[trishalishous]

We took our kids to hungry jacks today, and sat out in the playground. While there were heaps of kids there was no problems. Then the other families left, except for us and a boy about 9yo. We were sitting there eating when her shoes and socks came flying out of the play equipment. I freaked out and we grabbed her down before he could remove any more of her clothes. Her pants drawstring was knotted so I don't know if its a coincidence, or if he was trying to untie them.
it took us sometime to find his support worker who was sitting 2 rooms away in the main restaurant.

I am really disturbed that a) his support worker wasn't supervising him, and he could have easily gone out to the busy road, and that b) our 2yo was in a potentially bad situation. We told the support worker in no uncertain terms that she should have been supervising and we would be making a complaint to her employers.
unfortunately she is directly employed by disability services, rather than an agency, so I don't think there is anyone to really complain to.

after they left, staff came and apologised to us, and two recently arrived families piped up that they had seen him left there alone on a number of occasions.

so this isn't the first time he has been unsupervised, and I worry that this has the potential to turn nasty, due to a lack of care.

is there anything I can do to make sure he is adequately supervised around other children?
what would you do?

[Sinister Bonnet]

You most certainly can complain to disability services. It's just the same as complaining to an agency.

That's a dreadful situation for your child and for the child with SN. The carer needs to be hauled over the coals.

[baddmammajamma]

You most certainly can complain to disability services. It's just the same as complaining to an agency.

That's a dreadful situation for your child and for the child with SN. The carer needs to be hauled over the coals.

ALL OF THE ABOVE! Trish, do you have her name or any identifying information?

That poor child.

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 16/12/2012, 12:55 AM

[trishalishous]

I know the childs name, his school, and 'of' his parents, but my mum knows all his details, as she was approached to support him a few years ago. Thats how I know that they self manage their funding.
Shes finding out his carers details so I can complain to disability services, however its a fairly complex situation so I dont see much changing sadly (his parents both have support workers, and are unable to care for this child, so he has pretty much 24/7 support workers, but due to his parents inappropriate behaviour (fighting, hitting, swearing) the entire family has trouble finding support workers)

[baddmammajamma]

Oh man, that's awful. Heartbreaking.

[BlondieUK]

Heartbreaking.
But please do not assume that he was going to or trying to remove other pieces of clothing (unless there is more to it than what you said). Many children with SN have fixations over socks and shoes. Mine does - if he doesn't like someone's shoes he may ask them to take them off "and put them in the cupboard, please!"
Glad your little one was ok and not hurt.
Perhaps it's also worth speaking to the manager of that Hungry Jack's - if the carer is consistently neglecting her charge, then surely that's grounds to refuse the child entry to the playground?

[~ky~]

Not a great situation to find yourselves in ... how sad taht this boy had no one watching out for him

I also want to point out that some SN kids are absolute sticklers for the rules and often, the rules are in those types of playgrounds that no shoes or socks are allowed on the equipment - he may have been making sure that your DD was "complying" to the rules as it could have been distressing him ... Just a thought. I know that sometimes things like this upset my DS ...

[beansidhe]

how did the shoes come off without you noticing? Were you supervising your daughter?

maybe she was the one who took them off

I kind of dont get why you are upset about this.
a pair of shoes and socks got taken off and thrown off the play equipment.
so what?
probably not supposed to be on anyway.

I would be more upset about the other child's family life.

[Eirinn]

how did the shoes come off without you noticing? Were you supervising your daughter?

Oh come on! In that type of play area it is impossible to eyeball your kid the whole time once they get up into the tunnels. Whenever I take my 3 and 1 year olds to an indoor playground like that, I am always sitting right there in the play area with them and watching, but it would be totally possible for their shoes to come off without me being able to see it.

I do agree OP, that your daughter could have removed her own shoes and socks. I also agree that it is reprehensible for that boy's carer to be two rooms away, whether or not he is SN.

[~sydblue~]

I would be more upset about the other child's family life.

You can be upset about the other childs life and what is happening to them, however that does not mean that you neglect to worry about what could of happened to the younger child.
The OP has already said they know about the child.
So if noone is doing what they should in regards to supervision, the next step is going over their heads.