Missing Child

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that Beyond Words CIC has clear procedures to minimise the risk of a child going missing and to ensure an immediate, coordinated and appropriate response should a child become unaccounted for during any Beyond Words activity.

The safety and welfare of every child is our highest priority. All missing child incidents will be treated as a safeguarding matter and responded to without delay.

• ✦Children Act 1989
• ✦Children Act 2004
• ✦Working Together to Safeguard Children (2025)
• ✦Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• ✦Equality Act 2010
• ✦UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
• ✦Data Protection Act 2018

Beyond Words will review this policy regularly to ensure it reflects current legislation, guidance and best practice.

This policy applies to:

• ✦all children attending Beyond Words activities
• ✦all employees, volunteers, students, contractors and any other adults working on behalf of Beyond Words CIC

It covers:

• ✦supervision
• ✦head counts
• ✦outings
• ✦missing child procedures
• ✦communication with parents
• ✦reporting and recording incidents

This policy should be read alongside:

• ✦Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
• ✦Health & Safety Policy
• ✦Risk Assessment Policy
• ✦Admissions, Attendance & Collection Policy
• ✦Behaviour, Regulation & Support Policy

Beyond Words is committed to:

• ✦maintaining appropriate supervision
• ✦carrying out regular head counts
• ✦implementing robust arrival and collection procedures
• ✦minimising opportunities for children to leave unsupervised
• ✦responding immediately if a child cannot be located
• ✦working with parents and emergency services where necessary
• ✦reviewing incidents to improve future practice

The welfare of the child will always remain the priority.

• ✦Founder & Director The Founder & Director is responsible for ensuring that:

• ✦this policy is implemented consistently
• ✦appropriate risk assessments are completed
• ✦employees understand missing child procedures
• ✦parents are informed appropriately
• ✦emergency services are contacted where necessary
• ✦incidents are reviewed to identify improvements
• ✦this policy is reviewed regularly

• ✦Employees Employees are responsible for:

• ✦maintaining appropriate supervision
• ✦completing regular head counts
• ✦remaining vigilant at all times
• ✦reporting concerns immediately
• ✦following the Missing Child Procedure
• ✦cooperating fully during any search

Employees must never assume another adult is supervising a child without confirming this.

Include things such as:

• ✦accurate attendance registers
• ✦regular head counts
• ✦appropriate staff deployment
• ✦individual risk assessments where required
• ✦secure arrival and collection procedures
• ✦supervision during transitions
• ✦additional support for children who may be at greater risk of wandering or absconding

• ✦Immediate Response If a child cannot be located:

Employees will immediately:

• ✦remain calm
• ✦alert the Founder & Director
• ✦supervise the remaining children
• ✦carry out an immediate search of the area
• ✦check toilets, quiet spaces and surrounding areas
• ✦complete a head count

• ✦Continuing the Search If the child is not located immediately:

The Founder & Director will:

• ✦coordinate the search
• ✦allocate employees to search identified areas
• ✦ensure remaining children continue to be supervised safely

• ✦Contacting Parents and Emergency Services If the child cannot be located promptly, the Founder & Director will assess the circumstances and determine whether:

• ✦parents or carers should be contacted immediately
• ✦the police should be contacted immediately
• ✦other relevant agencies should be informed

Any decision will be based on:

• ✦the child's age
• ✦individual needs
• ✦known risks
• ✦location
• ✦length of time missing
• ✦any immediate safeguarding concerns

Once located:

Employees will:

• ✦ensure the child's immediate safety
• ✦provide reassurance
• ✦assess whether medical attention is required
• ✦inform parents or carers
• ✦review the circumstances leading to the incident
• ✦complete all required records

All incidents will be recorded, including:

• ✦date and time
• ✦location
• ✦circumstances
• ✦actions taken
• ✦agencies contacted
• ✦outcome
• ✦recommendations for preventing recurrence

Following every incident, the Founder & Director will consider whether improvements are required to:

• ✦supervision
• ✦staffing
• ✦risk assessments
• ✦activities
• ✦the environment
• ✦employee training
• ✦policies and procedures

The Founder & Director is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reviewing this policy.

Monitoring will include:

• ✦reviewing missing child incidents
• ✦monitoring supervision arrangements
• ✦reviewing risk assessments
• ✦identifying employee training needs
• ✦implementing improvements where appropriate

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislation, guidance or organisational practice changes.

• ✦BW-SAFE-001 , Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
• ✦BW-HS-001 , Health & Safety Policy
• ✦BW-RA-001 , Risk Assessment Policy
• ✦BW-ADM-001 , Admissions, Attendance & Collection Policy
• ✦BW-BEH-001 , Behaviour, Regulation & Support Policy
• ✦BW-DP-001 , Data Protection & Confidentiality Policy