Have I done enough?

[kristina]

Ok we had an incident at Pre-School today involving 3 children and our bathroom area. We rent a classroom from a school and the toilets/basins are part of the classroom, there isn't a door or anything you just walk into the bathroom are (bit of background info!!).

A child was using the toilets today and called for a member of staff to clean their bottom after, when in there the child told the member of staff that another child had touched her down below after being told to do so by another child.

The member of staff was standing near by so it would have happened in seconds not over a prolonged time as staff knew which children where in there.

The child who touched denied it and said they didn't do it however the child that told them to do it admitted it and said the other child was touched.

I immediately asked the member of staff to complete and sign an incident form, as it was home time i spoke to the parent of the child who had alledgedly been touched whilst my deputy spoke to the other two parents.

The parent I spoke to was fine, understood that 2/3 year olds are inquisitive but thanked me for telling her, the parent whose child had supposedly touched was very upset and apologetic with a wait till i get you home attitude, whilst the parent whose child supposedly told the other child to do it is in complete denial. Is adamant that her child would not have said that, that someone is mistaken even though the child admitted doing it>

So having informed all parents, completed and filed an incident form is there anything else that you would do?

Have I covered all the basis?

 

[Cait]

I think so. If you have logged everything that was said and done, everything the adults said afterwards, who spoke to whom etc. I don't think there's anything more you can do. Perhaps a staff meeting to risk assess and make sure that it doesn't happen again?

 

Edit to add that once you have had this meeting, you could copy notes from the meeting to the three sets of parents to show what actions you are putting in place to ensure that it can't happen again

Edited February 3, 2015 by Cait

[kristina]

Thank you for the reply, just one of those incidents where you question yourself!

[finleysmaid]

think i would have done the same but keep a really close eye on the three of them!

a) to ensure there are no safeguarding issues

b) to try and ensure it does not happen again

it might also be worth having a conversation with the children along the lines of the pants info from nspcc!

Edited February 3, 2015 by finleysmaid

[kristina]

Hi

I am looking at the pants info at the moment, unfortunately the two instigators are related and always encouraging each other!! I have also offered some different sessions to try to encourage them both to make additional friends!! Have recorded all this as Ofsted are ever looming as we are way over due!!

Thanks as always for the advice and reassuring me I haven't failed in anyway!!

[kristina]

I have looked at the NSPCC pants info, would you speak to parents before introducing anything like this? The age guidance on the info is 5-11 years, does anybody else use this or similar?

 

Thanks

[apple]

Have you discussed this with the school staff? I am sure you have but thought I would just add if they are fully aware and that a copy of your incident and recommendations be given to them

[kristina]

I haven't spoken to the head teacher as of yet, but we are a private ltd company that rents space from them.

[finleysmaid]

we have VERY recently had a very similar situation in our local school...to my knowledge they told parents that they were going to talk about personal safety but not why they were doing it. I have had something similar before too and took the children involved to one side(after parents informed) and talked about not showing off bits!!! :huh:

[apple]

I personally think the head should be told even though you rent the space from the school, you say that the reception children access this at the same time as your little ones. Did you say that it was the reception age children that were involved in the incident? If so then she should definitely be informed.

[kristina]

I have spoken to the head, she wasn't concerned as she was happy with how we had dealt with it. The toilets aren't shared, they are purely for the pre-school children.