Policy Or Procedure ?

[Guest]

Hello everyone - please can anyone help - do you have a procedure for a lost child or a policy for a lost child ???

[Shiny]

We have a policy which then states the procedure, if you get what I mean!!

[Cait]

we have a paragraph in our H&S policy - which i'll share if you need to make a start

[Guest]

we have a paragraph in our H&S policy - which i'll share if you need to make a start

 

 

Oh yes please - I love when people just offer and you dont have to hint heavily !!!! Thank you

[Cait]

Outings and visits

We have agreed procedures for the safe conduct of outings. Parents sign a general consent on registration for their children to be taken out as a part of the daily activities of the setting. Parents always sign consent forms before major outings. A risk assessment is carried out before an outing takes place. Our adult to child ratio is high, normally one adult to two children. Named children are assigned to individual staff to ensure each child is individually supervised and to ensure no child gets lost and that there is no unauthorised access to children. Outings are recorded in an outings record book stating the date of outing, the venue and mode of transport, names of staff assigned to named children and the time of return. All staff take a mobile phone on outings, and supplies of tissues, wipes, pants etc as well as a mini first aid pack, a snack and water. The amount of equipment will vary and be consistent with the venue and the number of children as well as the duration of the trip. A minimum of two staff accompany children on outings and a minimum of two remain behind with the rest of the children.

 

Missing child

There are a limited number of situations where a child could be lost and these are:

 Where a child wanders off on a Preschool outing

 Where a child escapes from the premises

 Where a child is taken from the Preschool by an unapproved adult

If a child goes missing from the setting the person in charge will carry out a thorough search of the building and garden. The register is checked to make sure no other child has also gone astray. Doors and gates are checked to see if there has been a breach of security whereby a child could wander out. The person in charge talks to staff to establish what happened. If the child is not found, the parent is contacted and the missing child is reported to the police.

 

If a child goes missing from an outing where parents are not attending and responsible for their own child, the setting ensures that there is a procedure that is followed. As soon as it is noticed that a child is missing, staff on the outing ask children to stand with their designated person and carry out a headcount to ensure that no other child has gone astray. Staff take the remaining children back to the setting maintaining their safety, with regard to supervision and security. Ensuring that the remaining children are sufficiently supervised and secure, one or preferably two members of staff should search the building, grounds and immediate vicinity, opening up the area, keeping in touch with mobile phones. If the child cannot be found within fifteen minutes then the Police and parents must be informed. In an indoor venue, the staff contact the venue's security who will assist with the search and contact the police if the child is not found.

 

When the situation has been resolved, members of staff should review the reasons for it happening and ensure measures are taken to ensure that it does not happen again. We have systems in place to ensure that unapproved adults do not take children from the Preschool.

 

The investigation

The Management Committee Chair carries out a full investigation taking written statements from all the staff present at the time, or who were on the outing. The key person/ staff writes an incident report detailing the date and time of the report, which staff/ children were in the group/outing, when the child was last seen in the group/outing, what has taken place in the group/outing since then and the time it is estimated that the child went missing. A conclusion is drawn as to how the breach of security happened. If the incident warrants a police investigation all staff co-operate fully. In this case, the police will handle all aspects of the investigation, including interviewing staff. Social Services may be involved if it seems likely that there is a child protection issue to address. The incident is reported under RIDDOR arrangements and is recorded in the incident book; the local authority health and safety officer may want to investigate and will decide if there is a case for prosecution. OFSTED is informed. The Insurance Department at the Preschool Learning Alliance is informed.

[Guest]

Thank you so much - its what we have already headed 'guidelines ' - just wondered about promoting to a policy! Think I will expand my guidelines with extra info like what happens once incident is over - thanks again Fab

[Shiny]

I would share mine but I don't have it on home computer so I googled and found this which is very similar to ours. Thought it might help.

[Guest]

Wonderful - Oh my all this talk of missing children - I hope we are not tempting fate !