A young child who is lost is immediately vulnerable. While he or she could be at risk of abduction, the risk of becoming an accident victim is far greater.
In a nursery situation a child would be classed as lost if they have managed to 'escape' from the building or garden; if collected by an unapproved adult; or they have become separated from the main group during an outing.
It is a legal requirement that early years settings have a policy document for dealing with lost children. The policy should set out the procedures that are followed as soon as it is discovered that a child is missing. These include finding out who last saw the child, when and where.
A search of the immediate area will need to be made. If the child is not found within 15 minutes the police and parents should be contacted. The search should continue, maintaining contact by mobile (if available).
Subsequently a review should be conducted, leading to action to prevent a similar incident occurring.
Settings that have a clear policy on outings and have carried out adequate risk assessments before the outing takes place reduce the risk of children getting lost.
Staffing levels for outings depend on how the safety and individual needs of the children can best be met. Ideally, on trips, a ratio of 1:2 should be aimed for, using parents and carers to make up the ratio. Settings should refer to their local authority for guidance.
Sticking together
Most recommend that the leader on the trip has no children in their direct care so they can have an overview of the situation and be available to deal with any problems.
Nurseries have devised a variety of ways to ensure that children are safe when they go out of the setting together. For example, the Brighton and Hove Montessori School takes its three- to five-year-olds out to explore their local environment every day using a specially made silky rope bus with an individual handle for each child to hold. This enables a slightly higher adult to child ratio in a low-risk situation.
On an outing of any distance from the setting, staff should carry first aid equipment and spare clothes, along with a full list of children, including contact details and medical information for the children.
Checks should be carried out on the numbers of children at regular intervals. Each sub-group should have a designated leader who will do this. There should be pre-arranged meeting points at set times which should be strictly adhered to.
Identify tags
It is also essential that adequate insurance cover is held. Some insurance companies request that you inform them of any special trips and outings on each individual occasion before they occur.
Different settings have different views on the labelling of children for outings. Most do not put the child's name on the label, but just the name of the nursery or setting with a contact telephone number.
The label should be clearly visible and in a prominent position. Some nurseries put the label on the child's back so that it isn't easily removed. Reusable wristbands are gaining in popularity and these usually carry the name of the nursery and a relevant mobile number.
Before any outing it would be wise to rehearse with the children what they should do if they get lost. They need to be aware of the dangers - particularly if they are going to be near a road or water - and the best ways to stay safe if they become separated from the others. They would be best to stay still rather than wandering about as this will help them to be found more quickly.
Children from the age of three upwards should be encouraged to tell someone who looks like another mother that they are lost and they should be able to say where their supervisor's contact details can be found.
Clearly, practitioners have a role to play in helping both children and parents deal calmly with this potentially stressful situation, if and when it occurs.
- Further information
- www.ofsted.gov.uk
- Publications produced by the Pre-School Learning Alliance
Register & Outing Records
Risk Management in Early Years Settings
