011. Developing School Emergency Plan-1, Deceased students

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Developing aSchool Emergency Response Plan

Guidance for Governors and Headteachers

First EditionAugust 2008


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Developing a School Emergency Plan

Foreword............................................................................................................................3

1 Introduction .................................................................................................................4

2 Aims............................................................................................................................4

3 Types of Emergency / Critical Incident........................................................................5

4 Creating and Maintaining a School Emergency Plan .................................................. 6

5 Roles and Responsibilities ..........................................................................................6

6 Identifying individuals who may be vulnerable ............................................................8

7 School Support Services.............................................................................................9

8 Incident Administration..............................................................................................11

9 Training .....................................................................................................................12

10 Health and Safety...................................................................................................... 12

11 School Emergency Pack ...........................................................................................12

12 Evacuation Procedures.............................................................................................13

13 Calling Emergency Services .....................................................................................14

14 Media Handling .........................................................................................................14

15 Communications .......................................................................................................16

16 Post incident and Recovery ......................................................................................18

17 Reporting to Governors and Others .......................................................................... 18

18 Dealing with a death in school ..................................................................................19

Appendix A. Lancashire County Council Contacts ......................................................20

Appendix B. Pupil presumed deceased (Residential Schools) .................................... 21

Appendix C. Pupil presumed deceased (Day Schools) ...............................................23

Version 1.1 Page 2 of 24


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SCHOOL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

Foreword

I am pleased to introduce this guidance for the management of emergencies within

schools. The range of activities undertaken by schools is huge, and as the range ofactivities grows the greater the need to plan for an emergency. A planned response willbetter prepare schools for the challenges an emergency places on them.

This document provides guidance for Governors and Headteachers who have aresponsibility to plan for potentially serious incidents. It offers advice on what to include ina school emergency plan which should guide the actions of those responsible if anemergency occurs. The general advice applies to all schools but Aided Schools, andother categories of schools will need to adapt some sections to match their needs andlegal status. Similarly special schools and other educational settings will need to makeadditional arrangements to reflect the needs of the school and its pupils. It assumes that

Lancashire County Council guidelines and standards are being applied, and that dataprotection requirements are met.

This document has been produced by the County Council's Emergency Planning Servicein partnership with the Directorate for Children and Young People. The County Councilwishes to support schools in preparing for and responding effectively to an emergency.This guidance will help schools meet their duties of care in respect of pupils and staff. Icommend it to you.

Helen Denton

Executive Director for Children and Young People

________________________

Further information and advice on any elements contained within this guidance can beobtained from:Lancashire Emergency Planning ServiceRed Rose HubPrestonPR2 5PZ.Tel: 01772 537902Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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1 Introduction

It is the responsibility of each school governing body to have in place a plan forresponding to an emergency or critical incident which affects their schoolcommunity. It is also their responsibility to keep such plans up to date and to ensurethat the relevant people are aware of its existence and its implications for them.

Over the past few years there has been increasing concern within schools aboutcritical or traumatic incidents, which have affected individual children or members ofstaff and the school community in general.

Such events can have a profound impact upon the whole school community, not justthose directly affected, and the impact can last for a considerable time. Whilstschools and Lancashire County Council have a record of responding well to such

events, it is important that information and guidance is available to help schoolsprepare for such incidents and to deal with them effectively.

2 Aims

The aims of this guidance are to:

Create an awareness of the need to have planned arrangements in place.

Provide re-assurance of the practical help that is available from LancashireCounty Council and other agencies, at short notice;

Highlight the need for each school to develop robust emergency responsearrangements;

Provide guidance for governors and staff to prepare, develop and update theirSchool Emergency Plan; and

Give guidance on other sources of information, help and support.

Ensure that all actions taken in response to an emergency are recorded andare available for subsequent scrutiny should they be needed.

In responding to an incident the aim should always be to ensure:

Rapid and appropriate action is taken to safeguard the health and wellbeing of

pupils, staff and others and to protect property and equipment; The continued safety of pupils, staff and visitors to the school;

Accurate information is provided;

Normal school routines are maintained as far as possible, giving continuity tothe education of the pupils;

Immediate, sensitive and non-intrusive support is offered; and

Liaison with the appropriate agencies.



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3 Types of Emergency / Critical Incident

The word "emergency" may often be used interchangeably with that of "incident" or"disaster". It is important to consider the type of emergencies or incidents that mayarise.

Examples include:

In School:

A deliberate act of violence, such as the use of a knife or firearm on either amember of staff or a pupil.

A school fire or laboratory explosion.

The destruction or serious vandalism of part of the school.

Public health threats (e.g. Pandemic Influenza).

The loss of water or heating.

