Critical Incident

West Island School
Critical Incident Policy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Immediate Action to be taken

2. Contact details of Critical Incident Management Team
3. The West Island School Critical Incidents Management Team
4. Recovery timeline
5. Role descriptions / checklists
6. Rationale
7. Evaluation
May 2008
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1.0 Immediate Action to be Taken by all Staff in Any Crisis Situation.
1.1 Put student safety first at all times

1.2 Clear the area of the incident of students
1.3 Phone the designated LT member for advice and aid if you have a phone
1.4 Send for help via another staff member/student to the office
1.5 Use the designated Critical Incident Team if possible: too much staff help will
confuse the issue
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2. CONTACT DETAILS:
CIMT contact Name Mobile phone Office extension Home phone e-mail
Principal / External Relations Ms Jane FOXCROFT 9180 9257 2819 1982 X136 2566 4585 jane.foxcroft@wis.edu.hk
Organisation Mr Adrian TANG 9465 5616 2819 1962 x130 2528 3923 adrian.tang@wis.edu.hk
Staff Needs Mr Paul TOUGH 9573 3164 2819 1962 x131 2537 7120 paul.tough@wis.edu.hk
Student Needs: Upper School Ms Kellie FAGAN 6072 6353 2819 1962 X168 / 210 6072 6353 kellie.fagan@wis.edu.hk
Student Needs: Middle School Ms Julie Hannaford 6019 0322 2819 1962 x201/150/243 2982 4921 julie.hannaford@wis.edu.hk
Student Needs: Lower School Ms Kim Isaac 6204 4743 2819 1962 x111 ---------- kim.isaac@wis.edu.hk
CIMT Back-up Team

Organisation Mr. David KIRBY 9669 0196 2819 1962 x167 / 222 2813 9453 david.kirby@wis.edu.hk
Mr Nick Forde 6507 5422 2819 1962 x117 / 240 2803 0172 nick.forde@wis.edu.hk
Staff Needs Mr John MYATT ---------- 2819 1962 X153 2787 4945 john.myatt@wis.edu.hk
Ms Barbara COOPER 9754 2244 2818 1962 x204 2566 4560 barbara.cooper@wis.edu.hk
Internal/External Relations Mr Rob STITCH 9804 3471 2819 1962 X126 2566 4415 rob.stitch@wis.edu.hk
Ms Leigh DALGARNO 6124 1108 2819 1962 x 150 2573 5454 leigh.dalgarno@wis.edu.hk
Student Needs: Upper School
Student Needs: Middle School
Student Needs: Lower School
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3. WEST ISLAND SCHOOL: CIMT
Principal
CIMT
Meeting and agreement on actions
Staff Needs Student Needs External Relations Organisation

Coordinator: Coordinators: Coordinator: Coordinator:
Vice Principal (Paul HoS Principal Budget Manager
Tough) (Jane Foxcroft) (Adrian Tang)
BACK-UP TEAM
In the event of injury, illness or psychological trauma to a member of CIMT, the
following staff have been designated as back-up to fulfill the roles.
Organisation: David KIRBY and if also absent Nick FORDE

Staff: John MYATT and if also absent Barbara COOPER
Internal & External Relations: Rob STITCH and if also absent Leigh DALGARNO
Student Needs Coordinators: DHOS
2/07/2008
RECOVERY TIMELINE
4.
The Recovery Timeline following a Critical Incident will vary depending on the
circumstances.
Gather the facts

Within 24 hours Ensure safety and welfare of the school community
Where possible, notify the time and place of the debriefing to
all relevant persons
Manage the media
Set-up a Counselling Centre and Reflection Room
Keep staff, students and parents informed
Arrange counselling as needed

Within 48-72 hours Provide opportunities for staff and students to talk about the
incident
Provide support to staff and helpers
Debrief all relevant persons
Restore normal functioning as soon as possible
Keep school community informed
Monitor progress of hospitalized staff or students
Monitor mental and physical health of all helpers
Arrange a memorial service, if appropriate

Within First Month Encourage parents to participate in meeting to discuss
students’ welfare
Identify behavioural changes and possibility of post-traumatic
stress disorder and arrange for support
Monitor staff and students for signs of delayed stress and

In the Medium-Term onset of post-traumatic stress disorder - refer for
specialized treatment
Provide support for staff, students, parents if needed (e.g.
workshops)
Consider including the issue as a topic in the PSE programme
In the Long-Term Plan for and be sensitive to disturbing influences of

(more than 12 anniversaries, inquests and legal proceedings
months) Access special support if needed
Organise a permanent memorial if appropriate
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5. ROLE DESCRIPTIONS
5.1 CIMT Key Person: Internal and External Agencies - Principal
Possible Tasks When Completed Review

