Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If I am under the crisis team, will social services get involved?

33 replies

Crisisteamquestionsss · 16/10/2021 16:42

I have a complex history of mental illness and have been professionally diagnosed with BPD, bipolar, OCD and anxiety.

I have been under the crisis team six times in the past, and I feel like i need to be under them again. However this time, I have a baby, and I am worried that social services would get involved and also what my family will think as they are not very supportive.

I am having anxiety attacks daily and have a constant feeling of dread, going hot and cold, ruminating on intrusive thoughts, having constant heart palpitations and feel I am withdrawing from everything. I just want to feel numb.

I love my DS to bits but I’m having such irrational thoughts all of the time that I can’t deal with.

There isn’t a safeguarding issue, my partner is also home 24/7 and though it is not interfering with my ability to look after my son, I am feeling more lifeless and more exhausted than ever.

I am being proactive and have started CBT and therapy but right now I need that extra support. I’m aware many crisis teams won’t see you unless you are at risk of harming yourself but I’m worried it will lead that way if I carry on this way. I’m under the community mental health team but they’re not very helpful, I only have appointments for medication reviews every few months. I have a lead practitioner but she can only see me once every 8 weeks.

I guess I’d just like some advice if possible, and also to ask if I’m BU to think social services will get involved and take my baby.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
Crisisteamquestionsss · 16/10/2021 16:56

Bump

OP posts:
annamilo · 16/10/2021 16:57

Hi,
I have been through children's services for 5 years. I dislike them very much as they have lied a lot, however, now they are backing away.
Don't panic! The only time they would tell a social worker is if you have had thoughts on harming your baby and even then a social worker is to provide you with support
What you need to do is to keep being pro active as if they did get involved they will see that you have done everything the right way.
Remember that to ever remove a child it must meet threshold.
I would say though that if you are having thoughts of harming your baby then you must be honest with the mental health team so that they can help you by providing the support you need.
I suffer with what you do apart from bipolar and I completely understand how you feel..
Pat yourself on the back as you have reached out and that's very hard to do xx

Purplewithred · 16/10/2021 17:01

Don't know but bumping for you - what I would say is they might want to check to be sure you and your partner can carry on looking after your baby safely, but they would want your baby to be home safe and happy with you, not in care.

Wormsarecool · 16/10/2021 17:01

I’m sorry you are feeling unwell. My best advice would be for you to ask your gp or hv to refer you to your local perinatal service if your baby is under one. You will be seen much more regularly and there will be support for you and your baby.

I work in perinatal services and can assure you that children’s services will not take your baby. If they become involved at all (which is doubtful) they would only be there to offer support unless there were serious concerns about your baby. The fact that you were proactively seeking help for your mental health would only be seen as a positive.

I hope you get the help you deserve and start to feel better soon.

TurnUpTurnip · 16/10/2021 17:04

Yes it’s quite likely they will.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 16/10/2021 17:05

@TurnUpTurnip

Yes it’s quite likely they will.
Get involved? In terms of providing support? Yes.

Taking the baby away? No.

TurnUpTurnip · 16/10/2021 17:13

why quote my post, I didn’t say that would take the baby? She asked if they would get involved and that’s what I answered, no point lying saying they won’t. No one mentioned “taking the baby” especially if she has a supportive partner

Garriet · 16/10/2021 17:14

@Wormsarecool

I’m sorry you are feeling unwell. My best advice would be for you to ask your gp or hv to refer you to your local perinatal service if your baby is under one. You will be seen much more regularly and there will be support for you and your baby.

I work in perinatal services and can assure you that children’s services will not take your baby. If they become involved at all (which is doubtful) they would only be there to offer support unless there were serious concerns about your baby. The fact that you were proactively seeking help for your mental health would only be seen as a positive.

I hope you get the help you deserve and start to feel better soon.

Am a children’s social worker and would have said exactly this.

Best wishes OP.

MatildaIThink · 16/10/2021 17:14

Social services will be involved, but that won't involve them taking your child away just because you are in crisis. Their first involvement will be to offer help and support whilst making sure your child is safe. If you feel you need help then make sure you get it, holding back is only likely to make things worse.

MsAnnFrope · 16/10/2021 17:18

I was under the crisis team repeatedly with post partum psychosis and PND/anxiety etc. As long as I had a supportive adult with me they seemed happy that I could be as much of a mum as I could to DD.
Social services involvement wasn’t mentioned. Unless there is a risk of a safeguarding issues/neglect etc there is no reason to involve them.
Please don’t wait to get the help you need because you are worried about SS. Looking after your mental health with help you look after baby in the long run

elasticatedwaste · 16/10/2021 17:20

My partner was under the crisis team earlier in the year and when I called the doctor they asked about children and I did get a follow up call from social services about a week later. I talked honestly with them but as I was able to care for them whilst he recovered and so they were fine. Offered support if I needed it but their intention was just to assess the situation and safety of the children. I never heard from them again. Partner was under crisis team for three weeks and then under the doctors.

