Guidance for Amber Readiness Risk Assessments
Last Updated; 7th September 2020 @ 1040hrs
As we continue to prepare to welcome face to face scouting back into our lives, guidance has been made available by The Scouts on how this can be achieved safely.
This information can be found on The Scouts website by clicking this button;
As part of this guidance, any activities which are taking place must now have a complete risk assessment which is checked by either the GSL (groups) or DESC (explorer units) before it is submitted using The Scouts online submission form which can be found here;
When submitting your risk assessment, you must use the following details;
Name of approver: Solihull Scouts Risk Assessment Panel
Email of approver: ra-approvals@solihullscouts.org.uk
After submitting, this will trigger a Solihull Scouts internal process which will see your risk assessment being checked by two independant members of the approval panel before having comments fed back to you via The Scouts online form. We are aiming to return a decision to you within 5 working days on each upload cycle.
For each submission, you must supply any previously approved generic risk assessments, for example if as a group, you have one risk assessment for your meeting place, for any activity for any section happening within your meeting place, you must upload the meeting place risk asssessment even if it has already been approved.
Notes from the Approval Panel
The Approval Panel have created a guide to creating and submitting risk assessments for the safe return of face-to-face scouting. While this guide is a compressed version of all the information that is available, it is not a replacement of that information and should only be used as a guide, please check the HQ website for the latest information using the links on the right hand side.
The first few risk assessments have started to come through and the panel would like to remind groups of the following points;
- The panel can only approve or decline each submission and provide comments. If you are uploading risk assessments for 3 weeks worth of programme activities, even if 2 of the risk assessments are approved and there is a small error with one of them, the whole submission will need to be declined. Please treat each submission as a single meeting.
- Where possible, include the names and dates of when risk assessments are approved by GSL/DESC – Your risk assessment will not be declined without this, but it may be added as a comment. Your GSL or DESC and DC will recieve a copy of the decision along with any other comments.
- Consider the COVID Code, if you're not sure what this is, please see our guide above.
- Ensure you have enough First Aid cover and and leaders have read the updated guidance on how to handle First Aid (including CPR) during the pandemic
- Leaders must have an in date safety and safeguarding training module.
We can confirm the following changes to the rules for Amber readiness in England from September 3rd 2020:
- Indoor activities are now allowed, but outdoor activities are preferred and should be encouraged
- Numbers change to 15 young people and up to five leaders (carers can be in addition and will not be counted in these numbers) – this applies both indoors and outdoors. Leaders can also include Young Leaders.
- Young people must stay in their limited group size but adults will now be able to move between these groups, i.e. across the 25m spacing if outdoors or to a section meeting at a different time on the same day.
- Leaders don’t need to wear a face covering when delivering activities – however, it’s recommended to wear one in all other circumstances while indoors.
- Scouts and Explorers must now wear face coverings indoors. Exceptions as per national guidelines are permitted.
For now, all young people in all sections must continue to social distance by 2m from each other where possible and from adult volunteers at all times.
For anyone who has already had a risk assessment accepted, you will not need to start again, but simply amend the risk assessment.