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

Sorry to take a tangent, but this is a mainstream school and the teacher has multiple children who soil themselves, in one class? Plus the meltdowns? And she doesn't have a TA?

As for your problem, it should be absolutely fine for you to talk either to your teacher or to the person responsible for your apprenticeship, and say that your concerned that you haven't been advised about the safeguarding elements of toileing. That you don't know the schools protocol and you're feeling a bit concerned about how to protect the child and yourself.

DS' school (state very mixed demographic/area) has different types of TA the regular ones who wear normal clothes and the SEN TAs who wear coloured polos for easy identification, in reception each class (4 form intake) had a teacher , a mai stream TA and a SEN TA, the SEN TAs are all pretty experienced and have additional training. As the parent of a child with SEN it would horrify me that you were put in this position and DS' needs are nowhere near as significant as these sound. I'm pretty sure those parents wouldn't be expecting a brand new apprentice to be in charge of the complex needs of their children

Ah ok so you were supervising at lunch time, that's different to class time. Assume you are also getting a lunch break though?
Are there not Midday Supervisors?

This isn't an early years issue though, its a safeguarding and training issue.

Iv never heard of TA apprenticeship, sounds tough

Tbh TA are just expected to muck in, do personal care esp reception class. Sadly LEAs dont provide enough special school places and sen kids are thrown into mainstream with minimal support. However i would expect to have completed safeguarding training and working with vulnerable children.

Iv never know two adults in school setting take a child to be cleaned and chnaged as frankly there isnt the staff. I dont think its a safeguarding issue to be asked to clean and change a child.

Have a chat with line manager about what is expected of you.

I worked in a preschool and this is standard. There was never any training on personal care, it's just expected that you will know which most people do, and you obviously did as you managed to change her. The children are new to the school so you and the rest of the staff team will all be getting to know them, the meltdown is likely to have occurred regardless of which member of staff changed them.
Safeguarding training was about what we need to report as a Safeguarding concern, signs of abuse etc, there was nothing in the training about delivering personal care.
It is your job as the TA to meet the needs of the children. Who did you think would be supervising the children and seeing to their personal care? It's well known that there are SEN children in all mainstream schools and reception children who will need personal care.
It does sound like it was a tough day, but I'm sure all EYFS teachers and TAs are finding it tough right now, it will get easier as the year goes on.

I don’t have SEN children but would be mortified that someone with no training / understanding is being left in charge of my child. I have no doubt that you are bright and capable, and in no way would blame you, but the school cannot leave you in this situation.

Make sure you follow up any verbal discussions or agreements in writing eg if your line manager tells you to do xyz follow it up asap with an email to them "just to confirm our discussion earlier, I need to do xyz"
Just so you're covered if anything goes wrong and they try to throw you under the bus.

@twelfthdoctor doesn't the external provider have to approve the placement through? This placement doesn't sound suitable at all.

Not asap. Now. Do it now.

No union will represent you for anything that happened before you joined. You shouldn't have stepped through the doors without being a member.

You absolutely should have. Not fair on the pupils or you 😬

Ive just seen reread and seen you are an Apprentice!
Absolutely NO way should you be doing this without any training in safeguarding and personal care.
Im Chair of Governors at a primary school and id be appalled if our school put any inexperienced staff in this position, let alone an Apprentice!
Who is responsible for managing/mentoring you whilst you are on your apprenticeship?
Please speak to them directly ASAP or the safeguarding lead. I'd bypass the teacher who tasked you, it sounds like she is treating you like a fully trained TA, or purposefully giving you the grunt work.
Without training and supervision in intimate care, both you and the children are at risk of injury or worse.

How old are they children you were supervising outside? What was the learning activities they were enaging in? Were you briefed appropriately to support that, or were you essentially babysitting them? Because that's no ok!!
Im.so sorry youve had such a rough start to what should be an incredibly rewarding job.

It’s easy to see why so many children are falling behind in public schools, they have become chaotic.
The government needs to open more special schools or provide the level of care required in mainstream education, health care assistants on site. The lines are blurred when teachers and ta’s are cleaning up soiled children.

I work in a different role but some things overlap, I work predominantly with people living with dementia. Safeguarding training in our home is an absolute must, you can't work with anyone until you've passed that (along with many other mandatory courses). Personal care is common sense (imo).

You need to speak up and ensure you receive proper training. Also just some advice for the future, what I find very helpful is having everything ready in the room prior, knowing where everything is etc. Probably isn't helpful to you I don't know!

I work in a nursery and regularly get left to change very soiled and resistive sen children, from very young ages too. I never received any training or get any assistance during these times and I'm not qualified at all. However I've learned, with time, the best way to go about things and as you get to know the children and build a rapport it really does get easier. I know today obviously felt very daunting and you were thrown in at the deep end, but try not to let it turn you off the job. Things will and do get easier and you'll start to enjoy the moments in-between the harder moments more and just accept that this is part and parcel of the role you've taken on.

If you haven't yet joined a union you need to do so online tonight
Tomorrow you should contact your mentor and ask for their take on what you should be doing. Have you got a job description? Does it mention personal care?

I would be calling the child's parents in to come and clean them up. Is this what mainstream reception is like in the UK now, sounds horrendous.

1. Put everything to do with this in writing.

1. You need to protect yourself

1. You must protect the children. This system is flawed and the most vulnerable children are not adequately protected

How is this an apprenticeship (rather than just a low paid job), if there isn't any training? Surely safeguarding training and good practice should be a priority?

The teacher should have called the parent.
I know when DS was young there was always two staff members and they’d try direct the child to help themselves as much as possible.