1. Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment (CARA)
Safety is achieved through effective risk management

2. Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment (CARA)
The safety of school students, staff and visitors is paramount.
Under workplace health and safety legislation, principals and teachers are responsible for the safety and well-being of all persons under their direction.
DET provides a range of procedures and guidelines to assist state schools to meet their health and safety obligations.
Assessing and managing curriculum activity risks should be an integral part of school planning and classroom practice. 2

3. Risk Management
Risk management is a systematic process that involves 4 steps:
identifying hazards
assessing overall risk of activity
identifying and implementing controls to reduce risks
monitoring and reviewing these controls.
The degree of risk management required for an activity depends on the hazards and overall level of risk.
The higher the risk, the more that needs to be done to manage that risk. 3

4. CARA Activity Guidelines
CARA activity guidelines assist staff to assess and minimise the risks associated with individual curriculum activities so activities are as safe as possible.
Every situation is unique with different hazards and risks. The guidelines cannot identify all potential hazards for every situation. They help staff think about the possible hazards and controls for their particular activity.
There are currently a range of guidelines covering activities ranging from rugby to food handling to drama. 4

5. Minimum requirements
Adhere to activity guideline if one exists for the chosen activity.
Use the activity guideline and Curriculum Activity Risk Planner to identify hazards and assess overall risk level.
Low risk : Manage risk through regular planning processes.
Medium risk : Document risks and controls, and manage risk through regular planning processes.
High risk: An approved CARA required. Approval must be from principal or principal delegate. Parent consent is recommended. Record in the School Curriculum Activity Register or in OneSchool.
Extreme risk: An approved CARA required. Approval must be from the principal. Parent consent required. Record in the School Curriculum Activity Register or in OneSchool. 5

6. CARA process
The CARA generic template, supporting documents and activity guidelines are available at:
Schools may choose to adopt a more rigorous approach than using the CARA generic template.
All requirements are provided in the procedure – Managing Risks in School Curriculum Activities
-Risks-in-School-Curriculum-Activities.aspx 6

7. Updates
Teachers, industry groups and professional associations advise on new and changing hazards, risks and control measures, and CARA activity guidelines are updated regularly.
If you have any suggestions, feedback or questions, please speak to your supervisor or 7

8. Representative School Sport Program
There are three broad risk areas to address.
On-field - Team coach
Off-field - Team manager
Event logistics - Event convenor
The Risk Management: Representative Sports Event table outlines the associated responsibilities for the risk management process.

9. Convenor
Event convenor to use the current ‘QSS Representative Sports Event – Convenor’ document (8 page) with consideration of the sport specific guideline.
and
Completed event convenor document must be ed to the RSSO by the due date along with a copy of the current specific sport CARA guidelines. (2 documents attached – Event convenor document & CARA guidelines)

10. Manager
Team manager to use the current ‘QSS Representative Sports Event – Team Manager’ document. (8 page)
Completed QSS team manager document must be ed to the RSSO by the due date.

11. Coach
Team coach to use the ‘CARA Generic Template’
with the sport specific CARA guideline
Completed CARA generic template must be ed to the RSSO by the due date along with a copy of the current specific sport CARA guidelines. (2 documents attached – CARA template & CARA guidelines)

12. CARA Generic Template Insert age/gender/sporting team name here.
Insert regional trial, training sessions & state championship
Number in regional team
Date of regional trial
Last date of state championship

13. Tick box which corresponds to the CARA specific guideline.
All representative sport requires completion of a CARA regardless of risk level.
CARA Generic Template
Tick box which corresponds to the CARA specific guideline.

14. Tick box unless ‘Other Details’ are required.
CARA Generic Template
Tick box unless ‘Other Details’ are required.

15. CARA Generic Template
Tick box if all requirements listed in the specific sport CARA guideline have been met.

16. Administrator (RSS, District Executive)
Need to ensure due diligence at all levels
Implement a risk assessment induction for officials
Maintain a risk register

17. Where we are heading…
To provide a clear and easy to follow process our aim is for:
Department documents that are specifically designed for representative school sport across all competitions, all sports.
these documents to be located in their own section within the department Policy and Procedures Register.
these documents will have the same look and feel irrespective of the teacher’s role (coach, manager, event convenor) in the representative school sport program.
these documents obtaining department senior officer approval.
implementation hopefully in 2018.