Advice

School have a legal duty to record concerns and pass them on for the right authority who then decide if and what action to take. School don't decide what is or is a risk but refer what might be a concern in the face of all the info they hold.

This might include information around attendance, behaviour, any disclosure of comments made, what they draw or write, hygiene issues, appearing hungry, tired, distressed, previous issues, SS involvement. Being SEND, language barriers, disadvantage, lack of parental engagement, bruises and marks on the body, not being referred to doctor, dentist, optician etc when there is a clear need or an injury or even several staff members having low level concerns.

They DSL may have conversations with other groups involved with that family or seek advice from other safeguarding professionals before referring on.

The guidance is to report and be wrong rather than do nothing. The school therefore must safeguard the child when it meets their threshold. So clearly they have a concern that is worrying them.

A broken zip isn't a safe guarding concern to report to social services though.

The school needs to address the concern with the parent first. In this case they could ask why the zip is broken, mum can explain it still zips and child is getting a new coat in a week or two at Christmas. The school would put this concern on file to add to a bigger picture if necessary but that isolated incident is not a reason to put extra pressure on an already over stretched service.

OP have you tried emailing the school and asking for an outline of their concerns. Be polite but straightforward. Keep as much as you can in writing. If you have a meeting take someone with you and ask for the minutes recorded. I understand completely how your feeling. It sounds as if SS have no concerns so try working with school to see if you can. Good luck!

I’m really sorry to hear this it must be really frustrating and upsetting

could you approach the school and ask them if there’s any concerns they would like to discuss with you as there seems to be a lot of SS reports

try and to go in with a cool head and open minded be prepared for any criticism

You don't discuss issues with a parent if you believe the parent is the issue.

Sorry KJ I should have unclicked the reply directly box.

Lol

apology accepted

i realise that

just thought if it was a recurring event the parent could approach the school - just in the right manner .

i think I would x

Parents legally have a right to know what is being discussed about their child and also need to be informed of any safeguarding concerns!

OP send them an email and make a subject access request. They will legally have to provide you with anything they have on file in relation to your child/children. Make sure when you make the request that you outline anything that is imperative they include that they might try to keep out. If they refuse to give you any information contained then get a solicitor, they will then obligated to explain their actions.

Also make a subject access request to the social services, that will include anything in relation to your children and will give you the opportunity to see all reports made to them in detail.

Some nurseries fail miserably and try to pin blame on the parents. Make sure you make a log of anything you are not happy with and keep it detailed and up to date. These people are obviously trying to get your children removed and if the social services have no concerns then you should have quite a few in regards to the nursery staffs behaviour.

My son's nursery allowed him to get severely bullied for a year and while I questioned what was happening, they made multiple logs about my concerns and tried to say there must go been something going on at home....there wasn't....he's changed nursery and never been happier and we've never had any false logs made since. You can't trust just anyone to care for your kids and you can't always trust these staff members who want to save their jobs.

I hope everything sorts itself out!

Jemma contact your local authority and also visit your GP so he can file it down that the school are affecting your mental health. You need to be reporting them. My best friend has a terrible time. She unfortunately became mentally unwell and had social services. She's on medication now. The school are relentless when they know there's social involvement. They actually report her if her daughter has a mark on her school shirt. They actually check her clothes! My friend is so suffocated. Please seek some legal help, because there's got to be a line that they can't cross and you need to tell your GP too. Goodluck xx

Exactly correct. One concern doesn't trigger social services.

It would be a number of concerns, possibly by various staff. Even the smallest things that aren't an issue can be reported ... because in some cases all those small things point to a bigger concern.

I'm sure most kids have at least one concern logged at school. The staff have a duty of care and safeguarding and are doing their job.

Better to report and be nothing than to not report and a child is actually at danger. Schools will seek advice and if a referral is needed one will be made. They are not out to get you, they are doing their jobs well. Social workers will investigate and sign off it no concerns.

There is no legal right to know information that may put a child at risk. Even making a SAR request exempts certain information that falls within safeguarding. Safeguarding also trumps the data protection act to allow sharing to assist safeguarding the person and reduce any risk.

You don't share information with a person who is considered the risk or a person who will share that information with the person who may be the risk.

Schools pass the information on to SS but are not required in any legal statute to inform parents. SS have their own procedures separate to school.

The school had spoken to me and I explained everything the school doesn't atchually have a concern they've told me but apparently they still need to report it and over 20 reports is ridiculous even the ss have said that