Page 62 - SyI Quarterly - Q3 and Q4 Edition 2023

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Dynamic Threat & Risk assessment training in

children’s day nurseries

Daniel Pike MSyI

Daniel Pike has a master’s degree in security and risk management and is an award-winning security
professional with over a decade’s worth of experience in the security industry. He is a former Police
Officer and has worked in numerous sectors of the security industry in senior manager roles. He is
currently employed as a UK divisional security lead. He has been a finalist for 6 industry awards,
written security articles for magazines, published research, and received recognition from the British
Citizens Awards for his contribution to society and being an inspiration to others. Daniel has always
had a passion for protecting others and has previously saved and protected life putting his own at risk.
Following a serious accident his daughter had in a nursery and numerous other accidents in another.
All accidents could have been prevented with the correct risk assessment and concentration from staff.
Daniel then decided to research accidents and fatalities in day nurseries to help bring to light what
measures could be put in place to mitigate and reduce incidents. Daniel enlisted help from his wife
Jacqueline who is a professional in early years with over a decade’s worth of experience
including at senior management level. Jacqueline has worked for international chains, multi-site
managed settings, and turned around poor-performing settings. She has a passion for child education
and safety and confirmed many incidents can be preventable with the correct risk assessment and
training for staff. This allowed in-depth knowledge of the phenomena and the industry which in turn
triggered the development of a Dynamic Threat & Risk assessment training.

The DTRA training is a finalist at the Fire and Security Excellence Awards for security innovation of the
year, along with Daniel being a finalist for Security Manager of the year. Daniel was again a finalist earlier
this year for Risk Manager of the year at the Fire and Security Matters Awards and finalist for the David
Clark award for exceptional contribution to the UK Security Sector.

When considering improvement of health and safety in the early years environment, it could be
considered that DTRA can contribute to this by developing a staff culture of continuous awareness of
identifying risks and threats within the workplace. With this in place, in turn it can create a safer
environment for staff, children, and visitors. Following the cycles within DTRA helps identify the risk and
threat, mitigate against these factors, or remove the factors enabling a continuous learning of
preparedness for current and future threats and risk. A focus on staff understanding of a risk
assessment and quality training can further provide assurance of correct risks and threats being
identified, which can in turn create resilience and best safe practice. It could be suggested that child
friendly risk assessments can be implemented to improve child risk and threat awareness, assisting with
risk and threat prevention. Highlighting identified risks and threats can allow businesses to ensure they
have the correct resources to respond to any prevent incidents such as purchasing choke tubes to aid
with a choking incident.

A key factor to consider within DTRA within the early year’s environment is the security of a setting and
measures that can be put in place to improve setting security. Access control measures form the first
line of defence for a setting starting with consideration of the setting’s external perimeter such as types
of fencing, gates, and barriers, and the inclusion of crime prevention through environmental design
(CPTED). Not only from a security perspective but from a health and safety one, the implementation of

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