To complain about how midwife has handled incorrect information RE social services

[Mothership241]

Very long back story, I'll link the thread which explains the history leading up to now. I no longer have access to that account but have found my old post in legal matters. I received some wonderful advice and a lot of support which meant the world to me, I didn't think I'd be back here again having to go over old wounds, but here I am.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_matters/3089286-Pregnant-after-having-child-removed-at-birth

The long and the short of it is I lost my first born baby to adoption after he was born. I was very young (in my late teens), vulnerable and subject to a horrible period of domestic abuse by a man with a violent history. I went through hell but eventually got out and went on to create a better life for myself in another city, years later I fell pregnant again with my now partner, I referred myself to social services after the advice of some of you lovely lot and asked to to be assessed in my new circumstances. I had a glowing assessment of which the outcome was no ongoing involvement from SS needed. There were no concerns about me and the risks associated to that relationship and my life during were now historic and not current factors. My DS2 has thrived in my care and his health visitor thinks I'm a very good mother, she too has no concerns. Life is good.

The senior social worker who handled my assessment raised her own concerns about the handling of my case where I lived before, also unfounded and misleading comments about myself made by that SS department during the adoption proceedings with my first born, she raised these concerns with her managers whilst assessing me and looking over my file and they were in agreement that the alleged facts about myself (centered around my mental health) were misleading and untrue. I've never been diagnosed with a mental health condition and never been known to mental health services, but the LA in my old area had falsely documented that I supposedly have "deeply entrenched mental health problems" but didn't elaborate on what those were because they simply didn't exist.

I digress, I'm now happily expecting my third baby and attended my 16 week antenatal appointment today. Due to the fact I've had SS involvement in the past it's routine for a midwife to request information from the local authorities who hold information on you, I was upfront about the past and gave the details of the senior social worker who I last dealt with in my local area here as well as the details for the local authority where my son was adopted years ago, all this was given at my first appointment with this midwife.

Today (16 weeks) I go for my routine appointment and she told me she had now requested the information from both the local authority who placed my first born for adoption, and the local authority where I am now where I had my most recent assessment.

Local authority here got back to her with their response which was that there's no concerns and all is fine, but the local authority (who documented false information from many years ago) got back to her with supposed concerns about mental health that have given her cause for concern. Midwife told me that the way they worded their summary RE my mental health gave them much cause for concern so she's taken it to the safeguarding midwife and something about mental health to see how they wants to proceed.

Now I'm upset and stressed because there is no need for this.

When I left my appointment I contacted my last social worker here and told her what my midwife had said (she is now in a managerial role)

She said my midwife was informed by our local authority that there are no concerns about me nor my mental health so the information she received from the LA from years ago is irrelevant and shouldn't be held in favour of the new information, she also reminded me that she'd already raised concerns with the other managers here about how that particular local authority wrote things in my files and made false claims that they couldn't elaborate on or explain (I gave her full access to my medical records and the claims about mental health were proven to be inaccurate)

Social worker (now manager) reassured me that they personally would not be looking to assess me again, midwife should have been satisfied with the recent update our local authority provided which was "no concerns" and that should've been the end of it. She told me not to worry and said she cannot for the life of her see why the midwife was running with the older information.

After speaking with her I then emailed my midwife and told her I'd spoke with SW who reiterated that there was no concerns about my mental health and attached her personal desk contact number if she wanted to clarify what I've said.

Midwife responded and thanked me for letting her know. I then asked whether this would be the end of the matter and she replied saying no and she has to wait to hear back from the 'safeguarding midwife' to see what she personally wants to do about the historical claims of mental health and she will let me know what will happen next.

Now in the grand scheme of things I shouldn't have anything to worry about because nobody here has any concerns whatsoever, but I'm not happy about the fact the midwife is paying more attention to the historical information than the most recent assessment which was conducted with full access to all of my medical history and a positive outcome of no further involvement was nessecary.

It feels as though my most recent assessment is being over shadowed by things that should have never been written down in the first place, and the midwife is ignoring all of the new information.

I found the assessment process very stressful and do not want to be subject to anything of the same during this pregnancy, least of all when there is no good reason for it.

Due to all of this I no longer feel comfortable seeing this midwife and feel as though she's putting me under undue stress, I've spent the rest of the day worried despite my old social workers reassurance. The midwife can still (if she wants to) request mental health assessments and such like. My life has changed tremendously over the years and I'm in a very good place, I feel as though this has been a real knock to my confidence and faith in the services which were restored after my last dealings with them.

