Preparing for Easter Holiday Activities: Safeguarding at Scale

2025-12-09 14:13

Easter holiday programmes present unique safeguarding challenges. Unlike term-time operations where staffing, routines, and cohorts are stable, holiday camps involve rapid recruitment, higher child-to-staff ratios, diverse activities, and children from multiple settings mixing together. Managing safeguarding at this scale requires meticulous planning, robust systems, and proactive risk management.

For organisations delivering Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programmes, the stakes are even higher. HAF funding should come with specific safeguarding requirements, accountability to local authorities (LAs), and scrutiny from Ofsted. There are polarising examples of this though, with some LAs taking it more serious than others so it's on the activity provider to show their commitment to safeguarding.. Getting Easter preparation right sets the tone for summer programmes and demonstrates commitment to keeping children safe during their most vulnerable periods.

Understanding HAF Programme Safeguarding Requirements

HAF programmes aren't just holiday clubs with funding attached—they come with specific standards and expectations that organisations must meet. Understanding these requirements is the foundation of compliant, safe delivery.

The Department for Education's HAF guidance explicitly requires that all staff and volunteers working directly with children hold enhanced DBS checks with barred list checks. This isn't negotiable, and local authorities that do conduct compliance checks will verify that are in place before programmes begin. Organisations that fail to demonstrate complete vetting face funding withdrawal and potential safeguarding referrals.

Beyond DBS checks, HAF programmes must have designated safeguarding leads who understand local safeguarding partnership procedures, know how to recognise and respond to abuse and neglect, and can liaise effectively with children's social care and other agencies. The DSL doesn't need to be on-site constantly, but there must always be a designated person with safeguarding responsibility present during programme delivery.

HAF guidance also emphasises safe recruitment practices, including obtaining references, verifying identity and qualifications, and conducting face-to-face interviews that explore candidates' understanding of safeguarding and suitability to work with vulnerable children. Many HAF participants come from disadvantaged backgrounds and may have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect—your staff need the skills, awareness, and commitment to keep them safe.

Local authorities expect HAF providers to have up-to-date safeguarding policies, clear reporting procedures, and evidence of staff training. During Easter preparation, review your policies to ensure they reflect current guidance, incorporate lessons learned from previous programmes, and are accessible to all staff. Don't assume that policies written for term-time operations automatically cover holiday programme scenarios—camps involve different risks, activities, and staffing models that require specific consideration.

Recruiting Seasonal Staff Quickly Without Compromising Standards

Easter programmes often require additional staff recruited at short notice. The pressure to fill positions quickly can tempt organisations to cut corners, but safeguarding standards must never be compromised for convenience.

Start recruitment early—ideally six to eight weeks before the programme begins. This allows time for advertising, interviewing, conducting pre-employment checks, and completing induction training. Leaving recruitment until the last minute forces rushed decisions, incomplete vetting, or operating with inadequate staffing levels, all of which increase safeguarding risks.

Prioritise candidates with existing, portable DBS checks. Individuals registered with the DBS Update Service who hold recent enhanced checks for the child workforce can be verified instantly, eliminating weeks of waiting for new certificates. However, always verify the Update Service status yourself—don't simply accept a candidate's word that their check is current.

Maintain rigorous safer recruitment processes despite time pressure. Every candidate must complete a full application, provide references (including their most recent employer), attend a face-to-face interview, and undergo identity and Right to Work verification. Shortcuts like accepting incomplete applications, skipping reference checks, or conducting interviews by phone alone expose children to risk and leave your organisation liable.

Use structured interview questions focused on safeguarding. Ask candidates to describe how they'd respond to specific scenarios: a child disclosing abuse, a colleague behaving inappropriately, or a child showing signs of neglect. Their answers reveal understanding, judgment, and commitment to child protection far more effectively than generic questions about experience or qualifications.

Conduct group induction sessions for efficiency without sacrificing quality. Rather than inducting staff individually, run group sessions covering safeguarding policies, reporting procedures, behaviour management, activity risk assessments, and emergency protocols. This ensures consistency, allows staff to ask questions and learn from each other, and reduces the administrative burden on leadership.

