Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I have called the social services and they are going to put him in a children’s home

141 replies

ByArtfulBird · 10/02/2025 20:23

If you have not seen the first thread about it don’t reply you will get confused. I have called them up and they said we are going to put him in a children’s home but not until Wednesday so he will be staying at mine till then just thought I would let you know how it’s going.

OP posts:
whitbywaves · 10/02/2025 21:41

Children's homes don't really exist anymore is he gong into to foster care ?

They very much DO exist, although much smaller than in the past. They may not be known about but I know of at least six in my county. I am a foster carer and have had children in my care who either moved onto a children's home (generally when their needs became too serious to manage in a family setting). Equally I have cared for children after they had been in a children's home. One of my current children has a sibling who has been in a children's home for many years, due to the fact he made accusations against any foster home he was moved to.

DaniMontyRae · 10/02/2025 21:42

Rudollhtherednosrcheesecake · 10/02/2025 21:24

You can foster him and they will give you money

That would be a bad idea. 14 year olds shouldn't be living with their boyfriend/girlfriend for a start. It's too much too soon and forces them to act well beyond their age. What happens to the lad when they inevitably breakup? He may feel like he has to stay in a relationship in order to keep a roof over his head.

Kahless · 10/02/2025 21:44

Randomthoughts992 · 10/02/2025 20:37

its not her child, hence the if you haven't read the other thread bit

Would have thought if you want people to read your previous thread (that you mention it in the op) that maybe a link to said that might be an idea....

DreamW3aver · 10/02/2025 21:48

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 20:59

Wrong. I doubt they would ever engage with anyone but a very strict list of people over this child. You REALLY think people can “call up social services” and access very confidential information over a legal process?

How could they not tell the person who is reporting the situation to them what is going to happen?

Jesusisking23 · 10/02/2025 21:52

SmileEachDay · 10/02/2025 20:39

This is bs. The legal process for removal is long and has many, many points at which it is possible to turn back.

This sort of post makes parents scared to reach out for support.

It’s not a removal hence read the other post

IkeaJesusChrist · 10/02/2025 21:59

DreamW3aver · 10/02/2025 21:48

How could they not tell the person who is reporting the situation to them what is going to happen?

Exactly, some people really don't think.

Nanny0gg · 10/02/2025 22:02

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 21:05

She is not a family member

But he's living in her house?

littleluncheon · 10/02/2025 22:11

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 21:05

She is not a family member

How do you think it works if social services don't give any information out?
They just knock on the door of the people who have physical care of the child and drag him out without saying a word?
Of course they have to tell the OP (and child) what is going on!

MustDoNothing · 10/02/2025 22:12

To the people saying this process is BS, it's not. I've namechanged for this but at the age of 10, I came home from school to the bombshell that I was being took to a residential children's home there and then. For me there was no warning, no knowledge of a social worker involved, nothing. I was distraught, confused and everything else. It was the one and only time I was ever arrested by the police because i refused to go. I still 29 years later do not know why, apart my own evidenced conclusion that my mum didn't want me now she had a stable boyfriend who didn't like me and my brother. It took a lot of intervention to get over that.

My point is this is possible and DOES happen, though obviously the parents have either consented or cant be contacted.

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 22:12

So I’ve misread the OP and didn’t catch up on the other thread so didn’t realise he’d moved in with her. Apologies <stands down and shuffles off to eat humble pie>

littleluncheon · 10/02/2025 22:15

x2boys · 10/02/2025 21:11

Children's homes don't really exist anymore is he gong into to foster care ?

Yeah they do, I live very close to a council run home that takes children with disabilities from aged 5+, but lots of them now are run by private companies.

Booboobagins · 10/02/2025 22:17

SmileEachDay · 10/02/2025 20:39

This is bs. The legal process for removal is long and has many, many points at which it is possible to turn back.

This sort of post makes parents scared to reach out for support.

Wtf are you talking about? He's not her child. He is being thrown out my husband parents. He's just 14yo.
OP was thinking of offering him her spare room but he's her daughters BF so she had no real choice but to protect him the best way possible through help from SS.

saraclara · 10/02/2025 22:17

Kahless · 10/02/2025 21:44

Would have thought if you want people to read your previous thread (that you mention it in the op) that maybe a link to said that might be an idea....

It's already been linked near the top of the thread.

Booboobagins · 10/02/2025 22:20

@ByArtfulBird thank you for looking out for him.

I hope it works out for him xxx

Hibernatingtilspring · 10/02/2025 22:25

@MustDoNothing that's absolutely awful, I'm so sorry that happened to you.

