Uncollected Children Policy

Posted on October 15, 2025 by - Childcare Policies

1. Policy Statement 

First Kick Football has a duty of care to ensure children are safe and supervised at all times. If a child is not collected at the end of a session or event, we follow clear procedures to safeguard the child and ensure their welfare. 

2. Legislative Framework 

  • Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS 2024) 
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2025) 
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) 
  • Children Act 1989 and 2004 
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 

3. Procedures for Uncollected Children 

  • Parents/carers are informed of the club’s opening and closing times and expected to collect their child promptly. 
  • If a parent/carer is delayed, they must contact the club as soon as possible. 
  • In the event of a late collection, staff will: 
  •  – Comfort and reassure the child. 
  •  – Attempt to contact the parent/carer using the emergency contact details provided. 
  •  – If no response, attempt to contact additional authorised contacts. 
  •  – Continue to supervise the child until collected. 

4. Escalation Procedures 

  • If after 30 minutes no contact has been made, the Operations Director or designated safeguarding lead will be informed. 
  • If no one can be reached and the child remains uncollected after 1 hour, Social Care and/or the Police will be contacted for advice and support. 
  • A written record will be kept of all incidents of late collection. 

5. Safeguarding Considerations 

  • Children will never be released to unauthorised adults. 
  • Two staff members will remain with the child until collected, where possible. 
  • If there are repeated incidents of late collection, this will be discussed with parents/carers and may result in further action. 

6. Responsibilities 

  • Operations Director – ensures compliance with safeguarding requirements. 
  • HR & Coaching Performance Manager / Welfare Officer (Danny Nolan) – provides guidance, ensures staff are trained, and escalates safeguarding cases. 
  • Holiday Club Manager (Lee Galloway) – ensures the procedure is followed consistently across sites. 
  • All Staff – must follow this procedure and record incidents accurately. 

7. Review 

This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier if required by safeguarding updates.