3.1 Confidentiality
All DDSB staff are reminded that legislation, and related DDSB privacy procedures, with respect to student, family and staff confidentiality must be adhered to in all discussions, correspondence, care conferences, and program planning, including those with exceptional needs and where behaviours present a risk of injury. Care must be taken to obtain the required informed consent with respect to the sharing of pertinent medical, psychological, educational, employment and family information.
In exceptional circumstances where there is an imminent and significant risk of injury, disclosure of relevant safety information to specified school and board staff is permitted, as outlined in the following legislation:
3.1.1 Personal Health Information Protection Act:
Section 40. (1): A health information custodian may disclose personal health information about an individual if the custodian believes on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary for the purpose of eliminating or reducing a significant risk of serious bodily harm to a person or group of
persons.
3.1.2 Occupational Health and Safety Act:
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out the rights and duties for occupational health and safety of all parties in the workplace. The requirements for preventing and addressing violence in the workplace establish minimum standards and set out the rights and duties of all those who have role in dealing with workplace violence. Employers, supervisors, and workers share the responsibility
for occupational health and safety. This concept of an internal responsibility system is based on the principle that workplace parties themselves are in the best position to identify health and safety problems and develop solutions.
In addition to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, the following legislation also impacts on violence in the workplace – Ontario Education Act, Safe Schools Act/Accepting Schools Act, Criminal Code of Canada. Refer to the DDSB Workplace Violence Management Procedure for additional information.
3.2 Overview of Risk of Injury (RI) Behaviours
A relatively small number of students may have health-related (physical and/or mental health)/neurological/ developmental disabilities. These behaviours may create safety concerns within the school environment. Without adequate information and an understanding of the specific student needs and the possible symptomatic behaviours, school staff, other students and parents/guardians/caregivers will often interpret the behaviour as deliberate acting out rather than a manifestation or symptom of a health-related condition, possible accommodation needs (or to accommodation needs that have not been appropriately addressed), or an attempt to communicate needs. This misinterpretation may be further affected by inaccurate
assumptions or stereotypes based on the student’s intersecting identities and needs. Responding to the behaviour as a purposeful violation of a code of conduct and applying consequences in isolation from the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Student Safety Plan may be considered a violation of the pupil’s legal right to an appropriate education program and may be found to have adverse discriminatory impacts on neurodivergent studentsor students with different abilities or disabilities.
Symptomatic behaviours must not be responded to as an intentional or purposeful violation of a code of conduct. Rather, these behaviours and school interventions (which do not preclude suspension or denial of access) must be incorporated into the pupil’s relevant or pertinent documentation (ie. IEP, transition plan, student safety plan, or other supporting documentation).
The behaviour of some students may present a significant risk of injury to self and others when the behaviour is current; the behaviour is of such intensity that self-injury or injury to others has occurred or is likely to occur; and the behaviour is of such intensity that intervention is required to prevent or minimize injury.
The mitigation and support strategies related to risk of injury is an ongoing process, rather than a single event or meeting. It is an administrator-led collaborative process that is initiated and is revised continually, when risk of injury to self or others exists or is highly probable. The level of risk must be reviewed on an ongoing basis to determine appropriate prevention and intensive support strategies.
3.3 Health-Related and Developmental Considerations
Students may have health-related neurological or developmental considerations that can pose risk of injury to self or others. Understanding the nature of the health-related, or developmental considerations is essential to supporting the student and may inform appropriate accommodations and the development and implementation of a student’s Individual Education Plan, Transition Plan, Student Safety Plan and/or other plans to support safety and strategies.
For a student who presents with health related or developmental related developmental considerations, it is critical that the Administrator obtain (with student or parental/guardian permission) all relevant information, including behaviours that may express in such a way to potentially cause risk of injury and may create safety concerns for the student, classmates or staff within the school environment or other settings. Administrators must ensure that an appropriate IEP, Transition Plan, Student Safety Plan or other supportive plan is developed in consultation with parents/guardians/caregivers and professional staff. Administrators must ensure that an appropriate level of communication occurs with educational staff regarding the IEP, Transition Plan, Student Safety Plan, particularly with respect to RI Behaviours.