I really hope you get the help you need. It’s really hard when you are in the middle of it and can’t see a clear way out, but do take that first step in reaching out.

RandomMess · 16/10/2021 17:22

I would assume you would be referred and they would check that your partner is there with you and the baby 24/7 and be completely assured there is no need for concern beyond offering support.

sarahc336 · 16/10/2021 17:26

They'd only need to get involved if there was a safe guarding issue ie you took an overdose etc. accessing support is not a means for social service involvement, best to access Support asap I'd say do you can start to feel better, speaking as a cbt therapist in the nhs ☺️ good luck xx

HowardNoir · 16/10/2021 17:27

The very last thing any social worker will do and will want to do is take your baby away. If they get involved, they will do everything to keep you both safe. That doesn't mean they'll automatically take your DS away, it's the very last resort.

Is your partner your son's parent? If so, they may be able to take care of your son if you are unable to.

Don't worry about what your family think, you need to concentrate on yourself and your health.

NameChangeWithACold · 16/10/2021 17:32

I work in a crisis team. If it would help you to have social services involvement, they can be involved to support you, but they wouldn't be involved just because you r under crisis team and they definitely wouldn't take your baby just because you r under crisis. About 50%o of our caseload have children and only very rarely are social care involved, and then it's because of real concerns for child's welfare (eg. Parent heroin user not willing to engage with drug services, or parent tried to end life in front of child).

If you need crisis team, call them! They can only be helpful xx

WorraLiberty · 16/10/2021 17:40

@TurnUpTurnip

why quote my post, I didn’t say that would take the baby? She asked if they would get involved and that’s what I answered, no point lying saying they won’t. No one mentioned “taking the baby” especially if she has a supportive partner
From the OP

I guess I’d just like some advice if possible, and also to ask if I’m BU to think social services will get involved and take my baby.

You replied that it's quite likely they will, so the PP was asking you to clarify.

Stompythedinosaur · 16/10/2021 17:46

Social services will not take your baby.

If the Crisis Team (or any other professional tbh) is concerned that your mh might impact your baby they might make a safeguarding report - this would normally be things like if you might harm yourself while in sole care of the baby or are having thoughts about harming your baby. In this case you might have a cursory contact with ss to check there is another adult in the house who can safeguard him (like his dad). That would likely be the end of their contact.

There is a huge focus in mh in keeping mothers and babies together as far as possible, including providing inpatient settings where very unwell mothers can still have their babies with them. Keeping mothers and babies together is in both of their interests.

annamilo · 16/10/2021 17:46

They would only get involved if the crisis team thought her baby was at risk. Being mentally ill doesn't always mean they will

annamilo · 16/10/2021 17:47

Totally agree with you

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 16/10/2021 17:47

@TurnUpTurnip

Yes it’s quite likely they will.
This is incorrect. A referral to children's social services would only be made if there were safeguarding concerns regarding the baby, for example if someone was self-harming in the presence of the child. Simply being mentally unwell is NOT a safeguarding issue.
annamilo · 16/10/2021 17:49

I'm sorry but you are wrong. When someone is mentally ill it's only a safeguarding issue if the crisis team thought that the baby was at risk.
Accessing support doesn't warrant it at all.
I've had them in my life for 5 years and they have offered me a voluntary job now, so I know that her asking for help is no reason for them to interfere in her life

annamilo · 16/10/2021 17:51

Totally agree. I always find too it's the ones who have never had anything to do with them that seem to make negative comments

TurnUpTurnip · 16/10/2021 17:52

This is incorrect. A referral to children's social services would only be made if there were safeguarding concerns regarding the baby, for example if someone was self-harming in the presence of the child. Simply being mentally unwell is NOT a safeguarding issue.

Read the other post, others have said the same thing... that they MAY get involved. They did with my ex who has mental health issues.

annamilo · 16/10/2021 17:52

Exactly! Well said

Goneback2school · 16/10/2021 17:56

Like @NameChangeWithACold I work in a crisis team, though not in the UK. Engaging with intensive mental health support is seen as a positive step if needed. We would not link a parent/ family in with social services unless they were clearly struggling to cope with parenting or there was a perceived risk to the child. In any case we have involved social services it has been to link with further supports for the family and children have not been taken away.

Swipe left for the next trending thread