Q&A: How do I choose an adviser?

Whether you're exploring the idea of working with Educational Visits Advisers for the first time or simply reviewing your current arrangements, this article outlines what high-quality support should look like, the advantages of external expertise, and the key questions to ask when evaluating potential advisers.

What does the law say about educational visits advice?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places overall responsibility for health and safety with employers. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require you to appoint a competent person to assist with compliance and risk management. This doesn’t need to be an external adviser, but it’s rare for schools or trusts to have this expertise in house, or for that person to have the time or specialist knowledge to act as Educational Visits Adviser alongside their wider duties.

It is recognised as good practice for schools and education settings to appoint an external Educational Visits Adviser (sometimes called an Outdoor Education Adviser) to support their educational visits.

Who shoulders the responsibility for educational visits safety in schools?

Within schools and Trusts, there are various roles that take the lead on educational visits e.g. Head of Outdoor Learning/ Co-curricular; Health and Safety Lead; School Business Manager/ Bursar; Educational Visits Coordinator... Ultimately, accountability for keeping children safe on educational visits sits with the Head. The Head is responsible for ensuring that visits comply with current guidance and legislation, and that staff are competent to fulfil their duties. At EVOLVE Advice our advisers relieve some of this pressure by reviewing and providing final approval for your more complex visits (i.e. overseas, adventurous and residential).

How do I choose an adviser?

It’s important that schools choose the Educational Visits Adviser that’s right for you – that could be a local individual adviser, or a comprehensive advisory service like EVOLVE Advice. Look for advisers that can meet your wider needs such as support with your online systems and training too.

Consider building-in resilience – having access to a team of advisers means there’ll always be someone on hand to support you and get you answers quickly. EVOLVE Advice’s ‘no out of office’ promise and ‘our support, your way’ commitment make it easier to reach us – delivering the answers you need, when you need them.

Consider your own capacity, experience, and your current educational visits processes – do you need support with visit planning and risk assessment? Are you confident in applying national guidance? Do you want the peace of mind that comes with independent review and approval for your more complex visits?

As Educational Visits Advisers, EVOLVE Advice provides advice, guidance, and training to schools on all matters related to educational visits. Our advice helps schools to ensure visits are safe and that they meet the relevant legal, safety and safeguarding requirements. EVCs come to us to understand what the guidance says about certain types of trips and visits; for advice on inclusion and planning for specific children’s needs; or ways to improve risk management without increasing workload.

Do I need to use a local adviser?

Some advisers work in a specific geographical area, others across multiple areas, or like EVOLVE Advice, have a team of advisers to support all educational settings, wherever you are – we call it ‘advice without borders’.

Your Employer (local authority, group or Trust) may also offer an advisory service.

What should I look for when choosing an advisory service?

Educational Visits Advisers should be able to offer more than checks and approvals. With the right advisers on your team, you’ll feel supported and confident to take your trips to the next level.