My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice.

Step-parenting

Social services clap trap!

34 replies

louby44 · 17/10/2013 21:04

Still little improvement with the my DSD and DP and then last week we discover that DSD13 broke down with her teacher/counsellor at school telling her that "my dad beat my sister up on holiday".( She's seeing the counsellor for self harming!) The teacher then reported it to Social Services they subsequently came to visit DP's ex-wife today as they are concerned about the girls!! WTF. They want to interview DP here in our home as they are also concerned about the safety of my 2 DS. I am amazed at the stupid woman's assessment of a man and a situation that she knows NOTHING about! The word of a stroppy, aggressive, angry 15 year old is obviously more important than anything else. We are amazed, astounded...we are speechless.

Ex wife has told them all about DSD vile temper, her abuse towards her, the fact that she was cautioned by the police for slapping and hitting her mother. The drinking, smoking, underage sex, piercings were all mentioned. means nothing - she can get away with all that!

DP is utterly devastated. He worships those girls, he has cried over missing them over the years that I've known them.

The stupid social worker has suggested that they should now only see their dad in public places as he is too dangerous for them to be here overnight. Words fail me!

OP posts:
Report
mumandboys123 · 17/10/2013 21:46

do you expect professionals working with children to take the stance that they possibly, may be, probably, might be lying? Or do you want them to believe them unconditionally so that children who need the help of a trusted adult know that if they disclose their situation, they'll be believed, helped and supported? how is the social worker to know the background to this? does it not occur to you that a father hitting a child in the way you describe may well feel like she watched her sister being beaten? would you have accepted a hit like that from your partner because you had been badly behaved and rude to him? If not, why should she? do you recognise that there are women who would be desperate to receive a visit from a social worker to help them get out of a difficult situation and therefore protect their children?

Teenagers have sex, pierce their bodies, wear dodgy clothes, wear too much make-up, abuse drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Does any of that makes them all liars?

The issue here is why the girl in question has a vile temper and what measures can be put in place to support her and ensure that she maintains a decent relationship with both her parents. Calling professionals who are doing their jobs 'stupid' doesn't help that, does it?

Report
BrianTheMole · 17/10/2013 21:48

Its not going to help you much taking that attitude.

Report
louby44 · 18/10/2013 07:06

No but it helps me feel a bit better. It's called venting, sounding off, being bloody annoyed that some makes presumptions!!

Thanks for your views though and your last point is the only one I take on board.

Yes the stupid social worker should be HELPING my DSD and her mum to manage what is going on in THEIR house (not ours) on a day to day basis!

One incident with us and we are the 'bad people' countless incidents in their mother's care and we are to be 'investigated'.

Do they really think I would put my own children in danger? Yes I know DV goes on but not here!

OP posts:
Report
louby44 · 18/10/2013 07:13

As a 'professional' we would be much more supportive if she had interviewed EVERYONE before she makes her assumptions. How can she presume that my DP is 'dangerous' when she has never even met him?

Children tell lies, I see it everyday in my job. Adults tell lies too but kids find themselves backed into a corner don't they, unable to get out.

Surely she should see the whole picture before deciding what she thinks is best.

OP posts:
Report
MyMotherHadMeTested · 18/10/2013 07:53

Sounds stressful for all of you. However, I'm sure that the social worker is intending to interview everybody and work with you all to find a solution, and the suggestion that DP should only see the girls in public while that goes on is a very good one, both to protect your DSDs if the allegations were true (which obviously the sw can't rule out at this point) or to protect your DP from further allegations. Frustrating but absolutely the right thing to do at this point.

Report
NotYoMomma · 18/10/2013 07:59

but it wasnt the stroppy 15 year old who told them was it? it was her younger sister who witnessed it and had a breakdown Sad

you have 2 girls they would have interviewed and their stories will matchwhich means in the meantime they really do have to act on it.

let them do their jobs, insist they speak to dh and just comply, be honest and keep your heads and temper in check.

its not all the girls fault either so having the rage isnt going to help anyone.

