At Frederic Chopin Integrative Saturday School in Bath (FCISS), the welfare of the children in our care is paramount.
Children may go missing and EVERY member of staff has equal responsibility in
ensuring the safety of the children and knowing where they are.
Systems in place to minimise the risk of children going missing:
Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that the premises and surrounding site is secure.
Parents are required to register the child’s arrival.
It is the responsibility of every member of staff to be aware of how many children are present and a quick head count takes place at intervals during each session.
Key persons of new children always take extra care to be aware of their whereabouts and ensure they know the boundaries of where they can and cannot go.
Parents are advised of our security procedures and will be given opportunity to discuss any concerns, particularly if their child has an adventurous nature.
Parents are made aware of the need of supervision of children at all times especially of their responsibility to ensure their child’s arrival and departure is noted by a member of staff.
Children are always counted before going out to play and again when they are lining up to come back indoors. A member of staff will always be at the end of the line to ensure no children are left outside.
On site – Best practice
Every care is taken to ensure our children are accounted for at all times. However, in the unlikely event that it is suspected that a child has gone missing the following procedure will be followed.
• The Headteacher or most senior member of staff at the time will take an immediate register of all children.
• If it is discovered that a child is unaccounted for then a full search of the building and its immediate surroundings will take place.
• On no account will any other children be left unsupervised at any time
• If after a thorough search it proves unsuccessful in establishing the whereabouts
of the child, the emergency services and the parent / guardian will be contacted.
• On the arrival of the emergency services and the child’s parent / guardian the
Headteacher or senior member of staff will be responsible for appraising them of all information in respect to the missing child and what action has been taken.
• Once the situation has been resolved an internal investigation will take place to
examine how it occurred and to put immediate measures in place to ensure it does
not happen again.
• Detailed record of incident to be recorded with the Management Committee.
Off Site – Best practice
• The Headteacher or most senior member of staff at the time will take an immediate register of all children.
• If it is discovered that a child is unaccounted for then a full search of the building and its immediate surroundings will take place.
• On no account will any other children be left unsupervised at any time
• If after a thorough search it proves unsuccessful in establishing the whereabouts
of the child, the emergency services and the parent / guardian will be contacted.
• On the arrival of the emergency services and the child’s parent / guardian the
Headteacher or senior member of staff will be responsible for appraising them of all information in respect to the missing child and what action has been taken.
• Once the situation has been resolved an internal investigation will take place to
examine how it occurred and to put immediate measures in place to ensure it does
not happen again.
• Detailed record of incident to be recorded with the Management Committee.