Unicorn Play Club – Missing Child & Uncollected Child Policy
Purpose
Unicorn Play Club is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children attending our sessions. Although we operate under Ofsted’s 2-hour exemption, we follow safeguarding best practices in line with the EYFS framework. This policy sets out clear procedures to follow in the unlikely event that a child goes missing or is not collected.
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🔍 Missing Child Procedure
If a child cannot be located during a session, the following steps will be taken:
1. Immediate action: The session is paused and all staff conduct a full search of the premises and outdoor areas.
2. Supervision: Remaining children are supervised in a safe space by a staff member.
3. Safeguarding alert: The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is notified
immediately.
4. Extended search: All staff carry out a coordinated sweep of all areas inside and
outside the premises.
5. Emergency services: If the child is not found within 10 minutes, the police are
contacted, followed by the parents or guardians.
6. Documentation: A full written report is completed, including times, staff actions, and
all communication. This is stored securely.
7. Review: The DSL will review the incident and safeguarding processes to prevent
future occurrences.
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⏰ Uncollected Child Procedure
If a child is not collected at the end of the session and no prior communication has been received:
1. Initial contact attempts: Staff will call the parent/guardian using the contact details provided.
2. Backup contact: If unreachable after 10 minutes, the emergency contact listed on the registration form will be contacted.
3. Supervision: The child will remain with a staff member in a calm, safe environment until collected.
4. After 30 minutes: If no authorised adult has arrived and contact has failed, Children’s Services or the local police will be contacted for advice.
5. No release to unknown adults: The child will only be released to adults listed on the collection authorisation form.
Photo ID may be requested.
6. Incident recording: A full written record of the incident, timings, and communication attempts will be logged and stored securely.
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🛡 Safeguarding and Record-Keeping
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The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will oversee any incident involving a missing or uncollected child.
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All incidents will be documented, signed, and stored according to our data protection policy.
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These records are reviewed regularly as part of our safeguarding monitoring.
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👨👩👦 Parental Responsibility
We ask all parents to:
• Arrive on time for both drop-off and collection
• Keep contact and emergency details up to date
• Inform us in advance if they will be late
• Ensure at least one emergency contact is not the same person as the main contact
Repeat late collections may result in refusal of future bookings.
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⚠️ Safeguarding Statement
Although Unicorn Play Club operates under the Ofsted 2-hour exemption, we choose to follow EYFS-aligned safeguarding principles to ensure the safety and protection of every child in our care.