1:1 staff leaving my daughter to work with other children. Is this allowed? — Scope | Disability forum
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1:1 staff leaving my daughter to work with other children. Is this allowed?

daisymay24
daisymay24 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited April 2021 in Education
Hi all, my daughter is 8 and she has multiple disabilities she has a rare disease and is very fragile. She has to be handled with care. She is in a wheel chair. She needs to be moved around the school. She needs personal care. She is more than capable of doing her work and is really clever for her age, however, she gets tired and her hands and arms ache so she is supposed to have a 1:1 30hrs a week. Recently my daughter has been coming home saying she had to wait 30 minutes for her 1:1 to return because she was out with other children and there has been other times when there has been an incident and the 1:1 has said she wasn’t with her. I have spoken to her 1:1 and she said she has spoken to the teacher about this but the teacher has said it is in her contract to work with other children. The 1:1 doesn’t think this is write and has spoken to the SENCo and the SENCo has agreed with the teacher. I understand sometimes a 1:1 will work with others as it would be really boring sitting around waiting for a child to need the toilet but the fact that she is doing the teaching assistants role too and leaving the classroom for long periods of time. It’s wrong. I have scheduled a meeting with the head but I would just like to know my rights and the rights of the 1:1. She has worked with my daughter for 4 years and there has never been an issue until she moved to this class with a bee teacher. Can anyone help any information would be great
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Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome 

    Sorry this isn't an area I have any knowledge of 

    Maybe have a look in our parents and carers section or parents of disabled children or even the learning and education section  

    Hopefully other members will be able to point you in the right direction 
  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @daisymay24 and a warm welcome to our community,

    I understand your frustrations and really feel for your daughter and her teaching assistant.  As this isn't an area I have specialist knowledge in, I wanted to direct you to some organisations trained in this area - namely:
    The links above take you through to either contact pages or those displaying helpline numbers.  

    I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the 30 hours allotted time for 1:1 is outlined in an EHCP or SEN support plan?  If so, Scope has information pages on these that you can read under this online Education section.

    I hope your conversation with the head teacher goes well and please do let us know how you get on.  Just to advise, I've also moved your thread to our Education and learning category which, as advised above by @janer1967, could be useful for reading when you have time.  Good luck. 
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  • daisymay24
    daisymay24 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thank you so much
  • Anomalous123
    Anomalous123 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    From how I see it, you need a EHCP for this to be binding. My nephew is severely autistic and needs one to one but experienced the same issue until my sister applied for one through the local council and is now never left alone. The schools arguments ideally include that other children need help too and that resources are spread thin.

     Things are going to be tight during the pandemic so even with a EHCP, you have to be patient and explain your reasons, however things may not go back ro how they are until more people are able to come back into work. It could be a simple case of not having enough staff members because if a child in primary (elementary) school has one, there should be two helpers consisting of someone who can care for the child and another who is the classroom assistant.

    I hope this helps.


  • daisymay24
    daisymay24 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thank you. My child has a EHC plan and it states she needs a 1:1 for 30 hours per week. There also a classroom assistant in her, this is where I find things strange. My daughter is waiting to go the toilet for 30 minutes or needs her scheduled break but her 1:1 is out the class with other children while the classroom assistant is in the class.
  • Anomalous123
    Anomalous123 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    That's is strange. Hmm. It seems the class has multiple people with EHCP and they just don't have the resources or people to cater for everyone's needs. That is a tricky predicament indeed.

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