To decline health visitor involvement, will they refer to social services?

[crackasmile]

Pregnant with dc3

Dc1 had fantastic experience with the health visitors

Dc2 was injured at birth, we were directed to health visitors by gp who had concerns many times as they do paeds referrals here, they don't come from GP.
Without the massive story, we were fobbed off for nearly 2 years by the same woman who admitted her concerns and documented them. Told us she had referred to paeds and that it would be a 40 week wait. A few months later I called to chase and she had never actually referred us, we were promised she would call but she blanked our calls and made no contact.
I put in a complaint to the service at which point she lied and said she never told us she was doing a referral. Dh & I are both livid as she said it in our home to both of us and the complaints process takes 45 working days, at the end of which she just got to lie and dc2 still had no referral.
No thanks to this woman and a massive delay in her care she has been seen privately, she has cerebral palsy & is visually impaired. As we thought. This lady had so many chances to advocate for my daughter and refer her for care and she chose to lie so many times instead. I feel I can't trust them with this baby now and don't want any involvement because what's the point if they would rather lie than prioritise getting help for a child that needs it.

I've had a letter to say health visitors coming round this week. I'd like to very politely decline any involvement but I'm worried they may refer us to SS for neglect or something by declining.

Does anybody have experience?

You’re perfectly entitled to refuse healthvisiting, it’s an opt-in service and doesn’t trigger any kind of investigation.

However, don’t base your refusal purely on your dislike of this one particular practitioner who let you down. She isn’t representative of the entire service, and if your DC could potentially benefit from the HV’s input then why not give the practitioner intending to visit the benefit of the doubt and see them once before making our mind up to decline.

You can refuse all contact but this may cause a safeguarding concern to be raised.

After your bad experience, I would decline, and tell them why.

HV was rubbish with DS1

With DS2 I had the initial appointment at home pre-birth, where I described the rubbish sub standard service I received previously. I then said I didn’t want any further involvement. I assured the HV I would be in touch if I had any concerns. She was lovely and completely understood.

I declined with my second, it did not cause any safeguarding concern to be raised, or at least I never heard anything about it if it did! I just emailed, explained I had/have a lot of support with medical professionals in the family and did not feel we would benefit from the HV service, therefore would like to opt out. Got a nice email back, saying I would be welcome at the drop-ins etc should I change my mind, and nothing further.

You can refuse all contact but this may cause a safeguarding concern to be raised.

Not true at all. It’s optional and you can refuse OP. Make your reasons know if you like but you don’t have to say anything other than simply ‘no thank you’ or ‘this is my 3rd child, we’re all good thsnks’

A concern would only be raised with social care if the HV had concerns about your child’s wellbeing or safety. Just not wanting a HV visit is not a reason for concern.

I wouldn't refuse the service. Your experience sounds terrible and I can see how you feel let down, but that's one person, not the entire service. I've always found them helpful with referrals.
I don't think it would cause a massive concern if you refused but I would not want them to think I had something to hide and it may spark concern if there were other issues. If they did investigate why you refused you could just tell the truth, that you found them unsatisfactory, but I think I would give them another chance.

I think you are foolish to do this on the basis of one person. Of course, it will not trigger social services but in light of your child's problem, you may well need some support. You can ask to see another Health visitor.
If another one is booked, just keep an open mind. Even if you don't want all they offer you can have as much or as little as you feel you need. I have been in this place and revised my views when older and wiser

We had a bad experience with health visitors with DC1, although nothing like your experience. With DC2 we sought the advice of our GP who was very supportive and said we were perfectly within our rights to refuse health visitor involvement. Unfortunately the HV team didn't feel the same way and basically hounded us - called our home every week wanting to meet with us. We finally agreed just to get them off our backs. We had already agreed to take DC2 to the weigh-in clinic but that wasn't enough. Met with a seemingly lovely HV to whom we explained all our reasons for not wanting HV involvement. She asked if she could write it up, copying in her boss and our GP. We agreed. Without our knowledge or agreement, she then also copied in social services and a paediatric doctor. We had never had previous contact with SS and had never even heard of the doctor. We made a complaint through PALS, who were exceptionally helpful, and ultimately the HV was spoken to and everyone who had received a copy of the letter was asked to shred it. All of this was undertaken post C-section while dealing with a newborn and a toddler. It wasn't fun.
I'm not at all trying to put you off, more to prepare yourself in case you encounter any resistance. Hopefully, you'll end up with someone sensible like Raffle!

