Swansea University International Travel Policy

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL POLICY

ContentsPage No.

Executive Summary 4

PART 1

1. Scope 4

2. Responsibilities 5

University Council
Vice Chancellor
Registrar and Chief Operating Officer
Financial Director
Director Student Services
Director of Safety, Health & Environment
Head of College/PSU Directors
Line Managers
Travelling Individual

PART 2

3. Financial 6

4. Insurance 6

5. Risk Assessment and Approval 6

6. Staff Training 7

7. Documentation 8

8. SafeZone 8

APPENDIX 1.

Useful Website Addresses 9

APPENDIX 2.

Travel Risk Assessment Form 10

Executive Summary

To ensure all University staff with managerial responsibility exercise their legal “Duty of Care”[i] this policy articulates the requirement for an appropriate risk assessment before international travel is undertaken. The conclusion of this analysis must be that any risks are mitigated and the residual risk can be justified in terms of risk benefit decision and personal safety. The policy also reiterates thatonly legitimate business travel should be undertaken, which must have appropriate financial approval before any arrangements are confirmed. It also identifies the need for departments to maintain detailed itineraries of travelling personnel and to have in place an appropriate communication plan commensurate with the level of risk. This will enable the University or specific department to react to any incident or request for assistance. Most importantly it details the level of approval required as the risk level escalates; thus ensuring the University as the employer is accepting the risk at an appropriate level. The Policy is not intended to curtail business travel, but to ensure it is undertaken safely with full consideration of all the relevant factors and appropriate mitigation actions undertaken. As such it details the documents required for International travel and the level of pre-deployment training available from the University. Finally, it highlights the availability of SafeZone a cloud based emergency application that will enhance the safety of International travellers.

To aid users Appendix 1 details useful websites to assist in the risk analysis and Appendix 2 is the risk assessment template to be utilised for medium, high and extreme risk countries.

PART 1

1. Scope

This policy applies to all employees of Swansea University, including those permanently based overseas, and students of the University travelling overseas in connection with their employment /studies. This includes, but is not limited to, overseas lectures, conferences, research projects, exchange visits, work placements, business promotion, fieldtrips and coursework.

2. Responsibilities

Council: The University Council (Council), as the employer and governing body carries ultimate responsibility for the “Duty of Care” for students and staff. As a result Council will ensure strong and active leadership and risk managementis in place for overseas travel.

VC: The Council gives delegated authority to the Vice-Chancellor for ensuring that a Policy for overseas travel is developed, implemented, monitored and reviewed.
Registrar: The Registrarreports to and shall exercise such functions as are delegated by the VC and has prime responsibility for the efficient and effective functioning of the Universityand as such is responsible for overall leadership and governance for overseas travel management. The Registrar or his/her nominated deputy will approve travel to countries assessed as high or extreme risk.

Finance Director: The University spends significant sums on travel and associated expenses. The role of the Finance Director is to provide clear guidance to employees on the procurement of business travel, accommodation and the reimbursement of various benefits. The Financial Director has the following specific responsibilities:

a.To obtain maximum value for money from expenditure on travel, subsistence and hospitality.

b.To ensure such expenditure represents the necessary and reasonable costs incurred by or on behalf of University employees who are properly engaged on University business.

c.To reimburse employees promptly for expenses incurred on University business.

Director Student Services: The Director of Student Services will provide specialist advice in relation to student issues in conjunction with overseas travel. He/she will also maintain contingency plans for student incidents overseas (i.e. death of a student).

Director of Sustainability, Safety & Resilience (SSR): The Director of SSR, which is vested in the substantive position of Director of Estates & Facilities Management (E&FM), will be responsible for the provision of any relevant policy and procedure with regard to international travel of staff and students. He/she will also provide specialist advice through the subject matter experts in the Sustainability, Safety & Resilience Team.

Head of College and Directors of Professional Service Units: HoC and DPSUs are accountable for the day-to-day leadership and management of all overseas travel within their College or PSU. They must have systems in place to identify and understand the risks inherent in a specific travel event and calculate if the benefit to the University outweighs the risks identified. They must also ensure a communications plan is in place and details of the itinerary and next of kin is held at the University. Heads of College and PSU Directors must personally approve travel to countries defined as medium risk by Control Risks.

Line management: All those with line management responsibility are to conduct an appropriate risk assessment in relation to overseas travelthey are specifically required to authorise the travel for staff and students under their care or control from a financial propriety perspective and a duty of care perspective. They must ensure a communication plan is in place between the traveller and the University and that full details of the trip and next of kin details are held with the Department.

Individual Students and Staff: Individuals have a level of personal responsibility in complying with all international health advice and immunisation(GP advice should be sort in a timely fashion) along withpersonal documentation aspects of international travel. Further health advice can be sought from the University’s Occupational Health Team and the Medical Advisory Service to Travellers Abroad. Individuals also have a personal responsibility for their own safety and should ensure they have full situational awareness in regard of their intended destination from a geopolitical, health, security and safety perspective. Individuals must take heed of any advice, instruction and guidance given to them and act upon it.

