Policies and Procedures
Policy 1.7 Lockdown
Partial Lockdown
This may be as a result of a reported incident to the nursery, or a civil disturbance in the local community with the potential to pose a risk to staff and children in the nursery.
It may also be as a result of a warning being received from a recognised emergency service regarding the risk of air pollution, etc.
Alert to staff
A Lockdown’ will be indicated by blowing a whistle twice through our radios to alert all staff and children. Every staff member has a whistle in their bum bags and one can be located in the office hanging by the door. The lockdown will also be communicated and confirmed through our walkie talkies
Immediate action:
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All outside activity to cease with immediate effect, children and staff to return to the lodge in a swift and safe manner.
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All staff and children remain inside the lodge and all external doors and windows are to be locked until further notice.
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A register will be taken from the ey log system of the children, staff and anyone else present
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At the discretion of the responsible person (the Manager or Deputy), free movement within the lodge may be permitted dependent upon the known information or continued reporting of the incident / circumstances.
Each situation is unique and presents differing on-going challenges. Once the children, staff and anyone else present are accounted for, the responsible person will contact the appropriate emergency services and all actions from then on will be on the instruction from these services.
All staff will be updated when applicable, and a written evidence log will be maintained throughout should it be required at a later stage.
During the Lockdown procedure, staff will maintain agreed open lines of communication and must not make unnecessary calls until further notice as this may delay the information sharing process to and from the responsible person.
In the event of an Air Pollution Incident being reported, all air vents should be closed/covered where possible within the premises.
The responsible person will remain in contact with the appropriate Emergency Services team(s) and will make future dynamic risk assessment decisions with the assistance and advice of professional bodies regarding the prevailing threat. An evidence log should be completed, should it be required at a later stage.
In a situation where the emergency services suggest complete evacuation, the staff will take the children, across the field on our agreed route, to Lakeside garden centre, Crockerton. This will be communicated to the parents. The red fire bag must be taken as well as the nursery phone.
Children, staff and visitor register will be taken.
Once the children / staff and volunteers are accounted for the responsible person will conduct an on-going risk assessment basing their decision making on advice received from the Emergency Services. All staff will be updated when applicable, and a written evidence log will be maintained throughout should it be required at a later stage.
The lock down procedure will remain in force until it has been established from a member of the Emergency Services that the incident has been successfully resolved and no further risk is posed to the welfare and safety of the children / staff etc.
Examples of using discreet communication methods should they be necessary to update the emergency services:
Parent mail: staff may send a group email to all parents if required.
Communication between parents and the nursery
Nursery Lockdown procedures, especially the arrangements for communicating to parents, should be routinely shared with parents / guardians either by email, newsletter or via the nursery website. If we have left the site all emergency contact details are held in the red fire bag.
Should a Lockdown occur, it is advised that developments are communicated to parents / guardians as soon as is practicable and in some cases in agreement with the emergency services via email or phone. Parents will naturally be concerned; anxious and all accurate information releases will assist to alleviate undue anxiety.
Parents / guardians should be given enough information to enable them to understand the potential outcome and when possible time frames so that they:
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Are reassured that the nursery / emergency services understand their concern for their child’s welfare, and that everything possible is being completed to ensure their safety
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Parents / guardians must be made aware to refrain from directly calling the Nursery to avoid congesting telephone lines that will be required to be used by the responsible person and the emergency services.
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Parents / guardians must refrain from initially attending the nursery. This may interfere with the emergency provider’s access / investigation and may put themselves and others in danger.
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Parent / guardians must wait patiently until a safe and satisfactory outcome has been achieved and agreed by all parties, where a designated safe area will be identified for the safe handing over of the children to their parents / guardians.
During the initial “breaking news” of the incident it is vital that all parents are reassured regarding the welfare and safety to their children is paramount and that the matter is being dealt with by the emergency services to resolve the matter as soon as possible with little impact to the children and the wider community. However, it must also be stressed that at this time the nursery is in a full lockdown procedure. During this period the entrances will be un-manned, external doors will be locked and no person is allowed in or out of the premises until further notice.
Emergency Services
It is vital that the communication lines remain open to the Emergency Services at all times, they are best placed to offer advice / assistance as a situation develops. A decision may be taken to cordon off the premises partially or as a whole by the Emergency Services. This will be dependent on the severity of the incident that has led to a Lockdown procedure taking effect.
The emergency services will support the responsible person in the decision-making processes and the timing of communication to parents, the press etc.
This policy was initially adopted by The Learning Meadow in January 2020 and is reviewed annually
Dawn Pirie (Owner/Manager)