To think there should be a procedure in place for lost children?

[curiousgeorgie]

I was at a large farm / play barn place today with some friends and our children, it was warm when sunny, but pretty cold most of the time so when we saw a toddler with no shirt on he stuck out like a sore thumb and was wandering around looking lost...

After a few minutes of keeping an eye on him (our children were playing in the same bit.) he started calling out mummy and so my friend asked him if he knew where his mummy was and he said no.

I found an employee and told him there was a lost child. The employee came over and said 'do you know where you last saw her' and got no answer as the boy was quite upset.

The employee looked totally at a loss for what to do. And eventually said to the toddler 'you wait here and I'll try and find her?' And started to walk off...

AIBU to think that's really not okay? He must have been 3 at the absolute most (and a small 3 if that.) walking around shirtless and upset and the first thing they want to do is leave him alone? We were going to stay with him but another mother nearby intervened and helped.

It made me so sad. By the time we left they still hadn't really done anything, taken him anywhere or found his mum.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Yanbu.

Surely there's a communication system where an announcement could be made. And a front desk where there is always a member of staff or something?

What use was "wait here" with no indication he even understood and could have just wandered off again even if she returned with the mother.

[MrsWinnibago]

YANBU did you stop the employee from leaving?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Begs the question how staff communicate with a medical emergency either with the animals or the customers without a Walky tally or something where staff could be called on

[curiousgeorgie]

A mother nearby stopped him from leaving, she started to ask the little boy questions. The employee just stood there, honestly doing nothing. They must have an office they can take them to or something, or at least they should.

In that kind of environment with far spread play equipment, different barns and spaces, this can't be their first lost child.

[curiousgeorgie]

And I appreciate it's August, so not exactly arctic conditions, but it was genuinely cold. My DD1 had a jacket on and my DD2 tights and a blanket in her pram..

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Perhaps you need to contact them and ask them what their procedure for lost children was as their staff seemed a little confused as to what to do.

[Oakmaiden]

You are right, there should be some sort of system in place for things like this. However, on ther employee's side (and assuming that there was no such "procedure" to follow) he may have been concerned that taking the child with him would mean that if the mother was searching for the child she may not find him so easily.

And sadly, I wonder if he also thought people may misinterpret him walking off with a child...

[WorraLiberty]

YANBU

I really wish that all kids attractions gave you a wristband at the door, to write your mobile number on and pop it on the child's wrist.

They can't cost that much when bought in massive bulk, anyway they manage to supply them for rides in fairgrounds etc.

[LarrytheCucumber]

I would write to the management. It wasn't your child but it could have been and it wasn't dealt with satisfactorily. There should be a procedure, and if there is this employee wasn't following it.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

You can do that at home as well. Get a sticky label and put it on the jumper or write your name and number in biro on their arm.

[Thurlow]

YANBU. Any place like that which is for kid's entertainment should have a procedure in place. I'd expect them to have somewhere they take the child, like the office or reception, and then a plan for whether they do tannoy announcements or go and look for a frantic parent.

Probably not the employee's fault though, but certainly managements fault.

[WorraLiberty]

Good point Giles but people just tend not to for some reason.

I remember going to the beach once and there were volunteers giving them out. I thought it was a great idea.

[HavanaSlife]

I'd be surprised if they don't have some sort of written risk assessment and procedures regarding lost children. It sounds like their training isn't up to much.

I'd give them a call, speak to management and see what they say. At the very least they need to implement some sort of system and training. What if the staff member had left the child on his own and something happened to him. If my child was missing I'd hope the staff managed the situation more effectively than this.

[MrsWinnibago]

On a slightly related subject, I recently heard that the ambulance service are asking people to put the word ICE in front of their "in case of emergency" person on the phone. So in my case it says "ICE MR Winni" so that they know who to call in case of accident. Saves a lot of time for them.

[TheReluctantCountess]

Never mind their procedures, where were the parents/carers?

[TheFairyCaravan]

Yes there should be procedures, but why wasn't there a frantic parent/carer or two running round, shouting a name?

[Ragwort]

I am sure most places open to the public like that do have a procedure in place but the problem with policies and procedures is that you can have so many that it's hard for an employee to remember exactly what to do when a situation arises. Particularly if it was a fairly young employee - perhaps a student?

Not making excuses but where I work you can drown in paperwork going through all the policies

[curiousgeorgie]

I have no idea where his parent (or parents) were. It was heartbreaking.

No one seemed to be looking around or concerned so I thought perhaps he'd wandered quite far across the farm...

[ArgyMargy]

MrsWinni - i did that years ago. DH recently pointed out that the screen lock on my phone makes that clever idea completely redundant!

[HavanaSlife]

If it was somewhere like the one near us there are 4 barns, out door play areas, it's huge. He could have wandered in there from another area.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

ICE is pointless on many phones because to access the phone you need a PIN.

[HavanaSlife]

They now do a thing on phones where you can ring the emergency number even if the phone lock is on. It's crap, dp spends the day accidently ringing me and my mum

[Rokenswife]

They really do need to sort their procedures out and I think you should email them.

Just in response to the ICE thing, I've also heard it's a myth and that nobody would go through your phone to get it. Mine has a passcode anyway...,

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I don't think you really need much of a procedure. Just a communication system which id have thought most places would have anyway.

Farms usually announce they are doing pony rides or getting rabbits out or sheep shearing or something. And all staff should have a Walky talky/radio because you can't go running about a farm aimlessly looking for staff if an animal is having trouble giving birth or had escaped or something.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Even the Saturday girl should have enough sense to radio the shop staff to announce that a bit in a Thomas jumper and red wellies is with X by the cows.