MONASH Special Develpmental Schl CRITICAL INCIDENT POLICY 1. RESPONDING TO A TRAUMATIC OR CRITICAL INCIDENT IN WHICH THE SCHOOL IS INVOLVED The schl may becme directly r indirectly invlved in a tragic r traumatic event. The incident may invlve lss f life, serius injury r emtinal disturbance. The incident may ccur in the schl envirnment r utside. It may invlve staff, students r thse clse t them. The netwrk f thse invlved in a traumatic event can be wide, especially if it directly invlves the schl. Feelings f grief and lss can cntinue ver lng perids f time. Cunselling shuld be prvided fr all thse wh need it. This may include many wh d nt seem t be clsely cnnected t the event r the individuals invlved. The schl may be in a psitin t help grieving families at difficult times, e.g. thrugh the schl s participatin in the funeral service. While schl shuld perate as nrmally as pssible, sme degree f flexibility shuld exist. It is essential that peple be given clear, accurate infrmatin at all times. It is essential that a Critical Incident Recvery Team be frmed t manage the shrt and lng term effects. 2. ACTION TO BE TAKEN AS A RESULT OF A TRAGIC/TRAUMATIC EVENT WHICH INVOLVES THE SCHOOL 2.1 Incidents vary in cmplexity. These guidelines prvide a framewrk fr actin and wuld nt necessarily be fllwed in all cases. 2.2 Hwever, the fllwing 4 principles must be fllwed: 1. prvide clear, accurate infrmatin 2. describe the actins t be fllwed 3. prvide help fr all affected 4. maintain a nrmal schl prgram as clse as pssible 2.3 Obtain accurate infrmatin. Deal nly with substantiated facts. 2.4 As sn as pssible infrm staff, especially thse mst directly invlved. Infrm clse friends and family individually. Allw questins and discussin as they arise. Dispel rumurs. 2.5 Appint a skilled Critical Incident Recvery Team t assist in the management f the incident. The team may include staff members, psychlgists, cunsellrs, external DEECD persnnel, supprt agencies etc. The size and cmpsitin f the team will be related t the
nature f the incident. Distribute names f the Critical Incident Recvery Team members, and infrm thers f the rle f the team. 2.6 As sn as pssible prvide infrmatin t the cmmunity as t what has happened, and what is being dne. 2.7 Appint a skilled Critical Incident Recvery Team member t respnd t media enquires. A written press release may be useful. If necessary, prtect thers frm cntact with the media. Advice regarding this may be btained frm the DEECD Emergency Cmmunicatins Centre and the DEECD Media Unit. 2.8 Establish an pen line f cntact with the family r families directly invlved. 2.9 Prvide ut f schl hurs cntact if necessary. This culd be as simple as circulating the Principal s telephne number. In mre cmplex situatins it may mean maintaining telephne cntact at the schl. 2.10 Cntinue cntact with the family t identify their expectatins f the schl, e.g. student participatin in funeral r memrial service. 2.11 Try t identify thse mst likely t need help, e.g. classmates, teacher, special friends. Sme students nt directly affected may becme distressed. 2.12 Ensure that cunselling help is available. Cntact the Reginal Office and/r DEECD if necessary. All emergency r criminal activity, in which the safety r well-being f staff r students is at risk, r where there is a threat t prperty, must be reprted immediately t the Department s 24 hur Emergency and Security Management Branch n (03) 9589 6266. 2.13 Cntinue t keep staff, students and parents in frmed, especially abut what has happened and what the schl is ding abut it. 2.14 As sn as pssible call students tgether and prvide infrmatin abut what has happened and what the schl is ding abut it. A fllw up letter hme may be imprtant. 2.15 Prvide cunselling services fr all. Ensure that there are suitable places in which this can take place. Be prepared t mdify the timetable and ther arrangements s that peple are free t make use f available help. 2.16 Children wishing t attend funerals shuld d s in the cmpany f their parents. 2.17 Cntinue nrmal rutines at schl but acknwledge the effect f tragedy n the schl cmmunity. Be flexible with thse in need f help. Be aware that many peple may be deeply affected, e.g. an event may cause a persn t recall sme traumatic event invlving them in the past. 2.18 Maintain links with the family. The schl and family may wish t develp a memrial garden, erect a memrial plaque, r display a pht in a prminent psitin in the schl. 2.29 Be sensitive t staff and student s needs ver a perid f time. * PLEASE REFER TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MONASH SDS*
