To wonder about all the press on Social Services taking children away?

[goldbracelet]

From good families and parents for no good reason. It is media hype or is there truth in it?

Talking with friends recently, some say they are careful about what they say to the GP for fear of what goes down on record. For example, they would think twice before saying something along the lines of, "I'm finding it hard to cope with my young children while sick with flu (or whatever illness)".

Amy social workers out there who could comment? Is it true that 95% of children are never returned to their parents once removed?

Scary. I can't believe this could happen.

Don't bother mysecret let them all stay in their bubbles.

The girl who killed herself. You said this kind of thing happens when parents have done nothing wrong.

These threads should have a disclaimer: SS do not want to steal your babies or eat them or coast them in batter then deep fry or pin them to their imaginary targets board that sits on every SWer's desks.

Dear heavens my spelling! coat and desk

Although, actually we don't want to coast your babies either!

crashdoll dont throw your dummy out of your pram cause you dont like whats being put THE TRUTH

Good god, I'm not "in a bubble" either! But if you want to believe that, not a lot I can say to persuade you otherwise, eh.

Please stop making sweeping and unsubstantiated claims that are going to do nothing but frighten people.

You clearly don't know what happened to all the other people at your contact centre - and yet you claim that you were the only family to have their child returned.

You clearly don't know what is going on in the cases of other people using the same court complex as you - yet you claim the courts are full of people weeping because their children have been removed - many people every day.

I have no idea which 25 courtroom, 8 floor court complex you attended - the vast majority of family courts are in modest buildings, or incorporated into magistrates' courts. I assume you are referring to the principal registry (I can't remember how many floors it has) or to the RCJ (certainly not 8 floors but an odd layout so you could mistake it for being bigger than it is). If it is the former then it deals with all sorts of cases and you have absolutely no way of knowing the reason why most people are there. They might be upset about contact cases or because they've had to seek a non-molestation order or anything else of this nature. The principal registry is also divided into many little hallways and waiting areas and lawyers don't tend to sit around discussing their client's cases, so you are simply putting your own spin on the whole thing.

You are hugely irresponsible and quite cruel to anyone going through the court process at the moment.

The trouble with the press is that SS can't win. If they take away the children, they are evil children snatchers; if they don't, they are neglectful lazy w*ers.
I really hate this SWs bashing. Try doing their job for a day, then we'll talk about it again.

YOU LOT REALLY DO NOT LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD DO YOU ................... WELL WHEN YOU WANNA COME TO THE REAL WORLD YOUR IN FOR A SHOCK...... YOU SHOULD ALSO WATCH THE NEWS MORE OFTEN ABOUT SS AND AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THE SS WILL BE IN THE NEWS BIG STYLE CAUSE THERE WILL BE THAT MANY LAWSUITS AGAINST THEM THE PRESS WILL HAVE A FIELD DAY

Shouting doesn't win debates.

The really frustrating thing about this sort of scaremongering and hysteria is that it masks the fact that really quite frightening things can go wrong in relation to child protection, just as in any area of life.

I knew someone who, through absolutely no fault of their own, came to the attention of social services and had a horrific experience whereby it looked as though they might lose their child. It was down to a lack of understanding about a medical matter, but unfortunately the social worker involved was quite frighteningly incompetent. She was replaced, but provided a lot of misinformation to the new social worker which created a lot of confusion and made my friend look as though they were being obstructive or dishonest. I have absolutely no doubt that it would have been sorted out if they had gone to the court of protection as they were advised to do, but unfortunately they were so frightened and disillusioned that they took their child and went back to their home country where they have "surrendered" to the local social services equivalent, been assessed and no risk found.

If people stopped whipping up the constant "all social workers steal babies for cash bonuses" bollocks, people like my friend would feel more confident in the system and feel able to complain and take the appropriate steps to fight back. As it was, they felt that they would just be dismissed as someone else claming that social services were out to get them.

There are always going to me mistakes made, and there are always going to be poor social workers in practice. But the system is a robust one, with good, solid legal processes in place, and the vast majority of people working within it want to make the right decisions.

Point out specific shortcomings, by all means. That is how things improve. But for goodness sake, stop with the baby-stealing bollocks. It's just stirring up fear.

I do the job every day- i certainly live in the real world. It is not easy and no-one wants to take children away from their families, but sometimes there is no choice. Sometimes the reasons are not obvious from anyone looking in but if a child has been removed it will be for good reason. Please stop SW bashing. It is such a hard job at the best of time - we are dammed if we do and dammed if we don't. Most of us are parents ourselves and understand that people make mistakes but sometimes it is just too unsafe to leave a child in a home. I love my job and know that every day i can make a difference but it is busy and stressful and the referrals literally pour in every day. We certainly don't remove children just for fun.

And if anyone going through this process has been upset or frightened by the misinformation on this thread, please, please speak to your solicitor and ask for a detailed breakdown of the court process.

You will find it reassuring to know just how many processes there are in place and just how strict the various timelimits and procedure rules are.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20476654 THE UKIP STORY

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2237660/Ukip-Husband-wifes-foster-children-ethnic-minorities-taken-away-couple-joined-Ukip.html

www.dailymotion.com/video/xt0s3l_another-cps-worker-arrested-for-raping-a-child_news

That is exactly my point. Just throwing random mud in the hope that something sticks is neither informative nor helpful to anyone in this situation.

If you have a specific concern about the way you were treated - you, not all the other hypothetical people in the court complex or contact centre - then by all means raise it. Perhaps some of the people on this thread with up-to-date experience can address your concerns.

But just shouting about every remotely social worker related story that the media have ever dredged up doesn't take anyone anywhere.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206625/This-mother-went-run-Europe-social-workers-tried-snatch-son-Her-crime-Letting-husband-shout-.html

Actually, forget it.

I've seen this happen too many times to think that any sort of reasoned discussion is going to suddenly happen.

You are being irresponsible and I hope no-one is sitting somewhere, reading this in absolute terror and thinking the evil social workers are out there trying to sell their baby.

mysecretworld i am actually a bit worried about you. You seem obsessed with media reporting of events. The media don't always represent things accurately. I think you need to take a deep breath and go off and concentrate on your daughter and grandson rather than venting your anger on this forum.

OH I AM DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY MY DAUGHTER WAS TREATED BY THE SS.......... I AM SUPPORTING HER IN HER 2 COURT CASES IN WHICH SHE IS SUING THE SW, THE LA SOLICITOR AND BARRISTER FOR THEIR SLANDER AND LIABLE AND ALSO THEIR FRAUDULENT AND MALICIOUS REPORTS THEY PUT INTO COURT AS IT COMES UNDER DEFOMATION OF CARACTOR. (SORRY MY SPELLING NOT GOOD )

I won't be shouted at so on that note i am off to bed.

It is wicked of you to suggest that social workers deliberately target babies for removal in order to meet financial targets. How dare you? I am furious. Do you think we are evil, heartless animals? I'm a mother myself, how dare you suggest that I wish and hope to remove children from their mothers without very good reason? Think about what you are saying for a minute

Also i have tried to be calm, reasonable and supportive of you throughout this evening. But it is evident you have no respect for anyone. I understand you are angry but you don't know me and there is no need to be so rude.