Consider the following scenario and the two options at the choice point.
● What do you judge are the likely consequences of each option?
● Overall, which option do you think would be in the best interests of the child? You will find a commentary on page 134. You are a specialist teaching assistant (STA) and also undertake lunchtime duties in the playground. Ciaran is now aged eight and since you have known him has been a quiet child, but recently he has chatted much more to you. One lunchtime last week he started to discuss one of the regular ‘soaps’ on television that has a current storyline of serious rows in the fictional family. Soon you got the impression that Ciaran was talking about his own family. He has continued to chat with you on most days and you have been very careful not to lead the conversation in any way. Over the last week you have become sure that Ciaran’s mother and father have serious rows, that Ciaran and his younger sister have been hurt at least once, that they are distressed and frightened, yet under pressure to say nothing to outsiders. Yesterday you made notes of what had emerged so far and discussed the matter with the Designated Safeguarding Lead in your school. This teacher agreed that you should continue to listen to Ciaran and says she will inform the head about the situation. Today, the Designated Safeguarding Lead passes on the head’s instruction that any further conversations with Ciaran about his home situation must be undertaken only with her. Choice point: you have two main options here and both have consequences:
1. You feel that the head’s instruction has to be followed: as an STA you are not in a position to argue. During the next lunchtime, as Ciaran starts to talk about his family, you say that he needs to have that conversation with the head.
2. You question, with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, whether the head’s instruction is appropriate for Ciaran. You want to support and protect Ciaran effectively and ask the Designated Safeguarding Lead to talk now about other possibilities.
