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Original poster

Child left for 45 mins in own poo??

388 replies

ShallallalAa · 23/05/2020 12:05

My dc aged 4 was left for 45 mins at school having pooed herself (I am a first response worker BTW and dp was 2 hours away)
She was left in the loo covered in her own poo. I left immediately and got there and left colleagues on the ward.
Should she have been changed or helped to clean herself up by a staff member?
She was extremely distressed by the time I got there.

OP posts:
Greysparkles · 23/05/2020 21:51

Oh ffs. It's says etc which in probability means gloves and you know it.
Tbh I can't believe a school wouldn't have gloves on hand for these types of incidents anyway?

But you keep going with your narrative
I hope no one leaves you covered in your own shit crying

justasking111 · 23/05/2020 21:51

Exactly greysparkles 3 teachers, 9 children, ppe gear on site. Would the three teachers appreciate their children being left in this state. It really is an idiotic policy. Four year olds can usually clean themselves up but we all know accidents happen. Nursing staff do not leave their patients in this state. It is poop, clean it up and wash your hands after removing gloves. It is not radioactive.

OtterBe4 · 23/05/2020 21:58

Unless the child was unwell, was she really ‘covered in poo’?
Surely school age DC should be able to clean themselves, a definite skill to be taught for going to school.

bloodyhellsbellsx · 23/05/2020 22:06

I hope no one leaves you covered in your own shit crying

Well no because I would be able to clean myself. just like children at school should be able to?! If the staff don’t feel safe to do so that so entirely their decision, if they do not have the correct PPE they should not be forced into potentially harmful situations. We would not do it in hospital, so they should not be forced to do it in school.

LolaSmiles · 23/05/2020 22:08

"They have a policy. They followed it.*
We don't know what it was, or that that followed it.
For all we know they could have a policy in place that no staff were able to follow it because of measures that have had to be put in place for Covid opening.

You seem to be working hard to defend a horrible situation happening, or at the very least excuse it in quite a heartless manner.

When school leaders and teachers are raising concerns about schools opening in a way that is safe for all its because they don't want things like this happening. Unfortunately some are too quick to argue 'lazy teachers don't want to work' than consider the implications of some of the proposals

Italiandreams · 23/05/2020 22:20

Spot on Lola , I worry there will be more of this. It’s completely unacceptable but bringing back the youngest children is very difficult for schools to safely manage when Staff numbers are down and they are told PPE is unnecessary. The guidance written is much more suitable for older children and early guidance has not yet been published, despite being promised.

IHateCoronavirus · 23/05/2020 22:37

I am sorry your DD was do distressed. Sad

Early years teacher here. We readily provide support for children regarding personal care, ranging from helping children to develop their own self-care skills. To physically changing children. The support we give is always respectful to the child and their level of development.
The only times we are not allowed to give physical support is:
A) if the child says no;
B) if the parent has withdrawn consent;
C) if we are alone with the child.

Talk to the school about your concerns. We are always happy to provide feedback and it might be the feedback they give puts your mind at rest. I am guessing it will be kind of the above reasons.

SnackSizeRaisin · 23/05/2020 23:06

To my mind the poo is less important than the fact that a four year old was left crying alone in the toilets for 45 minutes. If there were 3 teachers and 9 children, surely someone could have at least talked to the child from the doorway. People who use "rules" to prevent them from doing the right thing, when actually it's because they simply don't want to for some other reason, are pathetic.
They can have a policy that they ask the parent to come for the child, that's fine as most of the time the child may not be that upset, or the parent can be there in 10 minutes. But they need to be prepared to apply common sense if it's clearly not appropriate to follow the policy for whatever reason.

Noconceptofnormal · 23/05/2020 23:09

I'm so sorry this happened to your daughter OP, I would be furious and very upset, tbh I would be looking for another school I think. Its not just the fact that they didn't clean her up, it's the fact that she was basically just left to cry in the toilet. Whoever left a child to cry in a toilet shouldn't be working in an education setting.

justasking111 · 23/05/2020 23:22

As my granny would have said if I had said "But its safeguarding policy granny"

Her pithy response would have been "If I told you to stick your hand in a pan of boiling water, would you?"