Never allow staff to begin work before checks are complete. It's tempting to let someone start "just for a few days" whilst their DBS is pending, but this is illegal for regulated activity and exposes children to unvetted adults. If you're short-staffed, reduce capacity, combine groups, or postpone activities rather than compromising vetting standards.

Managing Activity Risk Assessments for Diverse Programmes

Easter programmes typically offer varied activities—sports, arts and crafts, cooking, outdoor adventures, trips—each with distinct risks. Comprehensive risk assessments identify hazards, evaluate likelihood and severity of harm, and implement controls to keep children safe.

Generic risk assessments aren't sufficient. Each activity requires specific consideration of the environment, equipment, participant ages and abilities, and staff competence. A risk assessment for football on your usual playing field doesn't cover an off-site trip to a climbing centre or a cooking session involving knives and hot equipment.

Start with the activity itself. What are the inherent risks? Sports involve physical injury from collisions, falls, or overexertion. Cooking involves burns, cuts, and allergic reactions. Arts and crafts involve choking hazards from small materials, toxic substances in paints or glues, and sharp tools. Outdoor activities involve environmental hazards like weather, terrain, and water. Identify every reasonably foreseeable risk before considering controls.

Assess the environment. Is the space appropriate for the activity and group size? Are there hazards like uneven surfaces, low ceilings, or proximity to roads or water? Is the area secure, preventing children from wandering off or unauthorised individuals entering? Environmental risks often cause incidents that could have been prevented with proper assessment and adaptation.

Evaluate participant factors. Are children's ages, abilities, and additional needs considered? A craft activity safe for teenagers might pose choking risks for younger children. Sports appropriate for typically developing children might be unsafe for those with physical disabilities or medical conditions without adaptations. Always consider the specific cohort participating, not just children in general.

Ensure staff competence. Do staff leading activities have the necessary skills, qualifications, and confidence? Lifeguard qualifications for water activities, first aid training for all staff, and specific certifications for high-risk activities like climbing or archery aren't optional. Assigning unqualified staff to activities they're not trained to supervise is negligent and dangerous.

Document controls and communicate them clearly. Risk assessments aren't tick-box exercises—they're working documents that guide safe delivery. Controls might include adult-to-child ratios, safety equipment, supervision arrangements, emergency procedures, and activity modifications. Ensure every staff member understands and implements the controls for activities they're leading.

Review and update assessments regularly. Risks change based on weather, participant behaviour, equipment condition, and lessons learned from incidents or near-misses. Treat risk assessments as living documents, reviewing them before each programme and updating them whenever circumstances change.

Managing Increased Ratios During Busy Periods

Holiday programmes often operate with higher child-to-staff ratios than term-time settings, reflecting the different nature of activities and supervision. However, higher ratios increase safeguarding risks and require careful management to maintain safety.

Ofsted and HAF guidance recommend ratios based on children's ages and the activities being delivered. For primary-aged children, ratios of 1:8 to 1:10 are typical for general activities, whilst higher-risk activities like swimming or off-site trips require ratios of 1:6 or lower. For children with additional needs, ratios must be adjusted based on individual risk assessments.

Higher ratios demand stronger systems. When supervising larger groups, staff can't maintain the same level of individualised attention as smaller settings. Compensate with clear behaviour expectations, structured routines, designated zones for different activities, and robust headcount procedures. Children should never be unsupervised, even briefly, and staff must know exactly how many children they're responsible for at all times.

Implement rigorous registration and headcount processes. At the start of each session, register every child, noting any medical conditions, allergies, or additional needs. Conduct regular headcounts throughout the day, particularly during transitions between activities, before and after trips, and at pick-up time. Missing children must be identified and located immediately—delays of even minutes can have catastrophic consequences.

Use visual identification systems for quick recognition. Coloured wristbands, lanyards, or group badges help staff quickly identify which children belong to which groups, who has allergies or medical needs, and who's authorised to leave with specific adults at pick-up. These systems are particularly valuable in busy, multi-activity environments where staff may not know every child personally.

Ensure adequate staff deployment across the site. Don't concentrate all staff in one area whilst leaving others unsupervised. Map out activity zones, identify high-risk areas like toilets, entrances, or water features, and deploy staff strategically to maintain visibility and supervision across the entire site.

