Threat of Social services and solicitor from school

[nitsandwormsdodger]

School has threatened us with SS and school solicitor
Back ground: Just had to take a few days off work unpaid due to covid at DD Nursery ( he is fine) , older DD sent home from school yesterday due to temp 37.5 ( taken on the wrist remotely )and cough. We took temp with good quality thermometer under Tonge and it was 36 we have taken temp repeatedly and it has stayed 36 for two days and night. There is a chest cough and snotty nose but cough is a couple of times today

School rang and said she can't come back till negative covid test , we told school we can't get a test as she does not have symptoms ie no temp and it's not a continuous dry cough

Lastly and not insignificantly I can't do another 10 days at home as this would amount to loss of a month wages, we have had a whole year of scary finances pre covid and I'm interviewing for my job this month ,

Yes we must all follow guidelines and isolate I'm a rule follower and socially responsible, can't get test, DD is now well but tad snotty still no temp , have done two weeks isolation with robustly healthy son if I take her to school without negative test they will "embarrass us at work by calling social services" ( we work in jobs that can't be done from home and are safeguarding sensitive) and they threatened to release their solicitor on us

Other than suck it up and isolate Any helpful advice please

viques earingssndLipstick

I absolutely did not throw any sort of "hissy fit" all I said calmly and v v politely was I could not get a test anywhere, I'd heard on the news of long drives and was prepared for that but could not get anywhere at anytime all I did was point out that at 36c she did not have a temp and had only coughed a couple of times ( which the first aider said herself when I picked her up from school) so she did not fulfil the criteria for a test and they had said on the news they wanted the test for people who actually needed it which she did not ( imho) no dramas were caused by me. All I did was try and fail for a couple of days to get a test
My personal stress was a month of no wages again and thinking this could keep happening needlessly every time they get a sniffle and I'd lose job and then house and we nearly did last year
It's s fab catholic school that has wholeheartedly welcomed us and we have previously no complaints
It's a new head that's used a dodge hammer to crack this nut!

@nicky7654

OP has stated many times that she can't get hold of a bloody test!! Stop telling her to get one!! I haven't managed to get one either they are like gold dust!!!

Except she did.

sleeplesWb. I have been in the school / safeguarding vocation for 23 years and have never heard this either but then these are not normal times, the new head I think lied to give her more punch maybe ? It costs good money to consult solicitors and surprised she felt she needed to do that ( and had the time ) the head also told me the receptionist was very distressed by my call which I was knocked sideways by as I think the world of her and was extremely polite and calm, all I did was say
No test available possibly for quite a while ( but I'm trying )
Child had no symptoms
I need my job so healthy child will be returning to school
Thank you
When I told head I was totally baffled why she was upset and that I would text her straight away ( I know her from my old school but this new head doesn't know this ) the head got flustered and tried to make lame excuses why I should not bring it up with her ever .... which defo confirmed she was totally lying about receptionist who as always was cheery and made helpful suggestions ...So maybe head was lying also about solicitor

I've no intention of kicking up a fuss but I will politely point out that decisions to keep a parent off work for a month with two healthy kids when I have so much to lose needs to be science/ fact based not every time they get a sniffle

Instant testing kits in schools/ etc is what we need!

op clearly said they woud take their child into school without permission nor a test

i think thats what they meant when theysaid it was abandonement

what happens next time op will yu ignore advice again

gabsAlot*
Tested tonight
Will undoubtedly be negative so DD can go back to school Friday
It wasn't that I did not want to follow their instructions it was case that for couple of day I COULDN'T because no test available
I feared that I would be off work for weeks ( with fire financial consequences) waiting for negative test
AND most importantly Daughter did NOT have ANY of the symptoms so had to lie and exaggerate to get the test I did eventually get. Message on news was please don't take kids with colds for covid test,save it for those that need it
Lastly I have no problem following advice and government guidelines as I have for past 6 months
I do have problem being threatened with, I quote the head
" the embarrassment of SS calling your work "

when this could lead to my suspension ( new head knows my job)
I'm re interviewing to extend my contract v soon
Kids in rude health
I was super calm and polite with the head just raised the issue that lots of parents will find themselves in dire financial situations unless decisions to exclude from school are taken seriously based on science with a sensible threshold not snotty noses

I COULDN'T because no test available

Except there was. And you were able to access it.