PART 2

3. Financial

Approval to travel overseas must be obtained before entering into any commitments. An overseas travel request form (F-E.8.3.1) must be completed by all members of staff and postgraduate students intending to travel overseas.

A copy of the completed, authorised approval request must be included with any overseas expense claim submitted for payment and a copy retained in the department.

4. Insurance

The University has insurance cover through UMAL for approvedinternational travel; this is managed and co-ordinated by the University’s insurance administrator in the Finance Directorate. A copy of the insurance schedule must be carried by all personnel engaged in international travel on their person at all times, particularly when travelling alone (certain countries will not provide full medical care without insurance details). It should be noted that additional personal insurance may be required for activities that are not business related.

5. Risk Assessment and Approval

Prior to any international travel the safety of all destinations and transit stops must be assessed. All line managers and travellers must view the advice provided by the University’s insurance company through Control Risks. This web site can be accessed via the link tab on the University Intranet. Failure to follow Control Risk advice may invalidate your insurance.

Countries assessed by the Control Risks as insignificant or low risk do not require a written risk assessment (unless it includes high risk activities). However, due cognisance should be given to the potential risks and hazards; hence all standing Control Risk advicemust be followed. Control Risk assessment must be cross checked with Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice.

Countries assessed as medium risk require a full written risk assessment, utilising the template at Appendix 2. The source document for country intelligence must be the Control Risks Tool, but this should also be supplemented by the FCO travel advice. Other sites that can provide useful health advice and country assessments are the World Health Organisation andMedical Advisory Service to Travellers Abroad. Once complete this risk assessment must be signed by Head of College or PSU Director and the individual traveller. Specialist help and advice is available to assist with this assessment from Head of Resilience & Business Continuity.

Countries assessed by Control Risk as high or extreme risk will not normally gain approval for travel. However, if exceptional circumstances apply then the College or PSU must request the risk assessment to be conducted in conjunction with the Head of Resilience & Business Continuity and the finalised document must be approved by the University’s Registrar.

Finally, it should be clearly understood that the associated risks for travel are dynamic and must be conducted in the planning phase and again before departure. Changes to the geopolitical situation can happen remarkably quickly; consequently, the assessment cannot simply be a single snap shot in time.

6. Staff Training

To enhance personal safety pre-deployment training is available as an online tutorial. This should be conducted by all individuals prior to overseas travel and covers issues such as:

Personal safety
Health considerations
In country travel risk
Cultural issues
Overseas emergencies
Communication strategy
Returning risks (e.g. contagious disease )

For staff approved to travel to high or extreme risk locations specific training will be provided at the expense of the department. Further advice is available from the University’sHead of Resilience & Business Continuity – ext. 6589.

7. Documentation

All personnel travelling on University business are to carry the following documentation:

Passport with appropriate visas, several coloured photocopies should also be carried to avoid handing your passport over to a 3rd party and in case of loss.
Copy of University’s Insurance Policy
Additional personal insurance for areas not covered by University Policy(i.e. hazardous sports).
Immunisation Certificates (an entry requirement in certain countries)
Copies of prescriptions for all drugs carried. It is highly recommended that over the counter non-prescription drugs are not carried, but procured at country of destination.
Details of emergency numbers (Consulate, Insurance, emergency services, University)

8. SafeZone

The University has procured a cloud based application that enables mobile devises with an emergency alert facility. This will give single button access to local emergency number; 24 hour Insurance medical helpline; nearest British Consulate Service 24 hour help line whilst at the same time alerting the University’s 24 hour Response Team if any of these have been activated. If travelling on behalf of the University to countries assessed as medium risk or above then SafeZone will be mandatory as part of the risk mitigation strategy.

Appendix 1.

Useful Website Addresses

a. Control Risks Security Assessment - (under the link tap. User name and password attached to the link)

b. Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advice -

c. World Health Organisation -

d. Medical Advisory Service to Travellers Abroad -

e. Financial Approval Form for Int Travel -

Appendix 2

TRAVEL RISK ASSESMENT FORM

Name of Assessor / Date of Assessment
College/PSU/Department
Are you travelling / Yes/No / If no, please state who you are completing this for
Locations, including transit destination / Purpose of Visit
Dates of Visit
From: / To:
Travel details / Flight numbers ETD/ETA
Host Organisation / Address, communication details, including in country point of contact
Who is going on the trip / Attach or list all names and status / Total number Travelling
Are there any vulnerable individuals travelling / Nature of vulnerability / i.e. mental health or disability

Headlines Up Front

Point brief executive summary

Consideration of Risk Factors

(Red type is not prescriptive it is simply guidance the factor will be drawn out from the country intelligence)

Political