Hi, my name is anxiousmary!
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anxiousmary
Community member Posts: 2 Listener
Hi all..I will try to keep this short. Last year I volunteered at a primary school after 5 years at home bringing up my youngest. On my 2 nd day I was offered a job as a 1 to 1 support assistant to an autistic little boy. I was honest and said that although qualified to work with children I had never worked with S.E.N children and was promised lots of training and support. I got neither ! Afterr 2 months the head told me a complaint had been made against me which turned out to be I had moved the child from A to B during a lesson which is not allowed (no physical contact). I did not deny this as I had indeed moved him several times actually but never in an angry or aggressive way just simply by holding him under his arms. I was told i had failed my probation period and that was that. I was devastated as I had not know it was the wrong thing to do ( my experience is in nurseries where we do sometimes have to physically move children). I have lost most of my self confidence and self esteem and felt truly terrible for some time I now have a job in a nursery but would like to try again in a school. I am currently studying a S.E.N.D course as well and have decided to try to volunteer at another primary school. Although I have not put my experience at the previous school on my c.v I do intend to tell them if I'm lucky enough to get an interview. Can anyone tell me, am I wasting my time ? Will another employer be remotely interested when I explain what happened before....please help. Thanks in advance
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Hi @anxiousmary
Welcome it’s great to meet you this evening.
Please please have a good look around our site /community.
If there is anything that I can help you with please please let me know????? -
Hello Mary @anxiousmary and a warm welcome to the community.
I am very very sorry that you seem to have been put through this very unpleasant experience, but would counsel you NOT to let it impact too much on you - on your confidence and self-esteem especially. In my experience, schools are generally p**s poor at supporting children with any kind of additional or different needs.
If you're really keen to get back into schools, perhaps give yourself some time in your current job to build up a positive reputation there, where it will most matter on your CV as 'most recent employer'.
Perhaps see if you can take a qualification, or do some more volunteering at a club for children on the spectrum, for instance, so that you can demonstrate a real desire not to make such an 'error' again?
You have been let down by lack of training and lack of support. Their fault, not yours.
Very best wishes to you,
Richard
@JennysDad
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Thank you @JennysDad, that's great advice. It's so hard sometimes to know what to do and who to turn to for advice. I appreciate you taking the time to help me. X
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@anxiousmary hi and welcome. I currently work in a school with sen kids part time and its my first job in 7 years. I agree with what you are saying as I assumed that there would be mandatory training. Instead I was told you learn on the job. Basically they respond to situations as they arise rather than preparing you for them. I think its all down to funding and resources. This has led me to be wary of what opportunities I feel safe to undertake. Its really not fair on myself or the children. I am lucky as I am able to work my hours where I want to but I still have to ask for advice regularly to make sure I am getting it right. What I did before this job was volunteering with a kids club which really built up my motivation and confidence and was experience for my cv. I also got a good reference from them. You know we should be trained so do I. Also I do distance learning and other types of learning for free when the opportunities come up through adult learning and funding is usually available if needed. That also builds your CV and your confidence. Good luck
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Hello @anxiousmary
It seems to me that you were abused by the school.
You were put in a role that you had not been trained for and were told that you would be supported and trained.
It seems clear to me that they lied to you.
If you broke some policy then you were entitled to a disciplinary hearing with evidence being submitted and assessed.
Given the unprofessional conduct on their part, it is even possible that they found they had just over-reached themselves financially.
When push comes to shove, you can be fired for them not liking your taste in socks until two years service is reached. The only exceptions are protected equality matters.
It's easy to say ignore them and move on but I think you are well shot of them. I think they would have found another reason sooner or later.
Of course, as a volunteer, you have only health and safety protections. Also, if it's not in writing, it was never said.
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