() Effectiveness
1 Attends to immediate family needs and is present
with student or staff members affected as first
port of call at all times
2 Liaise with family or relevant person regarding an

appropriate statement to the media
3 Brief staff and students that all requests from the

media are directed to the Principal
4 Prepare a media statement

5 Prepare a phone response to the media
6 Prepare a phone response to enquiries and offers of

support
7 Liaise with School Council

8 Liaise with PTA
9 Liaise with ESF
10 Ensure that legal assistance, if required, is organised
through ESF
11 Written correspondence produced and distributed

(liaising with PTA)
12 Discuss school support and grief/trauma reactions

(+PTA)
13 Co-ordinate offers of parental assistance
14 Lead daily debriefs as appropriate
15 Prepare follow-up article for Newsletter
16 Arrange Parent Support Evening with facilitators

from external agencies
17 Distribute comprehensive list of Community Support

Services (if appropriate)
18 Consider need for Parent Education for all parents
2/07/2008
ROLE DESCRIPTIONS (cont)
5.2 CIMT Key Person: Student Needs Co-ordinator - HoS/HoY

() Effectiveness
1 Individually interview those directly related to
the Critical Incident (consider legalities): HoS
2 Check Tutor Group outline for announcement,

and provide guidelines for Tutors on how to
manage announcement: HoS
3 Initial “at risk” list prepared of those students

seen as most vulnerable: HoY
4 Contact by phone parents of students most at

risk: HoY
5 Prepare Counselling Centres: HoS
6 Organise for relevant staff member to act as a

liaison person in the Counselling Centre: HoS
7 Record all names of students being seen by a

Counsellor and by whom: HoY
8 Distribute interview pro-formas: HoY
9 Establish appropriate environment for

Reflection Room: HoS
10 Co-ordinate the preparation of reflections for

students: HoS
11 Organise student involvement, eg hospital visits,

funeral attendance: HoS
12 Update summary of ‘Students at Risk’ with

recommendations to LT: HoS
2/07/2008
5.3 CIMT Key Person: Organisation Co-ordinator

() Effectiveness
1 Collect all the facts at the scene, photos.
2 Field all media enquires until the Principal
returns. Note “No comment” statement to be
used
3 Notify and negotiate with Police and Emergency
Services as required
4 Release suitable support staff to replace key

personnel
5 Employ supply staff in case teachers are unable

to carry out normal routines
6 Make appropriate changes to timetable and

classrooms
7 Advice to office staff re direction of enquiries
8 Organise secretarial support for log to record

names
9 Organise secretarial support to take any general

phone enquiries from parents
10 Provide guidelines for secretarial staff on how

to respond to parental enquiries
11 Prepare Reflection Room
12 Organise roster of supervision of Reflection

Room
13 Organisation for morning tea and lunch for

visiting Counsellors
14 Make changes to class rolls as required
15 Work with Site Manager as appropriate
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5.4 CIMT Key Person: Staff Needs Co-ordinator

() Effectiveness
1 Liaise with appropriate staff to disseminate
information
2 Inform Business Manager who will disseminate

information to ancillary staff
3 Prepare practical information sheet for students

and staff
4 Individually interview those directly related to the

Critical Incident (consider legalities)
5 Contact counsellors and appropriate agencies for

support
6 Explain to staff that they will be temporarily

relieved if they wish - organise supply
7 Provide information to staff on counselling services

available to them
8 Preparing Counselling Centres
9 Establish appropriate environment for Reflection

Room
10 Co-ordinate preparation of reflections for staff
11 Organise daily debrief for staff involved
12 Co-ordinate support for CIMT
13 Organise staff involvement, eg hospital visits,

