Summary of CAA Support Session in response to the Southport incident
- jhearn68
- Aug 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Hosted by Anne Marie Martin, CAA Board Director and Founder and Frachisor, diddi dance
Following the horrific incident in Southport on the 29th of September 2024, CAA Board Director Anne-Marie Martin hosted a support session for children's activity providers.
Mental First Aid Trainer Jen Chapman-Boffin, Safeguarding Expert Ann Marie Christian FRSA, and James McDonald of Morton Michel were available to answer questions and shared some resources that they thought could be useful for providers looking at their procedures moving forward.
Whilst the Q&A part of the session wasn't recorded for the sake of the participants, here is a summary of the key points discussed and the resources that were shared:
Mental Health
Here's three things you can do to help make sure you are keeping on top of your mental health:
Circle of Control
Policies and Procedures
How are policies and procedures different?
“Policies reflect the rules governing the implementation of the setting’s processes. Most policies are developed to reflect local, national and international government requirements. For instance, they need to cover health and safety at work and equality of opportunities.
Procedures however, represent an implementation of the policy. In other words, procedures are the actions that staff should take. For example, the actions to be taken in the case of an accident or a safeguarding incident. Therefore, in terms of good practice, policies and procedures should be separate documents.”
Laura Henry – Nursery World 7th September 2006
Risk Assessments
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because every circumstance is different. There are so many variances across providers; from age, to type of activity, whether or not parents or carers are present, to the types of venues classes are held in.
A key part of your risk assessment should be ensuring your process can evolve with your business. Try to make sure it isn't just a formulaic tick box exercise that follows a rigid template that can't adapt or adjust. Make sure it allows you to identify anything new, make observations for it, and take appropriate actions accordingly.
Consider including the following procedures:
Lockdown
Lone Worker
New Intruder
Communicate with your venues. Find out what alert and security systems they have in place. If you're in a multi-use venue, focus on what your responsibilities are within your room. Think about what you can and can't control.
The templates below were shared as possible starting points, but the emphasis was very much on making sure you adapt them to your individual circumstances and venues.
Finally, once you've got your procedures, talk them through, walk them through, adapt again where necessary, and document them.
Then clearly communicate your procedures and protocols with parents and gain their consent where necessary.
Resources:
Here are the links to the resources referenced during the session:
Associated Board of Dance - Best Practices for School Lockdown Procedures
Department for Education - Lockdown Template
Protect UK - Run, Hide, Tell
Youth Scotland - Recruiting and Inducting New Volunteers
NASUWT The Teachers Union - School Lockdown Procedures
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