PROTOCOL FOR DEALING WITH CHILDREN NOT COLLECTED
Introduction
Section 175 Education Act 2002 places a duty on Local Authorities and governing bodies of schools, to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. A similar duty is placed on proprietors of independent schools. This duty should include having arrangements for dealing with children not collected at the end of the school day, or following on authorised school activity where the governing body of Proprietor returns responsibility for the use of school premises.
This guidance is based on Best Practice Guidance produced by the National Network of Investigations and Referral Support Co-ordinators and is linked to the LSCB guidance for children leaving school alone. Both issues are interchangeable when dealing with the exchange of responsibility for the care of children and minimising risk. This guidance is particularly important with the development of extended school services and resulting differing times a child may be collected. The guidance should assist in negotiations with outside providers who will use the school premises, of their safeguarding responsibility.
This guidance is recommended by the Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board (B&DSCB) and has been approved by the LSCB.
Procedure:
For each pupil the school must have essential information and contact details, which can be drawn upon to discuss issues with parents/carers and also to be used in an emergency.
It is recommended as a minimum the following details be sought when a pupil starts at the school and should be updated annually at the start of each academic year:
In addition and in conjunction with the guidance regarding children leaving school alone, a request for clarification should be made as to the collection arrangements of the child from school and who by.
If the parent’s intention is that they expect their child to walk home at the end of normal school time, the school should consider the age and ability of the child against recommended practice in the "Guidance Regarding Children Leaving School Alone", particularly in relation to children where the school are concerned regarding the appropriateness of such proposals, and follow the guidance as listed.
Where there are arrangements in place the classroom teacher or any other person assuming responsibility or nominated by the school to oversee the collection of a child, should have a copy.
Any breaches found by the supervisory staff should be reported to the Head Teacher or appropriate member of staff immediately. Supervisory staff should ensure that they consider the risk if the agreed process is not followed any concern or if the
person assuming responsibility for the child is totally unknown, the child should not be released without further communication with the parent.
If the child is not collected the child should remain at school and attempts to contact the parent/carer or named others who are provided as emergency numbers should be undertaken. This is to clarify what is happening or indeed if it is acceptable to release a child to someone who is not known to the school.
CONTACT DETAILS
Name(s):
Address (e.g.):
Home telephone number:
Work telephone number:
Mobile telephone number:
Email addresses:
If possible, at least two other relatives/carers to be contacted in an emergency:
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Ethnicity of the child:
Religion of the child:
Spoken language:
Special dietary needs:
Medical needs:
In the event that a person who is not known becomes difficult and attempts to remove the child without authorisation, the child should be immediately secured within school premises and the police should be called.
Should the child be left at school, and no contact has been achieved with a responsible adult within 30 minutes, the Multi-Agency Locality Team (MALT) social worker should be contacted. The social worker will provide consultation in the form of advice and support in order to progress with the situation.
Should the situation emerge as a Child Protection issue in conjunction with the MALT social worker the school should follow the standard referral procedures. If the situation is unresolved post 4.45pm the emergency duty team (EDT) should be contacted on: 0208 594 8356 with a view to establishing a plan of action which may include the identification of an appropriate venue to hold a child pending further investigation.
In addition, at the point of notification the social worker or emergency duty social worker should be provided with information held by the school regarding any current or previous child protection concerns and any previous incidents of not being collected from school. The call should be confirmed in writing within 48 hours using a multi-agency referral form (MARF).
The social worker or emergency duty social worker will give advice and may carry out appropriate checks and make further attempts to contact the parent/carer. If there are concerns about the welfare of the parent/carer, they will ask the local police to visit the home address.
If an appropriate relative or carer is located, he/she will be asked to ensure that the child is collected from the school. If there is a genuine reason for the relative of carer being unable to do this, the social worker or emergency duty social worker will liaise with the school about the arrangements for the child to be collected and taken to the home address.
If attempts to contact a parent/carer are unsuccessful, the social worker will arrange for the child to be collected and taken to a place of safety e.g. a temporary foster carer or family centre. They will notify the school of the child’s placement and provide contact details in order to get to the placement.
