Page 26 - Group Leader Handbook

Lost Student Procedure

If you are on an excursion/visit and you suspect you have lost a student, imme-
diately implement the following procedure:
Remain calm – students often get lost (even on a straight road) but rarely stay Tips to Avoid this Happening
lost

Stop the group in a safe place (i.e. not next to a busy road or blocking a path)  Always check that the students have
on your normal route, preferably in a clearly visible place, so that the student
their ID card before they leave the centre
can find you if they are just lagging behind.
 Take a roll call before moving the group
Gather information:
from one place to another and take regu-
 Take a roll call to check who is missing and if they were alone (students lar head counts en route. Always check
often go missing in pairs) numbers yourself!
 Ask the group when they were last seen  Check that the group is all concentrating
before moving
Try ringing their mobile number (their friends might have it if you don’t)
 Adults should be posted at the front and
Don’t let the situation get any worse:
rear of any group. The staff member/
 If you can contact the student, ask them where they are and go and find Group Leader at the back should hurry
them. Don’t risk them getting lost looking for you. people along and the person at the front
should stop the group if they think the
 Never send a student alone to look for a student – you could end up with line is getting too strung out. If there is
two missing students
only one staff member, we ask that you
 Make sure that no-one else wanders off help and go at the back of the students.
If there were other groups present where the student was last seen, phone
them to check if they have them – they might have picked them up
If someone needs to go to look for them:
 CHSC staff may as you to go with one of the student’s friends to act as an-
other pair of eyes. There’s no point in sending a staff member alone if they
can’t recognise the student.

 Check that you have exchanged mobile phone numbers
 Search for the student in the designated free time area or where they were
last seen.

 Provided the rest of the group is in a safe place, ask them to wait there. If
you do have to move on, don’t stray from the planned route and tell the
people you have sent out where to find you.
If you haven’t found the student after 5 minutes, the CHSC staff member will
call the centre to report them missing. We tell them to keep the phone line
clear as much as possible. When you find the student, call the centre to let
them know.
Wait for the student until told to leave by the CHSC Staff member.

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