There is a chest cough
So there was a cough.

I appreciate your sense is your child has a cold, but your description to me, does warrant a test.

You told the school you were sending in a child that they had asked be texted - that was why they responded as they did. I don't agree with their response, it's definitely disproportionate but you did force their hand.

Again, this is why the UK system is such a mess in my view - self referral is problematic. If you were in Ireland, you could call your GP on the basis of the school's recommendation and they would clinically assess.

Sigh.

*tested, not texted.

Even if SS had called your work why on earth would your work suspend you?

I work in a role where I’d be sacked and struck off for any hint of child neglect or abuse but in the unlikely event SS contacted me about sending a child to school with a cold when they don’t have covid symptoms my boss would laugh.

I’m glad you managed to get a test and I do see why the head is erring on the side of caution. As far as they’re concerned kid has a cough and had a temp and needs a test. You’re 99% likely to be right and it’s a cold but head doesn’t want to take that risk. You’re right we need better access to tests and faster tests.

Not read all the thread but I did laugh at all the just get a test answers! Have any of you tried? I tried every day many many times for 5 days and couldn't get one, then it was too late to test!

@nitsandwormsdodger

Thanks for all the kind and helpful responses, even though I guessed ss would not have time for a healthy well cared for child " abandoned" at school , it was more the heavy threat and bringing my new work place into it who barely know me and I'm trying to get my contract renewed.. not sure what the solicitor was going to do, again it was just all very stressful

Thanks all for helpful feedback need gin and chocolate now

I can imagine it was also stressful for the school. I know some parents are refusing to engage and sending children back who need testing and then other parents/members of staff who were shielding earlier in the year having to work alongside the children and are therefore very scared. Yes the school were heavy handed but their position is also challenging. If there is an outbreak because children have been allowed to return, the school will be pulled over the coals. I was told the other day, having sent a child home after being sick that we cleaned up, that it wasn't real sick and the child should be allowed back. It's hard for everyone.

I think school sound petty and vindictive. Really? Threatening SS? Don't you think SS have enough to do? School sounds like twats.

Yes covid is serious. Yes getting a test can be extremely 'testing'. But SS threat?

It sounds like she meets the criteria for a test: she’s had a temperature and a cough in the last 5days, even if she doesn’t anymore. I understand losing wages is hard, but why would you want to send her back in to infect others and let their parents lose wages instead? Not forgetting that if it is C19 she could infect someone (even second hand) who could become seriously ill.

To be clear (again)
I desperately wanted to get her tested
Tried to get test from afternoon daughter was sent home
Finally got one
Always support the school and appreciate times are hard and decisions difficult
She won't go back till we receive the negative ( hopefully today/tomorrow )
Difference of opinion lay in interpretation if symptoms
they said
chest cough and slight temp 37.4
I said
barely a few coughs a day and absolutely no temp at all, 36 from the moment I got her home taste and smell 100% fine
Day after she was sent home she's full of beans and well in normal times would have been back at school no question
When I rang to register her absence on school answer phone I said what I normally say is xxxxxx is absent today is much better and will be back tomorrow thank you !
My wife then got the " it will be embarrassing when SS call your workplace " and solicitor call
All I did was politely and calmly point out no tests available or for foreseeable future I was scared of losing months wages/job/ house with further weeks at home with healthy kids
Government/nhs also asked not to send kids with September colds for a test

Prize for the most idiotic post!

How do you think we'll control the spread if everyone refuses to follow isolation guidance? The school use a thermometer. That thermometer showed a temperature therefore they are bound to record it. Combined with cough they RIGHTLY sent your DD home.

The fact that you have inflexible bosses is a problem for THEM not the school. They are only trying to safeguard other children.

Your entitlement is crazy. Of course you got upset but that's life, the school were right to do everything they did.

I'm glad you sourced a test despite being adement you couldn't.

I said what I normally say is xxxxxx is absent today is much better and will be back tomorrow thank you !

Well, that's not being supportive of the school.

They asked you to test.

