Why this guide exists

A parish day out, a youth pilgrimage, a confirmation retreat, a senior citizens' coach trip: each of these is a gift to the parish and a serious responsibility. Anyone organising a trip in the Diocese of Shrewsbury that involves children or adults at risk must plan it under the diocesan safeguarding framework, which follows the 8 National Safeguarding Standards of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA). This guide walks you through the steps.

Start early, and start with the parish priest

The parish priest is responsible for activities run in the name of the parish. Your first step is a conversation with him. Bring an outline: where, when, who, why, how many. He will agree the trip in principle and may ask the Parish Safeguarding Representative to support the planning from the start.

The eight steps

1. Define the trip and the participants. Confirm the destination, the dates, the maximum number of children or adults at risk, the age range, and any specific support needs (mobility, medication, dietary, English as additional language).
2. Appoint a trip leader who holds an Enhanced DBS check with barred list checks, has up-to-date safeguarding training, and is willing to take overall responsibility on the day.
3. Recruit your team of leaders to the right ratios. As a minimum, the diocese expects: one adult to every six children for ages 5 to 7, one to every eight for ages 8 to 11, and one to every ten for ages 12 and over. Higher-risk activities (water, mountains, residential overnights) require tighter ratios. Single-leader trips are not permitted. At least two unrelated DBS-checked adults must be present at all times.
4. Complete a written risk assessment. The Department of Safeguarding can provide a template. Cover travel, the venue, food, weather, group separation, lost child or adult procedures, photography, social media, behaviour, medication and emergency contacts.
5. Write a parental consent form for every child, signed by parent or guardian. For adults at risk, secure consent from the participant where possible and from the carer or family where appropriate. The form must include emergency contacts, GP details, medication, allergies, dietary needs and permission for emergency medical treatment if a parent cannot be reached.
6. Brief your leaders in writing and in person. Cover the safeguarding plan, the code of conduct (no one-to-one situations, no transport of a child alone, no overnight room sharing between leaders and children, no sharing of personal phone numbers), the emergency procedure, and what to do if a concern is raised.
7. Submit the plan to the Parish Safeguarding Representative for review. For trips involving overnight stays, residential venues, or activities outside the parish boundary, the PSR will consult the Department of Safeguarding at safeguarding@dioceseofshrewsbury.org or 0151 652 9855. Allow at least four weeks for sign-off on overnight or residential trips.
8. Run the trip and debrief. Keep the written records. Note any incidents, however minor. Pass the records to the PSR for the parish safeguarding file.

Documents you must have on the day

• The signed parental consent form for every child, with emergency contacts and medical information.
• The risk assessment.
• The written safeguarding plan and leader briefing.
• A first aid kit and a designated first aider.
• A list of all participants with home contacts.
• A charged mobile phone with the parish priest's number, the PSR's number, and the diocesan safeguarding line on 0151 652 9855.

Photography and social media

The diocese expects parish trip photography to be governed by explicit written consent. Children's faces are not posted on parish social media without specific parental permission. Group photographs without identifying captions are normally acceptable; close-ups of named children are not, unless consent is held in writing. The same care applies to adults at risk.

Transport

Where parents are not driving, leaders must hold valid driving licences and appropriate insurance for carrying passengers in a voluntary capacity. The diocese recommends a hired coach with a professional driver for any trip over twenty miles or with more than twelve participants. Two leaders must be present in any vehicle carrying children, unless one of them is the child's parent or guardian.

If something goes wrong

If a safeguarding concern arises during the trip, the trip leader rings 999 if there is immediate danger, then the parish priest, then the Department of Safeguarding on 0151 652 9855 or Andrew O'Brien on 07557 731 492 during office hours. Written records are made on the day, in the leader's own words. See the separate guide, How to Report a Safeguarding Concern.

Key contacts

• Department of Safeguarding: safeguarding@dioceseofshrewsbury.org, 0151 652 9855.
• Andrew O'Brien, Safeguarding Coordinator: 07557 731 492 during office hours.
• Curial Office: 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX.

Plan the trip well, and the parish family enjoys it. Plan it badly, and the parish family is exposed. The hour spent on the safeguarding plan is the most important hour you will give to the trip.