3.4 Principles Guiding the Mitigation of Risk of Injury (RI) Behaviours and Student Safety Plan
3.4.1 Context and Goals:
Mitigation of RI Behaviours and Student Safety Plans are premised on the understanding that RI Behaviours stem from the interaction between a student and the environment, rather than from simply ‘within the student.’ This requires upholding human rights (including the rights of the child) and responsibilities, centering dignity and respect, challenging and disrupting ableist assumptions, preventing discrimination, and understanding the context of the behaviour and what influences it. RI Behaviours can be mitigated and supported for safety by addressing the relationship between a student and their environment. Mitigation of RI Behaviours and Student Safety Plans is an ongoing process that includes strategic information gathering, specific and practiced actions, critical incident debriefing and reflection and ongoing planning.
Mitigation of RI Behaviours and Student Safety Plans take into careful consideration all the respective legislation that guides the actions of professionals working within an educational setting, and in accordance with section 1. The goal of RI Behaviour mitigation and strategies for support is the ongoing safety of students and staff, and respect for the physical, emotional, and educational integrity of those involved.
3.4.2 Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA):
An FBA is a systematic process designed to look beyond the student’s behaviour and identify its function or purpose. It involves an assessment process that evaluates the likely functions of behaviour as related to its antecedent and consequences. It seeks to determine what functions the behaviour serves for the student, i.e., what needs it serves, so that prevention and intervention points can be planned and enacted to enable the student to meet the same needs but in a more adaptive manner. It seeks to answer the question: why is this student engaging in this behaviour, in this setting, at this time? Data collection and pattern analysis seek to determine if the student’s behaviour serves such functions as: escape, attention-gaining, accessing preferred objects, spaces or people, and sensory-based needs (PPM 140; OESC).
3.5 Preventative Planning for Staff and Student Safety
Parents/guardians/caregivers involvement is always important in developing appropriate programming for students with special needs. Consultation with parents/guardians/caregivers is mandatory under Reg. 181/98 in developing the IEP and Transition Plan. Early consultation and pre-transitioning are essential and absolutely critical in program planning for students with RI Behaviours.
3.5.1 Coordinated and Collaborative Process:
PPM 140 provides an overview of coordination and collaboration that is applicable to the mitigation of RI Behaviours and supports for safety:
- Educators and service providers collaborate to support students and deliver services in a coordinated way.
- All staff involved in mitigation of RI Behaviour contribute to achieving common outcomes and are clear in the objectives of student programming service delivery.
- Effective linkages are established to meet the needs of students with RI Behaviour.
- A team approach is valued and involves parents/guardians/caregivers, educators, professional support staff and community partners.
- Ongoing regular communication, such as planning and debriefings, is a key requirement to supporting student and staff safety
The Administrator has the ultimate responsibility for the development and implementation of Individual Education Plans. However, a collaborative team approach is necessary, including the following members of the team:
- Administrator/Vice Administrator(s)
- Classroom Educators/Special Education Educators
- Special Education Resource Educators (SERT)
- Classroom Support Staff including applicable to individual student program, Educational Assistant (s), American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters & Intervenors, Educators of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (TODHH), Educators of the Blind & Low Vision (TOBLV)
- Professional Services Staff
- Student (where appropriate)
- Parents/Guardians/Caregivers
- Community Agencies (where active and appropriate to supporting school-based programming)
Consultation and pre-transitioning with parents/guardians/caregivers will help the staff ensure that the classroom is a safe learning environment. It will help reassure parents/guardians/caregivers that their child’s needs are recognized and understood, and that the accommodations, interventions, intensive supports, and resources available to the school are in place. Finally, developing a comprehensive transition plan with school staff and parents/guardians/caregivers will ensure that everyone is aware of the steps that will be taken if serious behaviours that threaten the safety of students and/or staff occur.
Parents/guardians/caregivers are usually the best source of information about the student’s behaviour. They can provide background on any diagnosed condition and its symptomatic behaviours along with the child’s strengths, interests, needs, and potential barriers. They can provide information about behaviour at home or in the community as well as in previous school settings and successful/unsuccessful intervention strategies. It is also important that parents/guardians/caregivers to have the opportunity to share their short and long-term expectations and goals for their child.
