young childrens personal hygiene at school

I would have thought it was a failing of duty of care if you left a child soiled.

anaoh no offence taken. It is not you that I am annoyed with it's schools/teachers/assistants who hide behind the pretence of 'safety' rules to not do their jobs professionally! I strongly advise any parent that has been told his/her child will not be changed to challenge this. Speak to HT, LA and if still no positive outcome to OFSTED. I doubt many will get to OFSTED as LAs (where they still exist and if the school is not an academy or a free school) will probably sort it!

Sorry, nanaej - didn't mean to offend, and am not sure what I said, but sorry anyway!

It's OK naneaj I knew you only meant a few awkward ones. It's the system I was railing against.

I don't think this is a health and safety issue....more likely some people not wanting to do it.

anagram I was part of a working group of Heads and advisors who wrote the LA policy on personal care and children in nappies in school. That is why I am so cross!! I am sure if the LA I worked for advised schools about positive & sensitive ways to manage these issues others will have done so too!

Mmm...worth looking into! Thanks, Jess.

It is true that some LA children's services are a bit overly keen to interfere in schools.
But I still think this is down to governors - they are the ones who can say "no - we will not sign off this safeguarding/ child protection policy head teacher. It is over the top. We want it changed."
These policies have to be reviewed annually by governors and while the LA can have a recommended template I have never seen anything on such a document about bottom wiping!!!
Look on the local authority "governors area" of their website and you may see draft recommend policies there.

Yes, probably the local authority's guidelines or policy.

P.S. This is in England so nothing to do with Wales only.

This has been the case for years!. My friend left her job as a school classroom assistant years ago when they were told they were no longer to help children with toilet issues nor even cuddle or hold a child if they had fallen over or hurt themselves. She found it too difficult and upsetting to see the little mites struggle, even if they wet themselves they could not help, just give them spare pants and a plastic bag.

We found out my GD helped her friend if she wanted her bottom wiping because the teacher would not help. She is 6 years old. When we told her friends mum what was happening she checked for herself if this was true and it was. This was only last year so nothing has changed for many years, probably got worse. They were taught how to wash their hands well though.

Words just don't cover the stupidity and lack of care these rules have forced teachers to adopt. I am sure teachers hate it, or at least they should in my book.

vamp didn't mean to suggest all support staff unhelpful.. in my case it was just a couple .. all others brill!

This is terrible. I agree that teachers/support staff shouldn't be there for all bottom wiping situations but when a child has had an accident or worse you have to help them. In my time as a lunchtime supervisor/child support assistant/teaching assistant and teacher I have helped children of various ages on several occassions. You can't leave them sitting in it for heavens sake. That's just cruel.

Governors, then definitely, also your local assembly member and your local LA head of children's services. And do you have something like a children's commissioner in Wales? Make a stink

I am a 'union' person but I think that sometimes a petty 'jobsworth' attitude undermines the seriousness of the real work of unions to protect workers form exploitation, illegal and unfair practise.

I was fortunate that my teaching staff, all union members, did not resort to that. The staff I had to work on were support staff . It was a 'dinner lady' who tried to lead a revolt and refuse to deal with 'bodily fluids'! I won (on behalf of the kids)

No this is not a private school, this is a state school, and from what I understand this is happening all the time at most infant schools. I think its about time this nonsense was made to stop - through parliament if necessary. Keep the comments coming please.

nanaej - quite rightly - but i have come across teachers refusing other non teaching duties e.g. saying that they were not paid to wheel a TV on a stand from one room to another!

I get so cross when idiots bring the teaching profession into disrepute!

* Common sense should tell you that you do not leave a child in soiled clothes.
*There are no elf'n safety rules to prevent a child being changed.
*The Head should just direct staff to do this and set up the systems to make it work

Grrr! I am very cross

When I was in infant school in the 1950s, Mrs Wise [sic] was termed the school nurse. I have no idea whether she had nursing accreditation, but she wore a white "uniform" and was in charge when children felt sick or had headaches and when accidents happened in the classrooms. I never had need of her services, I'm glad to say, but I do remember that she had supplies of clean underpants and other clothes for when the need arose. What is going on today?

One of my earliest & worst memories is of wetting myself when I was 6 in class...it was at the end of lessons, I was dying for a wee..then the teacher started talking about Harvest Festival!..I can vividly remember the beastly boys in class, laughing & pointing me out..The teacher was marvellous took me to a bathroom washed me, & sent me home with clean Knicks, I did'nt even mind that they were scratchy..This is surely another example of because of a few ghastly paedophiles common sense has gone out of the window!

This is horrible but I'm not surprised 'elf and saftey gone mad again. How humiliating for the child concerned and faces left on the skin can make it very sore. How in all humanity you wouldn't tidy a child up is beyond me.

Screening?

Jess.

I find this relevant at present - in the middle of doing my depistage! The French are very good at rustling you up to do all necessary for preventative medicine.

i am assuming it is state school. but maybe not. Too posh for poo?

These teachers will also have classroom assistants (probably more than one) in a nursery class? So even if they claim that they are only paid to "educate" (as their unions would have it) then no excuse. Employ a non-teacher-unionised someone who has toilet duties on their job description.
3 year olds cannot be expected to be completely clean and dry.
Outrageous policy! [grrr]
Complaining to governors is my suggestion because they are ultimately in charge of such school policies.

Despair, despair!