Outside School:

The death of a pupil or member of staff.

A transport related accident involving pupils and/or members of staff.

An incident which affects access/egress for the school.

A more widespread emergency in the community, for example, the release ofhazardous substances, severe weather, etc.

Death or injuries on educational visits.

Civil disturbances and terrorism.

Not all these incidents will require a full scale response. However, plans must notoverlook the long-term effects and wider consequence management issues that canarise during or following on from an incident.

The School emergency Plan should link to the good practice and procedurescurrently in place for

(a) Educational visits - seehttps://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/

(b) Unavoidable School Closures - seehttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdf

There are also statutory reporting requirements that must be completed. Dependentupon the nature of the emergency, this may require schools to notify the Health andSafety Executive on http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdf Further advice can befound on: http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/information.htm

https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfhttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdfhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/information.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/information.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdfhttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfhttps://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/


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4 Creating and Maintaining a School Emergency Plan

The governing body and senior managers should ensure that a school emergencyplan is in place and that it reflects good practice. Plans should be drawn up inconsultation with governors and school staff.

A model "School Emergency Plan" is available on the Schools' Portal. Thisis based upon the DfES exemplar plan available on Teachernet:

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/planning/index.html

Schools should note that in support of the aims of the School Emergency Plan thereare existing procedures in place in respect of educational visits (seehttps://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/and Unavoidable SchoolClosures

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfSchools are strongly urged to follow these and to integrate them within the SchoolEmergency Plan.

Similarly aided schools are asked to work in close liaison with their respectiveDiocesan/Church Authorities in drawing up their plans. This will help ensure SchoolPlans reflect the full range of guidance and support available to them and theirpupils.

Where a plan is already established, Governors and the Senior Management Teamshould review and update the plan on a regular basis and ensure the plan is

included within a cycle of monitoring and evaluation. Test the plan by using a rangeof scenarios; this will improve the knowledge of staff and pupils.

Schools may wish to identify a Governor or senior member of staff to takeresponsibility for the creation and development of the school's emergency plan.

Schools should ensure that the plan and contact information are accessible duringand out of school hours, both on and off the school site.

Governors and staff should be involved in the development of the Emergency Planand all school staff should be aware of the plan and how it is initiated. This

information should be included as part of the induction process for new staff. Byrunning practice exercises, both staff and pupils will better understand the plan andthe actions to be taken.

5 Roles and Responsibilities

The school should identify an Incident Manager (usually the Head Teacher) who willhave the responsibility for calling together an Incident Response Team as quickly aspossible, without compromising the safety of pupils (if during school hours).

https://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/education/area_education_offices/reports/pdf/school_emergency_plan_june_2008.pdfhttps://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/education/area_education_offices/reports/pdf/school_emergency_plan_june_2008.pdfhttp://www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/planning/index.htmlhttp://www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/planning/index.htmlhttps://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfhttps://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/education/area_education_offices/reports/pdf/school_emergency_plan_june_2008.pdfhttps://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/education/area_education_offices/reports/pdf/school_emergency_plan_june_2008.pdfhttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/pdf/pid1078/full_document.pdfhttps://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/planning/index.html


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The size, role and responsibilities of the school's Response Team will varyaccording to the nature and circumstances of the incident. It is the school'sresponsibility to determine the appropriate level of response for an incident and toselect the necessary roles to achieve this.

It is important that the names and roles of those forming the Incident ResponseTeam are circulated to all members of staff to minimise confusion and risk ofduplicating tasks. It is also important that members of the Incident Response Teamare aware of their responsibilities and have been appropriately trained. Details ofmembership and roles within the team should be updated whenever staff leave theschool.

It is essential that all decisions made and action taken in response to an emergencyare logged and a full record is maintained for any possible future scrutiny or enquiry(for example, by Governors, Police or the Coroner).

Schools may consider issuing action cards to relevant staff that can be used as anaide memoire in the event that they are asked to undertake their nominatedemergency response role.

If the incident response looks likely to continue for a number of days it will benecessary to consider the support of supply staff to help continue daily routineswhilst some members of staff are engaged in the school's response. It is alsoimportant to monitor the welfare of those involved in handling the emergency. Thiscan be a stressful time and maintaining emotional health and welfare is essential.Consideration should be given to rostering staff, where possible.

Suggested roles and responsibilities for the school's Incident Response Team:

Role Responsibility Possible CandidatesIncidentManager

Consider the need to alert othercolleagues and external agencies.

Establish an Incident Response Team.

Collate all relevant information relatingto the emergency.

Co-ordinate the emergency responsestrategy for the school, liaising with

relevant services, LCC and schoolgovernors as appropriate.

Monitor the emergency response.

Provide regular staff / team briefings.

