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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To call social services on dsis

88 replies

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:26

I'm going to have to change alot of details so this isn't outing.

Dsis is nearing on 40 along with her partner (not married). Dsis owns the house they live in. We as a family have never liked Dsis partner. I have never got a good feeling about him, he is the human embodiment of man child. He would never look after his own children when he was home, he would be plugged into some sort of device or gaming system. He hardly if ever contributes money wise to the bills whilst my Dsis would slave away with 3 jobs to keep everything going. Whenever we bring this up with Dsis she would always claim otherwise and defend him, why I don't know.

Anywas Dsis has had an alcohol problem for a while now and it's only getting worse. She is going out every weekend and bringing her drinking friends back to her house which I'm sure wakes the kids. She has become high disfunctional. Her house is a mess and is unclean. She says she has no money to do things but she manages to always has money to fund her nights out. The kids (last time I checked) sleep on really old Pillows with no bedding or covers. Dsis priorities are completely all over the place and self serving. If ever me or dm would try to get her to see reason about her drinking she goes into denial or shut down mode and says that she only drinks "once a week or only has a couple". It's gotten so bad that we are pretty sure she has been drunk at 12pm before. We also had to go around hers once when one of her 3 children called (dc must of been only 7 at the time) because she had collapsed on the floor from server alcohol poisoning. Me and dm rushed to her house to attend to her and dc. Dm refused to call an ambulance even though she clearly needed one. It was obvious why she didn't want services involved. This was a couple of years ago now. I know she isn't that bad at the moment and still gets up to her jobs but there is no saying when that may happen again.

But the worst thing of it all is Dsis and her partner argue all the time. Dsis can't stand him and allows him to sleep in her room whilst she sleeps in one of the kids rooms. Her children are 5 7 and 11. They aren't stupid and they know something is up. Dsis has been going off at nights and seeing other men which she has happily announced to us all. It all came to head when her partner suspected it and they had a nasty argument at 4 in the morning which woke the kids. Dsis has now said she has told her partner they are "over" but they do this all the time. Nothing has changed and he is still living there. I'm so so worried about the effects and damage this is all having on the children. SS where called on them once before for having a public display. Dm is reluctant to call SS again because of this. She is worried that the kids will be taken away. It's infuriating because I feel like all my family just Bury their heads in the sand about Dsis and the kids. I feel like dm is more worried about protecting Dsis rather than worrying about what is best for the children. No one is putting them first and god knows what goes on before closed doors. I know they have had physical fights and the children have said that they have witnessed daddy push mummy. I can't just sit by and do nothing. I've grown up with a messed up toxic childhood myself and I know how permanently damaging it is.

Dm said she will talk to Dsis again but I know she won't hear it and nothing will come from it all. So how long do we give her until enough is enough? I know in my heart SS should be called now but if I do that I risk my whole family never talking to me again. And then what if the kids get taken away and put into a home and it turns out worse for them. They aren't in any immediate danger. Dsis will never harm the kids neither would the partner. They get well and go out alot. They have family that love them. Its more their psychology welfare I'm worried about.

OP posts:
SuperPets · 02/08/2022 09:29

The kids will not be taken away. They rarely are, from environments far worse.

But call them anyway.

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:30

*psychological welfare and I meant to say they are fed well go to school meet with friends ect

OP posts:
Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:30

@SuperPets what would happen then

OP posts:
Coffeaddict · 02/08/2022 09:30

You can call SS and ask your name is not used.
If they have been previously called they won't know if it was you or a neighbour, just play dumb

But yes I would 100% call them.

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:32

@Coffeaddict well it would be abit coincidental after speaking to dm about ss that they suddenly get called. I think she would put two and two together

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SuperPets · 02/08/2022 09:33

Probably bugger all, tbh. But it might give her a shock, and if she's lucky she might get some parenting support.

Coffeaddict · 02/08/2022 09:34

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:30

@SuperPets what would happen then

Probably not much. I could have written this about DSS abusive prick of a stepfather,ie. Alcoholism, domestic abuse and most likely verbal abuse of the kids. They ' investigated' and despite a perfectly safe second home or DSS they deemed the kids not at risk as most of the issues were directed at mum.

Unfortunately they are so understaffed that these cases are being ignored.
Having said that my thought is if they get multiple people voicing concern they may act

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:34

I just worry if she doesn't get on top of her drinking nothing would ever improve from this situation. She isn't in a strong enough position mentally to kick out her partner as she depends on him for the childcare so she can go out and drink

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Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:36

It also breaks my heart to think what these poor kids have been going through and how they have no one to look out for them

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WifeMotherWorkRepeat · 02/08/2022 09:41

You can call SS anonymously but you really must call them.
These children are being neglected and are living in a toxic environment that will be having a hugely detrimental effect on them. They don’t even have proper bed linen!! Are they eating properly, are they washed and have clean clothes?? It’s just awful. Your DM and DSis are in denial so SS involvement will hopefully be a wake up call, hopefully your DSis will get help for her drinking. They won’t take the children away but will hopefully jolt these children’s parents to improve their care and think more about the children’s welfare.
You clearly care for these children so please call SS this morning.

SleepingStandingUp · 02/08/2022 09:42

Your siblings sleep on bare mattresses with no bedding and yet you continue to do nothing, say nothing and just watch it happen.

