Educational Visits Advice

Employers are responsible for the provision and implementation of health and safety procedures, guidance and specific advice. All Local Authority maintained schools must operate to guidance, standards and approval requirements issued by the Outdoor Education Advisor.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers are responsible for the provision and implementation of health and safety procedures, guidance and specific advice.

With regard to school visits and off site learning activities, this function is carried out on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council by the Outdoor Education Advisor’s office based within Notts Outdoors

The Outdoor Education Advisor is responsible for:

• guidance to schools and other services working with children and young people on the safe management of school visits and off site learning (based on good practice and legal requirement)
• production of generic risk assessments
• training in the management of schools visits and off site learning
• provision of a web based storage and approval system - *Evolve
• provision of a telephone/email advisory service
• formally approving all higher risk activities as in compliance with Local Authority Standards
• monitoring of system use, school procedures and external visits.

All Local Authority maintained schools must operate to guidance, standards and approval requirements issued by the Outdoor Education Advisor.

Buy back offer

Where schools convert to an Academy, they assume all statutory responsibilities for this aspect of work. Most Academies buy back Local Authority Advisory Services and this can be provided to whole academy trusts/chains.

Evolve 

EVOLVE is an online system, used by Nottinghamshire County Council, for the planning, approval and management of educational visits and extra-curricular activities.

Log into EVOLE 

All schools and establishments must have a trained Visit Co-ordinator in place. Visit Co-ordinators are advised that they should attend a refresher course at least every 3 years. Notts Outdoors offer all relevant training courses.

Evolve +

Evolve + is an optional suite of features provided through Evolve. These include:

• The ability to synchronises staff and participant information from your MIS, such as SIMS and iSAMS, with EVOLVE. Automatically generate visit and activity registers and includes information you choose to synchronise, such as medical and emergency contact details.
• The ability to seek consent electronically, via the comprehensive secure online portal. Users can also centrally record and access completed paper-based consent forms anywhere, anytime.
• Quick and easy access to EVOLVE from a mobile phone, tablet or any internet-enabled device.
• Allow staff to send text messages and emails to parents and carers, based on visit and activity registers.
• Create shared calendar feeds to provide non Evolve users (eg governors, parents/carers) with specific visit information

For further information, please contact the Outdoor Education Advisor’s office based at Notts Outdoors. Call 01623 556 110 or drop us an email.