Reference Guide for EAQUALS inspections - Support

Meeting with social and leisure programme staffPurpose: to find out how the social and leisure programme is planned and organised, variety,suitability and frequency of events, cost, staff involvement, health and safety provision, etc. and toget an impression of the importance the institution attributes to this part of the curriculum.It is also important to check if the programme coincides with what is advertised in the institution’spublicity.Procedure and focus points: the interview should be with the programme coordinator(s) and (ifpossible) with one or two staff members who accompany or participate in events. Before theinterview the inspectors will have viewed and considered the current and recent social programmetimetables, and the relevant school publicity material.Proposed time: 20-30 mins.Firstly, the staff member(s) should be invited to describe their role at the institution. Follow-upquestions can be asked to fill in the gaps.The following areas should be covered:Length and level of involvement in this area / whether the job is shared with othercolleagues and how / number of staff accompanying each eventAny training and induction receivedMethod of planning the programme and strategies to ensure that the programme isappropriate for the course participants.Whether the course participants have to pay for each event.Whether the social programme is integrated in the teaching process. If yes how?Awareness of the legal requirements governing participants’health and safety.Safety precautions taken.Measures in place to take care of under-age course participants.Procedures in the event of a student becoming injured, getting lost on an excursion, or ifthere was a vehicle or transport breakdown.Methods used by the institution for gathering client feedback on the programme.Use of such feedback.Staff views on how well the current social programme works, and if any improvementscould be made.27Reference Guide to the Inspection Scheme for Institutionsversion 6.2© EAQUALS 2011