Yes you should phone social services. You should have years ago

LIZS · 02/08/2022 09:42

Nspcc? You are concerned for the physical and mental wellbeing of the children. Is her p the children's father? Neither prioritise the children over themselves.

SleepingStandingUp · 02/08/2022 09:42

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:36

It also breaks my heart to think what these poor kids have been going through and how they have no one to look out for them

Quite. Because their aunt and Nan won't do it either.

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:44

@WifeMotherWorkRepeat see its not that bad though from an outside perspective. They do get clothed and fed. So it's not like they are neglected because they are always with family or friends. But as I said its more that they are in a mentally abusive environment. Dsis and her partners arguments are never directed at the kids. But it's still awful for them to witness.

She has had ss called on her before and things have only got worse. I think she is so far down the rabbit hole that this won't really phase her anymore

OP posts:
Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:45

The children do have bedding/mattresses/bed frames but it's just whenever I go over there they don't have any bedding on for whatever reason and their Pillows are really old and stained.

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SalviaOfficinalis · 02/08/2022 09:46

Yes you should call SS.
You say they’re not in immediate danger, but you can’t know that.

You don’t know what happens behind closed doors. Even if you believe Dsis wouldn’t intentionally harm them, what happens when she brings strangers home from a night out and then passes out herself? Drunk strangers with access to sleeping DC.
Or passes out, leaves the cooker on and sets the house on fire.

SpeckofDustUponMySoul · 02/08/2022 09:47

Social Services should have been called a LONG time ago.
You don't need MN to tell you that.
It really pisses me off when family just stand by and let child family members suffer just because they're too wet/hesitant to take decisive action.

Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:47

@SleepingStandingUp im not not doing anything. I'm going to see the children today and assess how bad the house is and how they are.

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Throwaway6 · 02/08/2022 09:48

@SpeckofDustUponMySoul ss have been called before! Read my op. Nothing came out of it. It didn't shake dsis boots into becoming a better mum.

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felulageller · 02/08/2022 09:51

SS can't do anything if there's no evidence of harm to the DC's.

Evidence would be things like police/ a professional witnessing the DC's witness domestic abuse or the DC's making a substantiated disclosure of abuse/ neglect.

They could offer voluntary support but it doesn't sound like she'll accept this.

I think you also have to reframe how you are viewing this. You seem quite judgemental about the drinking. It's not illegal to be drunk around DC's as long as there's another responsible adult (DP?) there.

It sounds to me like she's a victim of domestic abuse and is self medicating the trauma of this with alcohol.

What I'd advise her to do is contact women's aid to talk to a counsellor.

I'd suggest she does the freedom program.

What support have you offered? SS will always look to family first.

Regards the domestic abuse have you offered her help to leave? Or childcare if she leaves but is left without his contribution to childcare/ finances?

If she gets out of this toxic relationship her alcohol use will likely drop.

PeasOff · 02/08/2022 09:52

Enough was enough a long time ago.

You all have a duty of care to safeguard those kids as well and thus far you've failed as well.

Call SS and at least try and get them some help/support.

Emotional abuse is massively damaging to children as well.

ChateauMargaux · 02/08/2022 09:53

Do you live nearby? Can you and your Mum spend more time there?

My aunties came to our house and could see things were not OK and said.. we are here if you need us, but we were too young and they did nothing to help.

Be present, spend time in their house, invite them to stay at yours.

You can't make her stop drinking and you can't make her split up from her partner but you can be more present for her children.

Tha · 02/08/2022 09:53

It also breaks my heart to think what these poor kids have been going through and how they have no one to look out for them

Seriously question... why don't you and your Nan?

I feel like MN have a very "rosy" view of the world to say that these children are at serious physical and mental risk and to think they will be a priority to social services.

No doubt I'll be slated but I stand by it.

The only thing you've really mentioned is the fact they have old pillows and no bedding but where is the context? Is this in the middle of summer in a newbuild, because if you popped your head around my kids' bedroom door you'd probably think they didn't have bedding either - they kick it off!

In NO WAY am I saying this is ideal with the arguing and the drinking, but you say yourself they are well fed and cared for, they go out etc... what do you want or think SS will do Confused? And if you want them to do something, why don't you or DM do it?

I ask because when I had a similar situation with DSS Mum, the thought of calling SS didn't cross my mind. And I have two social workers in my family!! We supported the child ourselves (and to an extent the DM too) because that's what families do.

neverbeenskiing · 02/08/2022 09:56

You know what the right thing to do is, you are just reluctant to do it because of the fallout, which is understandable but not a valid reason to do nothing while children are suffering.

I liaise with Children's Services daily as part of my job and I can take you it is highly unlikely that these children will be removed. They will offer your Dsis support, but this will in all liklihood be on a voluntary basis. It is not for you to investigate whether these children are being abused or neglected, your duty is to report your concerns factually and then CS need to determine whether the children are at risk of harm. But from what you have written you have good reason to be concerned and the situation is unlikely to improve until someone intervenes.

Cismyfatarse · 02/08/2022 09:57

I know it is school holidays, but a disclosure to the school is a way of retaining your anonymity - unless you think it is urgent, in which case ignore me.

They will, no doubt, have seen things and heard things from the children. With a bit more information they may be able to take things forward.

Disclaimer- I am a teacher, not a social worker.