As part of the IEP for students with significant behaviour needs, a Student Safety Plan must be developed in consultation with the parents/guardians/caregivers with the assurance that the focus is on how to effectively create opportunities for the student to be successful at school. Prevention and intensive support intervention strategies should be thoroughly discussed, clearly communicated, and agreed upon by the parent/guardian/caregiver. It is important that the parents/guardians/caregivers have a clear understanding of expectations, strategies to be used (and when) as well as next steps. Administrators should clearly differentiate between the circumstances for informal voluntary withdrawal from school and the circumstances for formal suspension or exclusion. Informed consent of parent/guardian for voluntary withdrawal should
be documented. During the development of the Student Safety Plan, Administrators should establish a review process with parents/guardians/caregivers in the event of withdrawal or suspension and clear timelines for this process.
If formal suspension is necessary (per circumstances identified in the IEP and Student Safety Plan) and, after considering mitigating and other factors, the written notice must be followed by details of a school action plan and consultation process with parents/guardians/caregivers to facilitate the student’s re-entry and to assist in preventing the behaviours from reoccurring. Where a student’s behaviour continues to pose a significant safety concern and/or risk of injury, the following will be reviewed as part of the school action plan:
- IEP and Student Safety Plan (including new or changing accommodation needs and updated intervention and prevention strategies)
- Current behaviours that continue to present a risk of injury.
- Parental/guardian/caregiver intervention and prevention strategies
- Current safety audit of the classroom and school environment
- Staff training/in-service and possible protective equipment needs.
- Alternative measures and contingency plans in case of staff absence
- Re-entry plan and timelines
3.5.2 Classroom and Transportation Safety Audit:
It is important that the environments within which both students and staffs are working are considered safe and free from potential risk of harm. This requirement is especially important for students who present with RI Behaviours. Toward this end, the Administrator, with input from the staff, must conduct an audit of the classroom, school, or bus environments to ensure that appropriate safety precautions are undertaken for any student presenting with RI Behaviours. The Classroom and Transportation Safety Audit (Appendix D) can help guide staff in conducting this audit.
Administrators and educational staff may need to consult with the DDSB Health and Safety Department, Special Education Inclusive Student Services Resource Staff to ensure that all precautions in relation to the physical layout of the work area have been considered.
3.5.3 Classroom Support Staff: Supported Transportation of Students
Transportation of students is an extension of the classroom and can be part of the Classroom Support Staff workday. Safety procedures have been implemented so that a standardized protocol is followed when situations arise on the bus that could impact the passengers or driver. Emergencies could be medical in nature but can also result from behavioural situations. It is important to note that physical interventions/containment cannot be done on a bus. BMS protocols restrict the use of these interventions for a student who is seated or when there is insufficient space to be able to safely intervene.
Students who meet the requirements for transportation shall be provided with transportation, subject to reasonable safety and accommodation considerations. Where student behaviour puts safe operation of the vehicle or safety of themselves or others at risk (and where appropriate accommodations and mitigation strategies are in place and a safety risk remains), the provision of transportation may be suspended until safety risks are reduced.
Appendix I: Student Identified as Requiring an Alternative Transportation Plan, is a system protocol and accompanying checklist that will assist the Administrator in the planning of transportation for students. In addition, this protocol will guide all staff assigned to transportation responsibilities with the appropriate response in the event of an emergency.
3.5.4 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
For students who demonstrate RI behaviours, assessment may indicate the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff. PPE includes equipment, devices or clothing that is used to protect staff members from injury during their daily activities. Examples include protective jackets; arm, hand and shin guards (a full list is available through the Health and Safety Department). PPE is utilized to reduce or eliminate effects of RI behaviour and should be monitored closely for its capacity to do so. Ongoing behaviour assessment can indicate the necessity of current equipment or the need to utilize additional equipment or methods to reduce risk of injury. When required, the use of PPE must be indicated in both the IEP and the Student Safety Plan. School Administrators will consult with appropriate Board staff (ISS System Lead, Health, and Safety) to assess the need and/or effectiveness of the PPE, as required. The assessment will also consider how the use of PPE may affect the student’s sense of dignity and respect and/or behaviours.