It is envisaged that there will only be two reasons why, in emergency circumstances, a child would be removed from school premises, by someone who is not the parent/carer;
1) The child needs to be taken to hospital – which must be done by ambulance
2) The child needs to be placed in temporary Foster Care – in which case Social Care will follow their procedures for removing a child to a place of safety.
There may be times when school staff, in agreement with parents, or through common sense, or through Loco Parentis, agree/decide to transport a child to home, hospital or other establishment. This course of action will be for individual schools/staff to decide on, recognising that it will not be covered by this protocol.
Regularly Transported Children
Where arrangements are in place for a child to be escorted home from school, and there is no response at the home address, the driver will immediately, inform the school. If other children have to be taken home, the child will remain in the vehicle whilst this is done. The driver will leave a note (appendix B) at the child’s address with the school’s contact details. Unless directed otherwise, the driver will then return the child to school. In the meantime, the school will liaise with the MALT social worker or assessment team, safeguarding & rights or emergency duty social worker in the event that the parent or carer continues to be unobtainable.
Note: where services are being provided as part of the extended schools service the expectation will be this procedure will be followed by those provider services and be a part of the schools expectations of the providers conduct, contractually.
Major Incident/Community Emergency
If such an incident occurs, which may result in large numbers of children not being able to be collected, the social worker or emergency duty social worker and the named person for emergency planning for the council should be contacted to discuss safety issues and children’s location.
It is anticipated that the arrangements for collection and care for the children, and possible overnight placements, will form part of the emergency plan utilised in a crisis.
Appendix A
Dear Parent/Carer
As part of the induction process/or your child attending ………………………… school, you are required to provide the following information for our records, so that the school may contact you regarding your child, ensure your child remains safe, and to use in emergency situation.
Name of Child _________________________
D.O.B. ________________________________
Home Address ________________________
Contact details________________________
Medical Needs ______________________
First Language ______________________
Special Dietary Needs __________________
Religion ____________________________
Ethnicity ____________________________
Parent/Carer Name_____________________
Address______________________________
Contact details_________________________
EMERGENCY Contact Number: 1
Parent/Carer Name ____________________
Address _____________________________
_____________________________________
Contact details_________________________
EMERGENCY Contact Number: 2
Name __________________________________ _______________________________
Address ________________________________
_______________________________________
Contact details_________________________
If your child is under the age of 9 years or has special educational needs and is over the age of 9, please outline what arrangements are in place to collect your child at the end of school.
NB:
Any alterations in the future will need to be agreed with the school prior to Implementation.
Appendix B
Dear …………………………………………………….. Parent/Carer’s name
Re: ……………………………………………………... Child(ren)’s name(s)
On ……………………………………………………… Child(ren)’s name(s) were not collected from school at the end of the school day, and we were unable to contact you or your named carer(s). As a result, in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of your child(ren), we implemented the procedure for dealing with children not collected at the end of the school day or school activity.
This procedure, which has been agreed by the school, Local Authority Education Services, Social care, Police and the Local Safeguarding Children Board, involved us contacting social care in order that arrangements could be made for your child to be taken to a safe place. I am sure that you appreciate the importance of providing for your child in these circumstances.
I hope that the reasons for your child not being collected are not serious, but would you please contact me as soon as possible to discuss this matter further. You can also contact social care on …………………………………………… for further information about the action taken.
Yours sincerely
Head Teacher
Appendix C
Dear Parent/Carer
On / / at pm, there was no response when your child(ren)……………………………………….. was/were returned to his/her/their address as previously arranged. Unless the school instructs otherwise, the driver will return your child to the school and arrangements will be made to ensure his/her safety.
Please ring the school ………………………………. as soon as possible. If no-one is available when you call, please contact the Assessment Team Safeguarding & Rights on 0208 227 3852 or Emergency Duty Social Worker on: 0208 594 8356
Yours faithfully
Mr/Mrs/Ms ……………………………………………….
Head Teacher