Description: Start here. Record which department you are reviewing, who you are, and who you spoke with. Set the visit up as an agreed appointment, not a surprise drop-in on a busy day.
Reason: Captures the who, what and when so every visit is traceable. Anchoring the record to a named department and committee member is what turns a friendly chat into evidence.
Description: A quick check that the basics are in place: staffing levels, briefings given, risk assessments reviewed, and anything that has gone wrong since your last visit.
Reason: Confirms the department is running and surfaces incidents or near misses early, while there is still time to put things right during the convention.
Description: The three checks that matter most. Rate each Red, Amber or Green and add what you saw: living documents, volunteer knowledge, and training and testing records.
Reason: These three are where audits usually fall down. Documents copied from last year, an overseer who knows the plan but volunteers who do not, and training that happened but was never written down. Rating them makes the gaps visible.
Description: Record today's briefing: whether it happened, when, how many attended, and what was covered. A briefing that runs a real scenario counts for far more than one that reads a list.
Reason: People forget most of what they learn within a short time, so training has to be reinforced every day rather than treated as done. This slide is the proof that it was, with a date, a headcount and a topic.
List views of the approved pre-shift briefing and additional comments added
Description: Tick the documents and records you actually looked at during the visit: briefing, risk assessment, JHA, emergency procedures, training and competency records, and any outstanding actions.
Reason: Separates what was discussed from what was seen. Ticking a document means you held it, not that someone told you it exists.
Select one or two scenarios relevant to the department. Tick if tested and note how the volunteer responded. Scenarios marked Security & Major Incident Scenarios cover Martyn's Law or counter-terrorism preparedness under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
Description: Watch the department working. Confirm that safe practices are followed, volunteers look confident, escape routes are clear, and the operation is calm and well supervised.
Reason: A visit is not only a conversation. This is the committee member's own eyes on the floor, checking that what is written down is what is actually happening.
One of the key objectives of the OAR is to verify that training, briefings and emergency procedures have filtered through to those actually carrying out the work. Please list one or two volunteers below with their comments.
Description: Record what is being done well and worth commending, any suggestions you discussed, and up to three agreed actions to take forward.
Reason: Keeps the tone supportive and captures the follow-up. Commendation first, then a short agreed list of what happens next. This is also where early planning for next year begins.