You 'desperately' wanted to do so (& ultimately were able to, via a walk-in, which I presume was always an option).

But you ring the school & tell them she's coming back in anyway, thus forcing their hand.

I don't agree with the heavy-handedness of the school's approach. But I don't either agree with your approach.

earlingsandLiostick
My call to the school saying shes coming be back in was before they told me 10 day isolation or negative test
Always support the school apart from this massive heavy handed and unnecessary approach from them they are fantastic
Would alway isolate and test all I did was point out she had no covid symptoms and no test available ( I Thought at the time for weeks)

She didn't have a temp tho. No wonder no tests are available. I really feel for you OP.

And the 'it will be embarrassing at work' line is so unprofessional!

liveitwell
Assuming you haven't read any of the tread
Have isolated and tested now and isolated in the past
Fully support the government and schools directive on this always have and will
My point was
No test available
Daughter not displaying symptoms ( please look up latest guide 36C and even 37.4 is not considered a high temp ) splitting hairs over cough as that's a grey area
But the title of my post was the threat to embarrass us at our safeguarding sensitive jobs with the SS calling our bosses
Im new in post and re interviewing next week another month off Unnecessarily) and SS calling does not help

Love all these posters saying 'Just get a test!'

I've tried to book one for 12 days continuously now as we all developed symptoms one after another a few days apart. That's 12 days of refreshing the website and inputting details all day long. I've even had alarms set for two mins to 8pm so I can be first to get hold of the new slots issues at that time. I've tried putting on different postcodes and I've used VPN in case some tech issue was blocking me from booking, I've asked others to try on their PC, I've phoned the helpline... The attached screenshot shows what I get, every single time.

'Just book a test'...

This is why SS struggle so much and are overrun with so much work, because of stupid time wasters like your school. They'll have to come out to follow policy and put it down as a malicious call. Ridiculous. "it will be embarrassing at work" that's quite malicious as well. I would do what other posters have said and ask them for all this in writing to there's a paper trail. Is there a Covid testing area anywhere near you to get tested? There's one near my town you have to queue for hours if it's busy however.

@nitsandwormsdodger

You keep changing the story, and timeline.

In your OP you say

School rang and said she can't come back till negative covid test

as your starting point.

You don't say that you were trying of your own volition to get a test, couldn't, rang for say she was coming back and then they said you need to get a test.

It's hard to respond when you keep changing the narrative.

I have agreed that the school were heavy-handed but it's clear to me, from your initial posts, that you weren't prepared to follow their instructions, you made that clear and then they responded strongly.

When did you 'discover' the presence of this wonderful walk-in testing centre that a few posts before you didn't know about? Abc then successfully got a test?

I've also agreed with other posters who refer to the difficulty of getting tests in UK. It's the stupidity of the self-referral system. There should be clinical assessment via GPs, as in Ireland, but probably the primary care service in the UK is so overwhelmed it couldn't cope.

Finally, regarding your workplace, you are going to have to have some conversations as that system seems unworkable & lacking in recognition of the current health crisis.

The testing system is overwhelmed. "Just get a test" is so laughable.

I've heard job adverts on my local radio for people to work in a local lab, it's clear there are several positions to be filled, and the wording of the ad gives the impression they are desperate for more staff.

My own town has no testing station, we have to go to a nearby city, and one in lockdown at that.

earingsandLiostick
Narrative hasn't changed one bit
I've just clarified as either I haven't written it clearly or posters have (wilfully) or innocently misunderstood
Report if you think I'm a troll

@nitsandwormsdodger

earingsandLiostick Narrative hasn't changed one bit I've just clarified as either I haven't written it clearly or posters have (wilfully) or innocently misunderstood Report if you think I'm a troll

I never said or suggested you were a troll!

It's not true that the narrative has stayed the same. Yes perhaps you posted inaccurately but over 140 later, only then do you clarify that it was after you said you were sending DD back in, that they asked you to test.

Which makes no sense at all - why would they simultaneously threaten you with SS & a solicitor? Unless they thought or you indicated, that you weren't going to test.

In fact, it's your comprehension that needs addressing as you've ignored my points which agree each time that the school was heavy-handed but you were unreasonable.

I'll leave you to it now.