Policy Statement

The care of your child is paramount and I always have plans and risk assessments in place to ensure that they remain with me and are safe.

However on rare occasions children can become lost and therefore it is important that I have procedures in place that will be followed in the unlikely event of this happening.

Procedure

I take every precaution to avoid children getting lost by implementing the following measures:

Ensuring the children hold my hand or the pushchair whilst we are out, if they are not securely strapped onto myself or into the pushchair

Avoid going to places that are overcrowded or unfamiliar for the children

Never mess around on my phone whilst the children are playing outside

Always keep my eyes on each child so that I know where they are playing

We always discuss the dangers whilst we are out and about. I explain to the children why they must not wander off without me and we regularly role play 'stranger danger' situations

If I lose sight of one of the children, I will immediately raise the alarm to all around me that I have lost a child and enlist the help of any responsible parties to look for them

I will reassure the other children with me, as they may be distressed

If it is a secure area such as a shopping centre, I will quickly alert the security staff so they can seal off exits and monitor the situation on any CCTV

I will provide everyone involved in the search with a description of the child, including the police if I feel this is necessary

I will contact the parents of the child to inform them of the situation and give them regular updates should circumstances change

I will inform Ofsted if the child is missing for a significant time