funeral attendance
14 Examine long-term professional development needs

of staff
15 Remember anniversaries
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6.0 RATIONALE
6.1 A Critical Incident can be defined as an event which causes disruption to an
organisation, creates significant danger or risk, and which creates a situation where
staff, students and parents feel unsafe, vulnerable or under stress. It is an unusual or
unexpected occurrence or event that has the capacity to trigger significant emotional
reaction in individuals such that their coping mechanism can be overwhelmed, and/.or
cause significant disruption to the normal operations of the school.
Examples of Critical Incident include:
 Serious injury, illness or death, of a member of the School community (where
community includes staff, students and their families)
 Suicide of a member of the School community
 Students or staff lost, injured or killed on an excursion
 Students or staff retained or stranded overseas
 Violent assault on a member of the School community
 Violent event in the local or global community, including terrorist activity
 Students or staff witnessing a serious accident or incident of violent
 Significant vandalism or destruction of part of the School property
 Fire, bomb threat, explosion, gas, chemical or natural hazard
 Students or staff being taken hostage
6.2 Recommended (Police) Preventative Measures
- As a matter of routine, the guards at the two primary entrances should be
briefed to be on the look-out for vehicles which are repeatedly present at
school opening and closing times but which are not observed to be delivering
or collecting children. School closing time is the more vulnerable period as
parked vehicles will afford greater cover for culprits to conduct surveillance
on children.
- The identification of children at specific risk is problematic as political
threat levels and family circumstances change. However, a circular to
parents (in pursuit of your routine review of school security) is advised,
encouraging them to discuss their personal situation with the school should
they deem it necessary.
- Should a threat to a specific child be identified, temporary arrangements
for the child to be delivered to and collected (upon production of pre-
registered ID) from the relative security of the carpark should be initiated.
- Parents who make such concerns known to the school should also be
encouraged to contact the Crime Prevention Bureau - either Mr. W R White
on 2860 5136 or Mr. Gary Clarke on 2860 5135.
- Subject to the availability of funds, the deployment of additional CCTV
cameras to cover the areas outside the school entrances may be considered.
It is stressed, however, that this proposal should not be accorded a high
priority, in the context of the risk assessment.
- In the event of any incident, a Police response will be most quickly generated
via a call to 999.
2/07/2008
6.3 Following a Critical Incident, there may be significant diminishing of decision-
making skills and the ability to plan. Often the very people who need to
implement the Critical Incident Management Plan feel intense trauma of system
strategies with a high level of competency.
Two key strategies which facilitate the process are:
a. The formation of a Critical Incident Management Team (“CIMT”)
which each Team member has a predetermined role there will
obviously be overlap. The Principal has the overall leadership role.
b. The Use of Checklists: Each CIMT member has a one-page checklist
to clarify their duties.
7.0 EVALUATION
i. On an annual basis (in September), the CIMT and back-up
personnel meet to clarify roles and procedures.
ii. If there is a critical incident, it will be reviewed after a
suitable period of time. This involves assessing the
effectiveness of the short-term response and deciding upon
appropriate support for the future. This may include additional
use of support agencies, professional development for staff and
information evenings for parents.
2/07/2008

Critical Incident

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West Island School

Critical Incident Policy

1. Immediate Action to be taken

1.1 Put student safety first at all times

CIMT Back-up Team

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Staff Needs Student Needs External Relations Organisation

Organisation: David KIRBY and if also absent Nick FORDE

Gather the facts

Arrange counselling as needed

Arrange a memorial service, if appropriate

Monitor staff and students for signs of delayed stress and

In the Long-Term Plan for and be sensitive to disturbing influences of

Possible Tasks When Completed Review

2 Liaise with family or relevant person regarding an

3 Brief staff and students that all requests from the

4 Prepare a media statement

6 Prepare a phone response to enquiries and offers of

7 Liaise with School Council

11 Written correspondence produced and distributed

12 Discuss school support and grief/trauma reactions

13 Co-ordinate offers of parental assistance

14 Lead daily debriefs as appropriate

15 Prepare follow-up article for Newsletter

16 Arrange Parent Support Evening with facilitators

17 Distribute comprehensive list of Community Support

18 Consider need for Parent Education for all parents

Possible Tasks When Completed Review

2 Check Tutor Group outline for announcement,

3 Initial “at risk” list prepared of those students

4 Contact by phone parents of students most at

5 Prepare Counselling Centres: HoS

6 Organise for relevant staff member to act as a

7 Record all names of students being seen by a

8 Distribute interview pro-formas: HoY

9 Establish appropriate environment for

10 Co-ordinate the preparation of reflections for

11 Organise student involvement, eg hospital visits,

12 Update summary of ‘Students at Risk’ with

Possible Tasks When Completed Review

4 Release suitable support staff to replace key

5 Employ supply staff in case teachers are unable

6 Make appropriate changes to timetable and

7 Advice to office staff re direction of enquiries

8 Organise secretarial support for log to record

9 Organise secretarial support to take any general

10 Provide guidelines for secretarial staff on how

11 Prepare Reflection Room

12 Organise roster of supervision of Reflection

13 Organisation for morning tea and lunch for

14 Make changes to class rolls as required

15 Work with Site Manager as appropriate

Possible Tasks When Completed Review

2 Inform Business Manager who will disseminate

3 Prepare practical information sheet for students

4 Individually interview those directly related to the

5 Contact counsellors and appropriate agencies for

6 Explain to staff that they will be temporarily

7 Provide information to staff on counselling services

8 Preparing Counselling Centres

9 Establish appropriate environment for Reflection

10 Co-ordinate preparation of reflections for staff

11 Organise daily debrief for staff involved