In-Service Training Programme for Adventure Activities 2010

The courses outlined below will be supplied and in most cases delivered by Adventure Scotland, the Council's appointed safety management consultants for adventurous activities. Adventure Scotland are registered with GTCS as accredited Continuing Professional Development Providers. The aim is to provide high quality training for those Council employees and voluntary staff who are involved in outdoor learning. For further dates of courses and more information please refer to the website at the above address or contact Adventure Scotland directly on 01479 811411.

In order to increase the chances of achieving viable numbers, some courses (marked *) are being promoted jointly with Aberdeen City Outdoor Education.

Applicants should ensure that they meet the pre-entry requirements of the course for which they are applying and are invited to contact Adventure Scotland for advice if required. A course application form is available for downloading below:

• Course Application Form (43 kb)

Funding of Courses:

Most courses leading to Aberdeenshire's own in-house awards are centrally funded for bonafide employees (paid or voluntary) of Aberdeenshire Council. Course participants will be responsible for any travel and/or subsistence costs connected with attendance. Centrally funded courses are marked (F).

Courses are usually non-residential and will be based either within Aberdeenshire or as locally as possible.

Invoices for National Governing Body (NGB) courses will normally be sent to the applicant and fees need to be met either by the individual or their establishment. Most courses would be considered appropriate for CPD. It is important that you discuss and clarify the funding of courses with your line manager and CPD coordinator prior to applying for a place on NGB courses.

Course fees quoted do not include food or accommodation.

All employees/volunteers wishing to apply for funded courses must have their application endorsed by their Head of Establishment or Manager prior to sending it to Adventure Scotland.

A separate application form needs to be completed for each course. When applications are received, we will confirm your place and joining instructions will be sent prior to the course.

Additional courses:

The training opportunities identified below are those for which there is a perceived demand. It may be that other courses are required or there is insufficient provision to meet demand. If the course dates offered are unsuitable or if additional training requirements are identified, employees are invited to contact Dave Horrocks at Adventure Scotland to discuss further options.

LEADERSHIP ON LOW LEVEL TERRAIN (F)

This one day course is designed for staff who wish to access low-lying countryside with groups. It is suitable for those leading walks, for example on forest paths and tracks or in coastal areas. It is equally suitable for those using the outdoors for other outdoor learning opportunities such as environmental investigation, health and well-being, creative experiences and cultural visits in a rural setting.

Topics covered include, planning including access issues, introduction to navigation, group management and safety.

This course is strongly recommended for staff who are inexperienced in the outdoors and require some basic training that will boost their confidence to operate safely in an outdoor setting. It will also be useful preparation for those who would like to attend a Low Hills course but are unsure as to whether they have the required experience.

DATES: By arrangement – Contact Adventure Scotland

WATER SAFETY & AWARENESS TRAINING (F)

It is a sad truth that although fatal accidents involving young people on outdoor activities are extremely rare, most of the accidents that have occurred in recent years have involved drownings whilst taking part in activities with somewhat fuzzy boundaries, such as gorge scrambling or river walking. An extract from a report that seeks to learn lessons following one such fatality reads:-

The Coroner’s court was told that the two teachers unquestionably made an error of judgment by stepping into the stream that day. The question was then asked: how might they have known that it was more dangerous than it looked, and could someone have taught them how to recognise this and so avoid the fateful mistake? Even professionals with substantially more experience still at times underestimate the power of fast moving water.

This one-day course will increase your awareness of the hazards that are intrinsic to water and particularly moving water. It will also teach self-rescue techniques and some basic skills for the rescue of others. The aims of the course are to:-

1.Increase awareness of the hazards and associated risks so as to help prevent accidents. 2.To assist staff to apply measured judgment to a situation should an accident occur.

This course is also recommended as a bolt-on module for Low Hills training as water hazards are a common issue on upland terrain. All participants will be issued with a detailed record of training on completion.

It is an appropriate course for all those who intend to supervise others in the vicinity of water hazards, such as for environmental investigation, walks beside water, coastal visits etc. It is NOT appropriate for those who wish to supervise swimming or other activities that involve deliberately entering water that is greater than knee depth. More specialised training would be required for these activities.

The course will be a mix of classroom based learning and practical in-water training. All appropriate protective clothing and PPE will be provided. A light soup & sandwich lunch will be provided at the venue.

DATES:

Completed forms should be returned by email, fax or post.

Adventure Scotland Ltd
Croft House
12 Croftside
Aviemore
Inverness-shire
PH22 1QJ
Tel: 0870 2402676
Fax: 01479 811414
Email: info@adventure-scotland.com

Training Opportunities for 2010: