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

No one needs to acknowledge it, it's not relevant to the position OP finds herself in.

I am thinking this is poor safeguarding and non existent training. Run for the hills.

Yes mainstream is probably the wrong environment but due to pushes for inclusion these children are being placed in mainstream. I work at a school where last years reception cohort included a child who was non verbal, had to be fed in a high chair and changed on a changing table. This is the new reality.

🙄

Poor child.

It sounds like the teacher over estimated your experience based on the fact that you've worked in an SEN school, albeit on a voluntary basis. You need to speak to your line manager about what happened and that you need a) training b) proper ppe and supplies like wipes etc and c) a behaviour management plan for the child if they have sensory issues with clothes and challenging behaviours when distressed.

Unfortunately it is quite normal now for TAs to have to deal with toileting difficulties with SEN children, every TA I know would describe this as a normal part of their duties. Often the children are in a mainstream school because there isn't a place available for them in a special school so it's a case of trying to accommodate their needs until a place becomes available. It's not really fair on the school staff or the child when the school isn't able to meet their learning needs so school effectively becomes a babysitting service until an appropriate placement can be found 😞

Indeed. Mainstream is now the default option. I follow Camilla Thurlow from love island on insta and she has been charting her daughter’s autism journey. She is non verbal, diagnosed at two with clear learning delays. They started the EHCP process very early…. And she has been placed in mainstream reception. 🤷‍♀️

I would say my LA is better than most
We have two special needs primary schools
One for childfren with moderate to severe learning disabillies and one for childften with severe to profound learning disabillities
And two special needs high schools for the same
All four have doubled in capacity over the past ten years
Due to the growing needs of children
We allso have several primay and secondary schools with autism hubs.

If a parent has the right to choose a mainstream school knowing that their child really should be in a SEN school, ie non verbal and soiling thrmselves etc then they should be made to come in to the school and clean up their child. It is not fair on the child, other children or teachers.

Schools aren't allowed to do that.

Though in my experience, very few parents insist on mainstream. They are begging for special school and it is the LA that insists on mainstream.

I know someone who having battled for special school since Reception for her child has finally been accepted and her child is now in Year 3 and has had to be in mainstream all this time. This child is also non verbal and not potty trained. That's how long it can take.

In my experience not many parents
‘choose’ mainstream school for their SEN children. It’s very hard and can be a difficult process to get a place in a SEN school, even when the child is completely unsuited to mainstream.

They’re treating you as a TA not a TA apprentice. That’s unacceptable and they’re going it to save money.

Didn’t blame parents, I blamed the system for clearly not having enough specialist provision. Teaching staff shouldn’t be cleaning up poo.

My non verbal DS toilet trained normally at 3. He just sort of got it and was fully trained including at night within a week. I must have been lucky.

Mine trained at 9 and it took months with lots of help from school and the learning disabillity team.

So when are severely learning disabled people allowed to have an education. You are saying never.

I wouldn’t even go back, seriously. Imagine if a parent made a complaint that you’d touched their child inappropriately. It could haunt you forever and it’s not worth it in my opinion.

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.

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

Good luck
think your approach sounds very professional

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.

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.

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.