Gaelscoil Chill Dara

RESPONDING TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN GAELSCOIL CHILL DARA

1. Foreword.

Traumatic events occur in many schools at one time or another. This policy is an attempt to agree a Management Plan for Critical Incidents and to implement it. This policy will be put before the Staff meeting on the 10 December 2006 and at the next meeting of the Board of Management on 27 January 2007.

2.Definition.

As the plan is being developed we must define what it is that a Critical Incident is. They may be looked on as incidents which surpass the usual coping mechanism of the school and interrupt the school’s rhythm. The plan will not always be implemented in exactly the same way, because that will depend to a large extent on the type of incident in question. Here are some things which would interrupt the running of the school:

• The sudden loss of a member of the school community through sudden death, accident or suicide
• An accident to pupils or staff on the school premises or adjacent to it
• A physical attack on pupils or staff or a break-in
• Serious damage to the school building or part thereof by fire or floods
• A member of the school community to go missing
• Accidents / tragedies in the local community

3.Management Team for Critical Incidents

The school will have a management team for critical incidents. On the team will be the Principal, Deputy and Assistant Principals, along with one member nominated by the Board of Management and one member nominated by staff. The team will meet periodically, and when a critical incident happens

4.Procedures to be Followed in the event of a Critical Incident

Here are the short-term actions which will take place:

1)Concise information will be gathered
2)The appropriate agencies (Emergency Services, NEPS, The Board of Management, The DES) will be contacted.
3)The critical incident management team will meet the senior staff members
4)A staff meeting will be called
5)A timetable for the day will be drawn up
6)Things will be kept as normal as far as possible
7)Parents will be informed
8)Pupils will be informed
9)The bereaved household will be contacted
10)A prepared written statement will be compiled: facts about the incident, what has already been done, what will be done, positive information about the person who has died
11)A person will be nominated to deal with the media
12)Arrange the meeting of parents with pupils, if needed.

Here are the medium-term actions:

1)A complete review will take place
2)Support for individual pupils, groups of pupils and parents will be arranged, if needed
3)A plan to bring pupils together again will be designed
4)A visit will be paid to injured people
5)Contact the household with regard to funeral arrangements
6)Decisions will be made about participation in funeral services
7)The Board of Management will be consulted about school closure

Here are the long-term actions:

1)Monitoring of pupils in consultation with the Caring Team
2)Decisions with regard to the anniversary of the incident will be made.