SET Responding to Critical Incidents virtual meeting - Guidance for Senior Leaders in Early Years Settings

This free training is for senior leaders in Early Years settings. We respectfully request that each setting considers completing this training in line with your duties under Working Together to Safeguard Children and adherence to Local Safeguarding Partnership procedures.

Whilst not essential, we also invite settings to ask an additional staff member of staff who would have a key role in responding to a critical incident (e.g. DSL, DDSL, SENDCo) to attend as this will enable you to reflect together on your school’s context.

Course Content

This half day training for Early Years settings will provide senior leaders with an understanding of what can happen in a setting community when a critical incident occurs, and how they can best respond. It will be delivered by The Educational Psychology service with support from the Safeguarding in Education Team.

Whilst critical incidents are always unanticipated, having a pre-prepared response can reduce pressure on staff and ensure that they are able to provide comprehensive and timely support to pupils and the wider school community.

This training will support senior leaders in reflecting upon and/or developing their setting’s contingency plan. Drawing upon research and evidence, we will outline core components of a critical incident response plan whilst also highlighting contextual considerations.

Our aim for this session is to help senior leaders have the knowledge and understanding required to respond to a critical incident confidently and competently.

The course will include the following;

• What is a critical incident?
• The impact of trauma, bereavement and loss on the setting community
• How to provide support in the initial days, weeks and subsequent months following a critical incident
• Developing your setting’s contingency plan
• Communicating difficult news within your school community and externally
• Identifying those at-risk following an incident
• Wider legislative documents and procedures to be aware of
• Processes and support available from the Local Authority
• Local and national support available
• Considerations for how to look after yourself and your team