i have a daughter age 10 to my ex who i was married to for 7 years we still get on although the relationship broke down afew years back however in January last year 2019 a allegation was made against her and her 7 children (2 of the 7 r over 18) was removed from her care (except the older 2) my daughter came to live with me and 2 of them went to there nans (there mums mum) these 2 children are aged 1 and 14 at the time and the other had gone to his dad's aged 15 witch leaves her other daughter aged 15/16 at that time. this child has her own daughter who was 2 (yes a very young mum) and she went to live with her partners family with her daughter so after this the social service decided to put all the children on child protection so about 6 months pass by and we are all just plodding threw n doing the best we can and attending all meeting and conferences at one point I managed to get them all down to child in need plans
however new evidance came to light regards the youngest child s paternity and the s.s came in like the bullies they are and applied for a child care plan but they didn't get it for all the children
as i managed to get the eldest daughter and her daughter treated as there own new family as they was now being supported by s.s to find there own home and start out on her own with her partner and bby (il come bk to this part in more detail further down in my complaints) so in the end managed to wriggle he out of child protection to no plan at all however ... s.s came bk with a child in need plan for her daughter untill they have a home n r settled we all agreed to the oldest lad was placed with his none biological father who he had grown up with . he was placed there on a supervision order and there's been no problems my daughter was placed with me with the same arrangement (but had lived with me for over a year now with about 5 visits if that from a s.s) with no problems and 100% backing from her school witch leads me on to the last 2 girls aged 14 at the time and just turning 1 who had been placed in there nans care as there wasnt enough room at the oldest girls dad's house as he only has a 2 bed house and already had a disabled sister living there and now the son aswell so the paternity of the youngest has came back during a police investigation and now the father wants to see his daughter but given the police investigation the family wasnt allowing it (mum's family&mum) so social services supplyed for a court order to share pr and allow them to step in over contact so the arguments went on with there family and s.s for a while untill they made nan feel like she wasn't coping and was to old to care for the bby at this point I step in and ask to be assessed to care for them as id stayed in all there lives even after i had left the relationship had ended so was still step dad i suppose so in September last year it all changed and nan felt like she was under preasure from s.s n was failing so I took the children to mine (s.s was kept informed the whole way threw) and along with them came visit after visit quickly followed by a court hearing for a care order to be placed and the children were granted to be placed with me on a temporary foster placement pending a parent assesment and also a fostering assesment and also contact was set up for mum to see her girls and the baby to see her dad in a contact center and mums was to be at my home to try and keep things as normal as possible contact with the girls and there mum has gone great and she has only ever missed it once and this was after an argument with her mum over sumthing silly (social worker stopped that one) but hasn't missed any others
now the bbys dad on the other hand has signed a contact agreement witch clearly states that he's to arrive 30 mins before contact and cannot leave as he uses drugs so on one occasion i had dropped the baby off to the center no problem but when i went to collect her i was created in the redemption by her dad holding her and he passed her to me (i later found out this isn't allowed and he should have stayed in the room) then again on another contact day we arrived at our time for drop off to be told he was here but we think he's gone to the shop ok i said n we got no in the car and drove around the block but to my horror as we reapproach the contact center the dad is walking up the road with his mother the bbys nan smoking a joint ( witch he denie) ok so still nothing was done that contact was however cancled so then because I have raised concerns over contact the social worker then start to shift the goal posts and i wasnt allowed to take the bby into the contact center and had to wait outside (witch i didn't mind) however that wasnt to be it the dad's mum then took to social media and was writing all kinds witch would then be sent to myself or the bbys mum by friends who screen shoted the comments and posts and we would forward them to the social worker then when challenged about them the dad went nuts and said he was going to do this an that and wait at the contact center to beat me up and also threaten violence towards the s.s..so they cancled his contact for 10 days (untill the next court hearin) then it was reinstated but with the goal post moved again and now a stranger had to come for the bby and take her to contact witch is distressing her i keep raising the conserns but nobody seems to listen to me and they all just do there own thing the guardian just seems to side with the social worker worker the iro also defends the social worker 100% but is ment to be independent