I feel sorry for the 13 year old. she seems to be overlooked due to dd1 and dps volitile relationship yet seems the most affected

Report
Moxiegirl · 18/10/2013 08:04

What did you expect them to do - ignore it?
They are doing their job. And I say that as someone who has had ss in our lives for the last few years through no fault of mine.

Report
Aeroaddict · 18/10/2013 08:53

Surely you can see they need to investigate an allegation like that? Hopefully once they have finished investigating, they will have a good idea of the reality of the situation, and be able to offer you all some support. It sounds like you could all use some help in dealing with this, so it could turn out to be a positive thing. I can understand it must be upsetting for all involved though.

Report
Kaluki · 18/10/2013 11:01

Hi Louby. I have seen your threads on here and completely understand your anger.
I do think that this may well be a blessing in disguise. This girl sounds like she is going off the rails and her younger sister having a meltdown shows how badly it is affecting her. Once SS have established all the facts they can help the whole family to deal with this and hopefully help your DSD's.
Of course your own dc aren't in danger and your DH isn't dangerous but SS have to assume a dc is telling the truth because if God forbid a child was in danger and SS didn't believe them the consequences would be hurrendous!
Vent on here all you like - that's why we are here.
Thanks

Report
BurberryQ · 18/10/2013 11:06

so why did the younger girl say that then? if there was no truth in it?

Report
SoonToBeSix · 18/10/2013 11:10

But your dsd isn't lying your dp did assault her sister. And you seem determined to justify it.

Report
Kaluki · 18/10/2013 11:19

I believe she was assaulting him I think and he slapped her in self defence.
OP and her DP know it was wrong of him but it was under extreme provocation.

Report
BrianTheMole · 18/10/2013 11:26

Well, the situation sounds like it is spiraling out of control. There might be issues at the mothers house but its not as though its all perfect at yours either. Your dh did slap the older child, I know her behaviors led up to that happening, but none of it sounds good. And maybe from the younger child's point of view, thats how she see's it. She saw her dad lose control and slap her sister. What is a slap anyway? Theres huge variations of it, but it has had an effect on the younger child. It sounds like the whole family need some help to get through this. Seriously, I would drop the attitude and try and work with them to get a better outcome for everyone. That attitude will not help, but it certainly will go towards making things worse.

Report
BurberryQ · 18/10/2013 12:02

see if it was just a light slap as one might do for an hysterical person, why would the other girl describe it as 'beating up'?
many people use the word 'slap' for punch...
how many times did he 'slap' her?

Report
TheMumsRush · 18/10/2013 16:26

HS'S to dangerous! Bull! I'd have got a slap if I had done what your "d"sd has done! I've been following you and I find this now upsetting for you and your dh! Not much help, sorry Thanks

Report
OneStepCloser · 18/10/2013 17:07

It does sound as though your DSDs, DP and his Ex could do with some help and guidance, no one appears happy, from what you say it appears that everyones blaming each other for things, and its possible/probable that your youngest DSD was crying out for help by self harming?. Maybe this could be a really good thing for them all?

Report
mumandboys123 · 18/10/2013 17:10

No, brianthemole, her behaviours did NOT lead to her being slapped/hit/punched by her father. Her father needs to take responsibility for his actions and his behaviour. He could have walked away. He could have restrained an angry, lashing out teenager. He could have stood still whilst she hit him if that is what she was going to do. Instead, he made a choice. And that choice was to hit his daughter. It doesn't matter how out of control or how badly behaved she might have been, there was an alternative to dealing with it, other than by hitting her.

louby, unless all he did was give her some kind of pat on the back or cheerful/friendly slap which has got out of all proportion, you need to face up to the fact that your partner has physically abused his child and that is how it will more than likely be perceived by the authorities. Would you be sending your children to their father's house if he hit either them or his partner's children?

Report
trooperlooperdo · 18/10/2013 17:54

So we're now supposed to stand still and let our children beat 7 kinds of hell out of us? I think not! And we wonder why the youth of today are brattish with no respect for authority sigh

"Teenagers have sex, pierce their bodies, wear dodgy clothes, wear too much make-up, abuse drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Does any of that makes them all liars? "

Yes it does, the legal age to purchase alcohol is age 18 - you also have to be 18 to buy cigarettes - so unless they're going out and stealing them, they're getting them by deception, ergo lying.

