Child Protection

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BBmum
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:19 am

Child Protection

Post by BBmum » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:54 pm

Hi,

My child has been under child in need for a about 8 months under category of neglect and the social worker has decided that we are not doing enough to protect and look after our child. Everything that they have talked about we have either looked into or we have done. We have changed the bedroom floor twice and it still isn't enough. They state that we are not meeting her basic needs. We disagree with that but the social worker just doesn't bother to listen to us when we tell her things.

Yesterday they held a strategy meeting and have decided that its going to go to child protection.

We had the feeling that they have escalated it to child protection because of mental health. The social worker has told my husband (child's father) that the development delays that she has is because we are not doing enough for her. For example, the fact that she doesn't go straight to sleep when we put her to bed. The reason she does that according to the social worker is because we haven't the boundaries down. She has only started to not go straight to sleep since the added stress has started. And the fact that she isn't toilet trained apparently that is our fault too (we have been told that this is more than likely a neurological problem as she isn't recognising that she needs to go). This has completely angered me.

What can we do?

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 4207
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Child Protection

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:38 pm

Dear BBmum

Welcome to the Board

I am sorry to hear that Children’s Services are planning to hold an initial child protection case conference, having escalated from a child in need situation where you have said that the concerns the social workers expressed related to the condition of the home (or a room) and that you have already remedied this.

Now you say that you suspect the change is due to mental health concerns and to the lack of your child’s development. When the social workers originally became involved with you did they say that they were concerned about yours or your husband’s mental well-being? If they did say anything did you do anything to address their concerns? If you did, I suggest that you write a note to remind yourself of when you saw someone for advice about your mental health and when you see the social worker let him or her know about the help you sought: this will show that you have addressed their concerns are that you are being proactive.

May I also suggested that you contact your child’s health visitor (if she has one) or your family GP to discuss your child’s general progress, you could ask for some tips about ‘potty training’ or how to manage sleep issues. The NHS has some tips about ‘potty training’ and healthy sleeping tips for children. If your child attends nursery, it might be useful to talk to the staff about how she is doing in relation to her classmates or other children in her age range. It is likely that when/if the initial child protection conference goes ahead there will be someone from your GPs surgery, a health visitor and someone from the nursery or school your child attends at the conference.

Please watch our video about how a child protection case conference might be conducted and read our advice sheet about Child protection procedures. This document called Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015, may also be useful to you, please begin reading from page 41.

I hope this information will help you to understand a little more about the process you are involved in. If however you want to speak to us, do call us on our confidential advice line service and one of our advisers will discuss your situation with you. Our lines are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.00pm on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes

Suzie

PerfectlySafeDad
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:57 am

Re: Child Protection

Post by PerfectlySafeDad » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:41 pm

BBmum - your story angers me too, just by reading it. Keep strong, whatever you do, or at least hide your moments of weakness in private. If they spot you in a 'bad moment', they'll use it as ammunition to pursue you down the mental health route. This is what they do; their involvement, all the insane and protracted bureaucracy and unpredictable involvement causes the very weakness which they then claim to be your fault. Don't let this happen to you. Be very cautious about apparently 'pleasant' and informal conversation they have with you about your children's sleeping habits or toilet habits, for this is when they gather information to seek out reasons to cry 'risk' even though there isn't any. Their lives revolve around identifying it, and if there isn't anything obvious then they imagine it. They're dangerous, remember that at all times.

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