Safeguarding and Welfare Requirement: Child Protection.

Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, to safeguard children.

BCC – The Ark Preschool and Daycare

CHILD PROTECTION

1.4 Uncollected child

Policy statement

In the event that a child is not collected by an authorised adult at the end of a session/day, we put into practice agreed procedures. These ensure the child is cared for safely by an experienced and qualified practitioner who is known to the child. The child will receive a high standard of care in order to cause as little distress as possible.

We inform parents/carers of our procedures so that, if they are unavoidably delayed, they will be reassured that their children will be properly cared for.

Procedures

Parents of children starting at the setting are asked to provide the following specific information, which is recorded on our Registration Form:

Home address and telephone number - if the parents do not have a telephone, an alternative number must be given, perhaps a neighbour or close relative.
Place of work, address and telephone number (if applicable).
Mobile telephone number (if applicable).
Names, addresses, telephone numbers and of adults who are authorised by the parents to collect their child from the setting, for example a childminder or grandparent.
Who has parental responsibility for the child.
Information about any person who does not have legal access to the child.
On occasions when parents are aware that they will not be at home or in their usual place of work, they inform us in writing, email or telephone call, of how they can be contacted.

On occasions when parents, or the persons normally authorised to collect the child, are not able to collect the child, they provide us with details of the name of the person who will be collecting their
child. We agree with parents how to verify the identity of the person who is to collect their child, usually by using a password.
Parents are informed that if they are not able to collect the child as planned, they must inform us so that we can begin to take back-up measures. We provide parents with our contact telephone number.

If a child is not collected at the end of the session/day, we follow the procedures below:

The child’s file and the diary are checked for any information about changes to the normal collection routines.
If no information is available, parents/carers are contacted at home or at work.
If this is unsuccessful, the adults who are authorised by the parents to collect their child from the setting - and whose telephone numbers are recorded on the Registration Form - are contacted.
All reasonable attempts are made to contact the parents or nominated carers.
The child does not leave the premises with anyone other than those named on the Registration Form or in their file or that which the parent has authorised.
If no-one collects the child after the setting has closed and there is no-one who can be contacted to collect the child, we apply the procedures for uncollected children.
We contact our local authority children’s social care team:

LBB Social Care Team 020 8464 3333

The child stays at the setting in the care of two fully-vetted workers until the child is safely collected either by the parents or by a social care worker.
Social care will aim to find the parent or relative. If they are unable to do so, the child will become looked after by the local authority.
Under no circumstances will staff go to look for the parent, nor do they take the child home with them. A full written report of the incident is recorded in the child’s file.

Depending on circumstances, we reserve the right to charge parents for the additional hours worked by our staff.

Ofsted may be informed:

Ofsted 0300 123 1231

This policy was adopted at a meeting of BCC – The Ark Preschool & Daycare

Held on April 2024

Date to be reviewed October 2025

Signed on behalf of the provider

Name of signatory Arzu Subasi

Role of signatory (e.g. chair, director or owner): Manager

Other useful Pre-school Learning Alliance publications

Safeguarding Children (2010)

Policy statement

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