SET Responding to Critical Incidents - Guidance for Senior Leaders in Schools and Settings

This free training is for senior leaders in schools and settings including Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers and/or Assistant Head Teachers.

Whilst not essential, we also invite schools to ask an additional staff member of school 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.

We respectfully request that each setting considers completing this assessment in line with your duties under Working Together to Safeguard Children and adherence to Local Safeguarding Partnership procedures.

This one-day training for primary, secondary and post 16 schools/settings will provide senior leaders with an understanding of what can happen in a school 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 furnish senior leaders with 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 school/setting community
• Recent, local experiences of critical incidents in Bristol schools and reflections from school leaders around these
• 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
• Specific considerations relating to suicide
• 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