I had been wanting to take our business through the Visit Wales Assurance process for some time; as a company providing adventure activities for visitors to Wales it felt important to have this stamp of approval and to know we were operating to a nationally recognised standard.  To be completely honest, I kept putting off getting started because I was fearful of someone coming along, ripping our processes to shreds and telling us we weren’t good enough, but this couldn’t have been further from reality. 

We were put in touch with the Technical Consultant who was immediately reassuring, and very straightforward, which I welcomed. There was a checklist of documentation that we were to provide, such as Safe Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments, and these were reviewed, with suggestions for improvements or different ways of doing things, where needed.  This review process was hugely beneficial and allowed us to sharpen up our procedures with the support of an expert. The next stage in the process was a visit by the same Technical Consultant, which was relaxed but thorough, allowing for discussion and advice.  An activity was observed on the same day, with further feedback. Following the visit, a report was prepared for Visit Wales, with a copy sent to us with recommendations which had already been discussed on the day – no nasty surprises! I found this particularly valuable as it wasn’t simply a dry safety report but suggested ways quality could be improved, the customer experience enhanced, and suggestions for the development of the business and our role within the wider community.  

For the relatively small inspection fee, the chance to go through this process and gain valuable insight from an independent expert was priceless! Becoming assured and listed on the Visit Wales website really ended up feeling like a bonus of the process. We can now proudly display our assurance, which provides assurance for potential customers. Being listed with the Visit Wales website does drive some traffic to us but more, it is a way for peers and the wider community to know they can trust us.​​

At first glance undertaking the role of one of the Technical Consultants for the Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme appears to be a relatively straightforward process. 

Respond to a request by an adventure activity business to undertake a review visit, take a look at some paperwork, and see an adventure activity being delivered.

The role has proven itself to be considerably more involved than that and the ways in which I have been able to help people and businesses above and beyond the basic need continues to pleasantly surprise me. 

Does allowing a Technical Consultant in to look at a business and how it operates justify the cost and time involved, or is there some benefit? 

This is where rapport has to be built and it is an opportunity to create initial trust. Businesses will understand why they need an assurance visit, but they aren’t always sure what they will gain.  

By email and telephone, we have to work hard to make it clear that we are there for both the business we will be visiting and Visit Wales. 

The business needs to believe that the visit will achieve more than just a ‘tick in the box’ and Visit Wales need to have confidence that activities are to be delivered in a safe and responsible manner before they can promote them, 

Having undertaken many assurance visits, I am pleased to report that the value we can add in advising, supporting and making worthwhile suggestions and recommendations is considerable. I haven’t undertaken a single visit where the outcome was far more beneficial that that expected by the adventure activity business being reviewed.

On every visit, we go to great lengths to look thoroughly at Organisational Safety Policies, Safe Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments, as well as observing activity delivery. 

We are able to make suggestions and recommendations from this and from time to time we may insist on some required changes, but it goes way beyond that. I have been able to help with business planning and strategy, marketing, staffing, networking, training and staff development, pricing, accounting practices, online booking systems, social media platforms, and numerous other things. 

Whilst these aren’t a requirement for the Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme, they are the things that people need help with and the areas where we can add value based on our many years of experience in the industry.

Many of the people and businesses I have worked with through the assurance process keep in touch and let me know how they are getting on. They ask for help from me sometimes and just keep in touch at other times. It is a privilege to be able to provide support and advice to these businesses. 

One thing that is always remarkable, is that although most adventure activity businesses do need help with the operational and documentation side of things, the passion for the delivery of their activities and the strong desire to give their customers great experiences is constantly inspiring. 

It really is the best part of a Technical Consultants role, knowing that we can assist them to achieve that in some way. 

Gary Evans
Outdoor Activity Technical Advisor

I went through an assurance process earlier this year so I could be endorsed to appear on the Visit Wales website. I was hesitant to engage at first and had lots of reasons why not to go through the process - time, funds, did I need assurance from Visit Wales and many more thoughts along a similar vein. 

But I decided to do it and it turned out to be a really worthwhile exercise. I worked with a Technical Consultant who ensured that all my systems were in order from Health & Safety to Safeguarding.

I could also get answers to questions which would have taken me a long time to find out by myself. 

The Consultant (Gary Evans) was a mine of information. It was a lot of work getting it all ready but I am so glad I did it. Guided Pilgrimage is in much better shape as a business now and for that I am very grateful. As to generating more business, we shall see but in fact I have reaped the benefit already going through the assurance process. 

(https://guidedpilgrimage.co.uk) 

Having an audit of your business can sometimes feel a little daunting. A consultant going over your operating procedures, risk assessments and other associated paperwork with a magnifying glass can be pretty stressful. Luckily this wasn’t the case with our recent consultation of Mountain Bike Wales for the Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme (VWAAAS). 

Instead, the whole inspection from start to finish was a great learning opportunity for us to see what we we’re doing well, what we needed to improve upon, and more importantly to pick up on a few things that we missed due to tweaks and changes nationally via National Governing Bodies and other outdoor activity guidance.

But why are written statements so important, and why do they need inspecting? To start with, we don’t carry a series of ‘how to guide’ books when we’re out on the mountain. Thank heavens as our guide packs are heavy enough as it is! So, we spend our time in the outdoors doing continual dynamic risk assessments throughout our journey and long into the evening. Whether that’s the group’s ability both mentally and physically; other people we meet; the weather; our wellbeing as guides; falls from the bike; first aid if required; and environment and terrain, are all factors that can have an impact on how our guests are feeling each day. So how do we know what to do if one or more of these factors has an impact on them? Firstly, we’re all well trained, have a vast knowledge and experience of the activity, and are qualified. Secondly, because we have read and followed written statements and guidelines of every activity, memorised it, then placed it away in the cabinet for reference when needed. 

These statements aren’t written on stone tablets! But need to be continually updated to meet new challenges and changes in law, especially Health and Safety. This is where the consultant made a tremendous difference in pointing out to us new changes in the law, helped support us in updating our documentation, and next steps on how we can ensure all our staff are up to date on the new working practices. 

Our consultation through the VWAAAS has enabled us to build on these statements of how we do what we do by receiving a detailed report that was easy to follow with a few additional next steps that we could implement straight away. The report and direct feedback from the consultant has given us new and fresh ideas on how we can do things differently, strengthening how we work together more effectively in the future as a team of guides.

We highly recommend that any outdoor provider in Wales should consider having a consultation through the Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme for peace of mind as both a business, and for your future guests.