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Original poster

to expect social services after 6 year old burnt foot on cooker? Feel horrendous

280 replies

Soscared100 · 19/12/2016 13:10

Title says it all really
Am petrified social services will now be involved after google searching what happens next
My 6 year old climbed onto the kitchen side last night and stood on one of the electric hobs.
It had been turned off for approx 10 mins as was making her milk for bed and she went out there saying she was getting a cup off the side, instead she climbed up to get a different cup from the cupboard.
After an hour running under water it was only red so we followed the advice on the NHS website and applied Vaseline once completely cooled and wrapped in cling film and gave calpol but shortly after I noticed the blister covered 1/3 of her foot.
I feel sick even writing it as I just never thought she would do this, she isn't even a climber and we only took our baby gates off the kitchen a few months ago as she could undo them.
Called NHS direct once I noticed the size of the blister when she had fallen asleep and I was able to remove the cling film and we were told to go to A&E who cut the blister off, wrapped it and sent us to the burns hospital 20 miles away.
Only recently back from there and will be there every 3 days for as many weeks to get the dressing changed and so on.
Feel so guilty and also completely panicked social services will now be involved as I could have prevented this happening.
There were lots of safeguarding questions at both hospitals and both asking if we had social services involved prior to this ( we haven't ) but none said they were going to contact them but just don't know what to think.
My poor little girl.

OP posts:
WynterBlossom · 19/12/2016 16:07

SS are notified whenever a child walks through A&E's doors regardless of why they are there

BratFarrarsPony · 19/12/2016 16:08

no they are not Wynter, don't be silly.

RockyTop · 19/12/2016 16:14

There's sign up in our children's a&e that says 'health visitor or school nurse will be informed that you've attended a&e as a matter of course'. I would assume it only goes any further, e.g. SS, if there's a concern.

MyWineTime · 19/12/2016 16:16

but doesn't your 6 year old know not to touch the cooker hob?
Really? 6 year olds don't always keep away from the things they aren't supposed to touch, they don't think things through and they don't always get everything right!
My DH knows not to touch the hob but it didn't stop him from melting the washing up bowl by putting it on top of the hob when it was still hot!

OP, please try not to worry. This was an accident - it happens. She won't do that again and there won't be a referral to SS.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 19/12/2016 16:18

I had a similar experience OP and the memory still turns me cold. I was cooking pancakes with DS1 when he was 2, flipping them and he was in hysterics stood on the chair next to me. Within a split second he literally lunged across the worktop and put his hand flat on the hob!! It was horrendous :( his whole tiny hand ballooned.

To make matters worse, it was about 2am, not a usual time for making pancakes with a toddler but he only slept between the hours of 3am and 6am so we were always up at that time. I expected SS to swoop in and rescue DS from his stupid mother after we went to hospital but all that happened was the HV popped round the day after to see how I was (I was hysterical, shite in an emergency, thank god for level headed DH!). She actually made me feel about it all so I was glad she came tbh, though I was a nervous wreck at the time.

blueskyinmarch · 19/12/2016 16:20

Wynter. That is definitely not the case. SS are already snowed under with referrals regarding children who are being abused and neglected. They certainly couldn't cope with the avalanche of referrals that would come from every single child who entered A&E. Why would that even be necessary?

chubbytubbybyebye · 19/12/2016 16:25

My dd has been to hospital twice for cuts to her lip and ear. I got a call to ask what happened so I retold the story. Think they were just making sure the story hadn't changed which it hadn't. Never heard from them again. Although she did get asked at school what happened as the hospital has to notify the school.

PollyHampton · 19/12/2016 16:30

Bloody hell, we've been to A&E/minor injuries more times than I'd like to admit and I've never had a visit from SS! Each accident the medical team have been very thorough in their investigations and questioning. I hate the scaremongering surrounding SS. If you do get a follow up OP please don't worry, just be totally truthful, accidents happen!

MrsMeeseeks · 19/12/2016 16:31

We had a follow-up visit from SS when DS fell and needed stitches on his face when he was two. It was just a few questions from a nice lady, that's it, no further action, no slap on the wrist! I know it's worrying but you'll be fine.

DeleteOrDecay · 19/12/2016 16:33

SS are notified whenever a child walks through A&E's doors regardless of why they are there

This is rubbish, ignore this massively unhelpful poster op, what a massive waste of resources to notify SS of every single child who's set foot in a&eHmm

Chances are you may get a call/visit from your HV, if anything. My youngest dd had two a&e trips within the space of a few months earlier this year. The first time, she fell and cut her head in the back garden and it needed butterfly stitches. We didn't hear anything after this, second time we took her in with a pulled elbow, she tripped whilst holding my hand. We had a call from the HV a few days later about the second incident, but it was literally just to see how we were getting on and how dd had been since the injury. Haven't heard anything since.