MooseBreath · 23/05/2020 23:34

When I worked in a primary school, we were not allowed to help children (SEN as an exception) with toileting. It was school policy. We had to call parents or an emergency contact to deal with it.

I think it was a silly policy, but there was nothing I could do about it as a teacher.

Majorcollywobble · 23/05/2020 23:35

Common sense out of the window ! A four year old left in a loo on her own in soiled clothing .? Poor little mite .

saraclara · 23/05/2020 23:35

@Covidpolice I'm a recently retired teacher and I've cleaned up children when no-one else has been available. And in this case it's not like the teacher had a class to teach. She was doing child care for nine children, with two other adults.

SpillTheTeaa · 23/05/2020 23:36

Oh bless her heart. She must have felt so embarrassed.
I can't believe they just left her in the loo. They should have definitely helped to clear her up ffs.

1smallhamsterfoot · 23/05/2020 23:51

Fucking hell teachers aren’t there to wipe arses they’re there to teach!!

ShutUpaYourFace · 23/05/2020 23:53

I would complain, firstly to the teacher or assistant in charge at the time. I would directly ask what happened and why my child was not helped. My 4 year old had a accident at school, a typical child too engrossed in play leaving the toilet run too late. He was changed but put into little girls knickers! The worst thing was that his body was put into just one leg so when I got him home and helped him get changed the knickers were really digging into him. To be honest he didn't seem bothered. I was mortified. It looked really sore but he said it didn't hurt. I took it up with the teacher the next day and from then on provided a change of pants in his bag and I gave a load to the school as spares so another little boy didn't have to go through the same thing. His teacher apologised, she said she hadn't realised they were on incorrectly and they were the only spares they had. I left it at that, that was his first and last accident he had at school. I didn't think it was in anyone's benefit to take it further but I'm still mortified by it today. I'm sure your child will forget about this incident soon, make it clear it was not her fault and find out what the hell the school is playing at! Even in today's climate they should have helped her no excuses.

ShutUpaYourFace · 23/05/2020 23:56

1smallhampsterfoot - my god I hope you're not a teacher. If you are expected to send a child to school age 4 then expect to see wee and poo. They are still little for Christ's sake. You obviously don't have kids and I hope you never do! Horrible

FourPlasticRings · 24/05/2020 00:01

If you are expected to send a child to school age 4 then expect to see wee and poo.

Exactly. We start them into formal education too young in this country.

justasking111 · 24/05/2020 00:02

I too am hoping wholeheartedly the hamster is not a teacher too.

1smallhamsterfoot · 24/05/2020 00:06

Don’t send them to school til they can wipe their own arse then? School isn’t mandatory yknow

ShutUpaYourFace · 24/05/2020 00:19

1smallhamsterfoot - So early years can't go to school until they can wipe their own arse then. Formal learning starts at 5 so what if a 5 year old still has the occasional accident? Leave them in the loo because a teacher is there to teach? I am sure theres more to teaching than just text books. I really really hope you are not a teacher. Children have accidents, it happens. If a teacher can't deal with it then they shouldn't be Teaching.

Jane67996 · 24/05/2020 00:20

I'm so sorry that happened to your daughter. I don't know what to say, other than maybe you can change schools if that is the policy?
That whole thing is fucking ridiculous, I'm really shocked that happened. My DD is 4 and I couldn't imagine that happening, I'd be livid.

workercovid · 24/05/2020 00:32

Against the law! No it's not! The child should of been changed.

Aberforthsgoat · 24/05/2020 00:38

It makes no sense to me if it's to do with Covid. There have been statements made previously in the press and journals that it can potentially be spread by fecal shedding. So if they're worried about catching it from said child surely it doesn't make sense to leave them covered in excrement which they can then inadvertently spread around while trying to clean themselves up?
And that's before even considering the humane element of this. It's appalling. Leaving three and four year olds to clean out their own cuts under guidance and clean themselves up is utter madness, they're still babies FGS. Theyre supposed to feel safe and supported at school not humiliated and distressed.

Cocacola12 · 24/05/2020 00:46

My daughter used to frequently soil herself when she started school last year, she was 4. She was in a class of 25 with one teacher (Scotland) I only ever knew about It when I picked her up and she told me she had pooed. I have no idea how long she had been in soiled pants