AIBU to be angry that social services not investigating how my DC ate clinical waste at school?

[Weemammy21]

Got phone call from school to say my DC ate clinical waste at school and had to be taken to hospital. For context my DC has severe Sen and has a very detailed and EHCP giving school funding for 1 to 1 support to be provided through mouth the school day. Many education specialist report detailed need for constant 1 to 1 supervison and never to be left alone or unsupervised and yet DC was left alone at clinical waste bin and ate some of the contents. DC attends a private “specialist autism” school that charges an excessive amount of money for the placement. When school took DC to hospital they withheld information from the hospital that he consumed items from clinical waste bin and downplayed it to the hospital by saying he ate from a domestic bin and also refused to disclose to me or hospital what the other contents of the bin was. A day later the school disclosed that one of the items in the clinical waste bin was a used incontinence pad. When all this information was sent to LADO for school area social services have stated that they are not going to investigate it as a child protection incident as “thresholds have not been met”. I can’t understand how s child eating clinical waste at school can be dismissed as not being of sufficient concern to conduct a child protection investigation! AIBU to be super angry that
a) this happened my DC who was supposed to have constant 1/1 support
(b) the school did not take sufficient action to protect my DC whilst in their care
(c) social services LADO doesn’t think it is serious enough to instigate a child protection investigation? I removed my DC from school immediately but as no CP investigation is occurring I am very concerned for the other Sen children and their parents not knowing what occurred. Also witnessed other distressing incidents when I arrived early to collect DC from school and did notify LA of my concerns for DC safety months before it happened.

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue The school were very aware of DC severe Sen and the need for constant 1 to 1 supervision and never to be left unsupervised. That is why they charged and were paid such a huge amount of funding. The school were also provided with many independent and LA professional reports detailing DC severe SEN and emphasising the need that DC never be left unsupervised. School response was that definitely they could keep DC safe but would need extra funding for DC to get 2 to 1 support if DC was outside the school building. The school also got this extra provision and it is also stated in the EHCP that 2 to 1 support was needed outside. Nothing was withheld from the school about the extent and severity of DC needs so no excuses can be provided for what occurred. It is an independent and very well known expensive School so lack of funding or knowledge is not a defence.

The fact that it happened is bad. But I do think that if they were honest,apologetic,explained what happened and why and took steps to prevent it in the future then it would've been sorted.

The worst issue here is that they lied and withheld information from hospital staff that were trying to help your child and treat him as needed. Surely that meets the threshold for safeguarding and warrants an investigation at least.

Have you tried talking to someone at the hospital? What do they think? Do they have a different avenue of reporting that might help?

As well as being disgusting if he had eaten the gel inside the pad it could be dangerous if it swelled inside his body. Do you know where the bin was? An incontinence pad wouldn’t be in the highest category of clinical waste so wouldn’t need a closed bin I don’t think.
Your poor child what a horrible thing to happen.

Absolutely disgusting level of neglect and then lying at the hospital to cover it up. Definitely go to the press, name and shame.

@IdontWanna Thanks for your response. I have bee contacted by the Safeguarding manager but she did not apologise. I also contacted the chair of governors and the chief executive of the school group who has an OBE and neither of them have responded to my contact never mind apologise. They don’t care. DC is just a number.

Surely that meets the threshold for safeguarding and warrants an investigation at least.

There is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation on MN about what comes under the umbrella of "safeguarding". What has happened to OP's DC is not a Child Protection issue, it is a Health and Safety issue. That doesn't mean it's not serious, or that it doesn't warrant investigation but it's not the role of Children's Services to investigate. I agree with previous posters that Ofsted would be the more appropriate body to contact regarding this.

Op go to the school website and make a formal complaint. In their required format. Make sure you still write to the chair of the governors with the staff names and all the details. It might feel repetitive giving out the details over and over but don't let this one go. You mentioned that you moved dc out of this school is it right? I am asking coz some schools have a process where they close all complaints of a child changes school or nursery.

@neverbeenskiing

Surely that meets the threshold for safeguarding and warrants an investigation at least.

There is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation on MN about what comes under the umbrella of "safeguarding". What has happened to OP's DC is not a Child Protection issue, it is a Health and Safety issue. That doesn't mean it's not serious, or that it doesn't warrant investigation but it's not the role of Children's Services to investigate. I agree with previous posters that Ofsted would be the more appropriate body to contact regarding this.

I can admit I'm wrong, i just need more info you're willing please.

I understand the bin situation is a health and safety issue.

However, as far as I know lying to HCPs about what happened to a child to end up in hospital and withholding information that can interfere with their treatment is safeguarding, not health and safety. Do you mind explaining to me why that isn't the case? Is it because it's a school and not the parent/legal guardian? Something else?

I'm genuinely trying to understand.

Who took the child to hospital? Sounds like a massive over reaction. Obviously not great but kids with PICA eat all sorts and their digestive system becomes pretty robust.
I would be very wary of removing child from school in the current climate. Lots of schools aren’t taking on as there’s a massive shortage of staff so you might need to be prepared to come at home for a long time.
In relation to the incident, I missed whether you said how old your child is but there has to be a balance between supervision and independence/quality of life. Your child is entitled to privacy too. Depending on how long he’s been at the school perhaps they are still learning to balance this and sometimes things happen.

Child Protection Social Worker - definitely not under the remit of a mash team to investigate this - a Social Worker couldn’t be expected to investigate a school, professionals or failings of either. Child Protection investigations and work, in its true form is around risks and abuses from within a child’s family or home network. Not to say support couldn’t have been offered but it isn’t a child protection (in its true form!) issue

That's terrible! It is a health and safety issue. There should be a risk assessment in place, how did he manage to access a clinical waste bin? They will now have to review risk assessment to ensure this cannot happen again. I'd request a meeting to discuss the risk assessment they have in place for him.