If we'd been caught by our parents smoking, having sex, getting drink, we'd have had a hiding....as a result the vast majority of us DIDN'T do it.

Youth of today get a mere "you've dissapointed me" face when caught in a public toilet half way down a bottle of cheap vodka with a spliff in each hand banging the hell out of a 14yr old who's tripping so much she thinks she's a hampster, how is a you've dissapointed me going to stop anything?
And we wonder why so many kids are in special schools

Report
louby44 · 18/10/2013 18:54

My DP admits freely and with deep regret that he slapped his DD. He knows it was wrong. He is appalled by what he did. But it was a slap. he DID NOT 'beat her up'. Both girls have utterly over dramatized the situation!

I went into their hotel room afterwards and the blood on the floor was what struck me. It was my DP's. My DSD didn't have a black eye or a split lip - there were no signs of being beaten up.

The girls are using this situation to their advantage so that they can spend weekends with their friends and not here, they have practically admitted this to my DS. They have no friends here and DSD15 now has a boyfriend.

My DSD13 has been self harming for a year now. Long before any of this happened it's not a result of what happened. It's more to do with her mum and homelife.

We welcome the involvement of SS, it NEEDS to be done. What we don't like is the presumptions this person is making BEFORE she has spoken to us all. These girls need help asap. I have since discovered that DSD15 had a knife to her mum when she was 9, just after her parents separated!

trooperlooperdo I agree 100% with your post. Teenagers think they 'rule' and are invincible. It is very, very worrying.

OP posts:
Report
KringleCandleLover · 18/10/2013 19:07

I also agree with Trooperlooperdo. I haven't seen previous posts so can't comment but if dh kids had attacked him he would have given a slap,if only to shock them into stopping.
As for ss, sorry but imo they are borderline useless.
Dsd was being beaten by her dm(she attacked her and beat a guitar of all things over her head. I called ss. They did investigate, interviewed dsd(14 at time) and her dm. Their conclusion was that whilst abuse was happening,it wasn't severe enough for them to intervene. Pathetic.
Don't worry, the truth will come out x

Report
BrianTheMole · 18/10/2013 19:16

Yes mumandboys the behaviors did lead up to that. The dd attacked her father and he slapped her. That is the ops account of the facts. But I did not say in my post that her father should have lost control and hit or slapped her. Please don't insinuate that I did.

Report
ChinaCupsandSaucers · 18/10/2013 19:23

Would you be sending your children to their father's house if he hit either them or his partner's children?

If I was the OP, I certainly wouldn't have taken my DCs on holiday with a teenager who had been criminally cautioned for assaulting her mother.
mumandboys I hope you are never the victim of violence at the hands of your DC - but I am confident, based in posts elsewhere on MN, that when you are the victim of such an assault, your instinct is to protect yourself and the other DCs for whom you are responsible. Standing there and taking it is counterintuitive, and against all instincts.

Parents/carers of violent DCs with SN are taught how to over-rule those instincts. The OP and her DP have no such support.

Report
louby44 · 18/10/2013 19:31

mumandboys just out of curiosity, how old are your DC/SDC?

OP posts:
Report
ChristmasPixie123 · 18/10/2013 19:32

I'd cut them off now - I know that's not what your hubby wants to hear but you have to think about your son now. I'd be angry and upset in your situation but slapping a 15yr old girl comes across as too much (I would of done the same but a social worker wont see it that way).

Report
Kaluki · 19/10/2013 01:38

Teenagers have sex, pierce their bodies, wear dodgy clothes, wear too much make-up, abuse drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes
Really? All teenagers do this? So we are supposed to just shrug and let them get on with it because that's just what teenagers do and then when our own dc beat us up, that's fine because they are just being teenagers?!
I know plenty of teenagers who wouldn't dream of doing these things.
Trooper I completely agree with your post.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.