Authorise any additional expenditure.

Head TeacherDeputy Head TeacherChair of GovernorsSenior Staff Member

Deputy IncidentManager

Assists Incident Manager.

Co-ordinates and manages staff in theIncident Response Team.

Monitors staff welfare and organisesstaff roster.

Deputy Head TeacherVice Chair ofGovernorsSenior Staff Member

Parent LiaisonOfficer

Advises parents and providesinformation.

Provides point of contact.

Senior Staff MemberSchool Governor



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Role Responsibility Possible Candidates

Arranges on-site co-ordination ofvisiting parents.

Maintains regular contact with parentswhere appropriate.

Administrators Operate telephone lines. Help collate information.

Relay incoming and outgoingmessages.

Provide admin support to the IncidentManager and Deputy.

Maintain a master log of key eventsand decisions.

School SecretaryBursarSupport Staff

CommunicationsOfficer

Acts as point of contact for mediaenquiries.

Works with the County Council'scommunications team to preparemedia statements.

Assist with internal communications.

Senior Staff MemberSchool Governor

Pupil Welfare Maintain supervision.

Ensure the safety and security ofpupils.

Provide information and offerreassurance.

Monitor pupils physical and emotionalwelfare.

Teaching Staff

6 Identifying individuals who may be vulnerable

Whilst developing school emergency plans and generating an appropriate responseit is important to be able to identify those individuals whom may be particularlyvulnerable. Vulnerability can be assessed using the following criteria and degree ofconcern:

Those directly involved in the incident.

Siblings/relations.

Close friendships. Any perceived culpability/responsibility.

Those displaying emotional distress.

Those with previous bereavement/trauma.

Culture and/or language issues.

Pupils who become withdrawn.

Pupils displaying very different behaviour to normal.

When developing communication strategies it will be important to understand theneeds and requirements of certain individuals or groups of people and how their

needs would be best addressed.



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7 School Support Services

A fundamental principle of 'Integrated Emergency Management' is that theemergency services, local authority, health, voluntary organisations and otherpartner responders work together to deal with an emergency that threatens thecommunity.

The school may require the support and advice of some or all of the followingservices following a crisis. The role of these services is to support the efforts ofgovernors and staff and to enable schools to carry out their day-to-day functions inextraordinary circumstances. The Governing Body and Headteacher retain legalresponsibility for what happens to children in the school, and therefore also retainthe right to decide who has access to children whilst they are in the school.

Detailed below are some of the services available to support educational

establishments in the event of an emergency. Contact details are given at AppendixA.

Emergency Services

The main focus of the Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance) is the initialresponse to an incident and to protect life and property. The Emergency Serviceswill aim to contain the incident and prevent further spread / escalation and they willalso aim to minimise the damage to the wider environment.

Lancashire County Council Emergency Contact Service

The County Council provide a range of emergency contact services, schools areasked to initially contact the Directorate for Children and Young People, Committeeand Office Services Team. The Directorate duty officer can advise on action theschool and County Council may need to take and will act as a link between theschool, emergency response services and other County Council services.

LCC Educational Psychology Service - Critical Incident SupportTeam

As part of the response to an emergency, psychological support is available to

combat the effects of trauma which may result from an unexpected distressingevent.

The Educational Psychology Service has developed a team comprised ofEducational Psychologists and a Special Educational Needs (SEN) officer, who aretrained to respond to requests for support from schools and other educationalsettings which experience a critical incident which overwhelms normal copingmechanisms within the school/setting.



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The Critical Incident Support Team (CIST) can work closely with SeniorManagement Teams following an incident helping schools/settings to develop theirresponse to what has happened. It is important that, following an incident, the groupof most vulnerable children, young people and adults are identified and their needsassessed. The support offered is decided upon following close discussion and

liaison with Senior Management and other key members of staff

The aim of the team is to help staff in their task of supporting children and youngpeople during times of great stress. Support from an informed and familiar personduring these times is invaluable, especially as it is available on a day to day basis.Sometimes however, it is felt that more specialist support is needed either on anindividual or group basis. The CIST can offer this and will advise when they feel thisis necessary. Parents are always involved in discussions regarding such work whenchildren and young people are involved.

Support from the CIST is offered on four levels:

Level 1: When advice and guidance can be given by telephone.Level 2: This follows a request for support from a school and where it is felt that avisit to a school is necessary in order to provide support to Senior Management andstaff. Support at this level could involve discussion with Senior Management in theschool as to how the incident might best be handled and could also result inattendance of CIST at staff meetings in order to help co-ordinate the schoolresponse to a critical incident.Level 3: This is provided if the CIST members involved feel it is necessary to workwith groups of staff and children most affected by the incident. Team members aretrained and experienced in conducting psychological debriefing sessions, which is a

specialised and very structured process designed to reduce stress and the negativeeffects of a critical incident.Level 4: This support focuses upon ongoing needs of staff and pupils once CISTinvolvement reduces. Advice at this level ensures that Senior Management andparents are aware of those with ongoing needs and planning is conducted to helpschools/settings secure appropriate support.

