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This page briefly explains three of the documented processes performed at Mudlarks. Risk Assessment helps to ensure that activities are performed safely. Skills Analysis assesses the horticultural and life skills gained by performing activities at Mudlarks. Personal Development Plans record the goals, aspirations, development and achievements of Mudlark’s Trainees.
By law every organisation with more than five people is required to perform Risk Assessment Every activity has an associated level of risk of personal danger or damage to property. Although it may not be possible to eradicate risk it is possible and very desirable to reduce the risk to the absolute minimum. There are obvious risks involved in using hazardous materials such as petrol but even items such as creosote substitute or emulsion paint can be very harmful. A Risk Analysis would first question the use for the preservative or paint. It would then establish how it should be stored. The assessment would consider who should use it, what training they require, who should supervise it, what clothing and equipment is needed, how it is applied, what barriers and warnings should be erected and how the brushes should be cleaned and waste disposed of. Mudlarks will be using the risk assessment form from the Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/template.pdf . We will seek advice concerning health and safety issues with the Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk Mudlarks will seek advice from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents http://www.rospa.com/index.htm to minimise risk to individuals and visiting groups. Every activity performed at Mudlarks, and indeed everywhere else, requires a diverse range of skills to be leant, used and repeated. We take many of these skills for granted and constantly apply them to new problems and circumstances only taking stock when we need to do something entirely new. It is the aim of Skills Analysis to examine an activity, break it down into recognizable tasks, and record the skill and level of skill required to complete each task. We also take the opportunity to find the most appropriate, comfortable and memorable way that the skill can be learned, practiced and repeated by an individual Trainee. The process of Skills Analysis also often has the additional benefit of producing step-by-step guides which can be referred to by Staff, Trainees and Volunteers. Example of a skills analysis to build a wooden compost bin. The Personal Development Plan is a keys set of documents which follows the progress of a Mudlarks Trainee from the point when they enroll to the day they leave Mudlarks. Every Trainee has different abilities, skills, aspirations and motivations. The Personal Development Plan recognizes this.. The Personal Development Plans are used to document progress and achievements and help to enable the Trainee to reach their true potential. An agreed set of achievable goals are set between a member of staff and the Trainee. A set of activities with the requisite skills are allocated and explained to the Trainee. A timetable is developed with specified review dates and an expected end date. Every task and activity is recorded in the Personal Development Plan together with the level of skill achieved At each review the Trainee and a member of staff review the Personal Development Plan. A review should take place approximately every three months. At the completion of a Personal Development Plan a new plan is created. This plan would set the Trainee new and different challenges as well as ensuring that newly learned skills are not forgotten. Typical Activities A Mudlarks Trainee will become involved in a number of activities best suited to their personal wishes and abilities.
Updated 2 June 2011 |