Dear Head teachers and Chairs of Governors
In 2016, a four year old Hackney child died at home from dehydration and starvation following the unexpected death of his mother two weeks earlier. Chadrack had learning difficulties and he did not know how to call for help or feed himself properly.
Following a Disabled Children’s policy and practice review group in June 2018, a number of actions were recommended as a result of the discussion regarding the attached Local Review into the death of Chadrack. CHSCB-Local-Review-Chadrack-Report-FINAL It took 17 days for Chadrack to be found, despite efforts from his school to obtain entry to his flat, which they were unable to do because of a communal door entry system.
The review group came up with the following recommendations, which are specifically pertinent to schools and settings with non-verbal students.
- For each of the special schools to share their attendance policies.
- For schools to provide information as to when the ‘unplanned absence’ process starts and in what form. If the Absence starts or continues through a school holiday this may well delay support getting to a child in time.
- For schools to have a number of up-to-date contact numbers for family/friends that are not just limited to the main carer.
- For schools to ask parents if they would like to share any information regarding their own health condition that might impact on their ability to care for their child – when to be worried
- For schools to devise a safety plan with the parent if they disclose that they have epilepsy
- For schools to devise a safety plan with the parent if the child is non-verbal or young and unable to summon help.
- For schools and parents to work in partnership re preparing children to access help – texting etc.
- We enquired as to whether any of the special schools had ever audited their absences against their protocol to check compliance.
- For Housing to be asked if they have an Intercom fob that bypasses the ordinary communal door entry system in council house blocks which DCT are following up.
- For Wajeeha Amin (Education Welfare Officer) to share Education Welfare’s process for their series of checks for ‘missing children’ with the schools for information.
Jeannette Brand, Deputy Head of Service for Integrated Service for Children with SEND, has asked for feedback from you and your schools regarding this matter – what actions you already have in place and those that you might propose as a result of the findings into Hackney’s review. Please feedback to Jeannette – Jeannette.brand@haringey.gov.uk
Please also forward a copy of your Attendance policy to Jeannette as soon as possible.
Finally, Hackney has shared the attached Attendance policy template that Hackney’s Learning Trust are recommending to their schools as a result of the review. I am also attaching a copy of the Roles and Responsibilities regarding attendance for information purposes.
Attendance and Safeguarding Sample Policy 2017
Attendance – Roles and Responsibilities 2017
Eveleen Riordan, Assistant Director, Schools and Learning, Haringey Council