shocked and social services/council!!

[Kristal123]

Hello, I'm new to all this but really need advice, this situation has shocked and upset me. I will try to be as to the point as possible, my 14 year old brother fell into a bad crowd and kept running away from home he began committing crimes and was places in a secure lock up for he's own safety, due to this my mum was appointed a social worker, there is a court hearing on monday as to wether my brother will be allowed home or not, the sw asked my mum if she could name someone to be a support person for her and my brother, she suggested me, the sw said "no anyone but kristal, she has had an extremely negative feedback from the council about me, and thinks it will look bad if its me, I'm anti social behaviour" when my mum questioned her on this she refused to say who gave this negative feedback (although I have a good idea) and my mum ssaid she could get me to call her to which she said "I don't even want to speak to her" now I am furious!! Do you wanna know what this is over!! What the 'negative feedback is' I was experiencing anti social behaviour from a group of female neighbours this went on for over a year they would call me names and threaten me, all whilst pregnant and with my daughter aswell I reported them over and over yet nothing was done, then one day after about 8 months they reported me for asb, oh yeh the single pregnant woman was taking on 3 women sure! It was clearly malicious, and was never proven, as I proved to the council I wasn't at the address at the time! Yet apparently because of this I can't be the support!! I should also mention I am in the middle of a court case with the council as they rejected my homeless application and I'm taking them to court as in the words of my solicitor they "didn't apply the law correctly or follow the correct procedure" so isn't it clear why they have given me negative feedback! Which is clearly biased and just opinion as I said, I was never taken to court for asb or never received a warning for asb (yet the neighbours did) so they are trying to tarnish my name! How can they use something that happened well over a year ago which nothing ever came of, I have no criminal record nor do I have any involvement for ss myself yet there trying to make me out to be some terrible person! When I complained to her manager, she said it was a misunderstanding and although it was due to the asb 'claim' she was saying that my brother couldn't live with me because of this, no! Now she's trying to cover her back she clearly stated someone for support not someone to live with, she also said "anyone but me" how does she know my siblings aint worse than me, my sister is a teacher yet has a caution for common assualt on her record! Yet I doubt there gonna say it can't be here because of this!! Its like someone makng a malicious call to ss saying that someone is abusing there child if they investigate it and its unfounded will they be saying that person couldn't do it! I highly doubt, I am furious and really don't know what to do, does anyone have any advice?

I'm a bit confused, but surely, if there's a risk if you being homeless then how can they place your brother with you?

I'm not sure you read it correct, they asked my mother for someone to support her and my brother, my mother suggested me being her support network, not for my brother living with me, but someone to support hger through it, the intention is for my brother to return home the sw is now backtracking and saying she meant he couldn't live with me, not I couldn't be support, but this is what she said "support" and "anyone but me" yet she doesn't know any of my siblings situations. (I'm not homeless as in living on the street I'm staying with my sister)

And if it was just a case of that (as she's pretending it was) then why say she "doesn't even wanna speak to me" as if I'm some monster, the council have obviously tarnished my name because I'm taking them to court giving her a bad opinion of me, my other brother lives with he's gf in a one bed flat and my sister doesn't want my brother at hers because she doesn't want her corrupting him, so it wasn't about that as he has nowhere else to go, it was that she didn't want me being the person giving my mum and brother support

Hi Kristal, I am not a SW but I knw they have very strict guidelines they have to follow with regard to this kind of thing. As such thy often dismiss support simply because of highlighted concerns. Can you ring them yourself and explain? Can anyone else support your Mum in the meantime?

It sounds a really difficult situation for all of you.

Thank you jakebullet, well to be honest no I am my mums only support, her and my sister don't talk and she sees my other brother twice a month if she's lucky, yet I see her everyday, you say they have stict guidelines, but they are basing it on opinion, not fact, as I said my sister has a criminal caution as does my brother (we must sound like a family of criminals I must point out all in tha past) yet I don't but she was quick to ask for it to be my brother, is she going to criminal record check us all before hand? As he is not a baby and non of us are hoping to foster him so why do we need all these checks, I have my own kids if I'm so bad why are they not involved? If my sister can still be a teacher despite a criminal caution why can I not support my mum and brother because I've had a false accusation made about me?

That's about housing, a completly seperate issue! Not neglect/abuse towards children. So I'm struggling to see how she can use this. My brother could be a mass murderer for all she knows (he's not! He's caution was a driving offence) but she doesn't know that as she's never met him and these strict guidelines so would I not be able to foster/adopt as I had a report of asb behaviour that I was never even cautioned for let alone convicted ofcourse not! That would be a ridiculous reason!

Isn't your mum's Social Worker supposed to be supporting your mum? 'On her side' as it were? Has she actually listed her objections to you? It might be better if you knew exactly what "extremely negative feedback" they have heard (I'm sorry if I have misunderstood, but are you just assuming that it must be the housing & ASB dispute problems?).

Is your sister willing to be the 'support' person for your mum? Or are you the only one offering?

She said I'm anti social behaviour and the housing department said this, so that's the only thing I can think there referring to as that's the only incidents that have occurred, and I don't think the taking them to court thing helps, actually her manager did confirm it was the asb and said they do need to do checks, but as it was never founded I believe we are innocent to proven guilty so don't see how it can be used, if I had been charged for it I could understand, my mum has had many problems with this woman to be honest, everytime I see her talking to her it ends in my mum getting very worked up, my sister and mother haven't spoken in almost a year, so looks like she will be going to court alone on monday seeing as I'm such a monster, I'm asking for it in writing the reasons why as it all just seems bizarre to me

It does seem very unfair that you are being judged on something that has not been proven to be your fault.

Trying to see it from SS side for a minute though, I suppose if the council is telling them that you have been guilty of anti social behaviour in the recent past, they would assume that you may be unsuitable to support your brother - given that the problems he has also revolve around anti social behaviour.

Is there someone else at SS perhaps that you could put your case to? If you were the innocent party in the ASB incident then you should be given the chance to prove this.

I am definitely not an expert in this kind of thing, hopefully someone with a knowledge of SS, care proceedings etc. will come along soon and give you some proper advice.

Thanks no I agree she is going on the words of the council so if the council have bad mouthed me to her then she is going to have a bad opinion of me, I have decided to write a letter of complaint as she should be checking these allegations that the council have made, my neighbours have had harrasement warnings from the police which I am going to include the crime number for. It was never a two way thing nor is it ongoing, I haven't seen them since july 2012