Child Protection Statement

A Code of Behaviour for everyone involved in activities.

All adults involved in providing activities should:
~ Treat everyone with respect.
~ Act as a good role model of appropriate behaviour.
~ Try to ensure at least one other person is present when working with young people or at least within sight or hearing of others.
~ Respect a young person's right to personal privacy.
~ Aim to provide separate sleeping accommodation for leaders and young people.
~ Provide access for young people to talk to others about any concerns they may have.
~ Encourage young people and adults to feel comfortable and caring enough to point out attitudes or behaviour they do not like.
~ Remember that one's actions might be misinterpreted, no matter how well intentioned.
~ Not permit abusive youth peer activities (e.g. initiation ceremonies, ridiculing, bullying)
~ Recognise that caution is required particularly in sensitive moments of counselling such as when dealing with bullying, bereavement or abuse.
~ Not have any inappropriate physical or verbal contact with others.
~ Not to jump to conclusions about others.
~ Not allow themselves to be drawn into reacting to inappropriately attention-seeking behaviour such as tantrums or crushes.
~ Not exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues.
~ Not make suggestive remarks or gestures which others may find offensive.
~ Not rely on just their good name for protection.
~ Not believe "it could never happen to me".


Child Protection Procedures.

What happens if you suspect a young person is being abused?
~ Immediately contact the relevant Child Protection Officer.
~ Ensure no situation arises which could cause further concern.
~ Ensure the young person has access to an independent adult.
~ Record the facts including the young person’s name, address and, where possible, information about a parent/guardian.

What happens if a young person discloses to you abuse by someone else?
~ Allow the young person to speak without interruption, accepting what is said.
~ Alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, while passing no judgement.
~ Advise that you will try to offer support, but that you must pass on the information.
~ Same steps as in suspecting a young person is being abused.

What happens if you receive an allegation about any adult or about yourself?
~ Immediately tell the relevant Child Protection Officer.
~ Record the facts and give a copy to the relevant Child Protection Officer.
~ Try to ensure no one is placed in a position which could cause further compromise.


This is intended as a summary and full details of policy and emergency procedures can be obtained on request.

Health and Safety Procedures

Mike Simpson Mountaineering operates a strict Safety Policy that covers all U.K. and Overseas based outdoor activities and expeditions. This safety policy includes risk assessments that help to minimise risk.
All adults involved have a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues, participating individuals and accompanying staff. It is also their legal responsibility to comply with health and safety requirements and the contents of the Health and Safety Policy.

Policy statement:

~ To provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from activities.
~ To provide and maintain safe equipment.
~ To ensure safe handling and use of substances.
~ To provide health and safety information and instruction where necessary.
~ To prevent accidents and to ensure that all accidents are reported correctly.
~ To maintain safe and healthy working conditions.
~ To review and revise this policy as necessary.

The UK Health and Safety Policy covers the following headings:
~ Staff requirements, equipment, competencies & qualifications.
~ Child protection.
~ Bullying & harassment.
~ Confidentiality.
~ Smoking, alcohol & drugs policy.
~ Participant medical declaration / parent consent forms.
~ Operational safety systems.
~ UK incident management procedures.
~ Prevalent notifiable diseases.

Copies of this policy on request.

Equal Opportunities Policy.

Mike Simpson Mountaineering endeavours to ensure that all people, irrespective of
~ Gender
~ Sexual orientation
~ Nationality
~ Race or ethnic origin
~ Religion or belief
~ Marital status
~ Age
~ Disability or ability
should be encouraged to partake equally in the activities provided and will be treated equally and fairly whilst on their courses.
Mike Simpson Mountaineering is working towards adopting all elements of UK sport equality standard.

Responsible Tourism.

Reducing the impact of movement and access.

Travelling to an expedition area and moving around during the expedition potentially have very significant environmental impacts. Most overseas expeditions use air travel and this arguably results in the biggest environmental impact of all, but this must be offset against the value of the expedition in terms of what it achieves. It does make it important however, that the expedition is sufficiently well planned and executed so that the benefits gained justify the environmental cost of long distance travel. The frequency and type of movement to project sites or centres of activity during the expedition must be considered carefully at the planning stage.

