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?

Is it possible the voicemail was left on Friday and you've only received the notification from your mobile provider today? I've had this happen quite a few times if the voicemail was left when my phone was out of signal range (so no "missed call" on the log)!

The missed call and voicemail both show as today.

Is the number on a website?

@LovingLola yes it is.

Are you in the UK? I highly doubt children’s social care would leave a voicemail message if it’s their first contact with you. Child health and welfare isn’t a term I’ve known used in the uk.

@KeyWorker apologies it was health and family services when I checked the website.

My feeling is this is nothing like a scam, they shouldn't be calling and not answering on a Sunday and it will be absolutely nothing to worry about. When they call back I would politely say it's had you worried all day and perhaps they could consider the impact of leaving a message and not being contactable. A parents natural reaction is concern.

Sure it's nothing op.

I had something similar - DD aged 15 had been caught by the local community support officer drinking cider in the park with her friends (pre-Covid, this was last summer) - he raised a safeguarding concern for all the children involved.

Once the social worker had spoken to me, DH and DD over the phone, it went no further.

Could be something like a weight screening and a really overdue call?

Oh or yes, potentially caught with alcohol.

I have nothing to do with social services and never have done but a few months ago they got a hold of my details to phone me and warn me about a family member re DA

Don’t call the mobile number
Call the local authority ask duty team,tell them you got a message from that staff member. Check the authenticity

My health visitor sent letter from Child Health and Wellbeing Dept so it is a term used in my area.. im sure its nothing.. maybe its a health check thing and they working weekends to catch up before school..

Hope you get to the bottom of it OP, try not to worry too much.

I’ve rung the emergency number on the website. It says they are closed and open mon-fri 9-5. It then suggests ringing 999 in case of an emergency situation.

Ds is 17, 18 in a couple of months, likes a drink of course but has hardly been out drinking in public due to lockdown. He did have some mates over for a bbq a few weeks ago and they all had beer in the garden. Maybe a parent had complained?

Dd is not infested in alcohol at all.

I would definitely do what a PP suggested and make a fuss about them leaving you a message on a Sunday and then being uncontactable - that's really bloody inconsiderate

I wouldn’t mind but I missed the call and then called back 10 mins later and couldn’t get through! All bloody day!

There is definitely no domestic abuse in my house. Me and Dh are vey happily married. Dc dad is a bit of unknown to me now. For the past 3 years we haven’t needed to coparent really as dc have had a relationship with him off their own back. He is a loner though and contact with the dc has dwindled considerably since lockdown.

Please don't worry - I had similar recently when my crazy ex-childminder reported us for not following through on what she perceived to be health and developmental concerns (I think it was malicious and she just wanted an excuse to not pay back money she owed us). I spoke to both them and the health visitor (who came to visit at my request) and after telling them about my ex-childminder and the care she offered, agreed with us and thought she was a bit of a narcissist and there was no health or developmental concerns with my child! The HV's were great and really reassuring, so maybe they get dragged into a lot of things like this.

They probably will ask you some questions and offer support if you need it. The woman I spoke to from the LA sounded really nervous more than anything. I was really angry and very worried about what had been said to them and it being misconstrued, but I needn't have been.

A lot of people on here have said before that if they are really concerned they would just turn up. The call could also be about another child too.

You have done the best thing by calling back and leaving a message - if you are willing to engage that already says a lot.

It won't be anything like you are imagining. I expect its to do with vaccinations or something mundane. Probably calling on a Sunday as they have a huge list to get through, ie, everyone!

I often ring parents early evening or at the weekend as it can be the best time for people answering their phones. I would leave a message using their name and leaving my name/number plus my department.

It is crappy for them to not answer the return call but if they’ve logged in to do a few additional hours they may have now finished. I do lots of (unpaid) overtime. Any evening and weekend work would be around my kids routines though so it might be an hour here and there which could explain why they aren’t officially working but you are getting calls.

In the last week I have been contacted to participate in a survey by my local family dept of local authority AND about changes to the vaccination programme for HPV.

Have you ticked a box on a school form or have you answered a survey about your teen's experience of lockdown?

It seems strange TBH! Especially on a Sunday! Maybe a scam or possibly something minor .Try not to worry unduly (not easy I know!)

How rubbish to leave a message like that over the weekend when you can’t return the call!

Meant dd is not interested in alcohol! Doh! I’ve not filled in any surveys or anything.