St. Colmcille’s Boys’ National School, Chapel Lane, Swords, Co.Dublin K67 WP65

(01) 8405132

St Colmcille's BNS

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Children Not Collected From School

Children Not Collected from School – Policy and Procedures

 Please ensure that before a child starts school details of the child i.e. date of birth, address, address of both parents, and their contact details, who has parental responsibility for the child etc. are obtained. It is also important that details of the child’s emergency contacts are sought. Please remind parents, on a regular basis, to inform the school of changes to any of these details.

 Children Not Collected from School

This protocol should be followed on those occasions where a child has not been collected from school at the end of the day and it has not proved possible to contact the parent(s)/carer(s) or the emergency contact person for the child.  Where children are collected late from school on a regular basis, then the school must make a referral to the HSE Social Services Dept. at Airside  (Ph: 01 8708000.

The guiding principle in dealing with any situation in which a child is not collected from school must be to minimise distress to the child and for him to remain in familiar surroundings and/or with familiar people for as long as possible.

Procedures

 

  1. If a child has not been collected, every possible effort will be to contact the parent(s)/carer(s). The child may well be able to indicate if something out of the ordinary has happened at home (e.g. parental illness or absence).  On some occasions another parent may offer to take a child home with them.  A child will never be released into the care of another adult without the consent of the parent(s)/ carer(s).  Neither will members of staff take, or drive, children to their home or to the home of the child (ren).

 

  1. Initial attempt to contact parents/carers should be made when 15 minutes have elapsed after school closing time. After 30 minutes have elapsed contact with all emergency numbers supplied by the family should be attempted.

 

  1. If no contact has been made and no one has arrived to collect the child when one hour after school closing time has elapsed, then the school should contact HSE Social Services Dept at Airside (Ph: 01 8708000, and provide name, date of birth and address of the child; the names of the parents/carers and their contact numbers plus any other relevant information regarding the child and their family.

 

  1. The Duty Social Worker will make arrangements for the child until the parent(s)/carer(s) can be traced. Please wait with the child in school until the social worker arrives, or, in exceptional circumstances, it is agreed that the school will bring the child to the Social Care Office

 

  1. These arrangements can also be implemented in the following circumstances:

 

  • Where a parent does not arrive to collect the child and no contact can be made because the telephone numbers (including any emergency numbers) provided by the parent/carer have been cut off or are unobtainable.

 

  • Where the person calling to collect the child is not considered an appropriate adult, eg is under age, appears intoxicated, and it has not been possible to contact the parent/carer or the emergency contact.

 

  1. Once the child is in the care of Social Care, they will take the responsibility for tracing the parent(s)/carer(s).