Contact Officer: Executive Director, Risk and Safety Services; Executive Director, Office of the Provost
Table of Contents
- Camp contact information
- Sign-in and sign-out procedures
- Camp Activity Restrictions
- Camp staff to camper ratio
- Control over unsupervised activities
- Virtual/Online Interactions with Campers
Definitions
Off-site activity – Camp activities that take place in a different location from where the majority of the regular camp activities are held. This could include locations both on and off university owned property. (E.g., Water games at City Park, Swimming activity at the ARC pool for non-swimming camps, etc.).
Camps for Minors (Camps): A day or overnight program that offers recreational activities and/or instruction to Minors. Such Camps typically have five or more campers and operate anytime during school vacations. Camps are run by academic and administrative units of the university and student groups. This may include partnerships between university units and external organizations that use university facilities or brand. A list of approved Camps is posted on the Queen’s University website.
Campers: Minors attending Camps held at Queen’s facilities.
Camp Director: The person responsible for developing camp programming and ensuring the Camp complies with university policies and procedures related to Camps for Minors.
Camp Staff: Employees who are responsible for delivering programming and providing care for Campers.
Minor: A person under the age of 18.
Volunteer: An individual who donates their time to deliver Camp programming and provide care to Campers, without an employment relationship or receipt of compensation.
Purpose
This procedure outlines the requirements for Camp Directors, Camp Staff) and Volunteers to ensure the safety and security of Campers as per the Policy on Establishing and Operating a Camp for Minors and Protection of Minors Involved in University Camps, Programs and Activities Policy. Except where specifically noted, the requirements provided in this procedure relate to both in-person and virtual/online Camps.
1. Camp contact information
1.1 Providing contact information to Campus Security
To ensure Camps and Campers can be reached, each Camp must complete the Campus Security and Emergency Services Camp Contact Information Template and provide to Risk and Safety Services at camps@queensu.ca 14 days prior to the start of the Camp. Template is available by emailing camps@queensu.ca
1.2 List of Campers
Camp Staff must maintain and have readily available a list of all Campers attending each week that includes emergency contacts and adults authorized to pick-up Campers.
2. Sign-in and sign-out procedures
2.1 All Campers must be signed in and out of Camp each day. Parents/guardians are required to show government issued photo identification when picking up Campers. This includes electronic or paper sign-in and sign-out procedures.
Parents/guardians of older Campers may choose to allow their children to sign themselves in and out of a Camp by completing the appropriate section of the Camp registration forms releasing Queen’s University from liability. Campers must be twelve years of age at the time of Camp to sign themselves in or out.
2.2 Each Camp must have a procedure for supervising Campers whose parent does not arrive for pick-up at the scheduled time. This may include additional charges for late pick-up.
Each Camp must provide a copy of their blank template procedure for sign-in and sign-out to camps@queensu.ca when completing the Camp Compliance Long Form.
2.3 Virtual/Online Camps only: Parents/guardians must be provided with sign in/access information to all Virtual Camps and programs. A process must be in place to provide families with log in information to access the video platform each day.
2.3.1 Virtual/Online Camps only: Sign-in display must only include the Camper’s first name and last initial to protect the Camper’s identity.
3. Camp Activity Restrictions
3.1 Swimming
For in-person camps only.
Where swimming is a camp activity, each camp shall have a minimum regulated ratio of Life Guards to swimmers as follows:
Ratios for Pools:
|
Number of bathers on the deck and in the pool |
Minimum number of lifeguards on duty |
|
0-20 |
1 |
|
20-40 |
2 |
|
41-75 |
3 |
|
76-115 |
4 |
|
116-165 |
5 |
Ratios for Waterfronts
|
Number of bathers in the water |
Minimum number of lifeguards on duty |
|
1-25 |
2 |
|
26-100 |
3 |
|
100 or more |
1 additional lifeguard for each additional 25 or fewer |
3.2 Life Jackets
All Campers must wear a life jacket unless they pass a swimming test that is administered by a certified instructor (results should be documented and maintained). For swim test standards please see Pool Admission Standards on the Queen’s Athletics and Recreation website. If taking part in other on-water activities other than supervised swimming (such as canoeing), life jackets must be worn at all times.