"In relation to the incident, I missed whether you said how old your child is but there has to be a balance between supervision and independence/quality of life. Your child is entitled to privacy too"

A child with this level of support at this type of school is a child that needs constant supervision. The expectation would be that the child is never left alone.

@Cocopogo

Who took the child to hospital? Sounds like a massive over reaction. Obviously not great but kids with PICA eat all sorts and their digestive system becomes pretty robust. I would be very wary of removing child from school in the current climate. Lots of schools aren’t taking on as there’s a massive shortage of staff so you might need to be prepared to come at home for a long time. In relation to the incident, I missed whether you said how old your child is but there has to be a balance between supervision and independence/quality of life. Your child is entitled to privacy too. Depending on how long he’s been at the school perhaps they are still learning to balance this and sometimes things happen.

Age is irrelevant here ,my nearly 12 year old is at a special school ,with a 1'1 ,he wouldn't do this although I have caught him trying to eat dog food etc ,but he does have equally risky behaviour because he has no awareness of danger etc .

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue

Am I the only one so far who can see the schools pov on this? Eating wee/poo soaked incontinence pads from a bin is pretty extreme behaviour. It can’t be feasible to literally monitor your child every second. If you push this then I think the most likely outcome would be that they decide that they cannot accommodate the child’s needs and they’re better off leaving until a space becomes available at a more suitable school.

I work in a special school - can’t see how this would happen if the child was being properly supervised. I’m assuming the bin was in the bathroom? Pad should be secured in a bag in the bin too! It’s really bad!

Not surprised at all! Hope your DC are OK

@Spikeyball in my school children are supervised 3 adults to 1 child and still they are entitled to privacy and risk behaviours. I understand this is not a good situation, as with a neurotypical child who falls off the climbing frame but children should still be allowed to climb. It’s about managing risk and balancing learning risks and quality of life.

I wouldn't try to destroy your relationship with the school if you want your child to continue to go there. Presumably they are aware mistakes have been made. I would concentrate on finding out how they mean to make sure they don't make the same mistakes again.

Hmm. Clinical waste bins with pads in them will be easily accessible, like in every bathroom just with a swing lid. I don't think they mean a medical waste bin or sharps bin which would be locked away.

The 1:1 could have been turned away from the child to wash their hands (but still right there, so still supervising) and the child could have quickly reached in and pulled out a pad and put it to their mouth before the 1:1 can turn round, take 2 steps towards the child and take the pad off them.

@Weemammy21

IMO the school and the chair of governors is only interested in covering it up. The fact that the school staff lied to the hospital about what happened to my severely Sen child put my DC safety and life st risk as hospital was denied the opportunity to make informed decisions about what medical care orctests DC needed. It is this and them waiting another 24 hours to confirm a used incontinence pad was in the bin that makes it clear they can not be trusted to care for Sen children as their first and only priority was to conceal what occurred to medical professionals at the hospital and cover it up. This is every parents nightmare and a change of policy is not enough. I contacted the chair of governors and he didn’t even bother to respond.

Could it be the case that the person who escorted your child to the hospital wasn’t the person who found him by the bin, and had only been told that ‘he’s eaten something from a bin’? I’m assuming you went to the hospital as soon as school phoned you? If so, surely you would have told the doctor that school told you he’d eaten a used incontinence pad? Or did they not tell you this? Did no-one at the hospital notice faeces on him? The school may well have not joined all the dots together initially whereby everyone realised what he’d eaten, at which point I’m assuming they notified the hospital? Was your child kept in hospital?

I work in a primary school, with SEN children, and we are on our fucking knees at the moment! Staff absence is through the roof, and children getting 1:1 support can't be watched every minute of the day due to staff breaks.
It's unfortunate but if your child is ok, and school ensures this never ever happens again, then I'd leave it. What good will a witch-hunt do ...

It wasnt a nice thing to happdn. But how did OP even find out about it. There is not nearly enough information given to ascertain shether or not the school is at fault here for not having procedures in place or if the person supervising was neglectful.

Agree with all previous posters that this is not within LADO remit. You may have better luck asking the council’s senior SEND managers if there is anything they can do given they commission the placement.

On a separate note if you haven’t already I would ask for an urgent review of your child’s EHCP especially if you do not intend to return them to the school.

"Spikeyball in my school children are supervised 3 adults to 1 child and still they are entitled to privacy and risk behaviours."

Thar depends upon the risk behaviours and the risks of those risk behaviours. Ds has 2:1 and eg would never be alone in a bathroom setting although staff would give him space ( go to door way but keep him within view ) if it was apparent he wanted it. That is not to say incidents couldn't still happen as even with the best care they still can. My point was giving privacy to a child who has known risks in a bathroom is not something that may happen.

If this was my child ( who attends a similar school) I would expect an investigation by the school as to what happened and to be fully informed about it, the child's risk assessment to be updated and any actions from it to be put in place. I wouldn't pull my child from the school over this.

The lying is extremely concerning.
Witholding information could have had serious consequences. The hospital needed to know the truth.

That is absolutely inexcusable.

As is someone with an ehcp stating full time 1:1 not receiving that.

Don't let this go. You should go through the complaints procedure, detailing ALL the concerns you have, including the other incidents you have seen.

All the way up to your mp and yes, the press if needs be.

Not giving the hospital all the information is so so serious. It is shocking and cannot be dropped.