SS refuse to listen because I don't know parents names

[Shooketh12]

I had new neighbors two doors up recently

I am pretty sure one of their children is being abused. I have heard and seen some pretty serious signs.

I rang Social Services on Friday as I wanted to give them the info that I have. I can and hear a LOT of what is going on in this house.

The lady at social services introduced herself as a social worker, and was quite snappy from the off. She asked me the address where the neighbors live, and I gave them this. She said ''no one is known to social services at this address'' - so I said ''OK, well I have some information I need to tell you''

She then asked me the family name, and I told her I do not know. I have never spoken to the people who live there

At that point she said well we cannot do anything without this information!!

And I asked her to clarify if she was refusing to take this information from me because I do not know the family name

She said yes. I am still literally reeling from this.

At this point I said no wonder children fall through the cracks of this service. I mean what a piss poor response.

I rang the police after this and have been watching like a hawk - they haven't been round yet, and this was on Friday ...

Ring the nspcc instead

You are doing the right thing. Well done you, its not always easy. I would contact the NSPCC.

What did the police say?

That’s shocking. Agree ring the NSPCC.

The nspcc have no authority, they can only contact SS same as you

You could also report this (including response from SS) to the local authority of your area, a quick Google search will give you the name and email of the exec director for children's services.

Wow that’s disgusting

Do they go to school? Could you identify the uniform? The school should be able to identify the child/family and can add the information to their existing observations.

Try again and hope you get someone more competent?

Google your local councils website, keywords children's duty team and safeguarding report. There will be phone numbers and e-mail contact information. Report the phone call number, time and date and response as well.

They will just ring the Police. They won’t do anything.

I’d try contacting local schools. Can you ask around for the family name if you no any of your neighbours? Electoral roll?

I reported similar to nspcc anonymously online. Police turned up later that day.

You picked the wrong day to call SS. They inevitably get a tonne of safeguarding calls from schools closing for the 6 week period as they look to pass the buck. They'll be on the shortest of short fuses. And ditto NSPCC, calls from them used to piss off SWs as well!!

She literally can't look up the children without the names. If they're not known to children's services already they are not traceable on the system. It's not an IT system that has everyone recorded. With names they can be added alongside concerns without she can't do anything.

Calling police was right thing to do, they can do a welfare check and notify children's services with full names if needed.

NSPCC were hopeless when I had concerns about some neighbours children.

I did the online referral and had an email saying that they would call me back asap but they would only try twice. They did call twice, on a day that I was in work, about 2 minutes apart. I work in a patient facing role in the NHS and cannot just stop to answer my phone. Because I didn’t answer they closed my referral.

I would try calling children’s services again. If you have immediate concerns call 999

'no one is known to social services at this address''

are you sure they said this? because confirming or denying whether known to SS is information that SS was not at liberty to share

She can't do anything without the details of the family. They can't even create a file for them to create a referral if they don't have a name for them, and they're not already known. They're not an emergency response service.
The police can do welfare checks and can gain entry if urgent.

new neighbours?

Go around with a box of chocs and introduce yourself

you’ll get their name then

Agreed. People consent to agency checks, and it takes a while to acquire this information.it would not be shared with a stranger over the phone. The MASH duty worker wouldn't perform such checks usually.

correct

in short i suspect the OP is telling porkies with that one

And you wonder why SS get a bad name! I would have assumed they would have access to people and systems who would be able to provide the name eg the councils dept in the same council that runs them?

This call will have been recorded

because of people like the OP telling porkies?

What they should share, and what they do share, are two different things.

@Shooketh12 - if you hear or see something abusive happening then call the police immediately.

They will just ring the Police. They won’t do anything.

It might carry more weight coming from the NSPCC?

Shocking that she responded this way, though, OP.