on foot or with pack animals
~ keep the number of movements to a minimum.
~ stick to existing paths or tracks wherever possible - do not take short cuts or leave the path to avoid difficult sections since this widens the track.
~ move quietly and carefully, observing the surroundings and be aware of your impact on animals and plants in your path.
~ be aware that damp vegetation and wet ground is more susceptible to damage than in dry conditions, and that some types of surface or vegetation (such as arctic, tundra, swamp or marshland, desert, salt pans) are far more sensitive than others and may take much longer to recover.
~ where there is no existing track, consider the size of the group, the fragility of the surface or vegetation, and the frequency of use before deciding to spread the group out or form a new track.
~ in tundra or desert, the use of dry streambeds or rocky areas as pathways will limit damage.
~ in tundra or marchland, areas covered in grasses or sedges are likely to be more resistant to damage and faster to recover than other vegetation.
~ build temporary walkways over sensitive areas if the route will be used frequently during the expedition.
~ avoid going directly up or down steep slopes; take more gradual zig-zag routes.
~ on snow, use skis, snowshoes or sledges where possible, and be aware that compacted snow takes longer to melt and can damage underlying vegetation.
~ avoid cutting trails through forests or tall vegetation; if absolutely necessary, use good quality, sharp tools to cause the least damage, and cut vegetation in such a way as to promote regeneration, which will be much faster in tropical regions.
~ avoid marking routes with waymarks; if unavoidable, use removable marks such as chalk.

vehicles
~ drive slowly and carefully and plan to minimise the number of journeys made.
~ follow existing tracks - do not take short cuts or leave the track to avoid difficult sections since this leads to track braiding.
~ use the smallest and lightest vehicles appropriate for the task and terrain.
~ where there is no track, try to avoid unstable surfaces such as mud, soft sand and crusty surfaces that are more susceptible to tyre damage.
~ avoid steep terrain and damaging vegetation - take the long way round if necessary.
~ avoid fuel spillage when refuelling.

boats
~ plan to limit the number of journeys, and avoid the use of power boats for purely recreational purposes.
~ do not use an engine unless you have to; use rafts or canoes instead.
~ if engines are used, try to limit the noise and backwash by moving slowly and using the engine at low revs.
~ on reefs or other sensitive coastal areas, be aware of possible anchor damage.

Reducing the impact of campsites.

The overriding aim is to leave as little trace of the campsite as possible. Campsites on small expeditions will differ in their impact from those where there are perhaps fifty or more people in the same place at the same time, whilst permanent base camps will present a different range of problems to transient overnight camps. A good deal has been written on the practical techniques of minimum impact camping, and expedition leaders should be familiar with such principles before starting to plan the expedition. Although some of the points below can be considered during the planning phase, some decisions and actions can only be taken when local conditions at the time are known.

location
~ avoid sensitive environments or vegetation types.
~ consider the impact of the camp on surrounding land use.
~ find out about land ownership - is any permission required?
~ be aware of extent of use by local inhabitants (such as local footpaths or grazing areas).

site
~ ideally campsites should be found rather than constructed (avoid clearing vegetation, building stone windbreaks, constructing shelters or digging drainage ditches wherever possible).
~ in heavily used areas, concentrate impact on sites with obvious signs of prior use to avoid extending any damage; in pristine areas, disperse the impact as far as possible.
~ choose resilient sites such as rock, gravel, sand or grassy areas in existing clearings rather than wet or fragile surfaces that are easily eroded or dense vegetation under trees that will be trampled.
~ avoid disturbance of animal feeding / nesting / watering sites and routes to and from these sites (which often include water holes in deserts and beaches on coasts or river banks).
~ maintain a reasonable distance, ideally at least 75m, away from any watercourse to avoid contamination (as well as any risk of flooding or large animals coming to drink).
~ heavily used communal areas such as fire and cooking sites should be located on surfaces or vegetation most resistant to trampling.
~ siting of such communal areas, sleeping areas and latrines should take account of the pathways that will inevitably be trampled between them.
~ consider the impact of tents on vegetation - on permanent sites, move tents regularly.
~ keep noise level low and be sensitive to the visual impact of tents and bright lights (in some areas, this may be useful for security as well as for environmental reasons).

location
~ consider if open fires should be used at all - in areas of fuel-wood shortage alternative fuels should be used.
~ be aware that in some protected areas, collection of fuel-wood is prohibited.
~ be sensitive to the risk of fire spreading in dry vegetation.
~ re-use existing fire-rings if they are already present.
~ minimise heat damage to the soil micro fauna by using a metal fire tray, building an insulating mound, or by removing a layer of topsoil and replacing it afterwards.
~ do not deplete supplies of fuel-wood for local people - where fuel-wood is scarce, this may mean considering an alternative means of cooking.
~ keep any open fires small.
~ avoid burning large logs - they are often important animal habitats and they are difficult to burn completely to ash leaving persistent charcoal in the environment.