Plan for contingencies and emergencies. With higher ratios and larger groups, incidents are more likely. Ensure sufficient first-aid trained staff are on-site, emergency procedures are clearly communicated, and staff know how to respond to scenarios like missing children, medical emergencies, or behavioural incidents without leaving other children unsupervised.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Children in HAF Programmes

HAF programmes specifically target children from low-income families, many of whom experience additional vulnerabilities including poverty, food insecurity, domestic abuse, parental substance misuse, or involvement with children's social care. Safeguarding these children requires heightened awareness, trauma-informed approaches, and strong partnerships with external agencies.

Staff must understand that HAF participants may display challenging behaviour, emotional dysregulation, or developmental delays as a result of adverse childhood experiences. Responding punitively to these behaviours without understanding their root causes can retraumatise children and damage the trust that's essential for disclosure and help-seeking.

Train staff in trauma-informed practice. This means recognising that behaviour is communication, understanding that children's responses may be survival strategies learned in unsafe environments, and responding with empathy, consistency, and clear boundaries rather than punishment. Trauma-informed staff create safe spaces where children feel valued, heard, and protected.

Be alert to signs of abuse and neglect. HAF participants may arrive at programmes with indicators of neglect—poor hygiene, inadequate clothing, hunger beyond what free meals address, untreated medical or dental issues, or exhaustion from chaotic home environments. Physical injuries, sexualised behaviour, fearfulness, or reluctance to go home can indicate abuse. Staff must know how to recognise these signs and report concerns promptly.

Build relationships with local safeguarding partners. HAF providers should have established links with children's social care, early help services, and local safeguarding partnerships. If you identify concerns about a child, you need to know who to contact, what information to provide, and how to follow up. Don't wait until you have a crisis to establish these relationships—build them during your Easter preparation phase.

Maintain confidentiality whilst sharing information appropriately. Staff may learn sensitive information about children's home circumstances, either through observation or disclosure. This information must be handled confidentially, shared only with designated safeguarding leads and relevant agencies, and never gossiped about or discussed inappropriately. Children and families trust you with their vulnerabilities—honour that trust with professionalism and discretion.

Preparing for Increased Demand and Operational Pressure

Easter programmes are often the first major test of your systems before the longer, more intense summer holidays. Operational pressure—managing bookings, handling enquiries, coordinating staff, delivering activities, and maintaining safeguarding standards simultaneously—can overwhelm unprepared organisations.

Implement robust booking and registration systems. Collect essential information about every child—emergency contacts, medical conditions, allergies, dietary requirements, additional needs, and consent for activities and photographs. This information must be accessible to staff during sessions, securely stored to comply with GDPR, and regularly updated as circumstances change.

Communicate clearly with parents and carers. Provide detailed information about programme times, drop-off and pick-up procedures, what children should bring, behaviour expectations, and safeguarding policies. Clear communication prevents misunderstandings, reduces last-minute queries, and ensures parents understand their responsibilities and your standards.

Plan for the unexpected. Equipment failures, staff sickness, adverse weather, behavioural incidents, and medical emergencies are inevitable in busy programmes. Have contingency plans for each scenario, including backup activities, emergency staff contacts, alternative indoor/outdoor spaces, and clear escalation procedures for serious incidents.

Debrief and learn continuously. At the end of each day, gather staff to discuss what went well, what challenges arose, and what needs adjusting for the next session. This continuous improvement approach identifies problems early, shares good practice, and builds team cohesion under pressure.

Conclusion

Easter holiday programmes are opportunities to provide enriching, safe experiences for children during school breaks, but they require meticulous safeguarding preparation. Recruiting seasonal staff without compromising vetting standards, conducting comprehensive activity risk assessments, managing higher ratios effectively, supporting vulnerable HAF participants, and preparing for operational pressure ensures that your programme protects children whilst delivering the quality experiences they deserve.

Safeguarding at scale isn't about doing less—it's about doing things smarter, with robust systems, well-trained staff, and proactive risk management that keeps children safe even during the busiest periods.

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