When RI behaviour is already documented and use of PPE noted in the Student Safety Plan, PPE must be obtained prior to the student beginning the school program. If new RI behaviour occurs, consultation with Psychological Services team members (subject to parent providing informed consent) will ensure the behaviour is understood and both PPE and programming responses will support staff and student safety.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), there are provisions related to personal protective equipment (PPE) that have been outlined for all workplace parties. Workers have a responsibility under the OHSA to wear or use the PPE that has been required by the employer. When PPE has been mandated in a Student Safety Plan it must be worn at all times as outlined in the Plan. The requirement for staff to wear PPE under these circumstances is not optional.
The continual use of PPE for staff will be re-evaluated on an ongoing basis and any changes will be updated in the Student Safety Plan.
Refer to Appendix C - Personal Protective Equipment for Safety Requisition Process.
3.5.5 Professional Learning and Training:
Administrators need to evaluate and communicate the staff requirements for training with the Inclusive Student Services Department. Training in Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) non-violent crisis intervention is required for all permanent Educational Assistants and is recommended for staff working directly or indirectly with students with RI Behaviours; as well, re-certification in such training is required annually. Administrators also participate in this training. Such training should be referenced in both the IEP and the Student Safety Plan.
3.5.6 Prevention of RI Behaviours:
In consultation with Inclusive Student Services Professional Services Staff, all DDSB staff supporting students will endeavour to use data collected using evidence-informed procedures to create a learning and working environment which is safe and also attempts to reduce the probability of occurrence of RI Behaviours. The implementation of environmental, instructional, or behavioural strategies which minimize the probability of RI Behaviours is consistent with DDSB Positive School Climate Procedures and the Ontario Code of Conduct. All DDSB staff are encouraged and trained to use prevention and alternative response strategies to limit the use of intrusive practices.
3.5.7 Use of Least Intrusive Options:
All prevention and intervention intensive support strategies should be used to their fullest capacity with students who demonstrate RI Behaviours. Use of intrusive physical interventions or containment procedures must be done cautiously and judiciously, only as a last resort, most often within a framework of programmed response as outlined within a Student Safety Plan. Where a containment or physical intervention has occurred, staff follow up must include completion of the related documentation in the PowerSchool Student Programming (PSP) system.
3.5.8 Transitioning of Student Whose Behaviour Poses a Risk of Injury to the Student, Staff and/or Others:
A transition plan for a student must be communicated when students transfer from one class to another, to another school, or from another school board (see Transfer of Student Checklist, Appendices E, F and G). For students with an IEP, this sharing of information should be documented in the Transition Plan.
When transferring or placing a student with special needs whose RI behaviour may pose a risk to the student and/or staff and others in the school to which the student is enrolled, it is crucial that the Administrator of the sending school notify, connect, and collaborate with the Administrator of the receiving school before the student arrives. Additionally, the Ontario Student Record (OSR), along with recent Behaviour Logs, IEP, Transition Plan, and Student Safety Plan must also be sent to the receiving school’s Administrator prior to the student’s arrival. The transfer of information must occur as expeditiously as possible. When parents/guardians/caregivers request that a student be removed from a school where the student is in a Special Education class and seeks to enroll the student in a school without such a program, the student shall not be permitted to attend the receiving school until that school has received all the OSR materials listed above.
In all cases, the Administrator of the receiving school shall ensure that staff expected to work directly with the student are informed of the RI Behaviours and are involved in the review of the Student Safety Plan before the student starts at a particular school or program.
In all cases, the parents/guardians/caregivers of the student shall be advised of the protocol. As well, the start date after enrollment must be communicated to the staff and parents/guardians/caregivers.
A similar process must be followed when transferring a student with RI Behaviors between classes or programs at the same school. Similar factors must be considered and communicated to the receiving staff in the new classroom. A checklist is provided in theappendices for this purpose (see Administrator Checklist for Safe Transfer of Student Who Demonstrates Risk of Injury Behaviour between Classes in the Same School – Appendix E).
