Mother of child on drugs

[coco]

I am a concerned neighbour. nextdoor lives a mother of 3, which are 2 daughters and 1 son. the eldest daughter moved out with her boyfriend, and the son and his girlfriend live next door with his mother. the other daughter is only 6, her father does not live in the same house as her mother. the little girl regularly goes to stay with her father and sees him one evening during the week. the mothers bedroom window is always open no matter of the weather as this is where the main drugs use goes on, but I only to often smell drugs coming from her house wafting into my garden, and my property if the whether happens to be nice and i have the windows open. What should i do? do i report to social services and the child be put in care?
I really dont know what to do!

[TKH]

Does the child seem happy, healthy and thriving or is she showing signs of neglect? Does she have other extended family visiting? Does she attend school regularly, have you seen first hand her needing anything shes not had? Are there visitors to the house at times you would be concerned about. Follow your instincts and if you are genuinely concerned about the child - report it. It will be investigated but the child wouldnt necessarily be removed?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Coco,

Thanks for posting on our board.

First of all, as TKH says, you making a referral will not automatically lead to the children being removed. If Children’s Services has sufficient concern about the referral you make they will investigate and decide what action needs to be taken from there. This could range from providing support services to Mum to removing the children, if it were sufficiently serious.

If you have real concerns about the welfare of these children then you should contact Children’s Services (CS), the new name for Social Services, in your area. If you are still unsure and want to talk it over with someone, you could call the NSPCC helpline and take advice from them.

Best wishes

Suzie

[coco]

Thank you both for such prompt replies. The child seems as if she just goes with the flow. She wears ill fitting clothes and shoes, sometimes the shoes have holes. Her sister visits the house, and there is a cousing, but she rarely comes over. she attends school regularly, the mother does not seem as though she is coping and I know she has suffered depression in the past. she is not always fed 3 meals a day, she often misses meals.

I know this because the child in question comes to play around mine with my daughter.
I do not want the childrens services to think im wasting their time.
the thing is, if the childrens services turn up at her house, she will play it cool and deny any drug use what so ever. Would they take a drug testing kit with them at all?
I do not want the child removed if its not needed, as i know there is always a more worse off child and each case is decided on that, but i also do not feel it is right the child witnessing drug use, as this is not the correct role model.
Appreciate the advice, many thanks in advance

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi there

My name is Suzie, an advisor from the Family Rights Group. You mention that this child is a regular visitor to your home. However, should you continue to have concerns about her welfare, you could make a referral to Children’s Services (new name for Social Services).

You can make your referral anonymously, so your name is not mentioned when the social worker goes to visit. Given it being the build up to the busy xmas period, the timing of any home visit, will depend on what priority children’s services give to the concerns raised by you or any other professionals working with the family.

It is positive that the child has regular school attendance, since this means that the school have been monitoring her progress, and have a duty to refer any child protection concerns to the Local Authority, so they can assess any risks or support needs to that child.

Should you require any further advice please feel free to contact the Family Rights Group advice line on 0808 801 0366 between Monday to Friday.

Best Wishes

Suzie