To be really shocked at this!

[WhattheF2]

So I seen a video on Tik Tok yesterday evening of a girl who stated that children were taken away by social services because her house was a mess. This got me really thinking because on the video of the house it shown a few pots etc put on the side. My house is like this most days! 🤣 I do tidy up in the evening but I am so shocked that children would be taken away for this!

I mean the logical side of me knows this is not true, there must be other reasons surely.

Because everything you see on sodding TikTok is the gospel truth?? Jeezo.

Well, that's just ridiculous isn't it? How on earth would social services even know about it?

Come on...

Depends how messy surely?

YABU for believing anything you see on TikTok.

Also just having a messy house is not a reason for a court to order removal.

Well you said it yourself in your second post there’s more to it and it’s not true so no need to be shocked really

Of course it's not true and anyone that believes it is true is daft as that tiktokker.

It’s clearly nonsense. I’ve known parents to be given a deadline to sort there house out if it’s actually a health hazard, SS don’t have time to worry about a bit of mess. SS are only concerned if there’s a risk of serious harm.

literally a few dishes on the side and a bit cluttery but nothing major

Of course there are other reasons or perhaps her house was much much worse when they kids were removed.

Well then you know that’s not true, squalor yes I do believe they can despite what people say on MN but they will be given many chances to clean but a few dishes you know that’s a load of lies so why bother posts about it?

Hi op I'm a SW, firstly when were they removed (maybe months before) her home may be tidy now after support. However there will always be a bigger picture and likely chronic neglect or mental health concerns.

On another note I'm a parent and my house has days were it's cluttered with washing, baby toys, bathrooms that needed cleaned. We can differentiate from a home with a family living in it normally from one of concern.

I have completed unannounced visits to homes (this is one home example) where there was piles of old dishes on surfaces and no clean ones. No work space free, dog faeces on the floor which was old and loads of it, flies. No food. Drug paraphernalia on the counter tops within access for child. No bedding on child's bed, rooms cold and full of mould, child presenting in pyjamas too short for them with holes and covered in dirt. No products to wash or bath child and used sanitary towels piles up on bathroom floor. I could go on, This is where we would remove for their safety and the Police are also called for neglect.

Just to add if a home has been in poor condition it's also easy to identify if poverty related and so we step in to help.

If the house is not great but redeemable we give them a few days to get it sorted and complete a return visit, obviously we complete other checks in the midst of this.

@GreenIsle that just be so hard to see! Thank you though

Must

You actually believe that? That SS took someone's children into care because they left a few saucepans on the side?

Why would you post that on tiktok...

I mean it wasn’t just that, the house was a tad cluttery, it has never even crossed my mind when my house was a tip, I suppose it just got me thinking how bad should a house have to be.

When I worked as SW we would support in those areas, we never advocated for removal due to messy houses and I’m talking real mess dirty nappies, flies, mould etc.

Theres always an underlying reason, focus on that and then it filters through the rest of the parenting/lifestyle.

This

Bullshit.

I know someone who had SS turned up mouldy food everywhere, dog poo on the floors, dog sick, no beds made up the kids were sleeping without bed covers or sheets, you literally couldn't move or sit down due to the mess and they had lived like that all their life's (still do!!) and SS didn't take the children.

Im a hoarder (and its a lot more complex than tv makes out, my house does not look like the TV shows hoarders) and I can tell you children do NOT get taken away for mess or clutter.

They only get taken away in extream level 5 hoarding conditions that feature bio hazzards (feces, black mold, rotten food every), infestations and physical danger (blocked exits in case of fire and structural/collapse risks) and even in these cases they usually work in tandem with the council to condemn the house and temporarly rehome the whole family while the problem is sorted.

They only remove children for ACTUAL physical abuse, deliberate neglect, under parental request or under investigation of serious abuse (like suspected sexual abuse).

At least she probably achieved her Tiktok views

Was this in the UK? Social services don’t do unannounced visits except for a small number of families on the caseload. If children are removed it’s because they are not safe to stay and that’s not because the washing up hasn’t been done for a couple of days or run the hoover round this week.