What did your DC's school do if you couldn't get your DC to school as you are too unwell?

[UndertheCedartree]

Just posting here for traffic.

If you are a single parent and have been in a situation that you were still ill to get your DC to school what did school do? I will probably be in this situation next week. This happened once prior to Covid and some of the pastoral care teachers came and picked my DD up. It happened once recently and they suggested she stay at home and do online learning. That was fine as I had twisted my ankle and couldn't put any weight on it but I could help with online learning. However this time I have Covid and will not be able to do online learning with her.

@MichelleScarn

Apologies as know searching previous posts is not great form. But where us their dad who previously had sole care Mon to Friday from previous threads?

He's not well, unfortunately.

@mindutopia

When Dh had COVID, school asked us to please keep them at home. One dc did get COVID a few days later, so really doesn’t seem worth the risk of sending them in to me. We didn’t do any online learning (Dh too ill and I was needing to wfh and look after a toddler too who I was also asked not to send in).

They already have Covid!

@LadyMonicaBaddingham - they are already under SS but we get very little help.

@sparepantsandtoothbrush

Oh for goodness sake! She has already had Covid

Well so have you so it's hardly inconceivable that she'd get it again is it?

If you already have help from social services I'd suggest calling them and asking what they suggest before school reopens. As you keep saying, you know your DDs school, nobody else here does so they won't be able to answer your question

I mean she has Covid now. But yes, I'll message SS, thanks.

@OverTheRubicon

Is there a big back story here to why your DD is under a pastoral care team? The way you mention that you're dealing with your 'symptoms/agitation', your anxiety about not being well enough to set up home learning (even though that should be light work with a 9 year old, and fine for someone with enough energy to respond as much as you have) and your level of upset makes it sound like all might not be well at home. If you're experiencing mental health challenges due to all this and your past experience, then I definitely think you should share that with the school, so they can be aware and support your DD appropriately, whatever that looks like.

When I say under pastoral care team I just mean my DD is on their radar as a vulnerable child. Obviously, all DC get pastoral support, don't they?

Some of us have found that Omicron seems to cause agitation - obviously my anxiety about Covid/what will happen with school isn't helping. As I said the online work is not 'light' - it is full on Oak lessons that she needs support with throughout. I struggled when not ill. And no all isn't well at home! We are all really sick with Covid!

@JustUseTheDoorSanta

If your school saw fit to collect your child before when that isn't usual and was after you had covid, then I'm not sure what your question was. Seems like you want to mostly announce that you have no other support; that's a shame and something it would be good to work on when you're feeling better. Just saying "hi, happy New Year, how are you?" to neighbours, inviting kids for a playdate etc can really pay off quickly in putting people around you that you can call on in future.

They collected my DC prior to Covid! It was a usual part of their work. But I am not sure that they would do it now due to Covid. I wondered what other schools have done since Covid.

Jesus, some posters don't half take enjoyment out of pulling apart someone's circumstances because, god forbid, it differs from their own.

I also suspect that being covid-related has brought out even more sceptics than usual.

The OP has had support in taking her children to and from school in the past when ill. Anyone else been in the same situation and know if this is something they can still do since Covid?

@lunar1

If you have a social worker I would ask them about funded transport. In my area there are children who are taken and brought him by taxi all year round for a variety of different reasons. It sounds like you need quite a bit of additional support and that would solve this problem for you.

The children also get the same taxi driver every day. While it's nice that a teacher has helped before, they can't be asked to do this on a regular basis.

I will ask about this. Just to make it clear this isn't a class teacher going round picking DC up - this is the pastoral care support staff and they offer.

No way on earth would I do collection of a child In my class.
As a staff member we would be putting ourselves in a potential storm of issues. The staff member would need different car insurance, have to add time to their already long day, need 2 adults in the car (both dbs checked) to satisfy safeguarding, far too many issues

Pastoral lead here. No member of our staff /team ,particularly in the last 2 yrs are non teaching from the Head to TAs . In the kindest way it is not our job to extend our support to personal pick ups as much as we might want to ,as we are bound very strictly to Safeguarding protocol.
Our familys of highest need would have staff support outside of school for , wellfare and or attendance checks ,dropping of ICT equipment/printed work etc. Always 2 staff and only dooor stop visits . Internaly we refar familys to a vast array of support groups and agencys while liasing with closely with them and facilitating that support within school.
You said you have a social worker, so for what ever reason your family have needed this level of support it is there role to ensure you and your children are cared for and supported including school attendance.

@Whataroyalannoyance

No way on earth would I do collection of a child In my class. As a staff member we would be putting ourselves in a potential storm of issues. The staff member would need different car insurance, have to add time to their already long day, need 2 adults in the car (both dbs checked) to satisfy safeguarding, far too many issues

But, picking up DC clearly isn't part of your job. It is theirs and they know what they're doing!!

