Reported to social services by coworker

[UnsocialServiced]

My frankly bonkers coworker has reported me to SS because she is concerned about my 3 old. I was wfh last week because my DS had a slight temperature. Whilst he was home and I was working he had a day of watching films. (3 films in one day). I'm not saying it was great parenting but I was in the next room could hear him at all times. He also kept coming into chat with me and play in between working etc. Anyway Coworker told me today that she was concerned about DS being ignored and felt she had no choice but to pass her concerns on. What will happen now?

Just to add to the 17 pages I wanted to reassure you that, as a mum of a three year old who has had some tough moments wfh, this is not neglect!

From now on though assume that all other people are backstabbers and don't trust them with anything. That would be my advice.

I would also have a quiet word with HR, say something along the lines of "I would prefer to distance myself from this person going forward, is that possible?"

I would say it was malicious as she told the op she’d done it. Why would you do that. If you had concerns about a child’s welfare or any suspicions of abuse or neglect, you absolutely should report to SS, but would you really tell the parent unless you wanted to cause trouble?

"She does not have children herself" - well, there's a surprise!!

She is a total pillock - complain to your boss.

I think FTMF30 is the coworker. Come on, admit it !!!!

Was it Frozen? 😂

A few years ago, I caught the flu. As I'm a lone parent, we had a John and Yoko style living in my bed for three days while the kids watched a lot of TV and Youtube and we lived off frozen pizza. They suffered no long-term effects.

@Feelingconfused2020

Just to add to the 17 pages I wanted to reassure you that, as a mum of a three year old who has had some tough moments wfh, this is not neglect!

From now on though assume that all other people are backstabbers and don't trust them with anything. That would be my advice.

I would also have a quiet word with HR, say something along the lines of "I would prefer to distance myself from this person going forward, is that possible?"

What a totally shit way to live

Your colleague is bonkers. Presumably they realise that the Social Worker who will have to review and then dismiss this log is also likely to be working from his or her dining room with their own children glued to a screen in the room next door.

^This with knobs on.

Reporting to HR.... pointless!!!!

What the heck do you think HR will do about an employee having concerns about a colleague’s child’s welfare.

I agree that the likelihood of HR doing anything is small. I got a terrible allegation made against me after 4 years of nitpicking/belittling/bullying and lower level allegations. They did nothing.

That said, like mine, the allegations are a crock. The allegations against me stopped when they realised I would hit back using the grievance process. And keep hitting back. And not suffer in silence.

If it just makes this colleague think twice about being a poisonous hole then it will be worth it.

But concerns about a child’s welfare? Rot. I’d bet this month’s wages it was nothing to do with that at all. Just a nasty little stick to try and beat the OP with.

It would be bad enough in normal times but now?

Some folk are nasty bastards. The colleague is one of those folk.

I am so sorry @LaLaLandIsNoFun

That must be a living hell.

OP, let us know how you get on! Good luck - take her all the way!

@LaLaLandIsNoFun

There are no words

@Oneandzero

Reporting to HR.... pointless!!!!

What the heck do you think HR will do about an employee having concerns about a colleague’s child’s welfare.

Actually, since this accusation was made against a coworker, HR will be interested, especially if the arsehole tells other workmates about her suspicions of child neglect. Spreading unfounded rumours about a workmate is definitely a HR issue.

Depending upon the wording of your organisation’s Grievance Policy, there is plenty that the HR process could be used for here.
The co worker’s actions could be Discriminatory, as well as unfounded.

I would definitely look at this case and examine the behaviour of the co worker and the likely implications for the working relationships in the future.

Hope you are ok op

My daughter knew the words and songs to frozen and tangled . She was obsessed . It sounds like a brilliant way to parent while they are ill you are getting them into resting to recover from illness! While they think they are having a treat!
Sounds like any other parent trying to wfh and parent. Please dont worry

@lynseylou1 I'm a sw too, that's not something I'd be bragging about. Why wouldn't you educate your own children? And 10 hours on an xbox a day?

Why wouldn't you educate your own children?
I expect that's something to do with the 12 hour shifts that many social workers were doing during lock down. Presume you weren't one of those.

Well, given that millions of parents had to work from home with their children for several months, Social Services are going to be pretty busy. Especially given some of these dreadful working parents are people who normally work with children, such as teachers. We can’t have such monsters working in teaching.

any update?

@Caroncanta I was actually and still do, but I don't neglect my own children to do it.

Social care ask any official body referrer if you’ve told the parents - not sure if they ask individuals, so maybe she wanted to be upfront. Personally I doubt it any good intent, as if she had any idea of being a normal person, but still thought it was neglect for some odd reason, then she would have asked if you were ok, discussed alternatives directly. Anyway, If this met social care threshold they’d be employing 30 million social workers to run round checking up! I’d speak with a manager/HR though so she can be advised on what safeguarding is and what it is not and how to be a normal co-worker. Hope you’re ok.

@Caroncanta I was actually and still do, but I don't neglect my own children to do it.

Gosh, so you're a social worker who managed manage to deal with the onslaught of crises and emergencies every day, whilst managing to home educate your kids in that 12 hour shift. Somehow I suspect you either weren't that busy with your work, which freed you up, or you don't work in a role that needs to continually respond to crises situations.

@StormzyInaDCup do tell us how you do it then? It sound pretty impossible, unless you're superwoman obviously!

Is the any need for meanness really? Im operations manager for a full front line team. So initial assessment through to care. Believe it or not, I'm holding a caseload of 25 alongside my day job of managing 4 team managers because we are that short.

I manage my time and my cases. I help my employees and protect our time, I do the same with my home life.

I'm not professing to be perfect, but bragging about not educating your child for months and allowing them 10 hours of xbox per day is not on as a sw. Would you conclude that this was acceptable in your assessment because parents are working?

Not at least trying to educate your children is not acceptable. We're all working too hard, under ridiculous pressure that's not our children's fault. They come first, right?!