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Original poster

Baby taken away by social services whilst in A&E

413 replies

napol · 11/11/2019 21:32

Hi

I'm new to Mumsnet but am in desperate need of help/advice or better still has anyone out there been in the same situation as me.

I dropped my 10 month old boy at nursery one morning at 8am. He was his normal self - happy chappy with no injuries. I got a call from the nursery at 4.30pm from the manager saying despite no accident happening at nursery throughout the day he had developed a lump on the side of his head but not to worry as he was in no pain or discomfort but best I get it checked out.

we picked him up and took him to a&e immediately where to our horror he was diagnosed with a fractured skull. because the injury was unexplained social services and police were called and the decision was made not to let us take our baby boy home. We are now under investigation and cannot see him unless supervised. it looks like it will go to court months down the line.

We are innocent of any neglect or wrong doing and it seems to us the nursery are obviously to blame. Understandably we are devastated and heartbroken and just want our boy home

OP posts:
marshmellowed · 12/11/2019 11:03

Insist the police go to the nursery and ask for cctv
Get a solicitor
Write down your own timeline of everything that happened
Do operate fully with ss
Contact fiightback group on fb they can help

MrsBertBibby · 12/11/2019 11:04

As it happens, I have legal aid and private clients. I do the same work for legal aid as private.

I am literally the same lawyer, working at the same level.

ahhgoongoongoonhaveacupoftea · 12/11/2019 11:04

This reply has been deleted

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hsegfiugseskufh · 12/11/2019 11:05

ahhgoon this is what mumsnet is for, support and advice, which is what most posters are giving.

Caramelll · 12/11/2019 11:06

Can I just add that I once collected my DD from nursery and I noticed on the way home that she had a large bump on her head. The way her hair sat, it covered the bump although the bump was on the top of her forehead. I asked her what had happened and she told me she had been hit on the head with a scooter. I asked her if she cried, she said no. I asked if she told a teacher, she said no. I mentioned it to the staff the next day and they had been completely unaware that it had happened and were apologetic and the nursery teacher and I had a chat to DD about the fact she must tell an adult if something like that happens.

So, from my experience, there is a chance a skull fracture could happen without the nursery staff seeing or realising. If this did happen, maybe he seemed off afterwards which is why they checked his temperature and administered Calpol.

Thinking of you OP. I really hope this is resolved for you soon Flowers

marshmellowed · 12/11/2019 11:16

Absolutely socioeconomic background comes into it seem it first hand myself accused of abuse (hence my knowledge of this and having had help from fiightback) I was accused of making up a serious medical condition that had already been confirmed by tests by a consultant which was unbelievable and subjected to CP assessment. We are low income and council house tenants in a run down area

My dsis on the other hand, middle class, owns her house and has money did some awful things over the course of 18 mths and it culminated in her saying she hated her baby and getting drunk self harming and having a total breakdown and nothing happened at all. No alarm bells went off anywhere it seemed

MNHQ
HopeMumsnet · 12/11/2019 11:17

Hi all,
Thanks to everyone who kept within guidelines and reported in to ask us to take a look at the background to this thread. We have done, and we're inclined to let it continue for the moment.

marshmellowed · 12/11/2019 11:17

They need to check cctv and interview all employees at the nursery plus check their dbs checks are up to date

marshmellowed · 12/11/2019 11:19

I would also be very interested in the age range of the children in that room and what toys are there as although you say a lot of force would be needed if it’s a heavy wooden toy for example it is possible

hsegfiugseskufh · 12/11/2019 11:19

marshmellowed I tend to agree, I also personally feel age can sometimes come in to it as well (though I don't know how old OP or her partner are so this may or may not be relevant!)

Considermesometimes · 12/11/2019 11:20

Good call MNHQ.

What are we here for unless we are here for mothers in dire trouble and need? After all that is precisely why op has come to us, and posted a thread.

I hope she knows that most of us really do care about her plight, and will do what we can to support her.

Considermesometimes · 12/11/2019 11:22

Fenella You know as well as I do that it is most definitely the case that some are better than others. You don't get to choose via legal aid.

