📒Lockdown Policy (QA2) (video needed)

National Quality Standard (NQS) - Quality Area 2: Children's health and safety

Implementation

Woodlands has set procedures to follow in the event of any emergency requiring evacuation and lockdown. These procedures comply with regulatory requirements and are consistent with recommendations by recognised authorities. They are designed to ensure the precipitate, safe and calm evacuation of all children, staff, families, and visitors. 

Whilst many emergency situations will require staff and children to evacuate from the Service, there are potential situations that will require the facility to go into ‘lockdown’. For example, the following are examples of situations that may require lockdown:

• Severe storms
• Extreme smoke from a distant bushfire 
• Chemical or hazardous substance spill 
• Gas leak / atmospheric hazardous substance
• Dangerous animal or insects
• Potentially dangerous intruder/unwanted or uninvited visitor
• Potentially violent/dangerous person due to intoxication or substance abuse
• Unidentified external disturbance

Lockdown means that all windows and external doors are locked, and where possible internal doors and blinds are locked, with children and adults being moved to a room/position that does not allow them to be viewed.

Where possible access should be maintained to a bathroom and enough space should be available for children to be comfortably involved in quiet activities. It is therefore vital that appropriate spaces have been identified and displayed on an Emergency Lockdown Procedure. This information can be displayed on the back of the Evacuation Plan, which can then be quickly taken from the wall when required. This act will ensure that in a situation involving unwanted visitors, the plan is not visible or available.  

Management or Nominated Supervisor will:

• Nominate the person/people with the authority to manage the lockdown
• Determine communication channels 
• Determine how the lockdown alert signal will be given – a code message or song 
• Design a movement and wellbeing plan to follow if not in the classroom 
• Develop an effective strategy for conducting the roll and communicating with children, educators, families, and visitors of the Service 
• Document roles and responsibilities of staff and Educators 
• Plan to maintain children’s safety
• Ensure all children, staff, families, and visitors of the Service remain inside. 
• If possible, Educators should make every effort to lock doors and windows.
• Ensure children remain in a confined area, or out of sight during the lockdown period. 
• Practice emergency drills every day for 1 week during each term/once a month
• Review and Reflect on each emergency drill to ensure strategies are effective