To think I was put in an unacceptable situation regarding SEN students toileting needs?

Yet when it comes to the care of the most vulnerable in society (children, the very elderly and those with additional needs) it’s deemed as fine. Traditionally women’s work so an expectation that it’s instinct and/or that women won’t speak up.

Email them now expressing your concerns and try and go in early to talk to someone.
My school tend to through people into the deep end but this is something else!!
You need to see the care plans of these children, you need to be shown where to change them (some of ours for example will lie on a changing bed which is at adult height for changing, others will need to be changed on the floor/standing as they would be at risk if put in the bed). You need to have access to wipes, gloves etc, changes of clothes and know where to dispose of items.
We also tend to do all changes in a room with a door open and make it known to other staff what is going on so they can be aware and also have eyes around in terms of any accusations.
Really you shouldn't be left alone with this many children if their needs are this high..I would be checking their EHCPs to see whether they are actually allocated 1:1s.

Email them back and say you do think it’s necessary and ask that she be present. It’s not ok for them to use you as cheap labour and not keep you safe or provide appropriate training.

Which isn’t what an apprenticeship is. They don’t get apprentice electricians wiring without supervision on day 1 or apprentice hairdressers doing a balayage or apprentice journalists editing the front page…

If you are worried about how to phrase things then prepare a bulleted list and bring it into the meeting
Good luck

You are categorically not stupid OP. You are being placed in a very stressful situation that would be challenging even for experienced TAs.
Can you write an email explaining that you are not trained to deal with these complex needs, that you have not been briefed on the individual care plans and needs and that you are feeling very unsupported. Get chatgpt to review the email if you are worried about how it comes across.

There's no shame in walking away @twelfthdoctor. Remember, 'resilience' is by and large a code word for being treated like shit by colleagues and management.

Why don't you give yourself a week. If nothing has improved by then, leave.

Speaking up is hard, especially in a new and overwhelmingly busy job. Can you put it in an email to someone?

I had this in a college i worked in. Obviously older children but the same principle, around 8 years ago. From our union, we had in writing that intimate care (which is what you were doing, not personal care) had to be specified in your job description & contract. It was not enough to just state 'personal care'. And full training had to be given. As it wasn't specified in our contract/job description, many of us refused to do it

It's absolutely appalling for both you and the child to be put in that position

Ex-TA / HLTA (qualified) here. This is unacceptable on so many levels. I would go straight to your line manager and tell them that you were not made aware that this was part of your job description and, as you have had no specific training, you will not be doing it. Being unemployed is better than cleaning up shit for, as you say, less than minimum wage.

There are so many things wrong about what you have described im not sure where to start!

Unless it is specifically stated in your contract that you will undertake intimate personal care as part of your role (& it was discussed in detail in your interview) then you are within your rights to refuse to undertake personal care.

Even if you are prepared to undertake personal care you should have full training prior to doing it & work alongside someone initially.
You should never be doing something like that in a place that is not within sound/sight of colleagues to summon help should a situation arise.
In many settings there will be 2 people present when personal care takes place - safeguarding both the child & the staff

This sounds like a very unprofessional setting & you should be very careful.

Consult your union on actions moving forward. If you're not in one koin asap, you'll need it at some point.

I worked for a while as a TA with Y1 children with SEN. To change children we always worked in pairs - safeguarding for the child and for staff.

Each child had a care plan that gave information about how to deal with things like melt downs and I was shown care plans when working with any child so that I knew what to do etc. I had training to work with children who became "physical" - children who hit out etc so that they, and those around them, could be kept safe.

I think the school you are working at is failing you and the children there.

perhaps you can seek advice from the other TA?

You’re struggling because it’s only your second day and you have really been thrown in the deep end. Where was the teacher with a cover on only the second day? That’s not great in a reception class either!

it sounds like a particularly shit school op. I really would be looking at a special st school. In interviews - because you wanted better experience and support with training.

I meant to add, what’s the plan for your lunch?? In special schools we ate with the kids we needed to take to lunch.

You should not have, appalling practice and I have never seen it happen in any nursery I have worked in, even the not great ones.

You sound really mature and responsible and that you would make a great TA….. in a different environment!

I started as an apprentice, and yes it was straight into the job including personal care. We were expected to hit the ground running and most did.

Call in sick. Write down everything that you think is wrong from a safeguarding perspective. From a new staff member prospective. From an apprenticeship prospective. From a materials prospective like wipes and gloves. From a procedure prospective too. Use AI to help you.
Who is the apprenticeship through? Do you go to college one day a week?
At my work all apprentices are supposed to be extra staff not actually doing a role.

You need to put your concerns in writing either before a meeting or after as a summary eg "Thank you for our discussion yesterday. I just want to be sure I have correctly understood the outcome of our discussion. I raised my concerns about x and we agreed that you would provide training and that in future etc etc. Please would you confirm that I have understood this correctly". This will protect you in the event of any future issues and also make it clear to the school management that there is a paper trail of their appalling management and safeguarding practice.

Good luck
think your approach sounds very professional

Surely it must be largely dependent on the underlining reason/cause for being non-verbal.

You were. Currently trying to get mine to sit on a potty. No chance. A few days ago I knew he was going to have a poo and tried to get him on the potty. He ended u pooing on the kitchen floor.