Even if you do have a visit from SS there's a high chance they will close the case pretty quickly once it's been established what happened was a genuine accident and like others have said your 6yo is plenty old enough to be able to tell them herself.

Try not to worry yourself and concentrate on helping your dd to get betterFlowers

dowhatnow · 19/12/2016 16:36

My ds aged 18monthsish burnt his hand when he gripped the pipe going up to the radiator and we were sent to a specialist unit miles away. They don't tend to have an instant let go reflex at that age and burns in young children are treated very seriously. I half expected a visit from SS because I'd previously dropped dd's foot into a bowl of very hot water when we were trying steam for a her congestion, with a towel over her head. She was only a baby too. We didn't get a visit. I sound such a bad mother reading all that back

Wolfiefan · 19/12/2016 16:36

Please don't feel shit. It's clearly an accident.
Of course they didn't strip her off. SS would be interested if you were there weekly, your account of the injury didn't match hers or how the doctors said injury was sustained or her welfare needs clearly not met (filthy and starved?)
None of that is you or your family.
She will be fine. So wil you.

Oblomov16 · 19/12/2016 16:40

You may get a SS visit or a HV visit. Or you may not. Try not to worry, because that achieves nothing.

DeleteOrDecay · 19/12/2016 16:41

Oh and when I had the call from the hv I was out and didn't hear my phone ring so they left a message. By the time I was able to call them back they had all gone home, it was a Friday so I had to wait till the Monday to call them back. I worried quite a bit over the weekend, although I'm not sure why now. But they were really nice and not judgey at all, they genuinely just wanted to check everything was OK.

JumpingJellybeanz · 19/12/2016 16:42

We were in a similar position a few years ago when DD was 6 and burnt her arm on an iron. Total accident but I felt so anxious after the hospital grilling (and overwhelmed by guilt). I never heard anything from ss over it.

MiaowTheCat · 19/12/2016 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blueskyinmarch · 19/12/2016 16:44

The health visitor won't be notified or involved at the OPs child is aged 6 and now in school.

Original poster
Soscared100 · 19/12/2016 16:47

So the school nurse will be notified I assume, will she then be the one to decide if it needs to be referred?

OP posts:
OopsDearyMe · 19/12/2016 16:48

DD2 tookmit upon herself to make me a coffee earlier this year, the school involved social services, as I had not taken her to get medical assistance, even though they know I used to be a children's nurse and knew what to do. I took her to the GP at their requests (to shut them up) and they did nothing as I had done why was needed.
I got a visit from a child social services worker who just gave me a talking to about allowing the children in the kitchen, even though they as 6, 8 & 10 and not toddlers. Plus I have a open plan kitchen/lounge/diner. I explained and they were fine.
Really don't worry, you will just get a health and safety lecture.
Don't feel bad, accidents happen, even to the most careful.

donajimena · 19/12/2016 16:50

I really don't think there is anything more anyone can say. Stop panicking

Wolfiefan · 19/12/2016 16:51

I really don't think the school will be involved. You do seem very anxious. Flowers

abbsisspartacus · 19/12/2016 16:52

At age six it will go through the school nurse first I got a phone call after my ds tried to drink disinfectant because it was under the sink in his great nans house with the cap partly off even she said at age 5/6 he should know better!

MrsBlennerhassett · 19/12/2016 17:03

they might phone you but i think its highly unlikely they will contact you at all tbh!
These things happen and are quite common. Doctors ask you those questions to try and see if everything adds up etc and they will look for other signs of abuse and neglect.
It sounds like they were pretty convinced it was just an accident because they didnt contact ss themselves so i dont think you need worry.
Accidents like that do often happen. Children are silly and you cant watch them every single minute of the day, especially as old as 6.
I chopped part of my finger off with a knife my mum was using to chop vegetables, at that age!! And she wasnt neglectful she has just turned her back for a minute and sometimes thats all it takes.
Hope your daughter is all healed soon Flowers

Original poster
Soscared100 · 19/12/2016 17:03

I'm just imagining being persecuted for allowing her in the kitchen a short time after we had used the hob to warm her milk and I don't have an explanation other than I didn't for one minute think she was going out there to climb up the cupboard and put her foot on a cooker hob

OP posts:
BratFarrarsPony · 19/12/2016 17:05

please soscared, nobody is going to 'persecute' you.

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