To think that someone should feed this child

[Bardette]

I work in a number of different schools, visiting once a week to work with selected children.
One particular boy troubles me. His family has heavy social services involvement. His mum is being encouraged to 'step up' and take responsibility for her children. There is a plan in place with certain criteria she has agreed to follow.
One of these criteria is to give the children breakfast before they go to school, and because of this he is not allowed to go to breakfast club any more.
So he gets no breakfast.
Mum is, for whatever reason, not giving him breakfast, and school will not because of the agreement.
AIBU to think that this is wrong? I assume that the school are feeding back to social services and they will take it up with mum, but in the mean time this poor little lad has to go to school hungry. He is 6.

A sackable offence?? What is identifying in the op, exactly? Sadly, it's a far from unique situation.

I was also going to mention the little lad called Daniel Pelka. Please do not ignore this.

So child is receiving FSMs? He should be getting breakfast.

Poor little boy. You can report this to SS, or follow-up with the school. Or both.

Not had experience of this myself, but would SS have something in place to ensure the mother is following up the plan?

A sackable offence yes

Look, a quick search in advanced search reveals enough info about op if anyone here had suspicions or an inkling they may know this family. If a poster recognised their situation can you imagine the trouble op would be great in?

This post goes against everything I understand about confidentiality.

Confidentiality is not just about protecting an identity.

I've a friend who's a teacher and has hungry children in her class. They don't get breakfast and cannot concentrate.
They constantly ask when it is dinner time.

She is not allowed to feed them. The school dinners are strictly calorie controlled.

It's not uncommon.

Op- you need to report this.

How do you know she isn't giving him breakfast? And why are you assuming school are aware and feeding back to social services? Don't assume, check.

I find it hard to believe the school arent dealing with this. Sometimes those who come in just once a week don't have the full picture and information. Ask to meet with the SENCO / Inclusion Manager and the Head to find out what the situation is and what they are putting in place for him.

At all the schools I have worked at, no child would ever be left hungry, whatever the circumstances.

I think I am on the side of the details should not be shared
But as they have been I would say;
You might not be in for another week but the phone lines aren't down, make a couple of calls-to Social Services and to the head of the school. Support the child by letting them know your concerns.
It is probably a last chance/stage gathering of evidence exercise, the mother has to know that if she isn't feeding her children no one else will before it can be shown that she knowingly left her children hungry. Once the school feed him she knows that the school will feed him and she can say that, it becomes brinkmanship.
It sounds horrible- it is horrible but unless they can gather evidence then they cannot act (despite what the DM tell you). To be removed from his home is going to be horrible for that boy-to go hungry is horrible for that little boy, to remove him it must be worse for him to go than to stay.

I do appreciate the link with Daniel Pavelka but a difference here is there seems to be a plan around the boy going hungry-and yes that does turn my stomach to write that sentence. In this outline everyone is aware that the boy is being deprived of food-and that it is an issue of neglect. Social Services need to be able to prove to a judge that there is neglect before they can remove the child from his home.

Daniel Pavelka's mother and step father were saying he had a condition that meant he wasn't gaining weight but always stuffing his face, reading some of what was said I struggle to believe how people from paediatricians to teachers could believe what they were being told- and that is the lesson to learn from Daniel listen to the child- and the OP is doing that and for that (regardless of her over sharing) we should be supporting.

Mum is, for whatever reason, not giving him breakfast, and school will not because of the agreement.

If the statutory authorities are not stepping in and feeding this malnourished child, he should be taken into care, his mother gene donor is not fit to be allowed with him at the moment.

Bloody hell, I'd be laid off from my profession not just particular job if i posted similar.

Do you like your job op? I'd ask for the thread to be deleted.

I have fed a child in my class and would again. (A banana or satsuma, biscuit etc) When a child comes to you on the verge of tears saying that they are hungry and don't have a snack, it absolutely breaks your heart. I'm not talking about well fed children who have once forgotten their fruit and crisps and drink, I'm talking about deprived, grubby kids who look like they've come through a war zone to get to school. Maybe I could get into trouble but it felt right, morally.

I'd report concerns to HT and also to SS.

Op, obviously I don't want you to say in what capacity you are in the school interacting with this child, but it is appalling that the school haven't made sure you've had adequate safeguarding training to know deal with this situation. If you're not happy with the response you have had to filling in a log of concern/speaking to DCPO anybody can now make a report to social care and you should've been provided with these details. If you don't have these details ring NSPCC to advise.

Please ensure that you document EVERYTHING. Every conversation with the child in regards to this issue, who you spoke to at the school and what was said, who you have spoken to i.e manager. etc etc and then if the shit hits the fan you won't be the scapegoat

There will be a designated CPO at the school, and probably also one at the organisation you work for. These are the people to report to.

I know lots of teachers. They tell me lots of their kids come to school without breakfast on a regular basis. Lots of kids aren't looked after properly . One friend takes cereals in to give the kids at the start of class so they can concentrate.

Can you slip him some cereal bars or something without his classmates noticing and before ss move their arses?
That little boy wont understand that being starved by everyone who is supposed to be protecting him is 'for his own good'

This is depressingly common. Of course the school should feed him because he is a hungry young child. We have several children ar our school in a similar position.

Op? Request deletion, this was pretty foolish of you

Not sure is should be discussed on here.

So someone can get sacked for posting, but not for letting a little child go hungry.
How many days does this poor little mite have to go hungry until he is taken into care ? Does he have to faint a certain number of times ?

Horrifying to hear that kids are crying with hunger in UK schools.
If it is true that some parents spend school bus fare or food money on themselves - fags, drink, booze - then their kids should be rescued without delay and not returned. One warning, that's it.
The RSPCA wouldn't leave pets in homes that don't feed them.

There is something very, very wrong with a system that lets a child go hungry in order to gather evidence.