It is important to note that the CIST never approach a school/setting to offer support.A request for involvement must come from the school itself. It is also necessary toemphasise that parental consent is always needed if the team is asked (or feel it isnecessary) to work with pupils directly. Further information can be found onhttps://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/sp_atoz/dirServices.asp?u_id=2314&strSL=C

LCC Emergency Planning Service

The role of the Lancashire County Council Emergency Planning Service is toprepare for, and if necessary, respond to major emergencies that may affect thepeople or the environment of Lancashire. The Emergency Planning Service isresponsible for the production, maintenance and development of plans for anintegrated response to a major emergency and the County Council's BusinessContinuity Plans. This involves working closely with the emergency services, other

County Council departments, other local authorities, voluntary agencies and industryto ensure that any response to an emergency is carefully managed to ensure a

https://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/sp_atoz/dirServices.asp?u_id=2314&strSL=Chttps://schoolsportal.lancsngfl.ac.uk/sp_atoz/dirServices.asp?u_id=2314&strSL=C


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return to normality as quickly as possible. Further information on EmergencyPlanning Services can be found on:http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=3009&pageid=6415&e=e

Diocesan/Church Authorities and Faith CommunitiesSchools have a range of links with Diocesan/Church authorities and faithcommunities who can assist in a crisis. Aided schools should keep their respectiveChurch Authority informed of a major incident and may then draw upon the supportand advice that the Authority can provide. Schools with no faith community linksneed to be aware that Ministers may self-present in the event of an incident to offertheir support.

Schools with links to church authorities and faith communities should considerdesignating the Foundation Minister, or representative, as the co-ordinating Ministerin their plans. The co-ordinating Minister should be consulted during the drafting of

the school emergency response plan to establish the support available.

The Minister may be able to assist with:

Liaison with Ministers from the home communities of pupils and staff,

Liaison with Ministers of other denominations or faiths,

Support from others trained in pastoral care and CRB (criminal records bureau)cleared to work with children and vulnerable adults,

Advice and assistance with commemoration or memorial services, on or offschool premises.

8 Incident AdministrationIn the event of an emergency good administrative and back-up systems assisteffective management and ensure a fast response. Practical measures shouldinclude:

A list of all pupils and staff, with next of kin contact details and a list of specialmedical needs for both pupils and staff should be drawn up and regularlyupdated. This should be held centrally at the school (both on computer andhard copy), with back up discs and additional hard copy away from school.(This is confidential information and should be kept in a secure place).

Registers should be completed promptly at the beginning of each morning and

afternoon session. Names of pupils who are late or leave school early shouldbe recorded.

A list of staff present and absent.

An inventory of equipment should be held on site and a second copy retainedat an alternative site. The inventory should be regularly updated.

An effective signing in and out procedure for all visitors and volunteers inschool.

Emergency procedures for all areas of the school site.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=3009&pageid=6415&e=ehttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=3009&pageid=6415&e=e


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9 Training

School staff experience many pressures and demands on their time. However,engagement with staff in the drawing up of the emergency plan and staff training onthe prevention, management and response to incidents will raise their awarenessand understanding of these issues and what to do. Regular reminders and updatesserve to keep issues live and enhance the sensitivity of staff to preventativemeasures. Training in how to deal with aggression, the school's security procedures,health and safety, risk assessment and how to cultivate a sense of self-awarenesscould all be considered.

10 Health and Safety

All whole school policies should incorporate school health and safety proceduresand how these relate to the teaching and organisation of the subject. This is

particularly pertinent for physical education activities, technological and practicalwork, science and outdoor education.

All schools have clear guidelines and advice on testing and maintenance ofequipment, fixtures and fittings. All electrical, PE and fire fighting equipment shouldbe regularly inspected and tested.

Regulations are published for the storage and security of potentially hazardoussubstances and chemicals.

Regular health and safety checks on the buildings and site should be conducted,with any potential dangers reported and dealt with. Schools should follow theguidance provided by Lancashire County Council.

