Health and safety

All of our staff have an enhanced level DBS check. Specialist instructors also have specific qualifications for activities such as archery, fencing, inflatables, motorsports, swimming and the waterpark. Every staff member needs to attend a Barracudas virtual assessment event, complete extensive online training and attend our on-site training day before they’re able to work at camp.

Every camp will have at least 2 first aiders on site, of which 1 we aim to be a member of the Senior Team.

Barracudas’ ratio of staff to children exceeds all statutory requirements. Our standards are:

• 4 - 6 years: 1:8. Maximum of 24 children in a group
• 7- 10 years: 1:12. Maximum of 32 children in a group
• 10+ years: 1:15. These groups normally have up to 30 children maximum

Please note: 10 year old children may be placed in either a 7-10 year or 10-14 year group, depending on the age make up of the camp.

The Camp Manager has overall responsibility for Health & Safety on camp, although all staff have a responsibility to ensure our procedures are followed.

Find out more here.

We carry out thorough risk assessments in all areas of camp including activity areas, registration areas and base rooms. Risk assessments are ongoing and are an important part of the ‘checking’ process. We regularly carry out a careful examinations on camp and implement any precautions to be taken to prevent anyone coming to harm.

Our Area Management team regularly visit each of their allocated camps to carry out full assessments and double check our rigorous protocols are being followed. In the rare case that any areas are identified as needing improvement these are immediately acted upon and checked again.

Every Barracudas camp is Ofsted registered. Our activity day camps have an excellent Ofsted rating.

All our Lifeguards hold valid Lifeguard qualifications and must also perform a competency test with us before working on camp. The staff to child ratios during swimming sessions is 1:5 for under 7 years and 1:10 for 8 years and above. There will be a member of staff in the water at all times for under 7's. All children under 8 years old will remain in the shallow end of the pool.

There’s a swimming section in the Essential Information form. We ask if your child can swim 25 metres unaided. If you say ‘No’ your child will be given buoyancy aids in line with their age, height and the depth of the pool and only be able to swim in the shallow end. You can find full details on our swimming policy in our FAQ’s.

Qualified or trained instructors have specialist expertise in their activity areas and Camp Managers involve them in the risk assessment process to produce the safest set of rules. They carry out risk assessments of the activity areas for which they’re responsible.

All our vehicles are serviced prior to camp and again by our trained instructors on camp. Staff then carry out daily and weekly checks throughout the season. Vehicles are restricted in speed to suit the age and ability of the children. We provide protective clothing and require children to wear closed toed shoes. The maximum group size for general sessions is 8 children and for Skills Builder sessions is 5 children.

Sessions are led by instructors who’ve attended a nationally recognised 2 day training course. Fencing equipment is checked by our in-house expert before being sent to camp and trained instructors recheck the equipment on site. Our staff to children ratios are 1:8 for under 7’s and 1:12 for over 7’s. Children must wear closed toed shoes and ankle length trousers and are supplied with safety wear (jacket, plastron, helmets, gloves and foils for the over 7s and mini fencing equipment for the under 7s).

All of our archery equipment is checked by our equipment team who hold a current GNAS certificate prior to camp. This is checked again by our trained instructors on camp with daily checks during the season. The maximum group size is 12 children with 1 trained instructor. We provide all the safety equipment required. We just ask you to send children in with long sleeve tops.

All of the inflatables sent to camp are inspected by an external inspector who is registered on the Register of Play Inspectors International. Each inflatable item receives a PIPA tag confirming it’s safe to use and meets all current legislation. All inflatables have a daily inspection prior to use by our trained staff. The maximum number of children allowed on the equipment will depend on the size and type of inflatable, but don’t worry, all of them are designed with limited waiting time and maximum fun.

On their first day of camp we require a completed online Essential Information form filled out for each child. This contains key information about your child, including contact information, medical details and swimming information. We may also need additional forms such as anaphylaxis/auto injector (epi-pen) forms if relevant. We only need the online Essential Information form filled out once for each season they attend.

Each child will have a unique QR code which our team will scan at registration and collection to sign your child in and out of camp. You will have a unique code for each booking you make for your child. If you make several bookings within the same season, we'll need to check your child in with the code relating to that day's booking.

This will be emailed directly to you before they are due to join us and you can also find it in your email confirmation or by logging into your account via our Barracudas App. All you need to do is present this to our team and they'll scan the code when you drop your child off in the morning and again when you pick them up. 

If another person will be dropping your child off or picking them up, you'll need to add them to your list of contacts on the Essential Information form and send them your child's unique QR code. Simple.

After their first day at camp in the season you’ll be able to use our express check in desk as we’ll have checked all the information on their forms. There is no additional cost for this.

Please note: In line with our commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment, the use of all recording devices, including but not limited to cameras, smartphones/watches/glasses, video recorders, and any other device capable of recording audio, video, or images, is strictly prohibited on site or in connection with any camp activity without prior consent from the Camp Manager. This policy applies to children, parents and staff. Exceptions to this policy, made with prior consent from the Camp Manager, will typically be for specific events or activities where media is needed for promotional purposes, or a parent wishes to photograph their own child at registration as a keepsake. Parents or guardians can request their child is not photographed or filmed by notifying us on their child’s Essential Information Form ahead of attending. 

Barracudas is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who attend camp. We create an environment in which children feel safe. Any concerns for a child’s welfare will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

On camp, the Designated Safeguarding Lead is the Early Years Manager should you wish to speak to them. We also have a company Designated Safeguarding Lead available at our Head Office.

Children deserve to be kept safe from all abuse, whether online or in real life. Although Barracudas do not provide any activity sessions that include IT, we have a duty of care for the children who come to camp. If staff are concerned about a child’s online use, this will be reported internally in the same way as other safeguarding concern.

Barracudas’ staff have a duty to respond if they suspect a child may be suffering from or makes a disclosure about abuse. In this event staff will contact the relevant local authority and act on their advice.