Social worker threatened 9 month pregnant partner!!!

[rjuk]

Social worker emailed at 5pm on Thursday saying she needed to come over at 10am the next day to bring paperwork for my partner to go over and sign, this was brand new info to us.

My partner called back saying Friday wasn't convenient and the social worker pressured her and pressured her saying she needed to come over as they needed to discuss a mother and baby unit which she said had been discussed before with the previous social worker (this new social worker has only been on this case for a month or so,we've never met her), we can say confidently that a mother and baby unit has never been even mentioned at any stage and there's no evidence to even suggest that it's been mentioned. The social worker then said that we needed a solicitor for our prebirth meeting Monday - we've known about the prebirth meeting but this is the first time a solicitor has been mentioned as they've consistently said there's been no need for one and that it wouldn't need to get to that kind of stage.

When my partner said "you can't just do this" the social worker snapped "well I think we can".

We emailed over a complaint and at 10am a social worker came over and said that our social worker had apparently been advised by legal not to attend. The social worker that came over had no paperwork and apparently no idea about what was going on, just that they were looking at a mother and baby unit. When we suggested assistance in our own home, she said she didn't think that would be an option - if she knew nothing then why say this?

So we waited from 10am for these documents to be sent over "securely" and it wasn't untl 3pm on Friday that we received them. Giving us the littlest time to try and pass it over to a solicitor.

They put our unborn on a CPP several weeks ago which was based on flimsy stuff in itself, that my partner had previously suffered with mental health issues but she's not had any issues for a some time now.

We have complied with everything they have asked and more, attended all antenatal parenting classes, attended all scans, check ups and midwife appointments and even sought out extra parenting classes privately and attended those.

Now 3 weeks before birth they're stressing out my partner in her heavily pregnant state and causing great distress, she's been so upset because of them.

In the documents they sent over they state that they're very concerned about our child's welfare and that they will take legal action if things don't improve... if things have been absolutely fine and no one has said different, how can things improve?

In their list of concerns they talk about historic mental health of my partner and also try to throw in some dirty, horrible lies about us, these are taken from the pre-birth assessment clearly. We wrote 8 pages of amendements to the prebirth assessment which we were told was received too late and that it needed to be in 3 days before the assessment meeting (WHICH WE WERE NEVER INFORMED AND HAVE PROOF WE WERE NOT INFORMED.) and our amendments addressed each of these concerns yet they've been ignored and I have to wonder if this new social worker has even seen the amendments.

Social worker also sent an email over yesterday afternoon to say there is now a PLO meeting next Friday and we need solicitor for that also. They forgot to advise us though that apparently each parent needs separate represntation which we were told by a law firm.

This mother and baby unit thing totally goes against everything we've planned, we were planning a home birth, midwives have recommended it to us and all healthcare professionals have only said positive things. So what the heck is going on and please someone give me some stuff to go on, they must be breaking laws, protocols, there must be something that can be done, they can't just be a law to themselves, surely??

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear rjuk

Thank you for your post and welcome to the board. I am sorry to read of your situation.

Firstly, may I signpost you to the information we have on our website for (expectant parents), parents to be, it covers all that you refer to in your post.

Next may I signpost you in more detail about specific concerns that you raised in you post. You said that the social worker mentioned/suggested a mother and baby placement for your partner and the baby – although this is outside of what you planned, it may be helpful for you to discuss a ‘residential assessment’ rather then your partner and the baby only; which ‘excludes’ you. Your solicitor may be able to advise you more about this.

You said that you wrote a response to the information the local authority put in the assessment but they have not updated their records to include what you have tried to amend/clarify. I might be helpful to gain access to the records held about your and your partner, here is a link that may help, again, do ask your solicitor how to proceed.

If there is a concern about your partner’s mental health, and if she is or was supported by perinatal mental health services they may be able to write a report for her or speak with the other professionals about their views of her mental well being. Here is a site that may help with any concerns expectant mothers may have about their mental well being during (or after) their pregnancy.

Finally here is information on our website about the stages of proceedings be it, pre proceedings, the public law outline (and a chart of this too) or care proceedings. We are also able to give telephone advice on our free phone confidential helpline. The number is 0808 801 0366, lines are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.00pm.

Best wishes

Suzie