There are statutory duties on schools relating to the recording of incidents and,where appropriate, notification of the Health and Safety Executive, seehttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdf andhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/index.htm

11 School Emergency Pack

Schools may find it useful to prepare a School Emergency Pack which contains

essential information and/or equipment in case of emergency. This should be keptin a secure place but accessible to a number of school staff. Suggested contentsare given in the following table:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdfhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/index.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/index.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/index.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdf


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School Emergency Pack

Suggested contents:

1. Copy of School Emergency Plan.2. Emergency Services Contact telephone list.3. List of all pupils (names, addresses, medical details, emergency contacts).4. Staff list (names, addresses, medical details, emergency contacts).5. Plans of the school.6. Visitors' badges.7. Mobile telephone and charger.8. Torch (with batteries removed).9. Spare batteries.10. Wind-up radio.

11. First Aid Kit.12. Stationery (pens, paper, card, markers, etc).

Information relating to the contact details and requirements for Educational Visitscan be found in the Educational Visits Policy and Guidelines (Forms 9 & 10)https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/

12 Evacuation Procedures

It is important to devise and practise an evacuation plan, which should:

Identify several evacuation routes and assembly points (taking into account theneeds of disabled staff and pupils), including a 'safe haven' assembly point atleast 500metres from the school.

Limit the use of corridors, stairways, exits and walkways during an emergency.

Consider the possibility that evacuation could be from inside to outside or viceversa.

Consider that partial evacuation may be sufficient in some cases (for exampleif the school is made up of separate blocks).

Include a head-count of all staff, pupils and visitors to the school following anevacuation.

Include arrangements for contacting parents to let them know where theirchildren have been evacuated to and that they are safe.

Consider collaborative arrangements with other local schools. (eg you namethem as your safe haven and they name your school in theirs).

https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/https://lccsecure.lancashire.gov.uk/education/data/edintact/


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13 Calling Emergency Services

Calling the emergency services: dial 999

On dialling you will be asked which service you need (e.g. police, ambulance or fireservice) and put through to the appropriate control officer. Ask for the ambulanceservice if there are casualties. If more than one service is needed the control officercan pass on messages for other services.

The control officer will need the following information:

Your telephone number.

The exact location of the incident e.g. the road name and any important detailsabout approaching and accessing the school site.

The type and seriousness of the incident.

Details of any further hazards e.g. gas leak.

Above all else it is essential to stay calm on the telephone and speak in a clear andprecise manner.

14 Media Handling

An emergency plan should include arrangements for dealing with media interest.Members of the school community may feel pressured into giving interviews ormaking statements to the press, and it is important to have procedures set down inthe school's emergency plan and to stick to them. Recent years have seen a rapidadvance in telecommunications and information technology capabilities. The media

will hear about an incident almost as soon as the emergency services, and will beon the scene and/or telephone very shortly afterwards.

Journalists do not go away and if they don't get the facts from you they will get themfrom another, possibly less reliable, source. Not speaking to a journalist does notmean the story will not be reported, it means that you will not be able to give yourunderstanding of events. Procedures may include, for example:

Identifying staff or governors to deal with the media, and giving them training inmedia handling.

Planning to use a particular phone number for media enquiries, and letting thelocal press know in advance what this will be (remember, local radio in

particular can help keep the public informed about what is happening and youmay want to discuss this with your local station when you are formulating yourplan).

Schools should contact the County Council Media team as soon as is practicalfollowing an incident (tel: 01772 532781). The County Council's team are experts inhandling the media. They will be able to advise schools and will take the job ofkeeping the media informed while you get on with the business of managing theschool, alerting parents and briefing governors and staff.



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In the event of a major incident the police will take some actions immediately:

Control access to the site to allow rescue services and investigations to carryout their work unhindered.

Establish a media liaison point this is a designated point at the scene,preferably outside the outer cordon, for the reception of media personnel. It

may be little more than a rendezvous point to start with, but quickly can growinto a major media facility as national and international reporters turn up withcrews and trucks (depending on the scale and nature of the incident).

Dispatch a media liaison officer the swift attendance at the scene of a mediacontact (likely to be from the police) should ease the pressure from the media.Failure to arrange this will prompt media representatives to approach anybodyavailable, which could lend credibility to inaccurate sources.

Access assistance from the Government News Network they can supplyexperienced press officers at any time (at no cost for the first 24hrs) who willarrange with their own communications facilities and technical supportequipment.

Do's and Don'ts for Media Handling:

Don't say "no comment" or any variation on that theme. It immediately impliesthat you have something to hide.

Don't get over confident and start saying things that you might regret later.

Don't speak "off the record".

Don't speculate.

Do give a holding statement if you genuinely do not have enough informationto comment.

Do prepare a written statement, email or fax out to the media on request. It canbuy you time before you answer the more detailed questions or can be useful ifthe issue is sensitive and you don't trust reporters to accurately report yourcomments.

PERSONNEL WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SO NOMINATEDSHOULD NOT SPEAK TO THE MEDIA.



