Safeguarding - am I over-reacting?

[christinarossetti]

Abridged version is that I went to pick my 5 yr old son up from an after after school club one day last term and the gate was propped open. Inside were five other children of the same age who informed me that the other children and all of the staff were upstairs in the computer room. This turned out to be true.

There were two other issues that compromised safety and lots of general crapness. This was the first time I had used the club.

I complained, meetings were held, staff to be disciplined,sent on training courses etc. lots of promises about improvements, assurances etc.

But I'm not reassured. thankfully it isn't my child's school, so I don't have to deal with them again, but a few people have said 'it's good they're addressing it' , but all I can think is they broke their promise of a safe environment before so words mean nothing.

If it was my child's school, I don't think I could trust them again.

am I over reacting, or right to still feel so upset?

[Wellthen]

Im not quite sure what youre asking. You are right to have been annoyed at the time and to not use them again if you feel you arent able to trust them.

But I'm not quite sure why your still upset. Your child didnt come to any harm. Is it that you feel they aren't fit to be open at all? In which case you need to air these concerns. Although I cant see why you would think that.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I had a slightly different situation, but also safeguarding. After school club allowed my daughter to be signed out by someone who was not her parent and they had no authorisation from a parent for her to be released to this person. This person it had just been revealed to me in the days before was having an affair with my husband and he has since left me or her. She has tried to replace me at very turn.
I contacted the head teacher and just raised the concern that she shouldn't have been released to anyone apart from a parent or direct consent from a parent. There was a disciplinary hearing and both staff were given formal warnings for allowing this happen.

[Galena]

So it's not your child's school, all the children were fine and they have undergone training and made improvements to their procedures? And now, 3 months later you're kicking up a fuss? Why?

[christinarossetti]

What sort of fuss do you think I'm "kicking up", galena?

I've no idea whether they'be made promised improvements. Their first set of promises on the glossy brochure weren't true.

My children have been in a number of different settings and I've never thought or found out that they've been unsafe before which is a horrible feeling.

The lack of basic procedures ie no signing in and out sheets were shocking.

There is one evening a week I,need after school care and have limited options but can't face using that scheme again.

[Galena]

But I'm not reassured. thankfully it isn't my child's school, so I don't have to deal with them again, but a few people have said 'it's good they're addressing it' , but all I can think is they broke their promise of a safe environment before so words mean nothing.

If it was my child's school, I don't think I could trust them again.

am I over reacting, or right to still feel so upset?

In my experience, all glossy brochures make things sound better than they are. I agree, they should have had signing in and out sheets. I agree that what they did wasn't great. However, in your own words, 'it isn't my child's school, so I don't have to deal with them again' So why are you still 'so upset' about it?

I could have understood you posting your OP the day/day after it happened. But why now? Why 3 months later?

[LittleBearPad]

There is one evening a week I,need after school care and have limited options but can't face using that scheme again.

So don't use it.

[christinarossetti]

Yes I get that. Though I still feel very unsettled that the children were put at risk in that way.

I heard about a major ie being imprisoned child protection issue with someone I used to work with this week. Which I think is magnifying my child danger lenses.

[Ragusa]

No, You are DNBU. I would be upset too. Child could have wandered off, been abducted, anything.

What did they communicate to the other parents about this issue/ to you, after you raised it.

Safeguarding is a BIG DEAL for schools and rightly so.

[thisisyesterday]

i would report something like this to Ofsted. Hopefully they will then investigate and ensure that changes are made and staff are trained etc

i think at the moment you don't believe they will do these things? based on prior experience?
i think all you can do now is report to the relevant authorities and let them deal with it as necessary.

[Ragusa]

Agree with TIY. I would be concerned they were trying to sweep it under the carpet ...

[christinarossetti]

Thanks. There was another safety issue similar to lone cats . Parent had given me consent to pick up her child though the scheme didn't ask my name or check with the other parent. All in one session!

I'm still waiting for the letter summarizing the meeting I had with the head after I complained, but the provision was so bad it was as though the staff had never run a play schemes before eg no receipts for money handed over, no water taken on trips etc. I guess there seems so,much for them to do that it's unlikely they've kicked off the new term with robust safeguarding measures. And it's dangerous.

The scheme is run by the school (play scheme manager is managed by deputy head) so there's no LA overseeing or anything.

I sort of feel that once I get the response I want to forward it all to Ofsted to do something about (or not). It's registered with Ofsted but doesn't appear to have been inspected at all, which is a worry to,me.

Ofsted judged the school to have 'outstanding'safeguarding, which is clearly Bonkers.

[christinarossetti]

I've no idea what they communicated to other parents. It's a school that likes to brag about how fabulous it is and everyone this is wonderful, so not much I would think!

[christinarossetti]

Okay. Turns out the scheme isn't registered with Ofsted despite the school advertising that it is.

I've informed the Chair of Govs and the safeguarding team at the local authority about the problems and will leave it in their hands.

[Ragusa]

Good grief. That's terrible. What kind of school is this? Academy or local authority?

[christinarossetti]

It's a local authority school. Very well regarded. Likes to promote how fantastic it is.

Had a gut feeling that it wasn't just an isolated incident of incompetence, so glad that I followed it up.

Although I have no intention of using the setting again, I'm glad that things will be made safer for other children.

[Ragusa]

Good on you. They are going to be in deep s*e I would think. I think there are loads of schools that talk the talk but don't walk the walk, IYSWIM.

[Ragusa]

Dr Google suggests that where a school runs the club directly ( and employs after school club staff) they don't have to register separately

However....presumably after school provision is instead inspected as part of regular school inspection. You alerting ofsted to a safeguarding issue might trigger a non-routine inspection. You would hope.

[Ragusa]

Actually, that only seems to be true if the school also operates a pre-school...

[christinarossetti]

I couldn't alert Ofsted as the scheme isn't registered with them and it's not encompassed in the school's registration, hence my deciding to alert the local authority's safeguarding team.