Staff Training #5: Duty of Care, Part I
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The concept in this video is extremely powerful. What did you ladies think?
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I agree with Sofie that the concept in this video is really important. Its a little intimidating to think I’ll be in the role of “parent”, but it’s also really exciting. I definitely agree that it is very important to act prudently at all times. I definitely don’t want to knock anyone in the head with a paddle… I thought it was interesting that the video’s main example was about counselors. Hopefully we are prudent enough to not knock each other out or be sneaking off to smoke…
\nI think asking yourself “what would most people do?” is an interesting way to gauge a situation. It seems very subjective, but it could definitely work. And oh my goodness, the girl running with her shoes off!!! ahhh! not cool! I did like that the point was made that injuries are inherent in activity. While I think safety is vital, I also think we make things to sterile out of fear of getting hurt sometimes. That being said, I’ll definitely be prudent as a counselor. I also take first aid training, hydration, and the like very seriously. I don’t like it when people get hurt, especially when it is easily avoidable. -
The most important aspect of being a camp counselor is ensuring the safety of the campers. This video made an accurate point in saying that we must act in a way that if an outsider were looking at our actions in preventing injuries, they would consider our actions to be appropriate. A camp counselor cannot always anticipate every single potential injury, nor can he or she prevent every injury, but counselors must act in an appropriate, prudent manner.
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I agree with Mallory… I was a bit intimidated with the whole “legal” concept of the Duty of Care. However, we must realize that this is real and these kids are someone else’s kids. I looked over the notes and saw the example of the kid drowning under the dock. We must always keep an eye of the kids. You may never know what could happen. I also agreed with his point on” think before do”. The getting hit with a paddle example was good in showing this point, and we must learn to observe everything. I think this video was informative and gave concrete examples. Health and safety are key, and its crucial to treat the kids in the highest regards; meaning we should treat them as if they were our personal kids. In locos parentis HAS a meaning: we should be that supportive parental figure at camp and keep them safe from injuries that are potentially dangerous.
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Let me start off by saying that I sooo liked the other guy better!
\nI did think this video was very informative. It was scary to think that we could be financially responsible for injuries; it’s the whole “pay it forward” concept.. just the wrong way. I liked that idea. It was intimidating but it reinforced the fact that we as couclers need to be in charge and do the best we can at our job.
\nIt was nice to hear thought that not everything is preventable. As i was watchign the video i started to get scared that if a kid broke her arm than it was our fault! I am usually very good about following rules and keeping my eyes open for situatoins taht arent good, so I feel really good about keeping injuries from happening when they shouldn’t. -
This video stressed how important our jobs really are! Yes, it’s intimidating to think we’re surrogate parents and legally responsible for the kids, but I think it’s good to feel a little intimidated, because it’ll keep us more alert.
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\nThis video emphasized how a prudent person should err on the side of caution. The question I always ask myself is: “Would it be better for me to act, or worse to act?” For example, if I notice a girl running through a campsite the initial reaction might be, “Oh she’s fine, people run all the time she won’t trip.” But then I have to step back and ask myself…would it be better or worse to say something? If the camp Director were here, what would they do? The automatic answer is: tell the girl to stop running. It would be better, because what IF she tripped?
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\nI liked that the video acknowledged not all injuries can be prevented; mistakes happen. As long as I take a step back and ask, “what’s the best thing to do in this situation ?” I can feel okay knowing I’ve done what I can to keep the girls safe.
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\nTTFN!
\nLindsey -
This video was kind of intimidating! But like Lindsey said, I think it’s good because it keeps us alert. We just have to always be vigilant in knowing where the girls are and what they are doing at all times. I really liked the idea of asking ourselves how we would explain a particular injury to a parent, would they be accepting of what happened, or would they question our judgement? We have to remember that we are taking care of the most important thing in that parent’s life, and we have to act accordingly.
\nI do like the reminder that injuries are inherent, especially in a camp environment. There are many opportunities for injury, and we can’t and don’t want to take all the risk away. We don’t want to be tip-toe-ing around and keeping everyone in a bubble to prevent every scrape, but there are things we can do to minimize the biggest risks. -
Hey!
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\nThis video highlights one of the more serious aspects of our job. What stood out to me was the idea of thinking ahead and how we would deal with parents if some kind of injury occurred. It’s also good to keep in mind that it is impossible to be all-seeing and all-knowing, and that we cannot stop every injury.
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\nEvery video has been more informative than the last, and the sequence has been helpful has well.
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I really liked this video. As a babysitter, I always have to think about what the parents would do in certain situations. Although it is difficult to do, I feel that the concept of being reasonably prudent really explains it. Even though you may not react the exact way that their parent would, if you act in a way that most people in your situation would, then you are pretty safe. It is scary to think that we are going to be the “parents” at this camp… it is a huge role to take on but one that will be very rewarding in the end.