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15 Communications

Following an incident within a school or other educational setting goodcommunication will be the key to successfully managing the situation. Havingprocedures in place will help to reassure all involved. Making contact with thoseinvolved and communicating effectively will depend on the contact information beingavailable and accurate. Contact information for parents, pupils and other agenciesshould be checked regularly. When drawing up an emergency management planconsider how you are going to communicate with the following:

Governors

Parents

Pupils directly affected by the incident

Pupils indirectly affected by the incident

External agencies

Local Community Local Authority

Access to Telephones and Computers

In the majority of cases schools will continue to have access to telephones andcomputers within the school. However, there may be times when the whole or partof the school is not available. Consideration needs to be given to using alternativefacilities, eg a neighbouring school or at the nominated 'safe haven', or to usingpersonal mobile telephones for outgoing calls. In an emergency it is common for theschool's telephone number to be overloaded with calls from parents. It is thereforehelpful to identify other landlines to be used in an emergency. It is also helpful tohave a mobile number available for key contacts only who may need to keep intouch with the school during the emergency, eg Police, LCC.

Communicating with Parents

Schools/settings should have parents' contact details in case they need to becontacted in an emergency. These should include home, work and mobile numbers.Once your plan is complete inform parents of the communication arrangementswithin the plan. This will give them the confidence that they will be contacted by theschool if an emergency does happen. This may also help encourage them to let the

school know if their contact details change. Giving parents such confidence mayalso help discourage them from inundating the school with calls if they hear of anincident by other channels.

Wherever possible, the parents of all the other children at the school should beinformed that the school has experienced an incident and that their child may beupset and may need emotional support. It is difficult to give specific advice becauseof the many different ways an incident may occur, but there are some generalpointers that will ensure information is passed on effectively and sensitively:

Select several staff members who are willing and prepared to respond, with

support, to an emotionally draining and difficult task.



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Make the calls as soon as possible; misinformation will spread informally veryquickly.

Brief those who are selected to make contact, perhaps by writing a frameworkscript and rehearsing the message first.

Start with a clear list of who needs to be called and who does not. Keep

records of who has been contacted successfully. Give clear information and advice about what they should do (e.g. whether

they are to follow their normal collection routine or collect their childimmediately, or whether the school will be closed for a time).

Warn parents if there seems to be a lot of media interest: journalists may try toget interviews. Advise them to contact the school if they are approached.

Offer help with the arrangement of transport, if necessary and feasible.

Check that the parents or children are not left alone in distress, perhapssuggesting that the person seeks support from relatives or neighbours.

Offer useful phone numbers for support or for more information (eg theemergency helpline number or the hospital number).

Informing pupils following an incident

To manage the impact of an incident on the pupils it is important that communicationlinks are established as soon as any hard facts are known. Pupils should be toldsimply and truthfully what has happened, in small groups if possible with extra adultsavailable to support. In some circumstances, it may be unavoidable to bring pupilstogether as a whole school. Where this is the arrangement, ensure that pupils havean opportunity to ask questions and talk through what they have been told in smallergroups afterwards.

Key points to consider when developing communications to pupils following anincident are:

Begin by preparing the pupils for some very difficult/sad news.

Taking account of children's needs and backgrounds, give simple, factualinformation using language and concepts appropriate to the age of thechildren.

Avoid using euphemisms, be clear and unambiguous in your messages.

Pass on facts only, do not speculate on causes or consequences.

If questions cannot be answered this should be acknowledged.

Address and deal with rumours.

Try to give expression to the emotions that individuals may be experiencing(e.g. shock/disbelief, etc) and explain that strong and difficult feelings are anormal part of the process of coming to terms with this sort of experience. (thiscan be adults as well as children).

Do not refrain from referring to the deceased by name, perhaps highlightingsome positive aspect(s) of their lives.



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A practical example of communication to pupils:

"I've got some very sad news to tell you today that might upset you. There is aserious illness called meningitis. Sometimes people with meningitis get better butsometimes, although relatively rarely, people die from it. Some you will have known

that Jane Smith in Year 4 was suddenly taken ill last week. I have to tell you thatJane died in hospital yesterday.

Like me, many of you will find it hard to believe that this has happened. It isobviously a very big shock for us all. Jane was such a happy girl who got on wellwith everybody. We will all miss her.

It is important for you to know that strong and perhaps difficult feelings are part ofthe normal process of coping with this sort of situation. It will help to talk about whathas happened and about your thoughts and feelings. Please do take the opportunityto talk to your family, friends, teachers and adults in the school. This is likely to be a

difficult time for us all as a school community and we should try to support eachother. Please come and talk with me if you have any questions or if you just want totalk."