Camps must have a life jacket for each Camper participating in the swimming activity. Life jackets must be free of tears, rips, or any other damages, should fit snugly and not ride up over the Camper's chin or ears. There should be less than 7.6 cm (3") between the Camper's shoulders and the device - otherwise, the device is too big. Ensure life jacket has a label that is approved to Canadian standards that says the device has been approved by Transport Canada, Canadian Coast Guard or Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
3.3 Transportation
Personal vehicles may not be used for the transportation of campers.
4. Camp staff to Camper Ratio
4.1 At a minimum, Camps must have the required ratio of Campers to Camp Staff, as stated in the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) ratios below (this ratio applies for all virtual and in-person Camp activities including swimming):
- 6:1 – Under the age 6
- 8:1 – Ages 6 – 12 (Camps must exercise good judgment in determining an appropriate camper-to-staff ratio for each activity and program. Fewer Camp Staff may be acceptable in controlled environments (e.g., low risk activities within an enclosed indoor or outdoor space). Conversely, more Camp Staff are recommended when Campers participate in higher risk activities, during technical instruction, or when additional Camp Staff may not be close by.)
- 20:1 – Ages 13+ or having completed grade seven (7) (as based on the Ontario Public School grade levels).
4.2 For the protection of both Campers and Camp Staff, Campers must never be alone with an individual Camp Staff member. Volunteers or leaders in training must always be accompanied by Camp Staff when supervising Campers. This applies in Virtual Camp settings as well as in-person.
4.3 Virtual Camps only: A process must be in place to respond to a Virtual Camper becoming disconnected from your Camp or simply walking away from the screen for a long duration of time.
5. Control over Unsupervised Activities
5.1. Camps that allow “free time” in which Campers are unsupervised by Camp Staff, must include information about this unsupervised time in Camp materials provided to parents/guardians. Parents/guardians must sign a waiver indicating they allow their child to be unsupervised during scheduled unstructured activities (e.g., lunch). Campers must be at least 12 years old to be permitted unsupervised time.
5.2. These Camps must also implement procedures for unsupervised time, including but not limited to:
- Minimizing unsupervised time to time-limited periods.
- Communicating expectations to Campers regarding their behaviour when unsupervised, including, when appropriate, geographic limits around where Campers are permitted to travel (and “no-go” zones as appropriate) along with possible consequences for non-compliance.
- Implementing a buddy system by which Campers take responsibility for each other while unsupervised and take immediate action whenever a fellow Camper is unaccounted for.
- Requiring Campers to sign out when departing unsupervised, return by a specified time, carry a cell phone, or change for a pay phone in the event of delay or trouble, and sign back in upon return.
- Assigning responsibility to a Camp Staff member for monitoring unsupervised time away and to act immediately and as appropriate if Campers fail to return at the scheduled time.
5.3. Virtual/Online Camps only: Camps must outline expectations for parental involvement in the Camp, especially if enrolling younger Campers who may be unable to work independently. Parents/guardians must be aware that the Camp is not a virtual caregiver (i.e., parents cannot sit their child in front of a computer and go for a walk or to work) and be present (at least within hearing range of the Camper) during virtual sessions and may need to provide their younger children with an abundance of constant attention during Virtual Camp activities.
6. Virtual/Online Interactions with Campers
6.1 Camp Staff must not use personal accounts with Campers (such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) and must use Camp supplied email and social media accounts.
6.2 No private direct messaging, texting, chatting, or personal emails between a Camper and a Camp Staff member are permitted. If required to message a Camper, a parent and another Camp Staff member must be copied.
6.3 Group messages and posts from the Camp accounts are acceptable and must be viewable by all participants.
Date Approved: 2015 December 14
Approval Authority: SLT
Amendment Dates: May 2023, January 2019
Date for Next Review: May 2028
Related Policies, Procedures and Guidelines:
Protection of Minors Involved in University Programs and Activities
Policy on Establishing and Operating a Camp for Minors
Hiring and Training of Camp Personnel Procedure
Health & Safety and Emergency Procedures for Camps
Documentation and Privacy of Camp Records
Supervision of Campers
Safe Disclosure Policy