<aside> 💡 Applicable to: All

This policy takes account of the Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations (2013) and the National Minimum Standards for Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (Department for Education).

This policy has been approved by the OMH Board of Trustees

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Policy Statement:

Oundle Mencap Holidays has the highest regard for the safety of the children and young people in our care. Volunteers will always be extremely aware of the potential for children to go missing during our holidays. Even when all precautions are properly observed, emergencies can still arise.

Prevention of children going missing

Oundle Mencap Holidays supports all children and young people on its children’s holidays one to one during waking hours. This is stressed at all times to volunteers and managed by group leaders, who are responsible in the first place for the whereabouts of a child and their individual volunteer. All group leaders and senior team carry radios. Radios are also given to volunteers supporting individuals with high level medical needs or behavioural needs (especially if there is a known risk of absconding). A risk assessment of each child is carried out prior to the holiday and is communicated to volunteers via ‘care plans’. Copies of the care plans are available via the Notion App and a hard copy is carried by the lead on each off site visit. All volunteers carry a personal mobile phone and are encouraged to have the ‘what three words’ App installed to enable them to give an accurate location should they find themselves separated from the rest of the group or in difficulty. Group leaders will undertake periodic head counts, especially at the transition points between activities.

All external trips are risk assessed prior to visit and senior staff deployed to minimise risk of a child going missing. All volunteers are vigilant to any potentially suspicious behaviour or persons in and around the holiday venue. Once children are in bed, there is a minimum ratio of 2 staff to 1 holiday maker in the building, with teams of staff on duty to support children.

Procedure in the event of a child being reported as missing:

If for any reason a volunteer cannot account for a child's whereabouts, the following procedure will be activated:

• The volunteer will immediately inform the nearest group leader or senior helper
• The group leader or senior helper will communicate to the rest of the staff using the radios by asking “Has any one seen [child name] and their helper Pluto”. This code word, ‘Pluto’ will immediately alert the senior team that a child is missing
• A thorough search of the entire site will commence immediately. Where possible this will be coordinated across the radio by a member of the senior team who can access a map of the area promptly and/or has a good knowledge of the area
• The police will be informed by the Registered Manager (or their deputy for that trip) The registered manager would have access to all information regarding the children on the trip / activity via ‘Notion’ (project management software).
• The senior team will be careful not to create an atmosphere of panic and to ensure that the other children remain safe and adequately supervised.
• The registered manager must be informed immediately about any episode concerning a child reported as missing.