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Original poster

Todays u-turn from DfE, key workers working from home should NOT send kids to school

371 replies

Esmerelda01 · 09/01/2021 21:20

In case you've not seen.

Could cause a lot of people issues on Monday

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/09/school-guidance-for-children-of-key-workers-changes-again?CMP=twt_a-education_b-gdnedu

OP posts:
Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 12:52

@wonderup Indeed. But that's not to say as parents we don't know of people that are quite open about the fact they send their kids in because they can e.g. CW partner. Some of them openly admit it on MN!

wonderup · 10/01/2021 12:53

@flattyres do you want to read the conversation?

wonderup · 10/01/2021 12:54

But that's not to say as parents we don't know of people that are quite open about the fact they send their kids in because they can e.g. CW partner.

That may be true but how many are open about being on the safeguarding list?

SpnBaby1967 · 10/01/2021 12:56

I'm guessing a vast majority of people on here have never had to complete a DASH assessment on a domestic abuse victim Hmm. When it comes to safeguarding or domestic abuse, the majority have NO idea what it actually entails dealing with these cases, and why would you. These things happen behind closed doors, and very few people get an insight into it.

But, lockdown 1.0 I kept my kids home. Until my 8 year old asked me what rape and sodomy meant......I took up my keyworker space after that and took it up again this time.

My house is small, I cant keep separate.

When their bubbles were sent home, they did no school work as I didn't have the time to help them and my colleagues picked up my serious cases for me.

For a lockdown that could last months, this is not feasible.

Some of you need to step off that high horse and back into the real world.

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:00

When it comes to safeguarding or domestic abuse, the majority have NO idea what it actually entails dealing with these cases, and why would you. These things happen behind closed doors, and very few people get an insight into it.

I actually looked at going into it at a private school (lots of SAHPs but still need a safeguarding register) but decided it was too upsetting.

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:03

It's like people thinking the lack of devices can be solved by buying an ipad. Some people only have data if that.

formerbabe · 10/01/2021 13:03

It's absolutely amazing how many people are now crawling out of the woodwork to say they talk non stop throughout their working day about issues that their children can't hear about due to safeguarding.

Seems like everyone on here now does these roles.

Fascinating

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:04

It's absolutely amazing how many people are now crawling out of the woodwork ...

Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 13:05

@SpnBaby1967 I totally support a KW such as yourself taking a space. My OH is a key worker who also completes assessments such as these and deals with some extremely sensitive issues. He also has to undertake visits, many of which are on an emergency basis so obviously has to leave the house for these.
If I couldn't stay at home with my kids under normal circumstances (I'm a key worker that can't WFH but on mat leave), we'd also have no choice but to send our kids in.

Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 13:07

@wonderup Do you mean as part of your job? What is it you do for a living?

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:08

i'm school support staff.

flattyres · 10/01/2021 13:11

@formerbabe

It's absolutely amazing how many people are now crawling out of the woodwork to say they talk non stop throughout their working day about issues that their children can't hear about due to safeguarding.

Seems like everyone on here now does these roles.

Fascinating

100% agree. we have been trying to get help from social services for years. We cannot even get the assessments to which we are legally entitled as social services palm us off on every occasion (severely autistic teen with severe LDs).

They rather throw families like us under a bus than even providing minimal support and tell me there just aren't enough social workers and money.

yet now, they pop up on every of those threads in dozens to tell us how hard they work. really? Utterly fascinating, I agree.

where were they are hiding pre covid???

Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 13:13

@wonderup Ah OK. I thought you were speaking as if you had an insight into the some of the actual stats re safeguarded percentages and kids in school.

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:15

Where did I claim that? I just said safeguarding lists aren't for public consumption & agreed that a lot more goes on behind closed doors?

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:15

an insight into the some of the actual stats re safeguarded percentages and kids in school.

Do you have an insight?

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:16

Have the DoE started recorded attendance yet like last time?

Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 13:17

@flattyres Absolutely couldn't agree with you more. I see it on both a personal and professional level.
But social workers are a varied body of people working in different teams - there are not just child SW's.

Nicknamegoeshere · 10/01/2021 13:21

@wonderup Not currently as on mat leave. That's why I said it would be interesting to know.

wonderup · 10/01/2021 13:25

I agree, my point was just because someone is a SAHP doesn't mean they do not deserve a place.
Now I'm sure there will be some chancers but the majority? Also if you had zero need for a place but actively chose to send your dc in at the most critical peak of a pandemic some could argue they are better off in school 🤷‍♀️

SpnBaby1967 · 10/01/2021 13:25

@formerbabe

It's absolutely amazing how many people are now crawling out of the woodwork to say they talk non stop throughout their working day about issues that their children can't hear about due to safeguarding.

Seems like everyone on here now does these roles.

Fascinating

You'd be amazed how many jobs get involved in safeguarding.

I work in social housing, my "main" job is dealing with tenancy breaches around antisocial behaviour. 2019 I would deal with maybe 2 cases of domestic abuse and child safeguarding a month.

I now have over 30 cases, arrived over the school holidays. Now the majority of my day is dealing with calls EXACTLY like I describe.

This is what lockdown does. I'm glad you live in such a way that you dont need to deal with this kind of trauma. Sadly many others dont.

NaughtipussMaximus · 10/01/2021 16:00

@Parker231

For those saying you need a place for your DC’s in school. What are your plans if the bubble gets sent home due to Covid cases or if you get Covid because your DC brings it home from school? In these cases, which were very common before the latest lockdown and are already happening again, your DC’s will be at home with you regardless of whether you believe you can or can’t work from home.
I don’t really understand posts like this. If the bubble bursts, we’ll deal with it with a combination of annual leave and parental leave. We can do that for 2 weeks, we can’t do it for 6 or 8 weeks or longer..

Surely even people who aren’t very good at maths can see that the possibility of 2 weeks off is better than the certainty of 6 or 8 weeks off? It’s not rocket science, is it!?

Parker231 · 10/01/2021 16:04

Naughty - I can do math no problem but our local school has already had a bubble of key workers children burst and those parents are already concerned that it could happen again.

NaughtipussMaximus · 10/01/2021 16:20

@formerbabe

It's absolutely amazing how many people are now crawling out of the woodwork to say they talk non stop throughout their working day about issues that their children can't hear about due to safeguarding.

Seems like everyone on here now does these roles.

Fascinating

Do you think they’re lying? On here or at work? I mean, what are you actually trying to imply?

@Parker231 of course it could happen again. And yet that would still be better than no keyworker provision at all, for most critical workers.

robinwisperer · 10/01/2021 16:20

I don’t really understand posts like this. If the bubble bursts, we’ll deal with it with a combination of annual leave and parental leave.

great if that works for you. My employer would not authorise leave at such a short notice when we are not sufficiently staffed. It's just not the same for everyone just because some have flexible employers would would give leave so easily.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 10/01/2021 16:23

@Parker231

For those saying you need a place for your DC’s in school. What are your plans if the bubble gets sent home due to Covid cases or if you get Covid because your DC brings it home from school? In these cases, which were very common before the latest lockdown and are already happening again, your DC’s will be at home with you regardless of whether you believe you can or can’t work from home.
I work in a factory and DS's dad is a train driver. There's no "believe", we physically cannot work from home. In the case of bubble bursting I would have to take a combination of annual leave and unpaid leave.