John Scottus National School

SCOIL NÁISIÚNTA JOHN SCOTTUS 

         
47/49 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, D04 R128
Tel: (01) 6609309
Email: primary@johnscottus.ie     Web:  www.johnscottusns.ie

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CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT POLICY (CIMP)

 BOM Ratified: April 2021

Review: April 2025

John Scottus National School aims to protect the well-being of its students and staff by providing a safe and nurturing environment at all times. In John Scottus National School (JSNS) we want your child to be happy by delighting in the present all of the time. JSNS is a community of parents, teachers and children and we encourage close relationships between all three. We see life as a journey of enquiry and discovery, and seek to teach each child to learn how to live meaningfully and successfully in the world.The Board of Management, through the Principal and with the In School Management team, has drawn up a Critical Incident Management Plan as one element of the school’s policies and plans.

Table of Contents (hyperlinked)

Review and Research

Define what you mean by the term ‘critical incident’

Aim

Physical safety

Psychological safety

Critical Incident

Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT)

Team leader:

Garda liaison:

Staff liaison:

Student liaison

Community/agency liaison

Parent liaison

Media liaison:

Administrator

Record keeping

Confidentiality and good name considerations

Critical Incident Rooms

Consultation and communication regarding the plan

Critical Incident Team Contact Details

Short term actions – Day 1

Medium term actions - (Day 2 and following days)

Follow-up – beyond 72 hours

EMERGENCY CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS

EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST

Department of Ed / NEPS /NCSE etc

Buildings

PASTORAL CARE CONTACT LIST

USEFUL JSS TELEPHONE NUMBERS

USEFUL AGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Media Numbers

DEALING WITH THE MEDIA

DOS AND DON’TS IN DEALING WITH THE MEDIA

SAMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE MEDIA

Letter Templates

Letter Template sudden death

Letter Template Attack,

Sample letter requesting consent for involvement of outside professional/s

Sample letter in the event of a tragedy

Review and Research

The Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) have consulted resource documents available to schools on www.education.ie and www.nosp.ie including: 

• Responding to Critical Incidents Guidelines and Resources for Schools (NEPS 2016)
• Suicide Prevention in Schools: Best Practice Guidelines (IAS, National Suicide Review Group        (2002)
• Suicide Prevention in the Community - A Practical Guide (HSE 2011)
• Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (DES, DOH, HSE 2013)
• Well-Being in Primary Schools - Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion

(DES, DOH, HSE 201 5)

Define what you mean by the term ‘critical incident’

The staff and management of John Scottus National School recognise a critical incident to be

“an incident or sequence of events that overwhelms the normal coping mechanism of the school”.

Critical incidents may involve one or more students or staff members, or members of our local community.

Types of incidents might include:

• The death of a member of the school community through accident, violence, suicide or suspected suicide or other unexpected death
• An intrusion into the school
• An accident involving members of the school community
• An accident/tragedy in the wider community
• Serious damage to the school building through fire, flood, vandalism, etc
• The disappearance of a member of the school community
• Outbreak of disease or major illness in school or community.
• Serious injury sustained by a member of the school community as a result of violence on or off school grounds.
• Unauthorised removal of student from school.

Aim

The aim of the CIMP is to help school management and staff to react quickly and effectively in the event of an incident, to enable us to maintain a sense of control and to ensure that appropriate support is offered to students and staff. Having a good plan should also help ensure that the effects on the students and staff will be limited. It should enable us to effect a return to normality as soon as possible.

Creation of a coping supportive and caring ethos in the school

We have put systems in place to help to build resilience in both staff and students, thus preparing them to cope with a range of life events. These include measures to address both the physical and psychological safety of the school community.

Physical safety

•  Health & Safety policy
• Evacuation plan formulated
• Regular fire drills occur
• Fire exits and extinguishers are regularly checked
• Back gate closed at all times.
• School doors locked during class time
• Rules of the playground

Psychological safety

The management and staff of John Scottus National School aim to use available programmes and resources to address the personal and social development of students, to enhance a sense of safety and security in the school and to provide opportunities for reflection and discussion.

• Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is integrated into the work of the school. It is addressed in the curriculum by addressing issues such as grief and loss; communication skills; stress and anger management; resilience; conflict management; problem solving; help-seeking; bullying; decision making and prevention of alcohol and drug misuse. Promotion of mental health is an integral part of this provision
• Staff have access to training for their role in SPHE
• Staff are familiar with the Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures and details of how to proceed with suspicions or disclosures
• Books and resources on difficulties affecting primary school students are available
• Information is provided on mental health in general and such specific areas as signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety
• The school has developed links with a range of external agencies – HSE,  TUSLA and NEPS.
• Inputs to students by external providers are carefully considered in the light of criteria about student safety, the appropriateness of the content, and the expertise of the providers. See DES Circulars 0022/2010 (Primary)
• The school has a clear policy on bullying and deals with bullying in accordance with this policy
• There is a care system in place in the school using the "Continuum of Support" approach which is outlined in the NEPS documents published in 2007 for primary schools. These documents are available on www.education.ie 
• Students who are identified as being at risk are referred to the designated staff member (e.g. class teacher or SE Teacher), concerns are explored and the appropriate level of assistance and support is provided. Parents are informed, and where appropriate, a referral is made to an appropriate agency.
• Staff are informed about how to access support for themselves.

