Armed police storm class after teenage girl stabbed

This headline, reporting an incident at a school in Norwich, was not what caught our attention. Instead, it was a comment within the article, attributed to a parent, who said:

“There was a total lack of communication from the school. To hear nothing, it was terrifying…to have no information ……your mind instantly goes to the worst.”

This is exactly the type of dilemma we cover during the Scrutiny Phase of our Critical Incident Training. We explore with participants how, when they don’t yet know exactly what is happening and are concerned about saying something incorrect, remaining silent only makes the situation worse.

The Scrutiny Phase is all about “feeding the sharks”, because anxious parents, who are told nothing, act like sharks and go hunting for information. In most cases this involves them rushing to the school, bombarding the school with calls, which simply adds to the chaos, or wholly believing whatever is posted on social media. 

We explain that it is essential to say something, even though it can feel daunting, and we show participants how creating and disseminating a Single Truth is a simple method of doing this. 

A key takeaway at the end of the course, highlighted in participant feedback, is the value of the holding statements they create during the tabletop scenario exercise using this technique.

Our Critical Incident Training for SLTs is a two-hour session that explores this, along with the many hidden pitfalls that can derail even the best-prepared plans.