by Andrew Davies
andrewd@isb.ac.th
Dear ISB Community,
Update on Security, Safety and Child Protection at ISB
Over the past two years we have been working very hard to improve our preparedness as a school with respect to child protection, security and safety. It goes without saying that the safety and well being of our students, staff and community is our absolute priority.
Although many recent improvements have been made (appointment of a safety manager, procurement of an ambulance, hiring of additional nurses for longer on campus cover, appointment of a nurse consultant, installation of emergency signage & telephones, training of faculty, staff and Montri drivers in CPR/First Aid, simulation practice drills, hiring of additional lifeguards, etc) there is still much to be put in place.
A consultant from Clear Path Emergency Planning Management visited ISB from 15-17 January 2015 and provided numerous recommendations. An action plan will now be developed and actions implemented as soon as possible. The consultant will return to ISB next year to provide feedback on improvements. The primary improvement areas are related to:
- Improved screening for campus access
- Enforcement of requirement to wear ID cards
- Repairing of perimeter fencing and improving perimeter lighting
- Increased training for security guards and improved protocols
- Completion of vetting process with respect to background checks for all that work with children
- Heightening of pool fencing and installation of self locking gates
- Development of process and policy with respect to after hours supervision and facility use (where can kids go)
- Improvement of safeguards around harmful substances and debris
- Installation of clear signage with respect to emergency assembly areas and “no go areas”
- Improvement of morning and afternoon traffic with an emphasis on safety
- Regular communication to the ISB community about safety and security matters
With respect to Child Protection, a consultant from Keeping Children Safe visited ISB from 19-21 January 2015 to audit our preparedness and conduct some initial staff training. ISB will go through a rigorous accreditation process with the Keeping Children Safe organization and plans to become accredited in the first semester of the 2015/16 school year. Very few schools attempt this.
We will keep everyone updated on our progress and are keen to hear about other ways we can make our campus safer for children and our community.
Kind regards.
Dr. Andrew Davies