These days social services simply won't accept a parent relinquishing their responsibility to care for a child, and if a parent were to continue to insist, it's more likely that a child protection plan would be put in place for neglect before it could get to that point. Not that that is any guarantee of preventing it happening.

You mention you were never told why - you may be aware of this and not want to go down this route but just in case it is helpful, if you were in care, even 'voluntarily' the records should be stored, and be possible for you to access as an adult if you wish.

KindLemur · 10/02/2025 22:35

Why do people post when they have no clue what they’re saying - children’s homes absolutely exist I have just left a company that ran 15 of them and was busy acquiring more houses to make into them! They’re often residential houses in quiet estates and you don’t even know they are there. Residential schools also very much exist.

also I think people are expecting MI5 levels of secrecy over children’s placements and stuff and this is not the case I’ve been covering a class in a school where a social worker came in and spoke to me at length about a child, we’ve had parents of other children take children in for a few days and they’ve also been involved in the process of the child being taken into foster care, where they’re moving on to etc, social workers will ring up and chat about situations to school staff that are directly involved with a child, it’s not James Bond level secrecy we’re talking here, emails aren’t even encrypted or password protected unless there’s something serious like a parent actively trying to search out a child who they had criminal proceedings against or something. I work in another place now and I can access multiple kids files with their family history ‘mum must have NO contact traumatic history, foster placement with Susan Smith from 1/3/22, has lived with sister Becky Jones prior to this’ / this isnt secret info

TheTwinklyLemur · 10/02/2025 22:36

This can and absolutely does happen, as I can attest from my own experience. My children were taken away behind my back, the first thing I knew was that SS came to my house and told me that they had been taken into care due to some allergations against me. They had been staying with some friends who ended up being their foster carers. The allegations were never proven, but they still grew up in care thanks to the family court system..

MustDoNothing · 10/02/2025 22:39

My PP was supposed to say 19 years later not 29, won't let me edit the post.

@Hibernatingtilspring thank you for that information I will look into it as it may give some form of closure to those unanswered questions.
Also, of course I understand it's probably a lot harder for the situation I was in to happen nowadays, especially with the state the services are with all the caseloads. I was just trying to say that it is possible to happen without a long drawn out and open legal process. However I would like to hope, for everyone's benefit, that times and procedures like that have changed over the years

Wonderi · 10/02/2025 22:46

Poor kid 💔

He will never get over this.

I hope his parents get in trouble but u doubt they will.

Wonderi · 10/02/2025 22:49

x2boys · 10/02/2025 21:11

Children's homes don't really exist anymore is he gong into to foster care ?

Of course they exist.

Where do you think they go whilst they wait for a foster home (if they ever get one).

There’s nowhere near enough foster carers to meet demand.

lnks · 10/02/2025 22:49

TheTwinklyLemur · 10/02/2025 22:36

This can and absolutely does happen, as I can attest from my own experience. My children were taken away behind my back, the first thing I knew was that SS came to my house and told me that they had been taken into care due to some allergations against me. They had been staying with some friends who ended up being their foster carers. The allegations were never proven, but they still grew up in care thanks to the family court system..

They must have been incredibly serious allegations for that to happen. They must have believed the children were at serious risk of harm

It’s interesting that you say the allegations were never proven, rather than saying you didn’t do anything

Bambiisasillybilly · 10/02/2025 22:52

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 20:43

Why on earth would they share this highly confidential information with you OP?

His parents don't want him. They kicked him out so his younger brother can have his room. He has to live with the opshe is his main carer at the moment.

Convolvulus · 10/02/2025 22:53

SmileEachDay · 10/02/2025 20:39

This is bs. The legal process for removal is long and has many, many points at which it is possible to turn back.

This sort of post makes parents scared to reach out for support.

The child in question has already been thrown out by his parents. Of course SS will act quickly to accommodate him.

Convolvulus · 10/02/2025 22:56

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 20:43

Why on earth would they share this highly confidential information with you OP?

Because she's looking after the child in the meantime, FFS. Why not at least try to acquaint yourself with the facts before leaping in to criticise? This is MN at its worst - people are so eager to beat up the OP that they don't care about checking whether there is any basis for it.

OKNerd · 10/02/2025 22:57

Convolvulus · 10/02/2025 22:56

Because she's looking after the child in the meantime, FFS. Why not at least try to acquaint yourself with the facts before leaping in to criticise? This is MN at its worst - people are so eager to beat up the OP that they don't care about checking whether there is any basis for it.

Yes I know which is why I’ve eaten humble pie later in the thread