LINKS AND APPENDICES (including prcesses related t this plicy) Links which are cnnected with this plicy are: DEECD Emergency Management Planning Emergency and Critical Incident Appendices which are cnnected with this plicy are: Appendix A: Critical Incident Recvery Plan (CIRP) Appendix B: Critical r Traumatic Incident Plan First 24 hur Shrt Term Tasks Appendix C: Emergency Message Recrd Frm Template 3. EVALUATION Evaluatin f the Plans will fllw any critical incident at the schl. Date Implemented 2014 Authr Lis Mitchell Apprved By Schl Cuncil Apprval Authrity Tm 2 2014 (Signature & Date) Date Reviewed Tm 2 2014 Respnsible fr Review Assistant Principal Review Date 2016 References
Appendix A Critical Incident Recvery Plan (CIRP) Respnsibilities and Prcedures 1. PLAN STATEMENT This Plan is an integral part f the Emergency Management prcesses f the schl. 2. IMPLEMENTATION 2.1 The Recvery Team will be respnsible fr crdinating and implementing the Plan (refer t 4.3 fr the cmpsitin f the team). It will need t cnsider: establishing the facts as sn as pssible develping an actin plan f shrt, medium and lng term tasks cntact with the Department f Educatin and Early Childhd Develpment (DEECD) liaising with external bdies including the media cmmunicating with the whle staff as sn as pssible meeting with staff bth as a whle and with individuals r grups fr debriefing cntacting parents/guardians shrt term and lng term cunselling requirements fr grups r individuals The relevance f each f the abve will depend n factrs such as the nature and magnitude f the incident, the intensity f the impact n the Schl cmmunity and the number f peple affected. 3. DEBRIEFING Critical Incident Stress Debriefing has three cmpnents: 1. initial discussin abut feelings and an assessment f the intensity f the stress respnses 2. detailed discussin f signs and symptms f stress respnses 3. clsing stage - prvides verview and infrmatin with referral t an utside agency if required 3.1 The Recvery Team will assist the Principal t facilitate the recvery f staff and students and thse f the Schl cmmunity affected by the critical incident. 3.2.1 The debriefing meeting f the Recvery Team shuld include a mental health prfessinal and ne peer wh were nt invlved in the incident. 3.2.2 The Recvery Team will decide the structure and cmpsitin f debriefing meetings; such meetings shuld be held within eight hurs f the critical incident. These meetings will review the impressins and reactins f the persns invlved during r fllwing the incident.
3.3 Cunselling supprt and referrals fr students and their families will be prvided initially by the Principal r their nminee and a Reginal Guidance Officer. 4. REVIEW 4.1 The Recvery Team will meet t review the implementatin f the Critical Incident Recvery Plan within seventy tw (72) hurs f the critical incident. 4.2 As part f the Critical Incident Recvery Plan, the Principal will set up a Recvery Team at the beginning f each year. 4.3 Fllwing a critical incident, the Principal will cnvene the Recvery Team as sn as pssible. The cmpsitin f the Recvery Team will be: the Principal the Assistant Principals a member f the teaching staff a member f the Educatinal Supprt staff (first aid trained) ther supprt staff as apprpriate as necessary, psychlgists, cunsellrs and DEECD persnnel. 4.4 The Principal will cnvene the Recvery Team nce each semester t review planning and strategies fr the Critical Incident Recvery Plan. 5. EVALUATION Evaluatin f the Plans will fllw any critical incident at the schl.
Appendix B Critical r Traumatic Incident Plan First 24 hur Shrt Term Tasks Respnsibilities and Prcedures 1. Emergency Recrd Recrd Infrmatin Verify all Details nature f the incident lcatin f the incident, number and names f persns invlved name f the persn reprting the incident time incident reprted cntact telephne number if away frm schl cnfirm that the infrmatin given abut the event is accurate Recrd the Incident ntify principal wrkplace crdinatr ensure emergency services have been called ntify the Department s 24 hur Emergency Cmmunicatins Centre n (03) 9589 6266 2. Ensure students and staff are safe frm harm r injury student Managers and Year Level Crdinatrs crdn ff any crisis area and keep students away frm there manage the grunds while staff are briefed and ensure media d nt intrude send all very stressed students t the Sick Bay ensure the schl cntinues as nrmally as pssible 3. Establish Critical Incident Recvery Team The cmpsitin f the Recvery Team will be: the Principal the Assistant Principals a member f the teaching staff a member f the Educatinal Supprt staff (first aid trained) ther supprt staff as apprpriate as necessary, psychlgists, cunsellrs and DEECD persnnel. 4. Allcate respnsibilities emergency message register emergency cntact list evacuatin and assembly f staff and students crdn ff area f crisis establish a Supprt Team and Cmmunicatins Centre t:
