DISASTER PLAN. Vision Statement

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Roderick Kennedy
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DISASTER PLAN Vision Statement We are committed to ensuring that all children embrace and achieve their potential by developing a school that improves and grows through innovation, in which children

1 DISASTER PLAN Vision Statement We are committed to ensuring that all children embrace and achieve their potential by developing a school that improves and grows through innovation, in which children feel safe and valued; families and the school community are supported and work together. Children are taught to be instinctively reflective and inquisitive, thereby leaving our school with the confidence and self-belief to become aspirational, successful citizens in the diversity of 21st century Britain. Inclusion Statement At The South Norwood Academy all pupils are valued inspired and respected within our happy, welcoming academy community. We set high expectations for all our pupils. Practitioners give every pupil the opportunity to experience success in their learning, by providing a relevant and challenging curriculum with an emphasis on personalised learning. Introduction The vast majority of the time accidents do not happen, and schools are safe, secure environments. Schools can experience fires, fatal accidents, murder, and suicide, violence by a disturbed person or terrorist action or contagious illnesses such as meningitis. This plan has been produced to deal with such incidents as far as possible. Actions to take (see Action checklist, Appendix 1) 1. Immediate action (within hours) (a) Obtain and collate accurate information about the incident. Information should be gathered which is at least accurate in outline before anyone is informed. (b) Inform the Synaptic Trust & Directors. Our Chief Executive Officer (Stuart Roberts / ). The Chair of Directors should be informed at the same time (Keith Robinson: ). (c) Retrieve the contingency plan. This plan must be the first point of reference. See checklists in appendices. (d) Call together the Disaster Management Team (DMT). The team members (Leadership Team) will take on the various tasks allotted to them.

2 (e) Draw up an incident action plan. (f) Establish a communications room and dedicated phone. This will be the s Office. The s mobile phone will be the dedicated phone. (g) Start the incident log and record keeping procedures. A detailed log must be kept. (See Appendix 2.) (h) Contact the families of children involved. This should be approached very sensitively, and advice sought from professional sources and the Department of Education (DfE)/Synaptic Trust as appropriate. (i) Inform teaching and support staff. Full and accurate information should be given, and briefing should be given about what can be appropriately discussed with pupils. Contact with the media should be restricted to the nominated person (in the first instance CEO or Chair of Directors). (j) Arrange to inform other parents. Brief but accurate information should be given at this stage, perhaps from a pre-prepared note. More detailed information could be given later. (k) Inform pupils. Arrangements should be made to inform pupils not directly involved. (l) Contact appropriate support services. Advice should be sought from the DfE. (m) Respond to/inform media. The press and other media can have a considerable impact on an incident therefore a good working relationship is vital. A short, considered statement will be issued by the CEO or Chair of Directors after seeking advice from the DfE. (n) Inform associated schools. Other schools could be directly affected, not least because they may have siblings of our pupils on their roll. 2. Short term (within hours or days) (a) Hold to normal routine if possible. (b) Arrange a debriefing for staff and pupils involved in the incident. This may serve a number of important purposes: - Clarify what happened - Allow for a sharing of reactions - Reassure those involved that such reactions are not abnormal - Mobilise resources. (c) It may be appropriate for this meeting to be led by an experienced person from outside the school within the Synaptic Trust. Advice should be sought from the CEO. (d) Develop a support plan for handling feeling and reactions of people. A support plan should be drawn up with the advice and assistance of appropriate specialist staff. (e) Release a more detailed press statement. More up to date and detailed information should be given as it emerges, and help should be sought from the CEO/Chair of Directors/DfE. 3. Medium term (within days or weeks) (a) Continue to provide updates on facts. It may be necessary to provide updates to staff, 2 P a g e

3 parents and the media. (b) Monitor the effects on pupils and adults and organise support for those needing it. Put support plan into action. (c) Prepare for involvement in funerals, memorial services etc. See Appendix 3 for further guidance. (d) Prepare strategies for re-entry into school. When attendance has been interrupted by a critical incident it is important to prepare for return. (See Appendix 4.) 4. Longer term (a) Continue to be aware of people's state of mind. New staff and staff unfamiliar to vulnerable pupils will need briefing about the situation. (b) Prepare for anniversaries. It is wise to prepare sensitively for these. Marking the anniversary positively may be helpful. The views of parents of pupils involved should be taken into account. (c) Be aware of the effects of legal procedures. The school should be aware of any proceedings taking place and the possible effects on those involved. (d) Provide support as the facts progressively emerge and change. Understanding of the event can alter as information emerges. Strong emotions may develop, and support should be provided. (e) Review procedures. In the light of experience procedures may need to be reviewed. General Guidance School data Biographical data (with emergency contact numbers) is stored in the office and on computer. Data is stored on disk if the computer fails. Evacuation of the premises Children should stay in the classroom and normal routines should continue wherever possible. If the premises have to be evacuated, then normal fire procedures should be followed. If re-entry to the school is impossible the whole school will relocate to The Woodside Academy, Morland Road. The CEO/Chair of Directors/DfE should be contacted. Life threatening situations All staff and pupils should be accounted for and a list of casualties drawn up. Emergency services and parents/carers should be informed immediately. The CEO/Chair of Directors/DfE should be contacted. 3 P a g e

