Version Information
Fri, 31 Mar 2023
Approved by: Governance Board
Current Version: V1.0
Replaces Version: V0.0
Next Review: Fri, 31 Mar 2023
Domain:
Institute
Critical Incident Policy
Purpose
This policy articulates Metavision Institute’s management of critical incidents and ensures the interests of students, staff and their families are protected in the case of critical incidents.
Scope
This policy applies to all critical incidents that affect students, staff and visitors to Metavision Institute. Metavision Institute is committed to providing a positive and supportive environment for staff and students as a protective factor should critical incidents occur.
Definitions
A Critical Incident means a traumatic event, or the threat of such (within or outside the campus), that is sudden, protracted, or ongoing, that causes high levels of stress, distress, fear, or injury, to students attending Metavision Institute, staff and/or visitors. Critical incidents are not limited to, but could include:
- A serious injury (for example, as a result of a traffic accident, violence, sexual assault, drug or alcohol abuse),
- An illness which has a seriously detrimental impact on a student’s mental or physical health,
- A death,
- A missing student (neither staff nor any of the student’s friends have been able to make any contact with the student for a period in excess of 24 hours),
- An act of terrorism,
- Other events, such as a natural disaster, an infectious disease, a global financial crisis, or any other event that might impact on the health and safety of students and staff,
- Bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault and theft.
The Critical Incident Response Team means the group convened by the Executive Officer for the purpose of providing immediate response, advice and assistance regarding Metavision Institute’s response to critical incidents and associated impacts on its community.
Relevant TEQSA Threshold Standards
This policy aligns with requirements of Sections 2.3: Wellbeing and Safety, Section 6.2: Corporate Monitoring and Accountability and 7.3 Information Management of the Higher Education Standards Framework 2015.
Policy
- Metavision Institute takes seriously its responsibility to be prepared to respond to any critical incidents that might involve or impact members of its community. This includes evaluating the workplace and campus for possible risks to prevent critical incidents from occurring.
- Metavision Institute regularly plans and trials responses to possible critical incident scenarios, reviews responses to critical incidents, and aims to continuously improve its approach to the management of critical incidents.
- Metavision Institute ensures that at least two staff members have up to date first aid training and are competent in providing first aid.
- Metavision Institute maintains an emergency contact list with mobile phone numbers for key personnel, staff, emergency and health services, and relevant authorities.
- Students are required to advise Metavision Institute of their current contact details, including emergency contacts. These details are checked by staff, including the Academic Director, Course Coordinator, academic teaching staff, and administration and professional staff, in every one-to-one engagement with a student, to ensure currency.
- Metavision Institute values the privacy of every individual and protects the personal information of all students and staff.
Implementation
- Staff are to notify the Executive Officer as soon as possible at the outset of any critical incident.
- The Executive Officer is responsible for mobilising the Critical Incident Response Team as soon as possible following the notification of a critical incident.
- Metavision Institute’s overriding objective following a critical incident is to provide information to the emergency contacts of affected students and staff, if necessary, in a sensitive and supportive manner.
- Staff members are encouraged to discuss the impact of critical incidents on them with the Executive Officer, the Academic Director and/or members of the Critical Incident Response Team.
- Students are encouraged and supported to discuss the impact of critical incidents on them with the Academic Director and/or members of the Critical Incident Response Team.
- Any media inquiries or enquiries from other external bodies are to be directed to the Executive Officer.
Documentation
Relevant aspects of critical incidents are to be recorded on the Critical Incident Report Form (Appendix one) by staff and submitted to the Executive Officer as soon as possible after the incident.
Responsibilities
The Executive Officer is responsible for:
- Ensuring that Metavision Institute staff are familiar with this policy and are provided with ongoing training to ensure they can respond appropriately to critical incidents.
- Establishing the Critical Incident Response Team and ensuring that its members have the required expertise and training to respond promptly, professionally and effectively to critical incidents.
- Allocating individual roles and responsibilities to members of the Critical Incident Response Team in anticipation of a critical incident, including an executive role for management and communication of a critical incident.
- Convening regular meetings of the Critical Incident Response Team to review incident scenarios and the Critical Incident Register, including actions taken, and to develop and document agreed protocols, including emergency contact details for key personnel, for engagement with external parties, including (but not limited to):
◉ Emergency contacts for students and staff,
◉ Police and other emergency services,
◉ Hospitals and medical staff,
◉ Relevant State and local Government authorities,
◉ Professionally accredited and registered counsellors, and
◉ Other groups as required. - Ensuring that affected staff and students are provided with time out to rest and re-orient to work or study, or transport to their home address is arranged.
- Conducting a review of Metavision Institute’s response to any critical incident.
- Briefing the Academic Director and Chair of the Governance Board about any critical incident as soon as it is contained.
The Academic Director is responsible for arranging debriefing of the affected students and for making referrals to external counsellors and psychotherapists.
Line Managers are responsible for training new staff in this policy in their induction.
Related Documents
- Business Continuity Plan
- Risk Management Framework
- Critical Incident Report Form
- Emergency Drill Schedule and Reporting
- Risk Register