Headteacher had me on loud speaker without informing me

[sparklesmakelifebetter]

So my son has SEN, but is in a mainstream High School. He is massively struggling (mainly anxiety related).

I received a call out of the blue from the Principal demanding I come in for a meeting: which is essentially a pre permanent exclusion meeting. (Even though I have a meeting booked with the SENCo and behaviour lead for next week to start an EHCP process). I've never spoken to/dealt with this gentleman before, but found him rude, Anything I said I was cut off. But my biggest upset is that I have now discovered that I was on loudspeaker, in front of at least 2 other members of staff, yet he didn't mention this to me. I've sort legal advice regarding the schooling issue, but my question is:

Is it common courtesy to be told you are on loud speaker or not?

Had I known I was being listened to by others I would not have engaged in the conversation at all, saving it all for the meeting. 1 person is someone relevant to my child, the other someone unrelated to his schooling.

Yes: You are being unreasonable, you don't need to be told if you are on loudspeaker and if others are listening.

Or

No: You are NOT being unreasonable to expect to be informed you are on loudspeaker and who else is present, especially within a professional environment.

@WidgetyWoo

You should know who data is being shared with a why. It’s the same as copying unnecessary people into an email

I recently had the school receptionist copied into an email regarding my daughters reduced timetable - fine, she might need to know as she is checked in late. But she doesn’t need to know details of my daughters private health details in order to do her job, and I’ll be raising it in the next meeting.

The lowly receptionist is probably the lowly first aider who looks after your child if she's ill or injured.

It might make it easier for her to do her job if she's given a clue before there's an issue.

@NeverDropYourMooncup - Nonsense. It’s nothing to do with being “lowly” and it was information that few staff need. She doesn’t need it. My child is entitled to some privacy, her health and circumstances are not up for discussion with every man and his dog.

I’ve worked in supposedly confidential services and I know that in some settings, staff get far too comfortable sharing information, with the attitude of “well,we all work here”. That is unacceptable.

Putting someone on speaker without telling them (so that they can withdraw consent if necessary) is also unacceptable.

[quote WidgetyWoo]@NeverDropYourMooncup - Nonsense. It’s nothing to do with being “lowly” and it was information that few staff need. She doesn’t need it. My child is entitled to some privacy, her health and circumstances are not up for discussion with every man and his dog.

I’ve worked in supposedly confidential services and I know that in some settings, staff get far too comfortable sharing information, with the attitude of “well,we all work here”. That is unacceptable.

Putting someone on speaker without telling them (so that they can withdraw consent if necessary) is also unacceptable.[/quote]
Why wouldn't a first aider (as it's usually the admin who have this job, as teachers aren't required to and TAs are generally actually working with their allocated children) need to know about medical conditions?

It's a damn sight easier to know that a child has diabetes before they turn up with a hypo, epilepsy before they're called to a classroom because somebody is having prolonged absences and that they have been self harming so that appearing at Reception can be discreetly handled rather than sending them back to class because they seem upset but can't tell her why because there is somebody else there.

I don't think you quite appreciate the particular nature of what goes on in schools - admin staff often know the children better, as they talk to them one on one rather than in large classes where the loudest can drown out the needs of the quieter ones. And children will often speak to them precisely because they aren't teaching staff.

It's one of the reason why admin all have to do safeguarding training just as much as the teaching staff do - they have different but equally important opportunities to see things that aren't right, whether medical, emotional or behavioural.

@NeverDropYourMooncup - Okay, to reiterate , it isn’t everyday health information that general school staff need to know. If you’ve worked in a school, I’m concerned that you don’t understand that not all information needs to be shared

If I teaching someone, for example, I might need to know that they have PTSD. I might be made aware of a particular triggers… but I would not need to know any more detail about what had happened to them, and I wouldn’t ask.

Someone in a school might need to know about a health issue that would be treated as an emergency in school - but they would not need to read a consultants letter than has the persons medical history, and even mention of family medical history, in other to do this - although that letter might be shared with one or two staff members who needed to record diagnosis.

Can you understand that there are distinctions? This includes mental and emotional health and family relationships. If the person does not need to know the information in order to do their job then they should be given the information or present when it is being discussed.

If I’ve been privy to a conversation where someone has been discussed in front of me, which has happened frequently as many workplaces don’t train staff properly in confidentiality, or enforce it, then I leave the room.

Safeguarding does not mean open season on sharing information, it still needs to be justified.

*shouldn’t be

50/50, I think 90% of calls I make today either I am on speakerphone or the other person is. It is so common that that is my expectation so I would not even think to ask/to tell the other person. WRT to others in the room, if the matter did not concern them/was private then I would say something to warn the other person so they would not say something 'in front' of the others.

@wombat1a

50/50, I think 90% of calls I make today either I am on speakerphone or the other person is. It is so common that that is my expectation so I would not even think to ask/to tell the other person. WRT to others in the room, if the matter did not concern them/was private then I would say something to warn the other person so they would not say something 'in front' of the others.

Well if I worked in your office that would irritate me. Its distracting. I get it when told this call maybe monitored, but I do have some expectation of privacy otherwise

Yeah mate that’s not your decision. I know you mean well but you don’t get to call it based on limited info;

It would be an awfully good idea to check the dates on threads before telling anyone else off for acting on limited information.

ZOMBIE THREAD

Why isn't the poster who keeps doing this being banned? The one who bumped this up has posted about 20 times since 9pm-ish. Surely, they should be zapped?

Agree