Responding to critical incidents in educational communities

This suite of materials is designed to help staff to support children and young people who have experienced traumatic incidents.

It aims to support staff to provide comprehensive and compassionate support across the whole school community.  

The resource includes tips and suggestions in areas such as policy, training and broader mental health provision. It contains:

• an introductory video
• a guidance handbook outlining key principles for responding to critical incidents
• policy frameworks and editable templates
• lesson plans on emotional regulation following traumatic events
• INSET session plan and presentation
• guidance for working with parents and carers
• an A3 poster to display in your setting.

The resource uses a five-step framework that can be consistently applied to your setting, with a focus on preventative measures, planning and preparation.

Staff may wish to use this resource to review current practise and work with leadership to develop a strategy for dealing with critical incidents in their setting.

Using this resource

This resource is designed for: 

• use by mental health leads working with students aged 5 to 19+.

Learning outcomes

This resource addresses the following learning outcomes: 

• Develop, with others, a cross curricular approach to promote mental health and wellbeing.
• Recognise the links between physical and mental health and how to work across the school to promote this.