The coordinator does not need to continue seeking permission from families for the regular outing in this time. However, they must let families know on Kidsoft when the next regular outing is happening.

Conducting excursions and regular outings

Once the plan is approved, the coordinator should make any bookings and confirm that staff are available. In the days before the excursion, the coordinator must:

tell educators who will be going on the excursion, about the excursion and emergency plan, and their roles during the excursion and in an emergency
order any food needed from the centre kitchen staff
discuss the excursion with children
arrange care at the centre for non-participating children
write an outline for the centre’s reception, and for any family members attending. This could include:
- a timetable for the excursion
- a list of the children
- a list of the names of educators who will attend
- a phone number to use if educators or family members become separated from the group
- any other relevant information, including letting parents or guardians know what their children will need to bring (such as a snack, lunch, sunscreen or a coat).

Pre-departure

Before leaving on the excursion or regular outing, the coordinator must:

ensure all children attending are on the Excursion and Regular Outing Checklist and Coversheet (see Links)
tell any family members coming on the excursion about their obligation to follow the 11 Child Safe Standards. Also give them a copy of the excursion outline, assign them to educators and give them their roles
ensure that the centre’s reception has a copy of the written outline of the excursion
ensure that someone with first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training is in attendance and that first aid, medical, sunscreen, communications and other equipment, and emergency contact numbers for each child, are taken on the excursion
ensure that all children going on the excursion can be easily identified as from the centre, using brightly coloured or fluorescent bibs
ensure that children on the excursion have a tag or wrist band with the phone number of the phone being carried by the excursion leader. For safety reasons, educators must ensure that this label does not include the name of the child
ensure that all educators can be easily identified, are wearing name badges and together have 2 Early Learning Victoria-issued mobile devices for use during the excursion.

During the excursion or regular outing

While on the excursion or regular outing, the coordinator must:

ensure that a headcount of children and accompanying family members is taken at regular intervals, and whenever children move to a new space/location throughout the excursion using the Excursion and Regular Outing Checklist and Coversheet
in addition to headcounts, ensure that in each change of location (such as arriving at a location, preparing to leave a location or arriving back at the service), educators can sight each individual child in attendance. They must also be able to cross-check their attendance with the list of names of children attending
ensure educators are maintaining active supervision of children at all times and communicating effectively with each other
inform the centre if the excursion is running late.

After the excursion or regular outing

On returning to the ELV centre, the coordinator must ensure that all children who attended the excursion are accounted for. This must be documented using the Excursion and Regular Outing Checklist and Coversheet.

Changes to excursion or regular outing plans

If there is any change to the excursion or regular outing plan, the coordinator must:

tell families of all children going on the excursion in writing
seek updated authorisation for the revised excursion from families (see Gaining Family Authorisation)
tell families that they can cancel their authorisation by signing the appropriate part of the notice.

If the excursion is cancelled, the coordinator must tell each family involved in writing.

Conducting an incursion

Once approved, the coordinator should:

brief staff and family volunteers who will be helping, clarifying their roles
discuss the incursion with children
confirm the attendance of any outside group (e.g. performers), and their time of arrival and departure
ensure care for non-participating children has been arranged and that educator-to-child ratios are maintained. This may include working with room leaders to determine how children should be grouped across the centre to maintain ratios during the incursion
ensure the space to be used for the incursion is available, as per the incursion plan.

During the incursion

The coordinator must ensure:

any external parties, including family volunteers, have signed in to the centre and that their WWCC details have been sighted and recorded
educator-to-child ratios are maintained for the duration of the incursion
educators always maintain active supervision of all children
that a child or children are never left alone with an incursion facilitator, volunteer or family member
any risks associated with the incursion are managed as per the risk assessment and management plan
that staff and family volunteers fulfil their roles.

After the incursion

At the end of the incursion, the coordinator must ensure:

the space used for the incursion is neatly packed up and returned to its previous set-up (if applicable)
any outside providers and family volunteers are signed out and helped to leave the premises.

Procedures in an emergency

The priority in any emergency is the safety, health and wellbeing of children.

All educators are responsible for maintaining active supervision of children at all times. The excursion coordinator should oversee all educators and children for the entire excursion.

If a child is sick, injured or missing, the steps to follow are:

The person who notices a child is unwell, injured or missing must tell the excursion coordinator immediately.
The coordinator must immediately ask all educators and other adults attending to group all children on the excursion together and stay in a designated safe place. If a child has been injured, the safe place should be away from the injured child.
If a child is sick or injured, an educator with first aid qualifications must be taken off their normal duties and assigned to look after the injured child immediately. They should provide care and first aid as required (this educator should be named in the emergency plan).
If a child is sick or injured and needs urgent professional medical assistance, the coordinator must call 000 immediately. If the child needs to be taken to hospital by ambulance, the educator assigned to look after the child must go with the child.
The nominated supervisor must be told about the situation as soon as practical. If educators cannot contact the nominated supervisor, they should contact the area manager.
The nominated supervisor is responsible for promptly contacting the child’s family about the incident or injury.
The nominated supervisor must also carefully document first aid incidents and outcomes on eduSafe Plus (see the ELV Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy).
If a child is missing, the coordinator must:
1. alert all attending staff, volunteers and the venue staff (if applicable) and request immediate help
2. assign as many educators and volunteers as possible to search for the child, ensuring that the remaining children are always supervised
3. if the child has not been found within 5 minutes, call emergency services
4. alert the nominated supervisor as soon as practical
The nominated supervisor should contact the area manager and keep them fully informed as the situation develops. Together, in terms of maintaining adult-to-child ratios, they should discuss and decide:
1. whether any ELV staff can or should be sent to the location to help
2. how any sick or injured child will be returned to the ELV centre or their family
3. how the remaining children will return to the service.

A child missing or unaccounted for is considered an incident of ‘extreme’ severity. These incidents must be formally reported to the department via ISOC within one hour of occurring. The nominated supervisor (or ELV central office) must:

Inform the family of any sick, injured or missing child as soon as possible.
Decide when to inform the families of other children on the excursion.
Once the child is safe and it is appropriate to do so, make a serious incident notice to ISOC if required. Follow the ELV Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy, including:
completing the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the occurrence
reporting the incident to the Regulatory Authority via NQAITS within 24 hours
ensuring that relevant educators and staff involved in the incident complete a detailed statement explaining what happened. This must be done on the same day and include the date and time, as well as the signature of the person who wrote the statement.
3. Resources