A committed and very experienced lawyer can make all the difference, and if you work in law as well, you no doubt will be aware of this.

hsegfiugseskufh · 12/11/2019 11:26

marshmellowed

in my experience of 2 nurseries my son has attended, there has been points in the day most days, where both rooms, so the babies 0-2 and the older kids, 2-5 have been in the same room together. This was usually later in the day when they had less kids and so the staff were in 1 room for ratios etc I think.

In my mind its entirely possible this could happen. In DS's nursery I reckon it would take me about 30 seconds to find a heavy ish wooden object.

Obviously none of us can say what happened for certain, but like I say to me its entirely plausible and Injury like this could occur in a nursery setting.

marshmellowed · 12/11/2019 11:28

Yes that was another factor we were much younger parents whereas dsis was in 30s so I really do think (understandably I guess) that ss do have ‘Red flags’

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2019 11:32

Generally speaking middle class people find it much easier to deal with authorities. Lots of reasons- expectations on both sides, speaking the same “language”, confidence, education-it’s shit but true.

lillypopdaisyduke · 12/11/2019 11:33

I am sure you will get him back BUT you will be under the scrutiny of SS for several months. Work with SS, attend all contact and show your love to your child.

MrsBertBibby · 12/11/2019 11:33

You don't get to choose via legal aid.

You literally do though. You can pick any firm that does legal aid.

MrsBertBibby · 12/11/2019 11:37

Seriously considerme can you explain how you think care clients get their lawyers?

FenellaVelour · 12/11/2019 11:38

You literally do though. You can pick any firm that does legal aid.

Exactly. And in children’s public law cases, they will, as proceedings are publicly funded.

Motorheadmum · 12/11/2019 11:42

Hi OP,

Hope you are ok. From my experience accidents can happen at nurseries and not be recorded. My son had an accident where he hurt his neck, Neither of the staff in the room saw what happened just be had a red mark and no one knew why. Within a little while it had turned into a lump and to this day I never got an explanation of what happened. He went to hospital and was treated and luckily was ok.

wigglybluelines · 12/11/2019 11:48

You don't get to choose via legal aid

Are you confusing the duty solicitor, who turns up to help people accused of crime and in the police cells, with solicitors who accept legal aid, in general?

Dongdingdong · 12/11/2019 11:52

What followed was an absolute horror show. Child got taken to forster care. Supervised visit for parents. Court case followed. Cost the tax payer almost a million pounds and in the end the judge said all the accusation toward the parents hurting the child was baseless. Child came home when he was one year old.

A baby from a loving family who fell off their changing mat and this ensues. And yet other children who are suffering horrific abuse slip through the cracks despite numerous interactions with SS. Why the inconsistency?

Considermesometimes · 12/11/2019 11:53

MrsBert You can not choose to have the best professional barrister specialising in family law for thirty years on legal aid. You simply have the legal aid options available to you. It is always better to go with the very best you can afford. You do get what you pay for.

I don't need to go into detail. If op can raise the funds, she should source through recommendation the very best possible legal representation she can stretch to. LA I am sure do their best with the resources they have.

FenellaVelour · 12/11/2019 11:58

You can not choose to have the best professional barrister specialising in family law for thirty years on legal aid. You simply have the legal aid options available to you. It is always better to go with the very best you can afford. You do get what you pay for.

I regularly see very experienced, highly regarded Legal 500 barristers acting in the family court for parents in care cases. I regularly select and instruct these barristers myself funded by legal aid.

Who else will be paying these barristers, if not legal aid?

MrsBertBibby · 12/11/2019 12:00

A committed and very experienced lawyer can make all the difference, and if you work in law as well, you no doubt will be aware of this.

You will find no group of lawyers more committed and experienced than a solicitor doing care work. They are generally on the Children Panel, which requires a rigorous exam and interview. The ones I know work crazy hours in the shittiest court buildings, getting mountains of work dropped on them at zero notice by overworked underfunded social work teams. My colleague, who represents children (Guardians) as well as parents has endless teenagers bending her ear about anything and everything, and they are no respecters of office hours. She's had her possessions nicked by desperately poor clients, even the towels in her office go walkabout. Yet still, she persists, because she believes in her clients and their kids.

Do you actually know any care specialists, considerme ? I am guessing not. You are immensely ignorant.