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AIBU?

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Original poster

School 'Social Justice manager' knocking on my door. Confused. Why ??

404 replies

clapshot · 19/08/2020 16:42

I'm in Scotland. So this is the second week of schools being back.

We (me and DC and P) stay with MIL, DC Grandmother. She had part of a lung removed in early March for lung cancer. Multidisciplinary team are considering radiotherapy. She also has heart problems. Still in her 60s.

I'm extremely wary of sending DC back to school, so I didn't. I emailed their schools, which was received as I got a reply from both, the high school one saying they'll be in contact.

I've had a couple of phone calls from a withheld number yesterday and today but I'm WFH so was busy.

Door knocked earlier, was working so didn't answer. Again just now. I don't usually answer unless I'm expecting someone (door faces onto street and get a lot of sellers and religion people).

Looked out the window as they were leaving and my eldest DC recognised them as the Social Justice manager of their school.

What is this all about ??

Am I in some kind of trouble ??

Why would a school do this ??

I'm going to phone them up tomorrow but just wondered why they would be knocking my door ??

OP posts:
AllTheScoobySnacks · 19/08/2020 16:44

Wtf is a social justice manager? But yes, I’d assume it’s because your kids haven’t returned to school and they have a duty of care to check all is well

StepAwayFromGoogle · 19/08/2020 16:45

It's a legal requirement for children to be back in school now so I'm guessing it's to discuss their absence...

SpookyNoise · 19/08/2020 16:48

They are fulfilling their obligation to care for your child by coming to check all is well after not being able to make contact by phone. By not answering the door, it may get escalated to social services.

StormzyInaDCup · 19/08/2020 16:50

You no longer have a choice about sending your children back to school. So as pp suggests, they will be there to discuss the absence.

ZoeTurtle · 19/08/2020 16:50

To ask why your children aren't in school and what they can do to get them there. Obviously.

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 19/08/2020 16:51

If you don't want your children to attend you need to deregister them otherwise the school will pursue the absence.

Catawaul · 19/08/2020 16:52

They said they'd be in touch, this is them getting in touch. Why are you surprised?

TheFallenMadonna · 19/08/2020 16:52

I do think you need to proactively contact the school tomorrow. Look at it from their POV. Your children should be in school. No answer to phone calls. No answer to door knocks. They would be failing in their duty of care not to follow up.

Nicknacky · 19/08/2020 16:53

Are you now home educating them?

Chechazzo · 19/08/2020 16:53

Jargon titles aside & even if non-attendance is authorised, even in non-covid times, schools have to do regular safeguarding visits for students on-roll.

elliejjtiny · 19/08/2020 16:55

They probably tried to contact you on the phone but you didn't answer so they came to your house. This is completely normal. They are probably checking you aren't on holiday and they will also want to talk to you about why your dc aren't in school.

ScorpioSphinxInACalicoDress · 19/08/2020 16:55

Have you de-registered them properly? It doesn't sound like it if you just sent an email. It's obviously about their non attendance. If you're not going to send them, you need to legally withdraw them and put the systems into place for Home Ed etc. (I presume in Scotland the requirements are the same)

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 19/08/2020 16:57

Why can’t your DP stay with his mother and you move back home with the DC so they can go to school?

Sunnydaysandsalad · 19/08/2020 16:58

We had the council school board man out last year as dd was off for the second day. I rang first day - she had d&v and thought it was 48 hours off...
He proceeded to tell me dd's absence was unacceptable as she only had 98 %attendance record!!
I rang the council to complain and she said a phone call on day 1 didn't mean dd wasn't dead under a patio on day 2!!
Shock
Welfare checks do happen op.

WorraLiberty · 19/08/2020 16:59

Because you're not picking up their phone calls or ringing them back I expect.

Chechazzo · 19/08/2020 17:00

@ScorpioSphinxInACalicoDress i think OP has kept kids off school, not dereg them.

Lifeisabeach09 · 19/08/2020 17:00

What is up with all these new (pretentious) titles...social justice manager, indeed?!

But, yep, sounds like a truancy officer checking up as to why your children aren't back in school. You may need to withdraw them officially...

KarenFitzkaren · 19/08/2020 17:00

Can't you stay somewhere else? You can't just not send the kids to school, unless you're going to deregister and home educate.

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 19/08/2020 17:00

Did you actually deregister them op?

goodwinter · 19/08/2020 17:02

Did you call them back yesterday? Presumably they think you're avoiding them now.

Wheresthebiffer2 · 19/08/2020 17:03

If you'd spoken to the person who phoned, and/or came to your door, you'd already know the answer. What could it possibly be about? lol.

Moondust001 · 19/08/2020 17:03

To be honest, I think you'll be lucky if it's just social services at the door. Here we'd have a multi-agency team in place by now and the police would be the ones at your door. Look at it from their point of view. You have illegally withheld your children from school, phone contact has not been answered, and even though you are in the house you aren't answering the door. That is exactly the nightmare scenario that precedes the public shaming of entire social work departments who don't involve the police and then the children turn up dead!

How are you going to home school them if you are too busy working to open the door even? And will they be doomed to spend the rest of their lives indoors with no education or human contact? You need a better answer than this.

Justgorgeous · 19/08/2020 17:03

Your children have missed out on a huge junk of education. They should be in school and you should have answered the door.

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 19/08/2020 17:04

Pick up your phone and answer the door, for goodness sake, then you might know.

Goongoon · 19/08/2020 17:04

@SpookyNoise

They are fulfilling their obligation to care for your child by coming to check all is well after not being able to make contact by phone. By not answering the door, it may get escalated to social services.
This. Except I doubt SS will be called just yet. Phone school yourself to assure them the kids are ok. Phone the council to take your kids off the register for now.