Westwood Farm Pre-School

1.8 Terrorist threat or attack and Lockdown procedure

 

Policy statement

 

Westwood Farm Community Pre-School recognises that there may be potentially serious risks to children, staff and visitors in emergency or harmful situations. A lockdown may take place where there is a perceived risk of threat to the Pre-School, its staff, children, visitors or property.  Most procedures for handling an emergency are focussed on an event happening in the building. However, in some situations you will be advised to stay put (lock-down) rather than evacuate. ‘Lock-down’ of a building/group of buildings is intended to secure and protect occupants in the proximity of an immediate threat. By controlling movement in an area, emergency services can contain and handle the situation more effectively.

• The setting manager assesses the likelihood of an incident happening based on their location.

• The setting manager will check our police website for advice and guidance.

• Local police contact numbers are clearly displayed for staff to refer to.

• Staff rehearse simple ‘age appropriate’ actions with the children such as staying low to the floor, keeping quiet and listening to instructions in the same way that fire procedures are practiced. Lock-down must be rehearsed and recorded annually.

• The setting manager is aware of the current terrorist alert level, as available at www.mi5.gov.uk/threat-levels.

• We follow any additional advice issued by the local authority.

• Emergency procedures are reviewed and added to if needed. 

• Information about this procedure is shared with parents and all staff are aware of their role during ‘lockdown’.

• A whatsapp message is issued to parents when lockdown is confirmed.

Procedures

In any event of an incident taking place, the message will be conveyed in the form of a whistle. The member of staff blowing the whistle will use one word to alert staff of the procedures they are to follow.  The word “in” will be used if everyone needs to come into the building.  “Out” will be used in the event of the building needing to be evacuated; and “cupboard” will be used if everyone needs to be in our safe place.  

If the Manager becomes aware of a security threat or a disturbance in the vicinity, that we deem to put the children in our care, or the staff at risk; the following procedures will be followed:

The Manager (or person first seeing the incident) will blow the whistle, and say the appropriate word (in, out, cupboard), to alert staff that there is an issue, and all staff and children will enter or evacuate the building as quickly as possible. 

The Manager or Deputy will call 999 or 101 (Thames Valley Police), the Chairperson and the Landlord.

All staff will be made aware of the situation, and along with the children they will remain inside the building with all doors and windows closed and locked, and the blinds shut where it is safe to do so. In the event of a minor incident (no immediate risk to us), we intend to carry on with our activities as much as possible. Staff will be given the all clear when the incident is over, and the threat has gone.

 

In the event of a serious incident all staff will have been alerted by the whistle and the word “cupboard” and they, along with the children will gather as quickly and quietly as possible in the ‘safe room’; which is the toy cupboard.  They will remain here out of sight, taking the phonebox, which contains all mobile phones and keys. The pre-school mobile contains all the contact details for the children and staff, there is also a printed copy hidden in the cupboard for emergency use.  The Deputy will complete the register while the Manager checks the premises (including the toilets) for other children. The Manager will ensure that all windows and doors are closed and locked where possible.  In the event that the Manager and/or Deputy are not present another member of staff will be allocated to do this. Parents will then be contacted via whatsapp to inform them of the situation. 

 

We will reassure the children and endeavour to keep them as calm and quiet as possible throughout the incident and will remain here until we receive further instructions from the emergency services. There are 2 doors leading to the cupboard the first of which will be closed and barrels pushed against it. We will then lock ourselves into the toy cupboard.  Staff and children stay away from the doors. Children are encouraged to keep calm and quiet.  Staff do not make non-essential calls on mobile phones, the phones are only to be used to obtain more information on the situation or to contact the emergency services.

If the threat to our safety occurs at a time when we are expecting additional staff or parents (either dropping off or collecting), and it is appropriate, the Manager, Deputy and Chairperson will inform them of the danger and advise them not to attend.

When we are informed that the incident is over and the threat has gone, staff will be given the all clear. We will then continue with our activities as much as possible whilst the Manager and/or Deputy contact all of the parents to inform them of the incident

The door will not be opened once it has been secured until the manager is officially advised “all clear” or is certain it is emergency services at the door.

During lockdown staff do NOT:

• leave the designated safe space

• call 999 again unless there is immediate concern for their safety, the safety of others, or they feel they

have critical information that must be passed on

 

 

Following lockdown:

The incident will be recorded in the Incident file and Ofsted and West Berkshire Early Years Team will be contacted within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

• Staff will cooperate with emergency services to assist in an orderly evacuation.

• Staff or children who have witnessed an incident will need to tell the police what they saw. 

The police may require other individuals to remain available for questioning.

• In the event of an incident it is inevitable that parents will want to come to the setting and collect their children immediately. They will be discouraged from doing so, until the emergency services give the ‘all clear’. Staff will be always acting on the advice of the emergency services.

• The setting manager reports the lockdown to the chair person as soon as possible. In some situations, this may not be until after the event. 

 

Further guidance

Members of the public should always remain alert to the danger of terrorism and report any suspicious activity to the police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321.

For non-emergency, call the police on 101.