3.5.9 Student Briefs
Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA), employers of the Board are required to provide information, including personal information, to workers regarding a person with a history of violent behaviour, if the worker can be expected to encounter that person in the course of their work and the risk of workplace violence is likely to expose the worker to physical injury. Student Briefs have been established to fulfill this obligation and to establish a standardized process of sharing this information with workers, when applicable. Student Briefs are developed by the Administrator and will contain the minimum amount of information necessary to protect workers from physical injury (e.g. photo, classroom/area of school most frequented, type of behaviour that could lead to injury, known triggers). When a Student Brief is created, staff must be notified and for them to review the Brief.
Student Brief(s) are shared with all school staff (including occasional staff). The information contained in the Student Brief is intended as awareness only. Sharing this information does not replace access to the Student Safety Plan or Individual Education Plan for those who require full knowledge. Specific programs and plans are in place for applicable staff who work directly with these students. These should be the only staff that respond to a situation of student behaviour escalation. The Student Brief binder will be centrally retained in the main office for staff reference to protect the confidentiality of the student(s). As a minimum, Student Briefs will be reviewed and updated if needed by the Administrator every September and January.
3.5.10 Staff Scheduling and Proactive School Based Absence Protocols
School administrators are responsible for ensuring that appropriate staffing is in place, through optimizing classroom support staff schedules and school-based protocols (ie. planning for staff absences and support schedule amendments) to support students with RI Behaviours. Routinely revisiting support staff schedules and supporting programming that fosters independence is important to support student and staff safety while maximizing allocated staffing.
Administrators must also ensure that when an occasional/temporary employee is brought in, either the occasional/temporary employee has the qualifications, training, skills, and/or experience to meet the demands of the assignment working with a student who presents with RI behaviour or that the remaining staff members in the classroom can safely supervise the student.
Students must maintain access to their educational placement and every effort will be made to develop a response plan when staff absences impact typical schedules. Administrators must develop contingency plans with staff and parents/guardians/caregivers for those situations in which occasional/temporary employees are not available, or do not have the qualifications, training, skills, or experience required to meet the demands of the student. Staff schedules are adjusted to ensure those with training and knowledge of a child’s program are in place to support absences whenever possible. This plan should be developed along with the development of the Student Safety Plan before the student begins a program.
3.5.11 Student Programming: Individual Education Plan (IEP), Transition Plan and Student Safety Plan:
Administrators are responsible for ensuring that IEPs, Transition Plans and Student Safety Plans are developed collaboratively by school and board staff members and that parent/guardian/caregiver consultation is included in the process. The IEP could identify alternative curriculum expectations in the areas of behaviour management, social skills, and communication along with appropriate strategies and evaluation methods. In addition, environmental accommodations may be considered, for example, alternative workspace, strategic seating, proximity to staff, reduction of stimuli and quiet setting/Multi-Modal Rooms.
Transition Plans work in conjunction with the student’s IEP to ensure that all due considerations are in place when a student is to undergo a transition from one environment to the next environment.
A Student Safety Plan can exist without and IEP. However, if an IEP is in place to support a student, a detailed Student Safety Plan must be developed in conjunction with the IEP. The following board staff will be involved in developing and or reviewing the Student Safety Plan as necessary: Special Education and Regular class Educators, Educational Assistants, school Administrators, and other staff who are part of the student’s support team:
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- Special Education Facilitator,
- Psychological services,
- Social Worker,
- Speech and Language services.
The full participation of the classroom educator and classroom support staff involved in direct student programming is critical in the development of an appropriate and effective Student Safety Plan; a successful Student Safety Plan is not one that is imposed. While others may recommend or suggest, the educator and classroom support staff must implement the plan daily. Their support for the plan is a significant factor in the Administrator’s decisions with respect to student programming, staffing assignment and additional support strategies.
The Student Safety Plan must include details of the necessary PPE that must be in place for the staff before the student begins at the program/school.
3.5.12 Use of Evidence Based Practices:
Inclusive Student Services programming and supports are implemented based upon evidence of their effectiveness; typically, this will involve the use of principles of Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) and non-violent crisis intervention strategies (ie., Behaviour Management Systems (BMS)).