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Wow! This was a pretty serious video! Like some of the other girls have said, it does seem pretty intimidating to be “In Loco Parentis” for every girl at RBC. At the same time, this video really drives home what important jobs we have as counselors. The fact that we’re held liable for the safety of our campers is only more incentive to make sure that everyone is safe! It’s important to note that many activities at camp inherently have their share of bumps and scrapes. But we must also be vigilant to make sure that no serious injury occurs, as well as making sure the campers have the freedom to have fun. It’s a balance that every parent struggles with, but as counselors we must always make safety a priority!
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I learned a lot about our responsibilities in relation to the law through this video. Some of the laws the narrator mentioned surprised me, so I am appreciative that it was addressed, though it is a bit intimidating! I think as counselors we just have to keep in mind that we are not only responsible for ourselves, but the campers. What may be obvious to us, may not be as obvious to a 10 year old. As much fun as we may be having with the girls, we still have to be aware of situations that may arise and knowing how to handle them.
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This video was definitely a little intimidating, but I learned more about the legal aspect of our job as camp counselors. I think it was important to point out that your actions don’t have to be the sole cause, but just one of the causes of an injury in order for you to be considered liable. I also appreciated the way they explained acting in a reasonably prudent manner by saying to think about it as if you were telling the story of what happened to someone and whether or not the person would see your actions as a contributing factor to the incident. Although intimidating, I think this video was extremely helpful.
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I appreciated that the video brought up the fact that it can be easy for us to get caught up in the atmosphere of camp and forget how important it is for us to be the counselors in a situation. I think it is very important for us to take a step back from situations and remember how most reasonable people, especially the parents, would view our actions. That being said, I feel like we should be careful not to over think things to the point where it is too late to act. All in all, the video did a great job of reinforcing the responsibilities of counselors in the camp environment.
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I liked that this video emphasized the importance of our role as counselors. Somebody at school joked with me that being a camp counselor wasn’t a real job, but in reality it is a really important job, because we are the ones that are responsible for the safety of these girls. I think that a good way to judge our actions is to think about how parents would view them. I think it is important to remember that we should always be aware of the campers and their needs before ours.
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I think that the most important point of this video is that we are 100% responsible for these kids. It goes back to that video about how parents feel– they’re trusting us with their children and we have to be aware of that. I think that if we ever have any doubts about defining the line between an activity with its inherent risks like soccer and something that we need to intervene in, we should imagine the parents looking over our shoulder and ask ourselves what they would want us to do with their children. Trust is very important here and we can’t violate that. Their safety has to be our first priority no matter what.
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One thing that I’m impressed with about all of these videos is the balance they offer between what is ideal and what is realistic. I, too, was a bit intimidated by the seriousness of the video, but I’m very appreciative that the narrators recognize that we are only human. Of course we will do our best to ensure the safety of our campers, but the statement that we cannot protect them from everything is especially important as well. The video also emphasized again what parents expect of us while their children are in our care, which helps us to better understand each child’s needs. We want the kids to have fun at camp, but we still need to stay within the bounds that the parents set for their own children. Being safe makes camp more fun for everyone anyway!
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I have to agree with the fact that the video was a bit intimidating. It made me realize how serious and important our roles a couneslors are. It is our duty to take over the role as the camper’s parents and ensure their safety. Even though we can’t protect them from everything, like the soccer game example, we need to do whatever we can to make sure that they won’t get seriously injured.
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This video really struck home with me about how important our jobs as camp counselors are. Not only are we there to make sure that they grow as individuals, make new friends, learn new activities, and have a fantastic time, we are also legally obligated to protect their safety, and make sure that they return home in one piece. While this is something I would strive to do anyway, it is a little intimidating that there could be legal consequences if something did go wrong.
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This video was very powerful, as it really reinforced how much responsibility we assume when we take care of these girls. We’re not just obligated to set an example and to make these girls feel comfortable in their own skin and to empower them to try new things, but we are also, and perhaps most importantly, responsible for their safety. We have to act in a way that keeps the girls as safe as possible. Can we anticipate all dangerous situations? No. But we have to be conscious of our actions and make sure we are being as careful as possible. Talking about the legal consequences is a little more than scary, and it made me realize that I have to act in a way that I would not be ashamed to show the parents of the any girl I’m responsible for. I think this video tied together all of the concepts of our responsibilities, from empowering the girls and setting a good example to keeping them safe from being a bully or being bullied and from unnecessary danger.
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This video was very imitating at first, knowing that I was legally responsible to the extent of possibly having to pay for an injury. But the more that I thought about this concept, the more I realized that taking this responsibility is not nearly as scary if I simply do what I am supposed to do. I will be teaching some sort of adventure activity at camp and there will no doubt be a risk or injury(it isn’t adventure if its not) but I can easily deal with that risk by being cautious, following procedures, laying down rules, answering questions, and being safe it whatever it is that I teach. The way I see it, if we as counselors do what we think is safe and used our good judgement and lead by example,then we should all have a safe fun time.
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