St. Columba’s Girls’ National School with Facility for Deaf Children, Douglas , Cork.
———————————————————————————Accident/Injury Policy
Introduction:
This policy was originally drafted in November 2015.
Rationale:
The formulation of this policy enables our school to effectively:
- Provide for the immediate needs and requirements of students who have sustained either a serious or a minor injury
- Ensure that adequate resources and arrangements are in place to deal with injuries/accidents as they arise
- Ensure lines of communication with parents/guardians are in place if required
- Activate a known plan of action with which all staff are familiar
Relationship to Ethos of School:
St. Columba’s Girls National School believes that the personal, social, moral and physical development of each member of the school community is important. Education flourishes in an environment where good relationships are encouraged, where people feel valued and respected, and where there is genuine tolerance, fairness and support for those in difficulty. This philosophy informs and underpins all the work of the school and is central to this policy document.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The overall responsibility for the day to day management of school supervision /routines rests with the Principal. The class teacher is responsible for classroom supervision and teachers on yard duty are directly responsible for the supervision of pupils at break time. Any First Aid rendered by the school is intended to be of a temporary nature and to be the minimal level of care. Injuries should be fully examined by parents/guardians when children arrive home. Any further diagnosis or extended care should be passed on to medical professionals.
Aims/Objectives:
- To ensure the physical safety and well being of all staff and pupils
- To develop a framework of procedures whereby all injuries are dealt with in a competent and safe manner
Accidents in the classroom, hall or corridor
If an accident occurs in the classroom and the class teacher is concerned he/she will alert the Principal Teacher or the Deputy Principal Teacher. A record of the accident will be recorded in the Incident Book and an Accident/Incident note will be filled out and sent home if deemed necessary. If the injury is regarded as serious, the parents/guardians will be phoned.
Accidents on a school tour/trip
The class teacher will bring a First Aid kit on the trip and a list of emergency contact numbers with any relevant medical information. Minor accidents will be dealt with similar to a minor accident occurring in school.
If a serious accident occurs, every effort will be made to contact parents/guardians.
Should a serious accident occur and the teacher is unable to contact the parents/guardians, she may act in loco parentis and deal with the situation.
Where the staff of the school is involved in after school activities, they will follow the same First Aid procedures.
Categories of Injury
Minor Accident/Injury
The injured pupil will be initially looked after by the teacher/SNA on yard duty. No medicines will be administered but cuts will be cleaned with anti septic wipes and bandages/plasters applied if deemed appropriate. The use of plastic gloves is advised at all times. Parents will be notified, by means of Accident/Incident form, if necessary as a matter of protocol.
Very Serious Injuries
In the event of a serious injury, parents/guardians will be immediately contacted. If the considered opinion of the staff is that immediate professional help is required, an ambulance will be called. On rare occasions the staff may agree that taking the child to Accident & Emergency in a private car is a more prudent option. Parents will be kept informed of developing situations.
This policy is based on collective teacher input. The teacher on yard duty is automatically assisted by others in the case of a serious injury.
Resources:
The First Aid Boxes are located in each staffroom and all staff is aware of this location. The contents of the First Aid Box will be replenished when deemed necessary.
Record Keeping:
The Incident Report Book is kept in the School Office. One Incident Report Book covers all children in the school. The Incident Book will record the date and time of accident, nature of injuries, a brief description of the circumstance of the accident, the teacher on duty and procedures followed by staff. Very serious injuries will be notified to the schools insurers. Relevant medical information on all pupils is obtained at time of enrolment. This section asks parents to list allergies and other medical conditions their child may have.
Teachers will also fill out an Accident/Incident form if necessary and send it to parents to sign. This signed returned note will be sent to the principal for record keeping.
Evaluation:
The success of this policy is measured from set criteria:
- Maintaining a relatively accident free school environment
- Positive feedback from staff, parents, children
- Continual observation of behaviour by all staff engaged in supervision duties
- Monitoring and evaluation at staff meetings
Ratification:
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on………………………………………………………………
Implementation and Review
The policy will be reviewed regularly in the light of experience. It will be reviewed by the full staff and Board of Management every three years. Any staff member, board member, parent, guardian or student who is unhappy with the content or the implementation of any school policy may request a review at any time and such a request will be dealt with as quickly as possible. Next review of this policy will occur during the school year 2016/17.
Signed: ______________________________________ Signed: _________________________________
Chairperson of Board of Management Principal
Date: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________