MISSING CHILD POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Nelmes Pre-School takes the safety of children very seriously and will take every precaution necessary to ensure that the children in their care do not leave a session unaccompanied. The chances of finding a missing child safe are greatest if the child’s absence is soon discovered. Staff will undertake periodic head counts using the key person system in addition to the registration procedure. If in the event of a member of staff not being able to account for a child’s whereabouts the following action will be taken:
To ensure that children are not lost while in the care of the Pre-School we:
• Carefully supervise children at all times
• Maintain appropriate staff/child ratios at all times
• Provide high handles on all doors
• Closely monitor children in and out of the building.
• Closely monitor children on outings and trips
• Ensure that visitors to the Pre-School are supervised at all times.
In the unlikely event of a child going missing on the premises, the following procedure will followed:
• Staff members will immediately undertake a search of the Pre-School and the immediate vicinity.
• The Pre-School Manager will be notified
• The daily register is checked to make sure no other child has gone astray, and to check that the child has not been collected.
• Doors and gates to be checked to see if there has been a breach of security whereby a child could wander out
• If, following a thorough search of the Pre-School and the immediate vicinity, the child cannot be found the police will be called and the child’s parents will be notified without delay.
In the unlikely event of a child being lost while on a trip or outing the following procedures will be followed:
- As soon as it 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.
- One staff member to immediately undertake a thorough search of the immediate vicinity
- Phone 999 (give your name, location, name and description of the child/staff, name of the Pre-School, and any other relevant information)
- Advise venue staff or any security personnel of missing child.
- Pre-School Manager or Deputy Manager to contact parent.
- Staff to return other children safely to the Pre-School.
- Other persons’ to wait for police/ ambulance. encase of a child injury.
- Staff must do a written record of events.
- Notify Ofsted of the incident
The investigation
• Staff keep calm and do not let the other children become anxious or worried
• The Pre-School Manager to speak with the parents
• The Management team carry out full investigation taking written statements from all staff who were on the outing
• An incident report to be written detailing:
– The date and time of the report
– What staff/children were in the group/outing and the name of the staff member responsible for the missing child
– When the child was last seen in the group/outing
– What has taken place in the group or outing since the child went missing
– The time it is estimated that the child went missing
A conclusion is drawn as to how the breach of security happened and the insurance provider informed.
Managing People
Missing child incidents are very worrying for all concerned.
Part of managing the incidents is to try to keep everyone as calm as possible.
The staff will feel worried about the child; especially the member of staff who was responsible for the child whilst on the outing. They may blame themselves and their feelings of anxiety and distress will rise as the length of time the child is missing increases. The Pre-School Manager should ensure that the staff feel supported while they are feeling vulnerable
The parents will feel angry and fraught. They may want to blame staff and single out one member over others; they may direct anger at the Pre-School Manager. When dealing with a distraught and angry parent there should always be two members of staff. No matter how understandable the parent’s anger may be, aggression or threats against staff are not tolerated and security should be called.
The other children are also sensitive to what is going on around them. They too may be worried. The remaining staff caring for the children need to be focused on their needs and must not discuss the incident in front of them. They should answer children’s questions honestly but also reassure them
Staff must not discuss any missing child incident without taking advice from the setting Manager.
EMERGENCY CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
• Hornchurch Police : 01708 751212
• FYIAS Tel: 01708 431783
• Ofsted: Tel. 08456 404045