I want to enjoy my pregnancy in peace, I have a 10mo DS in my care who's thriving and I don't need any bloody mental health assessments.

AIBU to request a new midwife and potentially make a complaint.

Like PP I would assume that the mental health issue is a flag that you might need further support not a criticism of you in any way. (In the same way that someone who has previously suffered from gestational diabetes will be flagged as needing closer monitoring for example).

You've been through an incredibly traumatic event around childbirth so it's natural that you want to feel in control this time round. I think the way to go about it though is to co-operate with the midwife team. There is clearly no question that you are unfit mother. If you need additional support having it available is great. If it's unnecessary that's great too!

Maybe think about it for a few days and see how you feel, if you don't feel comfortable with her than request another midwife. You need to feel you can trust her, and if you need to talk about mental health down the track you want someone you can open up to. Good luck

If your area is like mine the decision they are waiting for the safeguarding midwife to make is whether they need to make a referral to children's services. So the very worst that can happen is maternity services refer to children's services who will open your file and see they already investigated this issue with your previous pregnancy at which point they'll close it again. Does that make sense? There's no higher agency they can take it to and the safeguarding midwife can't direct children's services with what to do.

So there's really nothing to worry about, I'd be surprised if the safeguarding mw made that decision but even if she does nothing will come of it as children's services where you live now have no concerns. They're not going to waste time assessing again when they already assessed you.

Congratulations on your pregnancy

@CondomsLubricantAndFlapjack the reason I've gotten stressed and began contacting previous social workers to halt an assessment process is because the concerns sent across to my current midwife were based on a snippet of untrue information that has already been addressed and put to bed by children's services where I live now.

If the midwife was being cautious in general based on my history as a whole then I'd have no problem with the process and would totally understand.

My issue is that the alleged mental health concerns held by my previous local authority aren't centered around what I went through with my first born, it's nothing to do with what I went through or the fact I may be at heightened risk of PND, it's a piece of incorrect information based on me when I was fifteen years old.

Had she liaised with children's services here regarding that specific snippet of information she'd have been told that it was false and proven to be so when my previous social worker accessed my medical records and found it to be untrue.

I haven't complained about the midwife and won't be doing, I'm just waiting to hear back from her in regards to what the safeguarding midwife says.

It's upsetting because it's causing me unnecessary stress for no good reason.

OP, I think they are more concerned about your children and your ability to care for them should you fall into anxiety or depression.

There maybe more in the forms than you realise, or someone has made an observation you don't know about. But they don't create work for themselves necessarily.

If it really is nothing then they will forget all about it, but don't let it ruin your pregnancy.

@CondomsLubricantAndFlapjack my midwife doesn't have any concerns herself and could see that children's services here had none, my health visitor has none, it's this one piece of information she was sent from my old area that gave her cause for concern about mental health.

Midwife herself was confused by the opposite information given by both local authorities, but had to refer to safeguarding midwife because of the nature of what was written when she requested info from previous local authority. Midwife has now been aware that children's services here found the information to be completely misleading and it should never have been written let alone kept on file.

During care proceedings with my first born when I was 18, a social worker wrote in their court report that when I was a child of 15 I was suicidal and known to mental health services. That was untrue and there were no grounds for it whatsoever. My social worker here had access to my medical records and I've never been known for anything of the sort. The accusation was also dismissed by the judge overseeing my first borns adoption, but for some unknown it has remained on my file.

False information being stored does happen and can cause problems.

I appreciate midwifes wouldn't make unnecessary work for themselves and I take note of what you've said but had all of this been for anything other than one piece of false information being shared then I wouldn't be kicking up a fuss.

Social worker here said no concerns have been raised about me whatsoever and that the previous local authority need to amend their records, she was in agreement with me that this piece of information should not keep coming up and she'd already raised her own concerns about the fact it was unfounded yet used against me in previous proceedings.

I've never in my life spoken to anybody about being suicidal let alone mental health services.

Anyhow I've rationalised that as soon as the safeguarding midwife speaks directly to children's services here it'll be the end of the matter, just as it was when children's services looked into my files here before.

I will try to enjoy my pregnancy, thank you

Glad you have rationalised it, I remember your last thread & you are very strong

Oh OP, I remember your first thread! I'm so glad to hear all went well with your second born. Sounds like the midwife is just covering herself and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Congratulations