Child health and welfare services calling. Wtf?

[Twobigsapphires]

Posting for traffic, apologies. Freaking out somewhat. I’ve just had a voicemail from someone from ‘child health and welfare services’. Missed the call and now only going to a support workers voicemail.

I am racking my brains wtf this could be about, and panicking that it’s a Sunday and may not be able to get though until tomorrow. I have 2 healthy teen dc with no ‘issues’.

Help, anyone?

Heavyboobs it's unlikely to be a scam. I had the same call about a month ago, message left with a number to call back. Somebody we know had reported me for child neglect maliciously because my kids haven't been out in lockdown and looked ill.
She just laughed when I explained and offered to show pictures ect and it went no further.

Have you googled the number they called on OP?

Check the number on google. It might well be a scam because, let’s face it, any parent would panic if this message got left on their phone.

I didn’t get the vibes it was a scam. The voicemail sounded legit and gave other ‘emergency numbers’.
I’ve tried calling back all day but each time I’ve just gone straight through to voicemail. Anyway, I have left a voicemail.

@idontneedhelpyoudo

Heavyboobs it's unlikely to be a scam. I had the same call about a month ago, message left with a number to call back. Somebody we know had reported me for child neglect maliciously because my kids haven't been out in lockdown and looked ill. She just laughed when I explained and offered to show pictures ect and it went no further.

Jeez what is wrong with people? Did they say they were calling from Child Health and Welfare service though? I can't find anything about that online.

Have you checked the number anyway?

Can't offer any advice OP, but take some confidence that if it was serious I'm sure they would be knocking on your door rather than leaving voicemails

Could be anything OP, try not to worry

I had exactly this scenario about 4 years ago. Dds school had supplied our details (and had been told by social services about the nature of the issue). Dd15 had been exchanging nudes with a boy and a “concerned” classmate had told her youth worker at church who had felt obliged to report it. The classmate was definitely stirring but I remain very grateful that it happened. I was well advised and supported by social services to discuss this with dd in a constructive way and after a couple of phone calls (and no visits) the case was closed.

I’ve googled the main emergency number and appears it’s a local authority heath and family wellbeing service for my area so all legit it seems.

It looks like it’s NHS related rather than social services?

It's a potential GDPR breach, I train people in this in a different sector and you have to be very careful with what details you leave on voicemails.

Sadly it doesn't surprise me. I got a call from a social worker some years ago, I answered my mobile with 'hello' and without confirming who I was she immediately launched into who she was and some quite personal details in relation to my family. At this point she didn't even know who I was. She'd actually phoned on my work mobile which made it worse (I never got an explanation as to how they got that number because no one outside of work and family has it, and neither work nor family had shared that info with them!) I did complain but it was brushed over.

Hope it turns out to be something and nothing OP. Could be someone with the same/ a similar name (again this also happened to me in the past!)

I have a really unusual first name and surname to be honest. Bit of a shitty thing to do on a Sunday.

Saying you have a message for X and for them to ring Y is not a data breach.It's a standard call protocol from various depts to ensure people don't think it's a scam and ignore it.
Saying you have a message for X about Y and to ring Z might be, but unlikely.

I had a call from child health and welfare services last week, it was in relation to my sn child and they were just calling to see how he was due to being home so long and offering for youth counselling sevices in our area.
Do either of ur kids have ehcp or sn?

if you don't ring them & its important they will ring you

Sounds like a scam to me. If it's important they will call back. If they do, DO NOT give them personal information and tell them to write to you or call round (don't give an address - they should have it if they are genuine).

(a scam can make themselves appear to come from a legitimate number, which is why you always call the number you find online, not the number they give you)

Anyway, if it's not a scam they will call back.

@Igotthemheavyboobs

I think it's probably a scam, I had a call the other day saying a warrant had been issued for my arrest due to tax fraud. They wanted me to press 1 to notify the police of my location for arrest.

Sounds dodgy giving a mobile number etc, try not to worry and wait for them to call back.

😂🤣😂

There is a probabity it’s related to your DDs friend.
I had similar-I was frequently contacted when DDs looked after friend ran away from her foster placements and couldn’t be tracked down, and then from support workers for permission for DD to visit/have days out etc with her friend with supervision from support workers.

Neither dc have any additional needs or sn. Ds friend in foster care is not really a best mate or anything, just part of his social group. I’ve never said more than 3 words to him really.

The number is def legit and on the webpage.

Is there anything on the message or the website about an out of hours number you could call - the duty solicitor or something?

I'll bet that it's covid track and trace and that your teenagers have been in contact with someone with vivid, if it's an NHS call.

@PuppyMonkey there is an emergency number. Not sure if that’s appropriate. The website does have a lot of info about Covid on it. Some of the services it lists on there seem to totally unrelated to my dc!