Critical Incident Policy

The safety of our students is paramount, and every measure will be taken to ensure they are protected from hurting themselves. However, accidents do happen, and they are recorded and stored in the Deputy Head’s (Co-curriculum/ Pastoral) office. Incidents, emergencies and accidents are detailed below with explanations of how the School and individuals will be respond. As a boarding school, we recognise that procedures may vary for boarding students, depending on the nature of the incident, and we shall always ensure that boarders are treated fairly and with the same level of consideration as day students.

How Incidents Will Be Dealt With

• Students will be comforted and reassured.
• The extent of a student’s injuries will be ascertained and if necessary medical assistance will be called for.
• Necessary first aid procedures will be carried out.
• We will contact parents/guardians to inform them of the accident and if necessary, ask them to collect their student or to meet me us the hospital.
• All other students within our care who were not involved in the accident / incident will be kept safe at all times, if necessary, we will instigate emergency procedures for students who are not injured.
• The School requests that parents/carers agree with our terms and conditions which include agreement to Emergency Medical Treatment enabling the Manager or any member of staff so empowered, to give permission for emergency medical treatment for their student in the event of a major accident, incident or illness occurring whilst at the School.
• After every accident, however minor, we shall:
  • Complete a report which will include full details of the accident. You will be asked to read the accident report and sign to acknowledge receipt of this information.
• If the incident requires any outside agency medical treatment from a first responder, paramedic or other medical professional we shall:
  • Inform ISI
  • Inform our Insurance Company.
  • Contact services for your student and RIDDOR if required

Procedure In The Event Of A Minor Accident, Incident Or Illness

• In the first instance, the designated First Aider will be notified and take responsibility for deciding upon any appropriate action.
• If the student does not need hospital treatment and is judged to be able to safely remain at the School, the First Aider will remove the student from the activities and, if appropriate, treat the injury/illness themselves.
• If and when the student is feeling sufficiently better, they will be re-settled back into activities, but will be kept under close supervision for the remainder of the session.
• At the end of the session, the First Aider will fully inform the parent/carer of the incident or accident and any treatment given by showing the accident form and asking the parent to sign and date it.
• If the injury or illness incurred is such that treatment by the First aider is deemed inappropriate, but does not warrant hospitalisation, the parent/carer will be contacted immediately and asked to collect their student. Until the parent/carer arrives, the student will be kept under close supervision and as comfortable as possible (from this point on, the provisions of the School’s Infectious and Communicable Diseases Policy will govern the student’s return to the School).
• All such accidents and incidents will be recorded in detail and logged in the Incident Record book or the Accident Record book and parents/carers should sign to acknowledge the incident and action taken.
• The Manager and any other relevant staff should consider whether the accident or incident highlighted any actual or potential weaknesses in the School’s policies or procedures and make suitable adjustments if necessary.
• Procedure in the event of a Major Accident, Incident or Illness:
  • In the first instance, the First Aider will be notified and take responsibility for deciding upon the appropriate action.
  • The First Aider will assess the situation and decide whether the student needs to go straight to a hospital of whether they can safely wait for their parent/carer to arrive.
  • If the student needs to go straight to a hospital, an ambulance will be called. The parent/carer will also be contacted. If necessary, a member of staff will accompany the student to the hospital and will consent to medical treatment being given, so long as the Emergency Medical Treatment declaration has been completed and signed.
  • If the student does not need to go straight to hospital but their condition means they should go home, the parent/carer will be contacted and asked to collect their student. In the meantime, the student will be made as comfortable as possible and be kept under close supervision (from this point on, the provisions of the School’s Infectious and communicable Diseases policy will govern the student’s return to the School).
  • Parents/carers will be made fully aware of the details of any incidents involving their student’s health and safety, and any actions taken by the School and its staff.
  • All such accidents or incidents will be recorded in detail and logged in the Incident Record book or the Accident Record book. Parents will be asked to sign the relevant section of the book to acknowledge the incident or accident and any action taken by the School and its staff.
  • The Manager and other relevant members of staff should consider whether the accident or incident highlights any actual or potential weaknesses in the School’s policies or procedures, and act accordingly, making suitable adjustments where necessary.

Emergency Closure

In very exceptional circumstances, the School may need to be closed at very short notice owing to an unexpected emergency.

Such incidents could include:

• Serious weather conditions
• Heating system failure
• Burst water pipes
• Discovery of dangerous structural damage
• Death of a member of staff
• Fire or Bomb scare/explosion
• Serious assault on a staff member by the public
• Serious accident or illness

This list is not exhaustive.

In such circumstances:

• the Manager and staff will follow the emergency plan to ensure that all steps are taken to keep both the students and themselves safe.
• All staff and students will assemble at the pre-arranged assembly point or venue where a register will be taken.
• Steps will then be taken to inform parents/carers and to take the necessary actions in relation to the cause of the closure.
• All students will be supervised until they are safely collected.
• In the case of a serious accident or illness, staff will make sure that remaining students are taken away from the situation if possible to do so.

First Aid

Under duties set out in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, the School recognizes its responsibilities in providing adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable suitable first aid to be given at the School.

• The School has a designated member of staff responsible for First Aid – the school doctor. This person has an up-to-date First Aid certificate.
• The designated first aider is responsible for maintaining the correct contents of all First Aid boxes and administering basic First Aid when necessary and appropriate.
• The Manager and the designated member of staff ensure that there is a qualified First Aider available at all times during sessions at the School.
• The Manager will be responsible for enabling the members of staff concerned to receive adequate First Aid training
• The First Aid box will be regularly checked to ensure its contents are up-to-date, in good condition and fulfil the criteria set out in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
• The location of the First Aid box, and the names so the Qualified First Aiders will be displayed on the School’s notice board.
• A First Aid box will be taken on all off-site visits or outings. This is the responsibility of the designated First Aider, or where this is not possible, the Manager.

The Box should contain:

• A card or leaflet giving general guidance
• Sterile triangular bandages
• Adhesive plasters
• A sterile eye pad with attachment
• Cotton wool
• Crepe bandages
• A sterile gauze
• Micro pore tape
• Sterile cornering for serious wounds
• Individually wrapped assorted dressings
• Waterproof disposable gloves
• A disposable bag for soiled material
• It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to keep the School informed of their child(ren)’s condition following an accident, including whether additional medical advice or care has been sought and/or received.