To ask not to be assaulted at work

[WearingThin]

Bit of a rant really but also to see what 'common sense' thinks because I am beginning to doubt myself. Have namechanged to try and keep confidential.

I work as a TA in a primary school and since September I have had a child in my class (year 1) with a volatile temper. When she hurts other children I have to remove her from the classroom and she hits and/or kicks me.

How long would you expect a TA to put up with this? Do I have no rights to be safe at work? If this was your child, what would you expect to be done about it?

Senior Management seem to think it's part of the job these days as it's a growing problem and is only expected to get worse.

It's not part of your job at all, and the management need to deal with this. Do you have a union that you can get advice from?

yes it is part of your job
if you dont like change your job

Have you been given team teach or similar training?

Have you had proper training on restraining a child? (I don't know much about it, but I know my DH had specific training on it when he worked in a hospital)

No its not part of the job and surely there are procedures for reporting such incidents.

What is being done to address her behavioural issues?

About 2 seconds. Then you raise it with the school and they put in place measures to deal with it.
I hear gaffer tape is very effective

What would you suggest as alternatives? Unfortunately working with children and animals can lead to minor injury that have to be accepted as part of the job - but only if they can't be avoided. If you can see a better way for it to be handled then I would suggest putting forward a proposal to your manager/head.

I would imagine the child will have a care plan that will include managing behaviour plan and Risk assessment stating who is at risk from her behaviour, what the triggers are and what strategies are in place. Are you folllowing these correctly? If not you will have no one to blame as you are not following procedure.

Are all the incidents being recorded and do you have a follow up interview and debriefing session. If not bring it up in your supervision saying you need this to happen.

Are you trained?
Lots of TAs work withSN/EBD kids as part of their statements and as such are likely to be hit etc. there should be behaviour management programmes in place and traing should be given.

To get an answer to this,you would have to give out tomany identifying details.

Such as, the childs possible SN/background and how it has been handled up to now.

It isn't appropriate to be discussing this on the internet, you should have a supervision/support process in work that you can discuss this in.

The class teacher is the first port of call to ask this of.

I have had team teach training. The child is not restrained but I use the methods I have been taught to guide or if necessary move her to a place where she is safe, the other children are safe, but unfortunately I am not safe.

There are procedures, there is a lot of paperwork to fill in, the head teacher and SENCO are all aware, obviously as her behaviour is heavily documented. These are the measures that have been put in place. If she doesn't calm down, I have to get senior management involved and they persuade her to come and 'help' them with a job or 'play' with them They are never cross with her because that would make her more angry. Once she is calm, she comes back and we carry on until it happens again.

I'm thinking, this can't be right, surely. Someone, somewhere has to tell her that this behaviour is unacceptable?

longjane - I can't find it in my job description. Do you know this for a fact? Is it really part of the job or is that just your opinion? This is a serious question btw.

YANBU but if a child is regularly doing this then that child needs extra support and you need extra training.

I'd say it was part of the job but only if it happens very occasionally.

Of course it's not part of the job- ignore that ridiculous post

Bird I'm getting nowhere with senior management. They are all aware. I don't think it's being handled properly but I respect what you say, I'll go now.

I'm thinking, this can't be right, surely. Someone, somewhere has to tell her that this behaviour is unacceptable?

With the majority of children you can tell them that and teach them that but if you are working with someone who has SEN it is a different kettle of fish.
Surely you know that, if you don't you are in the wrong job I think.

Although I don't think it sounds like the the little girl you're talking about is being dealt with effectively, I agree this is part of the job you agreed to do, in a similar way firefighters accept parts of their job might involve dealing with a fire.

It's what some children do, and you must have known that when you decided to take this career path.

But a small child kicking out/hitting isn't something I would describe as an unsafe situation for you, it's not acceptable, but nothing on the scale of the risk of serious harm coming to you.

Not trying to make excuses for her behaviour but is it possible she could have some sort of SN?

My DS has SN and has 'assulted' me a number of times, headbutting, kicking, slapping, scratching, he has drawn blood and split my lip open but he never means to do it. He just does it because he is frustrated and doesn't know how to handle the situation, he never intends to hurt anyone he just doesn't understand that his actions might hurt someone else, could it be a similar thing with her?

Does she hurt other kids on purpose? It is a difficult situation, why is it up to you to remove her, why doesn't the teacher do it? How would the situation be different if you were the teacher and not the TA (as you said you have no 'rights'?)

You shouldn't have to put up with being hurt at work but she has to be removed from the class and that is part of your job!

What have her parents said? Have management come up with any solutions?

FGS, getting hurt is NEVER 'part of the job' unless you're a lion tamer! Go back to senior management and KEEP ON going back to them until you feel the situation is becoming resolved. If this child is like this at 5-6, what's she going to be like at 8-9, unless she gets the right help?

If you've done team tech it sounds like you aren't implementing it very well, the best thing to do is recognise when she's getting agitated and take her to a safe space before it becomes a dangerous situation.

who else she should hit ? another child? it is your job to stop that

yes if work with children that might or might not have special needs you are going to get hit . statement children take time all the measures seem to be in place for this child. so everyone is aware at what is going on.

If you don't like it leave.

tartyflette

You clearly have never worked in a place that specialises in care for children with complex needs!

It may be unacceptable but the fact is it happens.
What do you suggest? Put the kids in isolation from the minute they get off the school bus and leave food out for them on a tray so we don't have to engage with them.
That would be one way to mimimise risk of being attacked by one of the severely autistic children who comes into my work place. Children who attack for no apparent reason to us (but there has been a trigger somewhere that we may no be aware of)

We could just be letting someone into the building when a child may fly and attack you. All we can do is get other staff to restrain and then do the review afterwards.
These children have NO concept of what they are doing except trying to protect themselves or get rid of their frustration of not getting their thoughts, feelings or needs met. I am talking about children who can't talk, who can't function the same way as the rest of the population, who can't show you what is wrong, who could be in pain because they have toothache and they can't tell you that.

Staff I have worked with in units around Lancashire have been knocked unconcious, have had serious head wounds and had bones broken by children.
Sure it is not acceptable but what would YOU do to prevent it?

What the hell? The child's getting away with this? Where the heck is the school's behaviour policy? Why hasn't the child been permanently excluded?

Is it reasonable for you to get the behaviour policy, go through it with a fine tooth comb, highlighting any parts of it which are being ignored and then take your findings to the HT?

What are the parents doing? If my child assaulted a teacher I'd remove them from the school immediately, the staff shouldn't have to put up with that.

I wouldn't want to work in a school like that (okay, not in any school actually!) and I sure as hell wouldn't want to send one of my DC their either. And, just imho, of course being assaulted (staff or fellow pupils) by a schoolchild is "a growing problem". It'll continue to be a growing problem because schools and LAs are doing sweet FA to address it or consider the victims of abusive/violent behaviour and thinking far too much about the poor little aggressor. Sorry, rant over, I realise that that doesn't help you though I wish that the bloody liberals would remember it when they're next required to put their cross in a box.

Have you any outside support from staff at other schools? And tried putting the question on TES?

How you do it, I will never know. I salute you, I really do.

Team teach isn't really effective for children with learning disablities IME.
When you have a 14 stone 6ft 15 year old flying at you when you were not expecting it and their arms are flying like mad windmills there are not many restraints that can stop that!!

(talking from expierence here!!!)

WenTheEternallySurprised
The OP is a TA, therefore I would summize that the child has SEN.
That means it is not a typical child in class but one that needs extra support for behaviour reasons as well as educational.
Comments like 'what are the parent's doing?' are just ignorant and uninformed.