Emergency and Disaster management
Should an emergency or disaster occur while you are in attendance at our office / service, the following process will occur to maximise safety and minimise harm and disruption to your service.
Fire Evacuation
In the event of a fire, a loud fire alarm will sound. The Social Skills Instructor is the fire warden and responsible for collecting the Participant attendance information and ensuring every person leaves the building to gather in the car park. All Participants and employees must be accounted for by comparing the headcount to the Participant attendance information and staff rosters. No one can return inside the building until the fire warden gives permission. All employees are required to support the entertainment, co-regulation and supervision of Participants during this time, as even a false alarm can cause significant distress and anxiety for neurodivergent individuals. Our Fire and Evacuation Plan can be viewed in the foyer and was last updated March 2026.
Contact for Fire and Emergency: 000
Safety Violation
In the event of a serious safety violation, staff will ensure every person leaves the building to gather on the footpath. The Social Skills Instructor(s) is responsible for collecting the Participant attendance information and ensuring every person leaves the building. All Participants and employees must be accounted for by comparing the headcount to the Participant attendance information and staff rosters. No one can return inside the building until the safety risk has been resolved. All employees are required to support the entertainment, co-regulation and supervision of Participants during this time.
In the event of a serious safety violation which prohibits participants from leaving the building, Therapy Assistants are responsible for escorting their participants to furthest practical space from the immediate danger. The Social Skills Instructor(s) is responsible for addressing the immediate danger and moving this outside of the building. All employees are required to support the entertainment, co-regulation and supervision of Participants during this time.
Contact for emergency Police: 000
Contact for non-emergency Police: 131 444
Social Skills Programs
Preparedness:
Programs are designed and developed around Participants’ interests and choice. Participants have significant control over their level of participation in motivational activities with opt- out protocols explained and referred to frequently during the term. Knights of the Shed guidelines are referred to and on display for Participants to see. Our Terms of Service Agreement outlines our enrolment conditions regarding safe behaviour and the enrolment process requires disclosure of known safety issues/needs prior to acceptance into our program. An enrolment does not proceed or is paused/terminated if risk is considered too high.
Personal Emergency Preparation Plan information is contained in the Participant Support Plan which identifies supports you have in addition to the ones listed above. This information is gathered in the following ways:
- Intake form safety disclaimer prompt
- Intake form parenting order prompt
- Additional conversation request prompt upon Intake
- Medical Consent Forms
- Terms of Service Agreement: Your Responsibilities
- Existing behaviour support plans developed by external services
This information is shared in the following ways:
- Participant Support Plans
- Emergency Contact Lists
- Safety Alert Lists
- Social Media/Photo alert lists
Examples of additional supports:
- Disability Support worker for co-regulation
- Positive Behaviour Support Plan
- Medical Alert & Food Preferences
- Social media alert and photo permission preferences
- Guardian remaining in the foyer for the duration of the program for the short term
- targeted regulation tools and strategies e.g. additional technology time, seating plans, specific foods, fidget toys, sketch books, word finds etc.;
- a staggered transition into attending full sessions;
- additional structured breaks.
- Individual De-escalation Response Plans are developed on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Program Manager and/or Program Psychologist and shared with relevant staff and Participant/Parent/Guardian & support workers as required.
Communication:
Consistency of staffing and routine of sessions are considered to support relationship building, trust and predictability. All staff have a Duty of Care for all Participants. Professional learning, professional dialogue, staff meetings and Participant Support Plans support staff to understand and respond to Participants’ needs as they arise. Support workers all receive initial briefing on Program goals & support worker expectations. In some cases, Duty of Care is primarily held by the Support Worker (communicated in writing).
Recovery:
Once the immediate danger has passed, Knights of the Shed supports individual participants in the recovery process. This may involve providing access to counseling services, facilitating restorative conversations, Collaborative Proactive Solutions Plan B or resources to help individuals cope with any physical or emotional trauma experienced during the emergency. Participants are encouraged to report any injuries or incidents promptly, ensuring that appropriate support and assistance can be provided.
Evaluation & Improvement: Following any emergency or disaster, Knights of the Shed undertakes an evaluation process to identify areas for improvement in their emergency management procedures. This may include reviewing response times, analysing communication effectiveness, and assessing the overall preparedness of individual participants. Feedback from participants is actively sought to gather insights that can be utilised to enhance future emergency response efforts.