An out-of-school-hours care provider has expressed regret to the family of a primary school child who was accidentally left alone on a locked bus in Adelaide last week. The incident involved a student from Lake Windermere B-7 School in Salisbury Downs, who fell asleep during a bus ride operated by Happy Haven OSHC.
On Friday afternoon, as the bus reached Riversdale OSHC, the child remained asleep while the other nine children and three staff members exited. The bus was then taken back to the company’s depot, where it was subsequently locked, leaving the child inside. The boy was discovered around 4.50 pm, approximately 90 minutes later, when a staff member went to check on the situation after a parent arrived looking for the child.
Nicholas Smith, chief executive of Happy Haven OSHC, stated that a thorough check of the bus had not been conducted prior to disembarking the children. The provider has since indicated that the child and their family are receiving ongoing support.
Preliminary findings from an internal investigation revealed that the usual head-count procedures were not adhered to during the outing. Happy Haven OSHC acknowledged that established protocols, such as headcounts and visual checks of the bus, were bypassed. They are now focused on understanding both the failures in procedure and the reasons behind them to prevent future occurrences.
In response to the incident, senior leadership and safety personnel have been assigned to oversee transportation for Happy Haven, and enhanced safety measures have been introduced, which will remain until the investigation concludes. Smith expressed profound regret over the occurrence, emphasising that it is deeply concerning and does not reflect the standards upheld by the service, which has safely transported children for over six years without incident.
The safety and wellbeing of all children in their care remain paramount for Happy Haven, and the provider has committed to learning from this experience to improve practices. The Education Department has also been informed about the situation, underscoring the seriousness with which Happy Haven is treating this isolated event. They have formally apologised to the affected child and family for the distress caused by this incident.