@Mocara

Pastoral lead here. No member of our staff /team ,particularly in the last 2 yrs are non teaching from the Head to TAs . In the kindest way it is not our job to extend our support to personal pick ups as much as we might want to ,as we are bound very strictly to Safeguarding protocol. Our familys of highest need would have staff support outside of school for , wellfare and or attendance checks ,dropping of ICT equipment/printed work etc. Always 2 staff and only dooor stop visits . Internaly we refar familys to a vast array of support groups and agencys while liasing with closely with them and facilitating that support within school. You said you have a social worker, so for what ever reason your family have needed this level of support it is there role to ensure you and your children are cared for and supported including school attendance.

The pastoral/safeguarding team are non-teaching at my DD's school. This is not a personal favour I have asked this is part of what they do/offer. They are amazing. They give us so much support - come to meetings/make phone calls/go through paperwork. Social services don't really do anything except arrange the CIN meetings. So to be clear I am not expecting something out of the ordinary I am wondering if something offered regularly in the past would still be possible and if not what may happen.

I recall your previous threads and am aware you have a history of mental health needs as well as the physical health needs you described. You need to contact social care urgently and tell them everything that’s going on and insist they re-assess your family situation. This situation isn’t tenable for you or your children. Please also let the school know first thing on Tuesday. They can liaise with social care too.

Take care and rest up!

We have previously done this for vulnerable families but due to Covid linked staff shortages, we are not able to do this at the moment. All SLT and pastoral staff in my school have business insurance for this reason In an emergency, or in certain circumstances we are happy to support families for a short period of time.

I am assuming you are on a CIN plan if you have some SS involvement. I would contact your social worker and ask if they can support a taxi getting your daughter to and from school for the short term. If they are unable to, I would ask the social worker to contact the school to see if they can support you again in the short term.

You won't know unless you try. If the school has capacity I'd imagine they will say yes.

Sorry, i misunderstood is the social worker for the children or for you? Do you have a social worker for your needs?

Jeez some of you people, bullies.

[quote UndertheCedartree]@Mocara - yes, it is always 2 staff that have come and picked her up.[/quote]
As a professional in education ,I would not accept the senario you are presenting and would be liasing further with safeguarding agencys to ensure you are reciving the correct support.

@Mocara

Pastoral lead here. No member of our staff /team ,particularly in the last 2 yrs are non teaching from the Head to TAs . In the kindest way it is not our job to extend our support to personal pick ups as much as we might want to ,as we are bound very strictly to Safeguarding protocol. Our familys of highest need would have staff support outside of school for , wellfare and or attendance checks ,dropping of ICT equipment/printed work etc. Always 2 staff and only dooor stop visits . Internaly we refar familys to a vast array of support groups and agencys while liasing with closely with them and facilitating that support within school. You said you have a social worker, so for what ever reason your family have needed this level of support it is there role to ensure you and your children are cared for and supported including school attendance.

Education is not a social workers responsibility

If you have covid your dc is part of your household they need to isolate with you they can't go to school.

Safeguarding is and as schools play a key role in safeguarding , ensureing children attend is a social workers priority. At least for the social workers I liaise with on a daily basis.

I hope you feel better soon OP. But I'm very concerned about any school staff collecting a primary aged child from their home and transporting in a private car to school. AFAIK (and I will check my suspicions with legal dept asap) this is putting them, you and your child in a very dodgy position. I've sanctioned paying for taxi plus escort for primary aged children but would never sanction school staff doing it themselves. If you can't get your child into school, you'll have to keep them home, but I'd recommend speaking to your Social Worker, as you clearly need additional support.

OP, I honestly think you should stop engaging with this thread. You've had some helpful advice, but for the main part you've had crappy responses from people who don't/can't understand your situation.
I really do empathise, as I have physical and MH issues; and my DC and I have SS involvement. My DC are preschoolers, though, so attendance is not yet obligatory.
This won't help now, but for future situations can your SW AND the school help build a support network that could step in when things get tough.
We have only been in our town a year and I've established a small network of people who can support my family with stuff like lifts/shopping should things get tough.
Anyway, I don't see how this thread can be helping you when you feel so poorly, so log off and look after yourself (and your DC).
X

I worked in schools for 9 years. This kind of thing was actually part of my job.
A few mornings a week, I went with the attendance officer to collect children who should have been in school.

@Mickarooni

I recall your previous threads and am aware you have a history of mental health needs as well as the physical health needs you described. You need to contact social care urgently and tell them everything that’s going on and insist they re-assess your family situation. This situation isn’t tenable for you or your children. Please also let the school know first thing on Tuesday. They can liaise with social care too.

Take care and rest up!

Thank you - I have let the children's SW know and will phone the Pastoral care lead on Tuesday.

@SleevedOff

We have previously done this for vulnerable families but due to Covid linked staff shortages, we are not able to do this at the moment. All SLT and pastoral staff in my school have business insurance for this reason In an emergency, or in certain circumstances we are happy to support families for a short period of time.

I am assuming you are on a CIN plan if you have some SS involvement. I would contact your social worker and ask if they can support a taxi getting your daughter to and from school for the short term. If they are unable to, I would ask the social worker to contact the school to see if they can support you again in the short term.

You won't know unless you try. If the school has capacity I'd imagine they will say yes.

Thank you - that is very helpful.