The Forest School handbook: guidance notes

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Forest School Association guidance notes

The Forest School ‘handbook’

Contents

What is a Forest School handbook?
Why do Forest School practitioners need policies and procedures?
What is a ‘policy’?
What is a ‘procedure’?
Which policies and procedures might be needed?
Why does each Forest School have to write or adapt and update its own handbook?
Working within existing documentation
Working within a team of Forest School leaders

What is a Forest School handbook?

A Forest School handbook is a working document created by a particular Forest School Level 3 practitioner or a group of practitioners working within the same setting.

It contains policies and procedures in line with:

• statutory requirements and
• good practice, appropriate to their site and client group.

It is regularly reviewed and amended in response to:

• changes to risk assessments, routines and standard operating procedures resulting from reviewing sessions and programmes
• changes in good practice
• changes in legislation. top of page

Why do Forest School practitioners need policies and procedures?

Professionalism: having all appropriate paperwork in place demonstrates that the practitioner is well-prepared and considering good practice.

Confidence and flexibility: the process of planning adequately for all reasonably foreseeable potentially serious outcomes provides the practitioner with peace of mind. This lowers stress levels and allows focus on the unfolding processes and opportunities that arise during sessions. Planning also allows leaders to build confidence in their own decision-making capabilities. This, in turn, allows greater responsiveness and flexibility.

Planning and communication: the handbook becomes a tool for joint planning and communication with other staff and helpers at Forest School, and with managers, parents and carers, and client-group leaders. The short, clear policies and procedures that it contains explain what will happen and how things are undertaken at your Forest School.

Legal obligation: under Health and Safety law, ‘[i]t is an employer’s duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this’ (view source). Employers with more than five employees must have a written Health and Safety policy appropriate for their work situation (view source).

Organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults also need appropriate safeguarding policies.

Preventative measures against litigation: accidents and incidents do happen. If a practitioner has all necessary paperwork in place and up to date this provides evidence of their care and thought processes in managing health and safety, risk and safeguarding etc as far as is reasonably practical. top of page

What is a ‘policy’?

A policy is a plan of action or statement of intent designed to guide decisions in order to achieve particular desired outcomes. In Forest School there may be various policies, each outlining a plan or intent on a particular issue. These might also take the form of statements added to existing organisational policies. Policies may be supported by and implemented through written procedures. top of page

What is a ‘procedure’?

A procedure is a specific series of actions or operations taken in specific order to obtain a consistent desired result. In Forest School there may be various procedures outlining specifically how we do things at Forest School. Procedures may link directly with policies and be included in the same document. top of page

Which policies and procedures might be needed?

Every Forest School is different and will need policies and procedures appropriate to their needs and situation. It is important to check that your statements and addendums are within the requirements of UK or national legislation. It’s good practice to also take in national guidance. top of page

Key areas of legislation and national guidance
Area	Links to area summaries
Health and Safety at Work	http://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm
Protection of Children and Vulnerable Groups	Scotland https://www.gov.uk/schools-colleges-childrens-services/safeguarding-children http://www.unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/UN-Convention/
Equality	Scotland https://www.gov.uk/equality-act-2010-guidance
Access, environment and wildlife	Scotland http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx

The list below provides some ideas of specific policies and procedures to consider, but should not be treated as a definitive list:

Health and safety
Policies	Related procedures
Risk management and assessment Insurance: employers and public liability First Aid provision (including Emergency equipment to be carried) Staff/helper qualifications, training & responsibilities Equipment Use of Personal Protective Equipment Welfare requirements – toilets, hygiene, food and drink Emergency and incident management Contingency and cancellation Transport	Risk assessment, COSSH assessment Weather and clothing Administering medicines/ items to children Operational & maintenance protocols for tools and equipment Fire & cooking protocol Toileting Food hygiene Emergency and serious incident procedures including lost or missing person Reporting (RIDDOR) and near miss Cancellation and contingency Walking/ driving/ transport
Safeguarding
Policies	Related procedures
Getting it Right for Every Child (Scotland) Parent/carer communication & permissions Training for staff & responsibilities Disclosure and Barring Service checks (Scotland: Protection of Vulnerable Groups checks) Ratios Preparing children for Forest School Use of photographs and digital recording media Receiving visitors Confidentiality	Informed parental consent Safeguarding recording and reporting Responding to a disclosure Unwanted visitor Data protection Dealing with media
Learning and development
Policies	Related procedures
Forest School ethos Aims and objectives Observation and assessment Role of the adult	Observation & evaluation Planning Procedures for certain common experiences that could present significant risk e.g. fire, cooking, using tools, climbing, construction etc.
Equality
Policies	Related procedures
Special educational needs Inclusion and access Behaviour management Anti-bullying	Behavioural methodologies De-escalation Positive handling Anti-bulling procedures
Access, environment & sustainability
Policies	Related procedures
Access and/or landowner agreement Sustainable use of site Care of flora and fauna Purchasing/ suppliers	Record keeping Links to ecological impact assessment and management plan Procurement protocol
Terms and conditions
	Related procedures
	Booking & cancellation Complaints Contract with partner organisations, including division of responsibilities
	Related procedures
	Daily operating procedures

Why does each Forest School have to write or adapt and update its own handbook?

Relevance: the information within the handbook needs to be relevant and appropriate to your Forest School – the physical site and also the staff, client group/s and activities that are undertaken. Information needs to be specific to your Forest School Programme(s) circumstances. It’s the L3 Forest School practitioner’s responsibility (in consultation with managers) to ensure this is in place.

Realistic and practicable: policies and procedures should be realistic and practicable; your handbook should reflect your own Forest School practice. As your practice develops and changes, so too should your handbook. Your handbook should be considered a useful tool that is regularly reflected upon and updated.

Up to date: the date of each policy and procedure should be identified.  Calendar dates fpr review should be specified, at least annually and/or after a change, significant incident or near miss.

Ownership: authorship and/or adoption by managers should be recorded for each policy and procedure and subsequent changes. top of page

Working within existing documentation

It is likely (unless you are freelance) that your organisation or school will already have certain policies and procedures in place. As a Forest School practitioner it is essential that you understand the guidance presented in these documents and review whether they adequately cover the needs of working at a Forest School. If not, you may need to write an addendum to how certain aspects of the policy/procedure are met during Forest School. For example, most school policies and procedures may not refer to how fire is used to support learning and how it is managed when having campfires with pupils. You will also want to ensure that relevant information about the existing organisation policy is summarised for your Forest School staff and helpers. top of page

Working within a team of Forest School leaders

If you work with other Forest School leaders at your workplace it may be beneficial to undertake the reviewing of the Forest School handbook together. In this way you can share value judgements and establish a consistent approach to the protocols in practice as well as in writing. top of page