Page 61 - SyI Quarterly - Q3 and Q4 Edition 2023

Disturbingly child fatalities across the globe have occurred through external attacks including terrorism
related attacks. Historically and recently there have been terrorism threats to UK early years settings and
planned attacks intervened. When considering marauding attacks on education settings, one factor that
can be considered is the access control of a setting and the security of a setting. Previously marauding
firearms attacks on schools have been carried out due to the attacker having ease of access to the school
through left-open fire doors etc. However, even authorised users can pose a risk. When reflecting on an
attack in a nursery setting in Thailand, the attacker was the parent of a child. It is common practice for
settings to allow access to parents and guardians inside the building, a practice that can potentially pose
a dangerous risk. DRA and threat assessment can be considered by owners to decide the appropriate
controls to mitigate threats of terrorism as well as seeking professional advice. Terror attacks are
however worst-case scenario, and mitigation controls should be in place for any external threat such as
an aggressive customer or child abduction.

Recently Daniel and Jacqueline Pike developed free dynamic threat and risk assessment training (DTRA)
with the view of reducing child injuries and deaths in early years settings. The training was developed due
to their daughter having a serious accident in a nursery due to a staff member being on their phone. Not
wanting this to happen again or to any other child, Daniel and Jaqueline decided to develop DTRA to
educate workers within the setting. The training is provided for free to early years managers/owners and
L&D managers via Microsoft Teams, who then role out to staff. The aim of DTRA is to create awareness
for staff in settings on how to assess and prevent threat and risk within a setting. It highlights types of
threat and risk both internal and external, how the threat and risk occur and how to mitigate it. It also
covers good security practice to create a safer worker environment for staff, customers and settings.

The training has been sent out to all major early-year’s companies across the UK and small settings
around North Wales, Wirral, and Cheshire and thus far has received great feedback, with a charity also
considering endorsing it. DTRA in early years highlights a link between the security industry and early
years education by way of early years settings following good security practices. DTRA also advises
settings to have a security risk assessment carried out on settings to identify gaps that can create
opportunities for threat and risk. It could be suggested that forming working relationships between
professionals within these industries can help create and help towards a culture change of early years
workers improved security and risk awareness.

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