Critical Incident

Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT)

A Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) has been established in line with best practice. The members of the team were selected on a voluntary basis and will retain their roles for at least one school year.

The members of the team will meet annually to review and update the policy and plan. Each member of the team has a dedicated critical incident folder. Each member of staff, has a copy of NEPS:-

 Responding to Critical Incidents (Guidelines for Schools)

 Responding to Critical Incidents (Resource Materials For Schools)

Each member of the staff also has a dedicated Critical Incident Folder. This contains a copy of the Policy and Plan. This contains a copy of the policy and plan and materials particular to their role, to be used in the event of an incident.

Team leader:

Role

• Alerts the team members to the crisis and convenes a meeting
• Coordinates the tasks of the team
• Liaises with the Board of Management; DES; NEPS;
• Liaises with the bereaved family

The Deputy Principal will take the lead in the absence of the team leader.

Garda liaison:

Role

• Liaises with the Gardaí
• Ensures that information about deaths or other developments is checked out for accuracy before being shared

Staff liaison:

Role

• Leads briefing meetings for staff on the facts as known, gives staff members an opportunity to express their feelings and ask questions, outlines the routine for the day
• Advises staff on the procedures for identification of vulnerable students
• Provides materials for staff (from their critical incident folder)
• Keeps staff updated as the day progresses
• Is alert to vulnerable staff members and makes contact with them individually
• Advises them of the availability of support services and gives them the contact number.

Student liaison

Role

• May co-ordinate information for teachers about students they are concerned about.
• Alerts other staff to vulnerable students (appropriately).
• Provides materials for students (from their critical incident folder).
• Keeps records of students seen by external agency staff.
• Looks after setting up and supervision of ‘quiet’ room where agreed.
• Support teachers to lead classroom based activities where children have the opportunity to express their feelings and ask questions

Community/agency liaison 

Role

• Maintains up to date lists of contact numbers of

• Key parents, such as members of the Class Representatives
• Emergency support services and other external contacts and resources

• Liaises with agencies in the community for support and onward referral
• Is alert to the need to check credentials of individuals offering support
• Coordinates the involvement of these agencies
• Reminds agency staff to wear name badges
• Updates team members on the involvement of external agencies

Parent liaison

Role

• Visits the bereaved family with the team leader
• Arranges parent meetings, if held
• May facilitate such meetings, and manage ‘questions and answers’
• Manages the ‘consent’ issues in accordance with agreed school policy
• Ensures that sample letters are typed up, on the school’s system and ready for adaptation
• Sets up room for meetings with parents
• Maintains a record of parents seen
• Meets with individual parents
• Provides appropriate materials for parents (from their critical incident folder)

Media liaison:  

Role

• In advance of an incident, will consider issues that may arise and how they might be responded to (e.g. students being interviewed etc)
• In the event of an incident, will liaise where necessary with JS Trust, DES, NEPS; relevant teacher unions etc.
• Only the Principal and the Chairperson of the Board, will draw up a press statement, give media briefings and interviews if absolutely necessary.
• A letter or text will be sent home to parents requesting them not to speak to the media.
•  NEPS advise School Staff not to speak to media.
•  The media will not be allowed on the school campus.

Administrator

Role

• Maintenance of up to date telephone numbers of

• Parents or guardians
• Teachers
• Emergency services

• Takes telephone calls and notes those that need to be responded to
• Ensures that templates are on the schools system in advance and ready for adaptation
• Prepares and sends out letters, emails and texts
• Photocopies materials needed
• Maintains records

Record keeping

In the event of an incident each member of the team will keep records of phone calls made and received, letters sent and received, meetings held, persons met, interventions used, material used etc.

The School Secretary will have a key role in receiving and logging telephone calls, sending letters, photocopying materials, etc.

Confidentiality and good name considerations

Management and staff of John Scottus National School have a responsibility to protect the privacy and good name of people involved in any incident and will be sensitive to the consequences of public statements. Members of school staff will bear this in mind, and seek to ensure that students do so also, e.g. the term ‘suicide’ will not be used unless there is solid information that death was due to suicide, and that the family involved consents to its use. The phrases ‘tragic death’ or ‘sudden death’ may be used instead. Similarly, the word ‘murder’ should not be used until it is legally established that a murder was committed. The term ‘violent death’ may be used instead.

 Consultation and communication regarding the plan

All staff were consulted and their views canvassed in the preparation of this policy and plan.

Students and parent/guardian representatives were also consulted and asked for their comments.

Our school's final policy and plan in relation to responding to critical incidents has been presented to all staff. Each member of the critical incident team has a personal copy of the plan.

All new and temporary staff will be informed of the details of the plan by the Deputy Principal or Principal.  The plan will be updated annually in October.