For DSLs and operations managers
Review your out-of-hours cover before peak season
A focused readiness check for busy arrival weekends and changes in student numbers.
Check the actual operating picture
Compare planned cover with arrival times, student numbers, accommodation locations and expected busy periods. Look for gaps around weekends, holidays and late transport connections. Confirm how changes will reach the duty responder rather than relying on an old arrival schedule.
Refresh the contact tree
Confirm the duty manager, safeguarding route, accommodation contacts and approved suppliers. Check availability as well as the number itself. Nominate an owner for changes and make it clear which version of the contact list is current. Include the fallback when a primary contact cannot be reached.
Check the information students receive
Review the support instructions in arrival messages and accommodation materials. Students should be able to find the right contact, understand when the service operates and know what information to provide. Check that staff and hosts are giving consistent instructions, including the distinction between routine enquiries and urgent concerns.
Run three short scenarios
Try a delayed arrival, a student unable to access accommodation and two calls arriving together. Ask who receives the call, what they can arrange, when the school is contacted and what is recorded. Use hypothetical details and agree improvements before the busy period begins.
Agree the first review point
Choose when you will review early incidents and feedback. Look for repeated contact failures, unclear authority, unnecessary escalation and incomplete handovers. Assign an owner to each improvement and communicate the revised arrangement to everyone involved in cover.