anyway bk to where im upto i have since completed my parent assesment witch was based on my daughter but factored the girls into parts and it was all possative i also had a glowing fostering assesment however i have hit a stumbling block as i have failed a hair strand test for cocaine and cannabis the cannabis in August (before the 2 girls were placed) was high levels 3.72 and the cocaine low level at 1.20 now i new the cannabis was going to show up as i use a plant grade cannabis oil (not cbd) to manage anxiaty as i use to suffer really bad upto 2017 with sever anxiety and had tryed well over 30 diffrent medications untill i found cannabis oil witch worked a treat n i managed to turn my life around even started my own fire n flood restoration firm witch went from strength to strength aswell as having my daughter full time untill i had to stop n look after the girls full time bringing us into September for witch i new the girl were coming to stay here so half my intake on the oil to just a drop at night n a drop in the afternoon the results shown for this month had halved on the cannabis to 1.50 but for sum reason still showed a trace of cocain with a reading of 0.51 (the cut off for no trace is 0.50) so during September i tryed Curtin the oil down to just the one slightly larger drop of an evening when the baby was in bed witch seemed to work so stuck to it just one drop so in October the test showed low level cannabis and no detection of cocaine and the hair test was done early December giving these reading and all parties involved getting involved in early jan this year i cannot explain the cocaine readings as this isnt sumthing i use i have fully said and been open about the oil from day 1 now I find myself under great scrutiny from all parties and there trying to take the bby away from us and leave the 2 other girl we have a contested hearing unless than 2 weeks and they have withdrawn there possative assesments and have said there negative now even tho I can't explain the readings i did repair myself to a drug federal center straite after these results and have since done a urine sample and as exspected it came bk clear for cocaine an possative for cannabis as it will for over 100 more days
so this now brings me onto the faults n floors of what ive experienced so far to tho day ive received no help other than to buy a bed i have had no support what so ever from any professionals i have constantly had to battle with s.s to keep things in order and for rules n procedures to be consistent witch never happens the social workers reports contain lies stating that ppl have attended meetings and clearly havnt
i have recordings of the s.s telling lies about what is and isn't court orderd i have had the guardian an social worker have seceret meeting i requested all copies of minutes from meetings from the iro and there's been plenty and received only 4 witch had pages missing the social worker even after being threaten by the bbys dad still continues to shift goal posts and accomadate the dad's wishes yet has no time for the mother as she has already made it very clear that she thinks the allegations against the kids mum r true even tho over a year later she still hasn't been chargedi have also made a complaint about this social worker to her manager about the way she is conducting this case and obiusly her manager bk her up
social services
Re: social services
then later found out that this social work while supporting the oldest daughter who was 16 at the time and being placed in a tempory accommodation with her daughter by sefton social services
being that she was only 16 she was unable to claim any money so the local authority (sefton council) gave her 30 pound to get sum bits n bobs but as the social worker handed over the money the 16 had said she would get some food n then get ciggerets..... at witch point the social worker said she couldnt do that and took her to the shop and bought her 20 then stood smoking with her i have raised this with her manager who again have swept it under the carpet but afew weeks ago during a lac review i confronted her on this and she has now admitted it ive since asked to see her manager 3 times but she's never availible so have now made a formal complaint to the council and im 8 days in now waiting on there answer
being that she was only 16 she was unable to claim any money so the local authority (sefton council) gave her 30 pound to get sum bits n bobs but as the social worker handed over the money the 16 had said she would get some food n then get ciggerets..... at witch point the social worker said she couldnt do that and took her to the shop and bought her 20 then stood smoking with her i have raised this with her manager who again have swept it under the carpet but afew weeks ago during a lac review i confronted her on this and she has now admitted it ive since asked to see her manager 3 times but she's never availible so have now made a formal complaint to the council and im 8 days in now waiting on there answer
Re: social services
little bit more info .......