fuel
~ store carefully, remembering that liquid fuel may expand when the temperature rises, causing leaks.
~ avoid contaminating soil or water courses with fuel spillages.

waste
~ for large standing camps, a complete waste management plan is required.
~ take account of any local policies regarding waste disposal, but do not simply adopt unless rigorous local policies for your own convenience.
~ minimise disposal problems by reducing packaging, especially plastics, brought into the site in the first place.
~ use biodegradable materials and products as far as possible.
~ avoid windblown litter by keeping the site tidy.
~ ideally, bring out all waste and dispose of appropriately.
~ alternatively, burn as much organic waste as possible, including food waste and paper packaging, bringing out problem materials such as tins and plastics (burning plastics releases toxins into the environment).
~ burning is preferable to burying; if remaining waste must be buried, it must be deep enough to avoid attracting animals or local people and well away from water courses and sites subject to frost heave.
~ an appropriate method of dealing with human waste must be adopted; there are a number of options ranging from group pits to individual burying depending on the number of people, the duration of the camp, and the nature of the location.
~ all toilet paper and sanitary products should be brought out or burnt, depending on any local codes of practice.
~ latrines should be located at least 75m away from water courses to avoid contamination of water with coliform bacteria.
~ washing of bodies or clothes should not be carried out in any water course.
~ any washing using soaps should be at least 50m from any water course to avoid nitrate and phosphate enrichment.
~ suitable soakaway areas should be constructed to dispose of soapy water.

departure
~ allow adequate time for clearing the site.
~ ensure any fires are completely extinguished, scatter ash widely, and replace topsoil or level the fire mound.
~ check that any buried waste is completely and adequately covered.
~ repair tracks and paths as far as possible.

Promoting good community relations.

Most expeditions interact in some way with local inhabitants, and all expeditions, regardless of their objectives, must consider their relationship with their host country. It should be recognised that to certain extent expeditions will change the communities they aim to experience; cultural exchange is not possible without some erosion of cultural differences. Expeditions should be sensitive to their impact on local communities, acknowledge that they are privileged visitors to a host country, and recognise that cultural sensitivities may impose constraints on their activities.

social relationships
~ ensure that expedition members are aware of the economic and cultural background of the host country and community.
~ establish early contact with the host community, and, where an expedition will have close contact with a community, try to ensure that the expedition has the support of the majority of the community rather than just one individual, however important or influential.
~ minimise intrusion into the lives of community members - only visit settlements when invited and be discrete, quiet and respectful.
~ if possible involve leaders and members from the host country in the expedition.
~ ensure that local participants are equipped and subject to the same safety standards as the rest of the group.
~ try to avoid one-off visits; consider a rolling programme of re-visits, establishing more permanent links with the local community, and following up on any projects (this can often produce more worthwhile and productive results).
~ where possible, aim to build on previous work by expeditions to the area rather than simply repeating such work.
cultural differences
~ be aware of conventions for dress, religion, drugs (including alcohol), and observe them.
~ observe national customs such as respect for flags, national anthems, tipping.
~ avoid insensitive or public discussion of political or religious issues.
~ avoid exploiting the hospitality of local people and over-indulgence with food or alcohol.
~ avoid excessive display of wealth and ensure that expedition members avoid insensitive comment about local conditions or customs.
medical treatment
~ be aware that requests may be made for medical treatment.
~ ensure that all such requests are dealt with by an appointed and appropriately qualified member of the expedition so that appropriate treatment is provided.
~ do not give local people substitutes fro medicines (eg. sweets).
~ consider the long term effect of short term treatment using western medicines - if the individual remains ill or dies, the credibility of medical treatment in the local community.
~ consider leaving medical supplies at the end of the expedition (but ensure that they are left with an appropriately qualified person and be aware that shelf life may be limited).
photography
~ ask before taking photographs of people (for photographs of children, ask parents if present), domestic animals, houses or other property.
~ be sensitive to the fact that sometimes taking a photograph is simply not appropriate - a memory may have to be sufficient.
~ be aware that gifts of money may be demanded for photographs.
~ realise that giving gifts to children can cause fights and can have upsetting consequences.
economic relationships
~