All staff who support students that demonstrate RI Behaviour must be trained and qualified and have the knowledge of effective strategies or have the opportunities to acquire this knowledge.
Ongoing and regular evaluation of practices and procedures to address RI Behaviours occurs with parents/guardians/caregivers, educators, professional support staff and community partners.
3.6 Mitigation of Risk of Injury Behaviour and Safety Support Strategies
3.6.1 Critical Response Procedure:
The Durham District School Board recognizes that safety training programs such as BMS may not always fully meet the needs of staff working with students whose symptomatic behaviours pose a significant risk of serious injury to staff and students due to the student’s size and strength. Regardless of the level of training and staff experience, Administrators and staff must call 911 for police and/or medical assistance when safe intervention by school staff and/or parent/guardian/caregiver is not possible. The circumstances that require a call to 911 should be outlined in the Student Safety Plan and in should not be based on discriminatory stereotypes and assumptions.
There is a continuum of emergency response procedures that staff must proactively consider and rehearse in order to effectively support when RI Behaviours occur:
A. Emergency Response Procedures:
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- Verbal De-escalation (use of limited verbal response or removal of all verbal responses):
Verbal de-escalation, by either the use of limited specific language or reduction of all verbal interaction is the first step in the continuum of behaviour intervention for students with RI Behaviours. A clear understanding of the verbal escalation continuum, as outlined in BMS training, is essential to assist staff in matching their verbal response to the level of escalated behaviour demonstrated by the student.
- Guided Assistance/Attention Redirection: More typically known as a physical prompt, Guided Assistance and/or Attention Redirection involves physically touching the student on a designated spot, e.g., arm, shoulder, to guide and redirect the student from one location to another (Guided Assistance) or., to provide calming reassurance and to redirect their attention to enable the learning process (Attention Redirection).The use of Guided Assistance or Attention Redirection is based upon assessment and is structured within the IEP or the Student Safety Plan as a programmed response.
B. Alternative Spaces:
Some students experience difficulties regulating their sensory responses. Other students have difficulty with emotional regulation and impulse control due to a neurological or developmental condition. Trauma may also impact a student’s ability to regulate emotions. Their responses to distressing situations may escalate and lead to significant emotional dysregulation. Multi-Modal Rooms offer a student who is beginning to experience an escalated state of sensory arousal, or other triggers which lead to emotional distress, the opportunity to remove themselves from classroom activities for a period of time. It provides a private, quiet, and safe place where a student can calm down under staff supervision. See Procedure: Multi-Modal Rooms Procedure for guidelines in the creation and use of Multi-Modal Rooms to support students. It is important to note that the procedure for Multi-Modal Rooms requires 1) consultation with appropriate Professional Student Services staff 2) parent consultation and 3) consistent data tracking.
SPECIAL NOTE: Redirecting and/or Escorting: Escorting and redirecting procedures, e.g., holding hands or arms, may only be used to prevent the student from engaging in self-injurious behaviour; such procedures are never to be used to secure compliance. Because these strategies are used only rarely and under prescribed circumstances of highly imminent risk, staff employing such techniques must do so in consultation with Inclusive Student Services professional staff. Staff using such techniques should use them judiciously, only as specified within an IEP or Student Safety Plan and with thorough documentation regarding their use, including frequent and regular multi-disciplinary review meetings. Additional assessment through information gathering processes would be considered necessary to mitigate the frequency with which these strategies are used. Unlike the Student Safety Plan, parent/guardian/caregiver consent must be secured before the use of escorting and redirecting procedures. Administrators are encouraged to contact Inclusive Student Services leadership to answer any questions.
C. More Intrusive Options
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- Special Equipment: Physiotherapeutic equipment or devices such as safety vests, helmets and special equipment may be used to move students with physical challenges and/or sensory needs; at times, this equipment may be used to decrease the probability of RI behaviour. Specific types of equipment are professionally authorized by clinical staff and approved for use by parents/guardians/caregivers. They are specified on the student’s IEP and Student Safety Plan.
