Possible safeguarding at school

[HandHold174686]

NC for obvious reasons.

My youngest dd has a learning disability and started a special school in September. She's thriving and doing so well.

However, she gets a taxi there and back, and is out of the house for 10 hours a day (aged 8). The school is pretty poor with communication.

My DD has some speech, but it's not always obvious what she's talking about.

Last night (2am) she was awake for an hour and kept going over the same things: Her words last night didn't sense: "man, shame, clothes, rub, good girl, locked, bad, (her name) sad, classroom, alone, inside."

I asked her if it was a bad dream, and she was adamant that no it wasn't. She understands bad dreams as a concept.

She hasn't shown any sexualised behaviours. I've no reason to think it would be DH - he was as alarmed as I was about what she was saying last night. It was also very clear she was talking about it in the school context.

Hopefully it's nothing. I'm going to raise it as a concern with the school's DSL, and ask to go over their safeguarding policies and procedures. There is almost nothing on their website about safeguarding which is alarming for a special school.

I would be grateful for any external thoughts or advice on how to proceed.

As well as speaking to the school, you could call NSPCC.

I would keep a wider view than just sexual abuse because there are other possibilities that may also need dealing with. For example, it could be the use restraint/seclusion that has been excessive/used inappropriately.

The taxi would have a PA accompanying your daughter so this person should
also be spoken to, and I’d arrange to speak to the school and your social worker about this, the sooner the school take note of this, and with your social worker also being notified, they should put things in place to make sure your daughters around as many TAs as possible and this will be communicated to
everyone at school.

Make an apt with the HT and then notify the social worker so the HT knows they’ve been notified first .

I should add that if I were in your shoes, I’d call the school and ask to speak to the HT and then follow it up with an email cc’ing your social worker about the issue and the words spoken by your daughter. Keep a paper trail , but a phone call first and a discussion (don’t be swayed into not sending the email and paraphrase it as “I’ll also send an email to you about what we’ve spoken about and obviously I’ll cc my social worker”.

the HT can then take your email around the TAs and put more sa guarding necessary in place whilst also speaking to everyone.

Thanks - we have no reason to think it is a taxi thing, she loves her taxi journeys! I added that to demonstrate how distanced we are from the school, sorry for not being clearer.

Thank you for the responses, I really appreciate it.

@StrivingForSleep that is a really good point, I hadn't thought of asking NSPCC for their advice, and yes, it could definitely someone other than sexual abuse.

We have spoken to the DSL (deputy HT), and I said we would send an email.

He is going to ask a SALT therapist to discuss it with her. He fobbed us off a bit with policies, but he did say he would get back in touch with us about the detail - when we asked what measures are in place about adults being alone with children, etc.

We have an unresolved question about personal care, he said that is done by one lone adult - I cant remember if that is standard procedure (she shouldnt need much, if any support);

Does DD have an intimate care plan?

One adult can undertake intimate care alone. You might find ERIC’s page on this and the guidance it links to helpful.

BTW @Lesley25, I know we were mid PMing when the PM system was disabled, I did reply but I don’t know whether you managed to see it before PMs were disabled. I didn't want you thinking I was ignoring your message.

@StrivingForSleep no, she doesn't have one. She had one at her previous school (she wasn't toilet trained when she started there).

I feel a bit as though we've been fobbed off on a few things because it's a special school and so we're supposed to trust that they know best. At her previous (mainstream) school we were very much a team with the school in supporting her and ensuring her needs were met.

DD should still have an intimate care plan even though it is a special school.

My son has had an intimate care plan at his last SS, he’s at more specialist provision and also still has one.
@StrivingForSleep i didn’t see the Pm , I hope they don’t erase it but thank you, I knew you would’ve pm’d.
@HandHold174686 follow up with the email today and cc the HT.

Email sent, thanks for the advice.

I feel slightly sick about it all. I really hope it's nothing, but given her learning disability and communication challenges, she's so vulnerable.

Does DD use an iPad or other tablet? If so, it is worth looking at the history.

@Lesley25 I hope they don’t delete PMs; I was mid conversation with a few people.

The school has been great and acted on our concern really promptly. They've reassured us about when our DD might be alone with an adult, answered our questions about intimate care, and spoken to her in an appropriate way.

We agreed it's her wonderfully overactive imagination. We're going to keep an eye on her kindle fire history/permissions, and school are going to have more regular conversations with her about any concerns she has about school.