Interest Mapping - Feedback

Case Study: A group has been set up to establish safety and quality standards for children’s adventure holidays. It is acknowledged that establishing a workable standard for UK holidays is easier than for overseas holidays. However, there are a number of issues being raised from a range of stakeholders in the process.

It is imperative that a number of key principles be established as soon as possible regarding:

Ø  Safety of children

Ø  Regulation of independent providers

Ø  Responsibilities of teachers, providers and tour operators

These principles will provide the basis for a way forward and avoid the committee remaining in deadlock for months at a time. There are a number of key groups involved; you are required to map the interests of just two of these.

Teachers’ representatives

Teachers are concerned that safety is achieved. However, they want to limit the responsibility of teachers accompanying children because of their reliance on the expertise of providers during activity sessions.

Additionally, they are concerned about the number of cases that have been publicised blaming teachers for incidents. they feel that any regulations should include the responsibility of parents, tour operators and actual service providers [holiday centres].

Whilst recognising the educational benefits of such trips, the teachers are concerned that any regulation that limits numbers [or staff-student ratios] may drive the costs up to an unrealistic level. Age restrictions might be an option.

Tour operators [UK]

Tour operators are happy to have reasonable standards imposed, although their concern is that the operation of overseas operators and providers will reflect badly on them, as agents for providers. They wish to avoid excessively stringent regulations that they feel sure will not be upheld by overseas operators. Tour operators also have a concern regarding responsibility for the children’s behaviour during residence and whilst participating. They feel that teachers should still retain some responsibility in loco parentis. Their other concern is that transport to overseas activity centres should be the responsibility of the transport companies, not tour operators.

Feedback

See the template on the next page which assesses the interest of the two groups:

Teachers’ Reps / Tour operators
Define group / Teachers take children on adventure holidays abroad; their reps are here to ensure that their responsibilities are clearly delineated and that they are not presumed to be responsible for matters outside their control / Tour operators run businesses to make profits! They also rely on having a good reputation for their services. They book holidays with overseas adventure centres and are conscious of their remoteness from the site.
Interests / They want to run useful and interesting trips for children but don’t want to be held responsible for every potential danger. They want the children to have a good education experience that is hazard free; they also want to be able to rely on experts at the adventure centres. / They want to make regular, profitable bookings for schools – this is a growth business area. They want to establish good relations with the schools to ensure repeat business. They also want to feel confident thqat the centres they deal with are competent and safe; at the same time, they want to limit their responsibility because of the remoteness of the centres and because of the inevitable risks that exist on adventure holidays.
Reasons / They want to protect teachers from blame and the school from litigation. / They want to limit financial and legal liability in a situation where they are vulnerable.
Hot buttons / Any previous high publicity cases will be an issue. The principle of in loco parentis [standing in the place of the child’s parent] will leave them feeling particularly vulnerable, especially where there is any bad behaviour from the child. / They choose the centres that the make bookings with and will need to have made stringent checks – this is difficult where the centre is in another country. They will be aware of previous cases that brought bad publicity.
Key questions / What is the staff pupil ratio?
How much training and experience do staff have?
How do they define in loco parentis?
How carefully do they check out the tour operators and the adventure centres? / What systems are in place for checking adventure centres and making choices?
What legal agreements are made with the centres?
What safety procedures do they provide in placing bookings?