Lost Child Procedure

​Lost child policy during group sessions

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Under Whytebeams protective ethos to ensure the safety and location of all children at all times, strict measures and checks are in place to ensure all children are marked in and out correctly and accounted for. The following precautionary measures are taken routinely:

 

• The entrance to the nursery is secured with a double bolted door. The door to the ladies toilet is bolted top and bottom. The garden is secure with a secure boundary and locked gate.

• Only contracted staff may open the door to let anyone in or out. 

• Parents and visitors ARE NOT ALLOWED to let other persons into or out of the building. If you are in the foyer and the door is bolted you may not open it to allow other parents in or out. Staff have this sole responsibility.

• We have an arrival and departure procedure which all staff adhere to ensuring all children are accounted for.

• As set out in the Nursery Arrival, Departure & Collection Policy only persons named as collectors on the child's registration form are allowed to collect.

• A list of the children’s daily sessions is kept in the register and daily amendments to this are logged in register that is accessible to all staff.

• A simple ‘number of children’ board is displayed at all times so staff can easily carry out headcount checks.

• A sense of personal safety is regularly promoted to children within the curriculum.

• All children are supervised at all times as much as reasonably possible.

• Ratios are strictly adhered to.

 

In the unlikely event of a child becoming lost or headcount being incorrect, the following steps would be taken:

 

• Staff must notify the manager or deputy manager immediately.

• The manager or deputy manager should check the register to ensure the child was indeed present and initiate a headcount.

• They should ask all the staff if an authorised person has collected the child.

• Children should be gathered together and a full children’s register would be called by staff at the correct ratio.

• The remaining staff should check all entrances and exits and search the building and outside area.

• An immediate inspection of the nursery building and surrounding area would take place.

• The remaining children would not be alerted to the incident, but they would be encouraged to share information they may have regarding the whereabouts of the missing child.

• If the child is not found immediately, the Police and Social Services will be notified without delay and actions taken as advised. Staff and visitors will be questioned.

• The parents must then be notified and informed of the action taken.

• The remaining children will be fully supervised at the correct ratio.

• Ofsted will be informed as required.

 

Lost Child During An Outing:

 

In the unlikely event of a child being lost during an outing the following procedure must be adhered to:

 

• The leader of the outing and the manager or deputy manager should be informed immediately.

• The security personnel of any venue/setting should be notified and a search should be undertaken.

• The remaining children will be fully supervised at the correct ratio in a safe place where a register and headcount are taken.

• Should the child not be found immediately the Police and Social Services should be notified.

• The parents must then be notified and informed of the action taken.

• Ofsted will be informed as required.

• The group should operate a ‘touch base’ policy, where a designated member of staff will inform the parents/carers.