AIBU to be upset about children’s services calling about child hurt at school not home?

[AandEvisitor]

I took my child to hospital to get checked over after a fight at school

Today I’ve had a phone call from CS saying they had a hospital referral and wanted to check how the child was / any further problems etc etc

At the time, I just answered them all but as the day has gone on I’m worried why this was referred to them at all

It didn’t sound like she had spoken to the school as asked me things like if the other child had been extruded!

I think all children’s hospital visits are referred CS as standard.

I’ve never had a call from them with any of my children

Just seems strange that at the ripe old age of 14 this is the first call and for when the injury happened in school!

Main thing is, your child is being looked out for.

I do appreciate that but you can’t help feeling like you’ve been reported for something when you get a call from them!

Even though it didn’t occur at home, it may have been because the injury was sustained during a fight. At 14 they’re at the age of criminal culpability and a crime has been committed here, and a child is injured and in hospital. Presumably it’s not being taken further, I don’t think it’s surprising that this has been followed up by someone though

Has the child been to hospital already this year? I work in a hospital and usually it’s triggered after so many visits within an amount of time, I think it might be 2 within a year

I’ve never had a call from them with any of my children

Maybe not but each visit for an accident or injury would have been referred to them. They don’t need to act or make contact with many of the referrals they receive. Perhaps you’ve been enough times that it has raised a concern in its own right or maybe this incident was picked for further investigation.

But as long as there's nothing going on at home you've nothing to worry about.

I wouldn't be happy either, it's intrusive and as it didn't happen at home they should be tackling school.

It smacks of some jumped up NHS person questioning whether you were telling the truth regards the details of the incident and how he came to be injured.

I would, politely, contact the Social services and ask them would they be following up with school, if they say no, ask why and ask what was reported from the hospital. If it is the case that they failed to mention school or questioned your version of events I would be speaking to a solicitor and making a formal complaint for malicious reporting.

No not for years and the other reasons were illness related not accidents or injuries.

Just surprised that at this age I would receive a call when my youngest burnt herself not so long ago and I was fully expecting at least a HV call and nothing.

Do your other children regularly get assaulted? 😬 I would assume the referral is because of the cause of the injury, not the type of injury itself. I’d be really grateful that someone was taking seriously the fact that someone else assaulted my child.

Really?
I wondered if I was over reacting feeling a little but attacked by this

He’s a teenager, spoke for himself and was in school uniform as we went straight from school to hospital so not sure why they would have suspected any lies!

The concern is more likely why they were hurt by their peers and is there a worry of it happening again. They will have called you first, as can only call school with your permission.

Well this was my first thought!

I did feel grateful and actually ended the conservation with “ Thanks for checking in “ and then as the day has gone on, my anxiety has peaked and I’ve been playing over the hospital visit and why they would have referred it

He didn’t ask for my permission though?
He didn’t mention calling school at all, just asked if my son had returned to school ( yes ) and if the other pupil had returned to school ( I don’t know ) and then he said to inform son to tell a member of staff if anything further is said / done and offered to send some victim support info if my son wanted it

I mentioned not calling school without your permission, as you seemed surprised that he was asking for information that the school would have been able to provide.

Sounds like a standard victim support call.

Oh ffs this isn’t some ‘jumped up NHS person’ asking questions, just for fun.

Any injury of this nature automatically warrants a safeguarding referral. Not because your parenting is being questioned but to check the child is safe, check the story adds up and matches and often to follow up any involvement with the police, given it was a fight. And yes I would expect the school to be questioned too.

We don’t refer every child, whichever pp said that, as standard, thats’s ridiculous. I’m not kidding when I say safeguarding take hours. We wouldn’t have time! We refer as we need to, to make sure children are safely discharged and we’re not missing anything.

Sorry yes I read too quickly!

I would have expected them to liaise with school if anyone as that’s where it happened but I’m not sure what a quick phone chat with me was for - maybe to check he was okay, it’s just not what I thought childrens services did!

I work in a team where we call parents in similar situations many times a day so please don't feel worried

Thank you for your reply.
Would every a&e visit due to a fight be referred into children’s services then?

Thank you - it just caught me off guard as I was rushing between meetings and hit me as the day wore on

I don’t work in a&e, I’m ward based but yes every admission we have to the ward that involves a fight or a child injuring another gets referred to social services. Have you phoned the police? As it’s assault.

Yes - police spoke to school and advised some extra safety measures

Childrens services didn’t know this so assuming police didn’t inform them!

Ahh he’s mentioned victim support - they’re only in contact as they view him as a victim of assault. The info they’re providing is so you can ensure he’s safe and you know about any further steps available to you.

Absolutely not any concern about your parenting, child services victim support is completely different from social services worrying about child abuse. Different departments!