It depends really, they could refer to children's services if that was just one of many concerns but unlikely to just for HV

It depends whether you are engaging fully elsewhere or not, and if children's services did get involved at a later date it may go against you

That said, it is supposed to be an optional service so they shouldn't be able to hold it against you. It's just that, unfortunately, sometimes they do.

If there are no other concerns and are likely to not be any more concerns I wouldn't worry about it
However if children's services have ever been involved in the past I would engage just to be on the safe side (but would request a different health visitor)
Likewise if there are any other issues going on, like mental health problems.

Most health visitors and social workers know it is an optional service

But you get the odd one who thinks it's mandatory and the cover up for something sinister

I think it depends on the HV I had one say she HAD to see me or she would report me to SS (I had no previous SW involvement) I guess some are just ott.

Put in writing that you don’t want that HV again due to issues/complaint previously made against her. I’ve made sure I didn’t get a certain Hv as my family new her personally so I didn’t think it was appropriate I didn’t say why I didn’t want her just that I didn’t.

I declined with my second after a bad experience (in fact I burned the red book). Any concerns and I went to the GP.

Health visitors are a very odd bunch.

I declined with my youngest after HV blocked paed referral for my older child. No SS referral and in fact GPO was very supportive of my decision and did all health checks and immunisations herself.

I had the same experience as CandyCreeper with my second - HV kept turning up (I'd had a home birth) and I tried to politely decline as I didn't want checking up on (horrendous experience first time round) but she said I had to see her or else it would be raised as a concern with SS. So I did see her when she knocked on the door unannounced for the fourth time, but I didn't like it!

You can refuse all contact but this may cause a safeguarding concern to be raised No.
SGA can be initiated irrespective of whether or not HV is involved
HV is not a mandatory service,it’s an optional community service

However. Don’t let the shortcomings of previous worker put off accessing HV. Understandably This bad experience will impact how you feel about,and engage with the service

Wishing you all the best as a family

HV is optional. Sorry you had such a crap experience. Bad practice with no apology I’m afraid. There is absolutely no safeguarding concern if a family choose not to have hv input. Hv’s do not take it personally if you choose not to have input tbh.
You can request a different hv and see how that goes. We can’t all get on with everyone. I know a lot of families have actually found it helpful to have a new hv and got a lot from them.
The hv will offer you a universal service so only 2 or 3 home visits then clinic. Anymore is up to you.
Dont be afraid to access potential support because of a clumsy, not very suitable hv.

in theory declining the hv service shouldn’t trigger SS involvement, reading these posts, it appears otherwise.

I totally get why you wouldn’t want to see the HV but it looks like you may need to be prepared that there may be some come back (going by the above posts).

You can refuse all contact but this may cause a safeguarding concern to be raised.

Absolute rubbish! Why do posters make up this stuff?

I declined health visitor services for both of mine from the off. No issues at all came out of my declining it.

I have never had a good experience with health visitors they have all done honestly useless, and this is different children in different areas of the UK. I got so fed up of chasing them for something I went straight to the GP who also rolled is eyes and said he gets a lot who do the same with them. I honestly don’t understand what it is they are supposed to do?! What is the point of them

@vinoandbrie did you decline by calling or emailing or just at the door when they knocked?

If it makes any odds I'm a trained nurse who's done a health visiting placement which I know isn't the same but it's not like I wouldn't seek help if I needed it. And it's our third child.

Its not made up! it happened to me and other posters, With me she turned up completely unannounced. When I decline she said if she didnt see the baby she would refer to SS.