4 Medical Incident Follow First Aid procedures with a first aider in attendance. Remove other children from the scene quickly and quietly. Fill in an incident form. A pupil disappears from the school premises. Check the premises for the child. Ring parents/carers. A member of staff to take the child s route home by car. Contact the police. If a child is snatched from school, contact the CEO and Chair of Directors too. On a school trip Establish the nature and extent of the emergency. Account for all persons. Contact the (if not present). Contact the school who will telephone parents/carers. to contact the Chair of Directors and CEO. Follow First Aid procedures, if appropriate. Fill in an Incident form (back at school). Do not talk directly to media or discuss legal liability. Health and Safety Isolate electricity/water supply if necessary. Contact the architects if there is damage to the building. 4 P a g e

5 Appendix 1 Action Checklist Immediate Obtain and collate accurate information about the incident Inform the YPLA Retrieve the existing contingency plan Call together the DMT Draw up an incident action plan Establish a communications room and dedicated phone Start the incident log and record keeping procedures Contact the families involved Inform teaching and support staff Arrange to inform other parents Inform pupils Contact appropriate support services Respond to/inform media Inform associated schools By whom ; DMT ; DMT Admin Assistant ; DMT CEO Actioned

6 Short term By whom Actioned Hold to normal routine if possible Arrange a debriefing of pupils and staff involved in the incident Develop a plan for handling feelings and reactions of people Release a more detailed press statement All staff ; DMT CEO Medium term Continue to provide updates on facts Monitor the effects on pupils and adults and organise support for those needing it Prepare for involvement in funerals, memorial services etc Prepare strategies for re-entry into school ; DMT Longer term Continue to be aware of people's state of mind Prepare for anniversaries Be aware of the effects of legal procedures Provide support as the facts emerge and change All staff All staff All staff All staff 6 P a g e

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8 Appendix 2 FORMS FOR USE IN KEEPING RECORDS DURING CRITICAL INCIDENTS Incident Log Telephone Log Record of information given out An Incident File should be used to keep all information including photographs, copies of statements, correspondence, press cuttings etc. 8 P a g e

9 INCIDENT LOG DATE TIME EVENT NOTES (e.g. cross ref. to other records) 9 P a g e

10 TELEPHONE LOG DATE TIME CALLER SUBSTANCE OF CALL IN BRIEF 10 P a g e

11 RECORD OF INFORMATION GIVEN OUT DATE PERSON or BRIEF SUMMARY OF INFORMATION ORGANISATION TO WHOM GIVEN (More detail can be placed on Incident File) 11 P a g e

12 Appendix 3 INVOLVEMENT IN FUNERALS AND SPECIAL SERVICES Attendance at funerals There are many different religious and cultural views about the participation of young people in funeral rites. The school will want to respect these views and customs as well as the wishes of parents and the children themselves. The current consensus among mental health professionals is that most children (and adults) come to terms with their grief more quickly if they say farewell formally. Whenever possible, survivors should be encouraged and enabled to attend the funerals of those who died, and the parents of those who died should be encouraged to allow it. Special assemblies and memorial services In addition to funerals that families may choose to be private, schools may wish to mark the event with a special assembly or a memorial service. Discussions could be held with staff, governors, parents, pupils and the local community on what form this should take and who should be involved. Planning the ceremony often becomes an important therapeutic act in itself. For many who have been affected by a major incident, a memorial service acts as a way of acknowledging that it is now over. Even so, many staff and pupils may be upset during the service and this needs to be considered in planning, for example, where it is to be held and if access should be given to the media. Some schools have planted special gardens in memory of pupils or staff members; others have installed seats in the playground in their memory or have commissioned sculptures or paintings. Extract from "Wise Before the Event" - William Yule and Anne Gold, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, London 1993, page P a g e

13 Appendix 4 RE-ENTRY FOLLOWING A CRISIS (Extract from "Should Crisis Call" - Stirling Council Education Services) When school attendance has been interrupted consideration of return to school should be part of the Crisis Management Contingency Plan. A variety of strategies will be needed depending upon the nature of the crisis and who was involved. Strategies for re-entry into school could include: Liaison with other services and agencies where appropriate regarding re-entry: CEO, Chair of Directors, education officials; police; social care; health board; community centres; voluntary agencies; press officer. Liaison with parents; parent/teacher association; letters to parents giving full information regarding-re-entry. The teacher visiting a pupil/s at home or in hospital. Maintaining contact between the home and the school and deciding who is the most appropriate person to do this. Checking whether any books or jotters were lost in the incident and making a decision about them. Checking what worries the pupils (siblings; injured) and the parents have about re-entry and making appropriate arrangements e.g. visit to the pupil's classroom; to the scene of the incident. Checking worries about examinations and making appropriate arrangements. Consideration of part time attendance. Adjustments to the curriculum. Adaptations to the building or availability of aids if the child is temporarily or seriously disabled. Checks on worries about meeting other children and discussing reactions to questions and comments. Establishing a quiet place in school where the pupil can go to 'get away from it all' if they become particularly upset. Establishing a parents' room where parents can have private support and basic needs such as refreshments. Ensuring that all staff who will come into contact with the students are aware of the expectations of the students, parents and other staff. 13 P a g e

Gedney Church End and Lutton St Nicholas Federated Primary Schools. Critical Incident Management Policy

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