16 Post incident and Recovery

The effective management of an incident involves providing support after the eventas well as during the initial response phase. This recovery timeline will vary and willfocus on individual need for continuing support. When the initial response iscompleted a structured debrief will provide an opportunity for everyone involved toreview their actions, thus identifying what went well along with areas for

improvement. Pupils, parents and staff should also be given additional opportunityto talk through their experiences either as a group or on an individual basis

It may be useful to consider the following timescales:

At the time of the incident.

Within the first 24-72 hours.

Within the first month.

In the longer term.

17 Reporting to Governors and OthersA report on an emergency incident and the response by the school should be givento the Governing Body and, where appropriate, to the Diocesan/Church Authority assoon as possible. The use of incident log sheets will be invaluable in gaining anaccurate picture of how the emergency arose/developed and who did what inresponse. There may also be a need to report to the Health and Safety Executive.This is also a useful opportunity to ensure compliance with Health and Safetyreporting requirements.



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18 Dealing with a death in school

The death of a child is always a terrible thing. The impact of a child's death is oftenfelt very widely and can affect many people including the extended family, schoolfriends and their families, carers and teachers. Death is a subject that nobody feelscomfortable addressing. It is almost inevitable though, that at some point the schoolcommunity will be affected by a death in some way or another. This might includethe death of a pupil, the death of a staff member, the death of a pupil's familymember, or the death of a key member in the school community such as a governoror popular visitor to the school.

Sometimes a natural reaction to death is not to talk about it. Assumptions are madethat the bereaved person will not want to talk about it and people fear thatmentioning it may upset them. Most children will at some point be glad to have thechance to talk about what has happened.

Below are some simple tips for speaking to young people about death:

Be honest.

Use clear language.

Expect questions.

Recognise that every death and every reaction to it is unique.

Don't assume anything.

Allow time and space for pupils to digest the news.

Act early to prevent rumours from spreading.

Try to normalise the feelings that a bereaved young person shares with you.

Acknowledge that some days will be better than others.

To try and support schools in responding to the death of a child in the school/settingLancashire County Council have developed procedures to be followed in the case of apupil presumed deceased on site. There are two sets of procedures (see attachedAppendices B and C).



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Appendix A. Lancashire County Council Contacts

Emergency Contacts for Major Incidents (24 Hrs Cover)

Committee and Office Services (COS) Team

Emergency Contact Number

COS Team Manager 07887 830854

COS Central Team 07771 663498

North Team 07767 253947

(Lancaster, Wyre and Fylde)

South Team 07771 663501

(Preston, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Chorley)

East Team 07771 848643

(Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale)

Note: Although the COS Team Officers are based in central/area teams, any of the abovenumbers can be used to report an incident.

Others Contacts

Education Psychology Service Lesley Carr(Critical Incident Support Team) CIST Coordinator

Tel: 01254 220575Email: [email protected]

Health and Safety Email: [email protected](HR Consultancy) Tel: 01772 535355 (Office Hours)

Tel: 07917053326 (Out of Office Hours)

Directorate for Children & Young People Andrew SwainCommunications Team Communications Manager

Tel: 01772 532781Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Appendix B. Pupil presumed deceased (Residential Schools)

Procedures to follow in the case of a pupil presumed deceased on site(Residential Schools)

The following procedures are recommended for use in residential schools in the eventthat a pupil is presumed deceased on the school site.

Please also check that any action taken is in line with the recommendations contained inany Health Care Plan which may have been prepared for the pupil in question.

1. The senior member of Local Authority staff on duty should request police andambulance presence immediately via a 999 call.

2. Inform the Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher of the circumstances. The HeadTeacher/Deputy Head Teacher should aim to be at the school as quickly as possibleif they are not already on site.

3. Do not attempt to move the pupil presumed deceased to another location.

4. Remove all other pupils away from the area as quickly as possible.

5. Ensure that the pupil presumed deceased is supervised until the arrival of theemergency services.

6. The pupil's parents must be informed of the circumstances in person. The police willusually take the lead in contacting parents and arrangements should be made for anappropriate member of staff from the school (usually the Head Teacher) toaccompany the police on this visit. If the police wish to remove any items from theschool, including items of paperwork, a receipt should be obtained.

7. Once the death has been confirmed contact should be made with a local undertakerso that the body can be removed to a chapel of rest.

8. Inform the following as soon as possible:

(a) Chair of school's Governing Body(b) Executive Director for Children and Young People (01772 531316)(c) Health and Safety Team (01772 531862)(d) The school's General Practitioner

9. School staff and pupils should be verbally informed at a time deemed appropriate bythe Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher.

10. Any press or media enquiries should be directed to the Directorate for Children andYoung People Communications Team at County Hall in the first instance(01772 532781).