- Containment: School staff may need to restrict a student’s behaviour if an injury to the student or others is imminent. ‘Containment’ refers to a specific set of actions used in a crisis situation wherein the student poses an immediate risk to self or others; specific training is required by staff to use such procedures, i.e., BMS Training. Containments should be used only to secure student and staff safety, with the intention of avoiding harm or injury; they are stopped immediately when there is no longer a clear and imminent risk to the student or others. Parents/guardians/caregivers must be informed of the use of containment under these circumstances. As outlined in the IEP and Student Safety Plan, appropriate documentation in Power School Program must be completed by staff when the use of containments occurs. Physical containments cannot be administered on a bus as it is unsafe to do so for both the staff and student.
D. Debriefing RI Behaviour Incidents:
Each time a student demonstrates RI Behaviour, and particularly if there is a staff/student injury or when containment is required, the Administrator must meet with all staff involved in the situation, to debrief the occurrence in a timely manner. The purpose of the debriefing is to determine the precursors that led to the event, what can be done in the future to prevent an RI incident and the need for additional training or personal protective equipment. During the debriefing the IEP (including any accommodations), Transition Plan and Student Safety Plan must be reviewed and revised as necessary. A checklist of items to be discussed in the debriefing can be found in the Incident Debriefing Form (Appendix H).
In those situations where physical interventions for a student are frequent and on-going, it is the expectation that regular meetings will take place to discuss strategies to decrease the frequency of physical interventions and that these meetings will include Professional Services staff.
Where there are significant safety concerns for the student with RI Behaviours, other students, and staff members, as per Section 265 (1) (m) of the Education Act, the Administrator can exclude the student from attending the class/program for safety reasons on a temporary basis. Consideration must be given to human rights and responsibilities, imminent safety needs, and factors that would mitigate the concern. A pause on access may be considered to support debriefing and consultation towards a Student Safety Plan update
to address the safety needs stemming from RI behaviour(s). The Administrator must consult
with the Family of Schools Superintendent and Inclusive Student Services Superintendent
when considering exclusion.
At times, students may witness or be personally impacted by a peer’s Risk of Injury behaviour. It is essential that as a part of the debriefing and repair that occurs, student needs are centred, and they are invited to participate. When incidents occur that shift students’ sense of safety, they may show their distress in a variety of ways and their needs may change as time passes. Remaining attuned to students and continually providing transparency and choices is essential for rebuilding and strengthening classroom communities.
3.7 Reporting and Record Keeping
A number of reporting and record keeping procedures related to student behaviour currently are required by the Education Act, Ministry of Education and within the Durham District School Board. Guidance will be provided regarding the retention and destruction of these documents aligned with privacy and record maintenance requirements. The following documentation must be completed, when appropriate, and updated regularly where in use:
- Student Safety Plan: The Student Safety Plan is completed by the school team, often in consultation with Inclusive Student Services team members. It is reviewed regularly, is an important tool during debrief, and is updated as program needs and related supports shift.
- Physical Intervention/Containment Report Form: Completed by the Administrator for each time a physical intervention/containment is required. The form is currently accessed and completed through Power School Student Program (PSP)
- Safe Schools Incident Reporting (Reporting of Serious Student Incident Under the Education Act (PPM 144/145): When the activity of a student is such that the discipline/actions could reasonably lead to suspension or expulsion, staff must complete a Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form. This form is submitted electronically through Employee Self-Serve.
- Employee Violent Incident Report Form (Occupational Health and Safety Act): All employees have a responsibility to report a violent incident to their Administrator/Supervisor. An electronic form to document the incident is available through Employee Self-Serve. Copies of submitted forms are received by the System Lead for Positive School Climates and Health and Safety to support schools in planning.
- Supervisor Accident Investigation Report Form (SAIR): The SAIR (also referred to as the Parklane Report) is used to report employee workplace injuries. The form is filled out electronically and submitted by the Administrator/Supervisor. If staff have been injured during the course of their work:
- Seek first aid or medical attention (if required).
- Immediately report the workplace injury to the Supervisor. Provide information to the supervisor outlining the events of the accident. Assist with the accident investigation.
- Contact Ability Case Manager for any questions or concerns at 905-666-6941 or 905-666-6495.
