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?

Very unreasonable of them to call on a Sunday and then be unreachable. It's probably nothing serious otherwise presumably they would have tried to call more than once.

@temporarygate

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.

@temporarygate

I’m not sure what you do but I’m a social worker and I supervise other social workers, this isn’t good practice. Of course we all do unpaid overtime but contacting people out of hours - unless explicitly agreed - is not ideal. It could cause a huge amount of worry, stress and anxiety to the individual.

Sorry, this sounds worrying, but don’t call the emergency number again. That’s for people needing to report safeguarding concerns, missing children etc.

My local authority ‘youth support service’ phoned me unexpectedly last week.

They wanted to chat to my DS17 about what his plans were for September.

Basically checking he was staying in full time education and offering to help if he hadn’t got anything sorted.

Perhaps it’s something like that?

My dd is about to go into year 11 and my ds has just competed his first year of a levels so they are both settled and not in transition years.

Thank you all for your advice and thoughts.

I’ve had a long chat to dc. Both have no idea what it could be. We have a very open relationship. Ds is still a virgin and joked that he hadn’t got anyone underage pregnant and dd confirmed no rude pics sent or received (although I was shocked when they told me how many of their female friends have received dick pics from randoms).

Might be something to do with Covid testing I wouldn’t worry

How random especially on a Sunday.

Any update, @Twobigsapphires?

it is probably re vaccinations or something.

I agree with PP who said it could be track and trace for Covid if one of the mates or their families have tested positive.
Although calling on a Sunday is really off and bound to cause worry.

Hope you got through today @Twobigsapphires

Hope you get through to them and can put us all out of our misery waiting to find out what it was

I wouldn't have called back, they'll call you if it's urgent.

Hi all, managed to get through today. Panic over, it was a routine welfare check to ask how my dd was. They were ringing round all year 10 parents to see how their child was doing due to lockdown! I mean wtf? Lockdown is pretty much over in terms of them home schooling, not being allowed out to see friends etc. I gave them a piece of my mind and suggested that when doing a routine check they should bloody say that in their voicemail!

Oh good, what a relief!

On a Sunday? Utterly bizarre.

Oh come on @harderlife the op was put through the wringer and it was utterly thoughtless and she (or he) absolutely should not have called about a routine matter on a Sunday but if it was necessary should have left a message noting the call was nothing to worry about. That is basic common sense. Possibly the rather than making her feelings clear on the phone the op should have written a formal complaint.

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I didn’t go in all swearing and shouty @Harderlife but I did say that I had spent the day worried sick, quizzing my dc on what they have been up to and scared shitless that someone had made a malicious complaint or my exdh was a pervert or something. And that being called on Sunday morning at 8.50am, being told to call back and then not being to get through was pretty unprofessional in my opinion for what was essentially a cold call that in reality is a little too late.

It seems op over reacted to am innocent call