so since the complaint has gone in i have hardly even seen any body from social services i had 2 unplanned visit with a diffrent social work who seemed really nice and actually listened to all my concerns and pointed me in the right direction as to how to go about my complaints properly
what id like to know if any body can help me is .... is it ok for a child's social worker who is supporting a vunrable child allowed to buy or give ciggerets to her as she has admitted this to a room full of professionals in a lac review yet her manager thinks thats ok and shes now upped her game and although on paper shes making it look like shes has our back but makes life very difficult in any way she can we have requested a new social work as theres alot of hostility from the kids towards her and there unwilling to engage with her i however remain level (although hard) and always deal in facts that i can prove but they have refused 3 requests in from myself the kids mum and grandmother but still they won't change her
so since the complaint has gone in i have hardly even seen any body from social services i had 2 unplanned visit with a diffrent social work who seemed really nice and actually listened to all my concerns and pointed me in the right direction as to how to go about my complaints properly
what id like to know if any body can help me is .... is it ok for a child's social worker who is supporting a vunrable child allowed to buy or give ciggerets to her as she has admitted this to a room full of professionals in a lac review yet her manager thinks thats ok and shes now upped her game and although on paper shes making it look like shes has our back but makes life very difficult in any way she can we have requested a new social work as theres alot of hostility from the kids towards her and there unwilling to engage with her i however remain level (although hard) and always deal in facts that i can prove but they have refused 3 requests in from myself the kids mum and grandmother but still they won't change her
- Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4230
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: social services
Dear WKR97
Welcome to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for posting.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I am sorry that it has taken some time to respond to your post due to volume of work.
I see from your post that you and your family have had a long period of involvement with children’s services (new name for social services) and that you have been doing your best to work with them.
Although you have set out a lengthy background to the family’s situation, you have asked two specific questions which I shall answer for you.
In respect of your query about whether a social worker can buy or give cigarettes to a vulnerable child, being your stepdaughter, who is also a young mother. Whilst this would not be considered normal for a social worker to do so, it will depend on the circumstances in which it was done and whether the child in question was in a situation where it would be helpful or not. The social worker may have made a judgement on this. It is not the case that the social worker introduced the child to smoking and at 16 she could not legally buy cigarettes. I do understand your concerns about what happened.
If you want to make a complaint about the social worker and her handling of the case, you may wish to consider doing so to her professional body, Social Work England.
Regarding your second question about a change of social worker, the position is that it is possible to ask for a change of social worker but children’s services do not have to change the social worker.
Should you wish to make a formal complaint to children’s services then you may find our advice sheet Challenging decisions and making complaints helpful. Children’s services should provide you with a copy of their complaints policy or, in the alternative you can find it on their website. They are required to follow their own complaints policy.
As it appears that you are now involved in care proceedings our advice sheet Care (and related) proceedings will give you more information about the procedures.
You may wish to speak to an adviser and, if so, please telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes
Suzie
Welcome to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for posting.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I am sorry that it has taken some time to respond to your post due to volume of work.
I see from your post that you and your family have had a long period of involvement with children’s services (new name for social services) and that you have been doing your best to work with them.
Although you have set out a lengthy background to the family’s situation, you have asked two specific questions which I shall answer for you.
In respect of your query about whether a social worker can buy or give cigarettes to a vulnerable child, being your stepdaughter, who is also a young mother. Whilst this would not be considered normal for a social worker to do so, it will depend on the circumstances in which it was done and whether the child in question was in a situation where it would be helpful or not. The social worker may have made a judgement on this. It is not the case that the social worker introduced the child to smoking and at 16 she could not legally buy cigarettes. I do understand your concerns about what happened.
If you want to make a complaint about the social worker and her handling of the case, you may wish to consider doing so to her professional body, Social Work England.
Regarding your second question about a change of social worker, the position is that it is possible to ask for a change of social worker but children’s services do not have to change the social worker.
Should you wish to make a formal complaint to children’s services then you may find our advice sheet Challenging decisions and making complaints helpful. Children’s services should provide you with a copy of their complaints policy or, in the alternative you can find it on their website. They are required to follow their own complaints policy.
As it appears that you are now involved in care proceedings our advice sheet Care (and related) proceedings will give you more information about the procedures.
You may wish to speak to an adviser and, if so, please telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes
Suzie
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