Missing Child
Policy statement
Children's safety is maintained as the highest priority at all times both on and off premises. Every attempt is made through carrying out the outings procedure and the exit/entrance procedure to ensure the security of children is maintained at all times. In the unlikely event of a child going missing, our missing child procedure is followed.
Procedures
If a child goes missing from Tiddlywinks Pre-School
� The person in charge will carry out a thorough search of the building and garden.
� The register is checked to make sure no other child has also gone astray.
� Doors and gates are checked to see if there has been a breach of security whereby a child could wander out.
� Person in charge talks to staff to establish what happened
� If the child is not found the parent is contacted and the missing child is reported to the police.
If a child goes missing from an outing where parents are not attending and responsible for their own child, the setting ensures that there is a procedure that is followed.
� As soon as it is 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 searches the immediate vicinity but does not search beyond that.
� The person in charge is informed, if s/he is not on the outing and makes his/her way to the venue to aid the search and be the point of contact for the police as well as support staff.
� Staff take the remaining children back to the setting.
� The person in charge of the setting contacts the child's parent who makes their way to the setting or outing venue as agreed with the person in charge.
� The staff contact the police using the mobile phone and report the child as missing.
� In an indoor venue, the staff contact the venue's security who will handle the search and contact the police if the child is not found.
The investigation
� The manager carries out a full investigation taking written statements from all the staff present at the time, or who were on the outing.
� The key person/ staff writes an incident report detailing:
- the date and time of the report;
- what staff/ children were in the group/outing;
- when the child was last seen in the group/outing;
- what has taken place in the group/outing since then; and the time it is estimated that the child went missing.
� A conclusion is drawn as to how the breach of security happened.
� If the incident warrants a police investigation all staff co-operate fully. In this case, the police will handle all aspects of the investigation, including interviewing staff. Social Services may be involved if it seems likely that there is a child protection issue to address.
� The incident is reported under RIDDOR arrangements and is recorded in the incident book; the local authority health and safety officer may want to investigate and will decide if there is a case for prosecution.
� OFSTED is informed.
� The Pre-School Insurance Company is informed.