St. Thomas’ Pre-school Playgroup
Lost Child Policy.
PROCEDURES GOVERNING ACTION TO BE TAKEN SHOULD A CHILD LEAVE THE GROUP UNACCOMPANIED.
1. Alert the member of staff in charge and Karen Topham who will make enquires of relevant members of staff as to when the child was last seen and where.
2. Without alarming them, ask the children themselves whether they have seen the child who is missing. They can sometimes be a useful source of information.
3. Check that all the adults are present and that all know the problem. It is useful to establish, if you can, who last saw the child, when and doing what. Check any possible hiding-places in and around the pre-school’s premises.
4. Ensuring that the remaining children are sufficiently supervised and secure, one or preferably two members of staff should search the building, garden and immediate vicinity.
5. If the child cannot be found within fifteen minutes then the police and parents must be informed.
6. Continue to search, opening up the area, keeping in touch with mobile phone, if available.
ALL COMMUNICATIONS WITH POLICE, PARENTS & MEDIA SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY KAREN TOPHAM, IF SUCH AN INCIDENT OCCURRED IN HER ABSENCE, THEN SHE MUST BE CONTACTED INSTANTLY.
RECORDING THE EVENT IN THE INCIDENT BOOK
A member of staff should start to build up a record of the event as soon as possible. This is important, even if, as is likely, the child is found safe within a few minutes. The Incident Book should provide an invaluable ongoing record of potential hazards as well as the last definite sighting of the child and anything unusual that day about the behaviour of that child or any other child.
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. Ofsted will be informed immediately.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR SAFE ENTRY AND EXIT FORM THE PREMISES.
All exits from the premises should be locked/guarded by a member of staff in a way which makes it impossible for a child to leave unobserved/unattended, while allowing rapid exit for the whole group in the case of an emergency.
When a child and parents/carers are arriving at the beginning of the session and leaving at the end of the session, a member of staff should be present at the outside door and another by the inside door.
PRECAUTIONS FOR THE SAFE SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN IN TRANSIT FROM ONE PLAY AREA TO ANOTHER.
When taking the children out of the playgroup room to the gym/hall for their physical play time, a member of staff leads the way, with another in the corridor to ensure no child wanders in the wrong direction, and once entering the gym/hall a head count is taken.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR RECORDING ATTENDANCE, ENTRY & EXIT FROM PREMISES.
An accurate up-to-date register will be kept of both adults and children, including visitors, will be signed in and out whenever they enter and leave the premises.
A checklist prepared in advanced of possible hiding – places in and around the pre-school’s premises.
Reviewed Oct 06.
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