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11. A full report on the circumstances of the pupil's death should be prepared by theHead Teacher and forwarded to the Executive Director for Children and YoungPeople.

12. Subject to agreement with the deceased pupil's parents a letter briefly outlining the

situation should be sent to the parents of other pupils on the school roll.

13. As a matter of urgency all records concerning the deceased pupil should beretrieved and the pupil's name deleted from the school roll in order that futurecorrespondence is not inadvertently sent to the pupil's home address. Any formaltransport arrangements should be cancelled immediately.

14. A full report on the circumstances of the pupil's death should be presented to thenext meeting of the school's Governing Body.

Please Note:

At all times senior staff should respond with dignity and sensitivity to the situationwhilst giving their attention to the continued smooth running of the school in whatcan be difficult circumstances.

Members of staff who are employed by other agencies (eg school nurses,therapists) should note that the responsibility for carrying out these procedures restswith senior staff who are employed by the Local Authority.

The Council has available a Critical Incident Support Team (CIST) which can giveadvice and support to schools experiencing a traumatic incident affecting pupilsand/or staff.

Contact for advice, support, or just an informal discussion should be made in thefirst instance with CIST (01254 220575).

If the pupil is from a particular faith background the school may wish to involve aminister of religion at any appropriate stage in these procedures.

If the school considers a full or partial closure on the day of the pupil's funeral,please refer to the Authority's "Guidelines on Unavoidable Closures".



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Appendix C. Pupil presumed deceased (Day Schools)

Procedures to follow in the case of a pupil presumed deceased on site(Day Schools)

The following procedures are recommended for use in day school provision in the eventthat a pupil is presumed deceased on the school site.

Please also check that any action taken is in line with the recommendations contained inany Health Care Plan which may have been prepared for the pupil in question.

1. Request police and ambulance presence immediately via a 999 call.

2. Inform the Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher/Teacher-in-Charge of thecircumstances. The Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher/Teacher-in-Chargeshould aim to be at the school/unit as quickly as possible if they are not already onsite.

3. Do not attempt to move the pupil presumed deceased to another location.

4. Remove all other pupils away from the area as quickly as possible.

5. Ensure that the pupil presumed deceased is supervised until the arrival of theemergency services.

6. The emergency services would normally remove the body from the school site inorder to have the death confirmed by hospital/based medical staff.

7. The pupil's parents must be informed of the circumstances in person. The police willusually take the lead in contacting parents and arrangements should be made for anappropriate member of staff from the school or unit (usually the Head Teacher orTeacher-in-Charge) to accompany the police on this visit. If the police wish toremove any items from the school, including items of paperwork, a receipt should beobtained.

8. Inform the following as soon as possible:

(a) Chair of school's Governing Body/Management Committee(b) Executive Director for Children and Young People (01772 531316)(c) Health and Safety Team (01772 531862)(d) In the case of voluntary aided schools, the relevant Diocesan/Church Authority

9. School staff and pupils should be verbally informed at a time deemed appropriate bythe Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher/Teacher-in-Charge.

10. Any press or media enquiries should be directed to the Directorate for Children andYoung People Communications People Team at County Hall in the first instance

(01772 532781).



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11. A full report on the circumstances of the pupil's death should be prepared by theHead Teacher/Teacher-in-Charge and forwarded to the Executive Director forChildren and Young People.

12. Subject to agreement with the deceased pupil's parents a letter briefly outlining the

situation should be sent to the parents of other pupils on the school roll.

13. As a matter of urgency all records concerning the deceased pupil should beretrieved and the pupil's name deleted from the school roll in order that futurecorrespondence is not inadvertently sent to the pupil's home address. Any formaltransport arrangements should be cancelled immediately.

14. A full report on the circumstances of the pupil's death should be presented to thenext meeting of the school's Governing Body/Management Committee.

Please Note:

At all times senior staff should respond with dignity and sensitivity to the situationwhilst giving their attention to the continued smooth running of the school in whatcan be difficult circumstances.

Members of staff who are employed by other agencies (eg school nurses,therapists) should note that the responsibility for carrying out these procedures restswith senior staff who are employed by the Local Authority.

The Council has available a Critical Incident Support Team (CIST) which can giveadvice and support to schools experiencing a traumatic incident affecting pupilsand/or staff.

Contact for advice, support, or just an informal discussion should be made in thefirst instance with CIST (01254 220575).

If the pupil is from a particular faith background the school may wish to involve aminister of religion at any appropriate stage in these procedures.

If the school considers a full or partial closure on the day of the pupil's funeral,please refer to the Authority's "Guidelines on Unavoidable Closures".

011. Developing School Emergency Plan-1, Deceased students

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