Sen TA Struggling!!!!!

[fluffy71]

I'm looking after a special needs child in reception presenting at age 2 yrs 0 months. This child has a twin who also has one to one support as per their EHCP. My colleague and I look after another high needs autistic child who started school without a care plan in place. All three children are struggling to regulate. Outbursts are a daily occurrence. We really are trying our best, sensory breaks, speech and language therapy but it just feels like a losing battle.

One of the children is still not getting the hang of toilet training after 8 months but mom insists on the child remaining in pants despite daily soiling and wetting. I can just about cope with this and myself and my colleague work really well together and have the best interests of the children at heart. However, its just not getting any better.

Today one of the children were removed from class for the third time today because they were aggressively throwing scissors around! The child also hurt a number of children today. My and colleague and I, being temporary employees aren't trained to lift and have been told not to do so in any circumstances incase we leave marks. This feels a bit like being employed to feed lions without a fence or any protective gear! I understand they don't have the budget to train temporary staff, but happens if one of these children really hurt another child under my watch and I'm not allowed to even pick them up and take them away from the situation?

It gets worse because I'm also a KS1 parent at the school and my child's class is regularly being disrupted by another child from the year below who keeps running into their class and screaming and shouting. Today Year 1 and 2 didn't have a phonics lesson because of this child.

I'm at the end of my tether and any issues with my own child are secondary to this. Any advice on how to approach SLT would be very much appreciated. If I'm honest I feel like telling them to stick their job but as I've said (from a selfish point of view) its affecting my own child's education and if I leave I know it will get even worse.

It's such a ridiculous state of affairs. What you describe (a child running in and out of rooms, screaming and shouting), disturbing the learning of others, is totally wrong and all too common. All I can say is that your leadership team is very poor, if they arn't acting on this. If the child isn't stopped from doing what they are doing (in whatever way), they will just keep doing it.

As for physical restraint, if the child is a danger to themselves or others, I'm sure staff are allowed (have a duty?) to intervene physically. If the child was about to stab someone with a pair of scissors in the head, what would you do, just stand there and watch it happen? I would be contacting you union, getting advice, and go from there. Alternatively or both, I would be saying to the Head, that you are concerned about the child's safety and the safety of others, and would like some more guidance. I would definitely be getting advice from a union.

This is the problem with lack of send funding unfortunately. Children in the wrong setting, untrained adults looking after them. Madness. There is probably very little you can do. What makes you think it will get worse if you leave? And what made you apply for the job?