getting together information and support for EVERYONE in the child protection system

I'm a birth parent, and now recovering alcoholic. I have a fair bit of experience of being the other side of this. My story is somewhat atypical, in that I was holding down a full time professional job, and DD's preschool had no concerns, when she was removed.
She was eventually adopted due to 'risk of emotional harm'.
I am still grieving but would love to help someone else feel less alone as they go through the child protection process, just having someone walk along side me without judgement would have meant so much. I also feel that if someone educated and fairly well balanced completely misunderstood the system and was misled throughout, what chance do people less fortunate than me stand.

I already blog about my recovery from alcoholism and from losing my DD here

Well said Garp

HollyHB - and quite frankly any of the Conspiracy Theorists - speaking as a birth parent who has been through this and on behalf of parents faced with this, please stop. Please.

These "theories", the statements being bandied around as fact yet without evidence, the advice that is being given to flee, to run, not to work openly and honestly, not to seek help when it's needed, to be coached to say the "right" thing, never to trust a system or it's workers - it's not helpful to us, it frightens us even more. We hear these statements and believe them - because we are threatened with losing the most precious thing to us. And in a lot of cases we believe them because it's easier than confronting our own failings as parents.

Yes, there are mistakes and miscarriages of justice. Nobody denies that. And it's abhorrent and I for one feel sick for those children and parents.

But they are in the minority. It just feels like they aren't because the public is much more likely to hear about them via the media.

As I said upthread, ss took my baby at birth. I believed that to be the wrong thing for MY CHILD. So I contested their plan of "forced adoption" and - lo and behold - justice was done and - very very recently - I won. I was steadfast, I did not give up.

But - more importantly - I confronted the reasons why this was happening to my family. And I worked and worked and worked to repair the damage I had done. I educated myself on the law, I searched desperately for advice - even posting here - I eventually put together bits and pieces of advice, put my case together and fought. In my search I came across the Theorists. They absolutely terrified me. I took their advice on board - noting that the path of staying, confronting, fighting was the much more difficult option.

I can categorically say if I had taken the Theorists advice, I would have lost my baby forever.

Having the balls to stay, to fight, to work in partnership with the very people opposing me meant my baby and I are to be together.

This resource of Speros - and the invaluable contributions being suggested - is long overdue and desperately needed for ALL of those in the CP triangle to work together for the good of the child

Sorry, know this is a long post, but it's from the heart.

No probs. I'll have a think about how I can explain it without getting too technical.

I havi no experience or knowledge I can share to contribute, but just wanted to say this is a brilliant idea!

Well done spero et al

I'll help if I can. I'm a performance manager for social care so can explain what we have to report nationally and hopefully try and de-bunk some of the 'adoption targets' nonsense.

I think it is very difficult, many SW have made the wrong call and DC have suffered. They now have less decision making to do they just tick boxes yes or no. A certain amount of yes answers means the action escalates. They are not allowed to make a judgement.

I would agree with you that prevention is better than remedy, Holly. However, it sounds like you're suggesting we should be advising people (who may be abusing their children) how to remain undetected - you're not, are you?

It is often said that prevention is so much better than remedy.

Those who have come to the unwanted attention of social services can share how it happened so that others can learn how to fly under the radar so to speak. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Who to keep at arm's length, how to keep them at arm's length, what not to do, what not to say - because it will draw attention in ways that they will be regretted. Stuff like that.

It's a very positive idea and something truly useful that could come out of what are often very difficult threads. Understandably difficult, because people feel strongly about these issues, and often have very painful experiences.

A collaboration between people who have all sorts of different expertise - as professionals and as parents - could be wonderful.

I think this is a great idea, and would love to help if I have anything useful to offer.