manage infrmatin and phne calls crdinate media requests fr infrmatin prvide infrmatin t parents arriving at schl crdinate rutine schl activities maintain where practical ntify students, staff and ancillary abut the emergency ntify parents first, and then siblings in the schl establish a recvery rm and supervisr fr affected students establish a waiting rm fr parents infrm Schl Cuncil infrm Schl Cmmunity by newsletter mnitr Schl Cmmunity s reactins liaise with utside agencies and emergency services brief key persnnel and review respnses 4.1 Recvery Rm(s) Set Up Recvery Rm set up Sick Bay, and if necessary the Staffrm screen windws have available pens, textas, paper, scissrs, envelpes, tissues Appint Recvery Rm Supervisrs Schl nurse / Senir Staff Recvery Rm Supervisrs Respnsibilities keep calm mnitr students fr shck reactins, prvide first aid if necessary keep a list f students attending the recvery rm give the students a task t undertake such as making a card r writing a letter cntact parents f students wh remain in the recvery rm and alert them t pssible cncerns 5. Infrming Staff / Students 6. Cmmunicatin Centre prvide teachers and ancillary staff with a brief utline f the incident Restate t ensure that staff understand and it sinks in utline recvery management arrangements discuss prcedures t be fllwed by staff during the day discuss the general prcedures that Critical Incident Team will be fllwing discuss guidelines fr infrming students and ways f answering questins frm them give staff time t discuss this amng themselves prvide a brief factual utline t thers in the cmmunity n a need t knw basis infrm staff as sn as pssible abut a serius emergency invlving death r injury which ccurs after hurs, n the weekend r during the schl hlidays infrm staff as sn as pssible abut arrangements fr hlding a brief meeting befre infrming students at the start f the next schl day review with staff afterwards any issues and needs prvide staff with cntact numbers fr cunselling r supprt services fr themselves Pastral care teachers are t infrm the students wh are able t manage the situatin and wuld benefit frm being tld the relevant facts. Organise the fllwing t be n hand: telephne - dedicated line in case f jamming by incming calls telephne message if necessary message recrds phne lists
rlls excursin list timetable maps cmputer and printer phtcpier displan instructins 7. Media Cverage nminate a media crdinatr, prepare the Schl Cuncil President and Principal t prvide n camera interviews cntact DEECD Media Unit n 9637 2871 r 9264 5821 prepare a three paragraph reprt: 8. Lng Term Actins briefly utline the facts utline what the schl has dne t assist thse affected utline supprt and recvery arrangements include a name and cntact number fr the schl media crdinatr liaise with the family abut any statements made t media exclude discussin f plicy matters, limit cmment t the emergency and the schl respnse set rules fr persistent media keep a recrd f media enquiries ffer scheduled interviews in return fr media cmmitment nt t seek uninvited access t staff, students, parents negtiate accepted areas fr filming e.g. schl/church bundary and nt within check that infrmatin prvided des nt cnflict with curt requirements r plice prceedings anticipate renewed interest arising frm anniversaries, curt prceedings mnitr and supprt members f the schl cmmunity, particularly n significant dates such as anniversaries cnsider lnger term interventin activities such as cunselling r specialist supprt cnsider establishing an area within the schl as a place f remembrance recnvene key peple at regular intervals t review the schl respnse and effectiveness f planning arrangements review the schl emergency management plan in light f experience gained cnsider a ritual f marking significant dates prepare fr legal prceedings if necessary remve students name frm the rll if deceased cnsider article in schl magazine 9. Reference DEECD s Managing Schl Emergencies - Minimising the impact f trauma n staff and students Managing Schl Emergencies Bklet.
Appendix C Emergency Recrd Frm Template Date: _ / / Time f ntificatin: : am/pm Name f persn taking the call Psitin: Name f persn reprting the incident Cntact telephne number Details Describe: Where everyne is nw What actin is being taken t help? Wh: When: Where: Hw: Nature and extent f injury:
Immediate Actins Required Principal ntified? 0408 948 028 Yes Time: : am/pm Other schl staff? Yes Time: : am/pm Emergency Services ntified? 132 500 Yes Time: : am/pm Emergency & Security Management ntified? Yes Time: : am/pm (03) 9589 6266 Emergency Cntact Telephne Numbers POLICE 000 AMBULANCE 000 FIRE BRIGADE 000 STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES (SES) 132 500 LOCAL HOSPITAL The Alfred 9076 2000 ASSISTANT REGIONAL DIRECTOR 9265 2400 EMERGENCY SECURITY MANAGEMENT (03) 9589 6266
Emergency Message Recrd Frm Time: : am/pm Message frm Actin required? Yes N If YES, please detail: Cmpleted Message taken by Emergency Message Recrd Time: : am/pm Message frm Actin required? Yes N If YES, please detail: Cmpleted Message taken by