Worried

[justmeandmy3minions]

Hello all,

I am so worried A&E will call SS on me. I am not known to SS so I may just be panicking.. my LO almost 3 ran, slipped and caught their eye on the corner of my coffee table whilst I was getting a drink for LO my kitchen is adjacent to the living room so I wasn’t far I quickly grabbed a cool flannel and held it to Lo’s head whilst on the phone to 999 while on the call the operator told me someone will call back within 60 mins I told the operator I will make my own way to hospital via a taxi which I did straight after I ended the call as I was really concerned. Got to A&E say the triage then after a bit of a wait I was called through Lo was obviously very distressed so whilst the nurse check her head I was playing a game on my phone another lady came in no idea who she was and was talking to us I think she may have been there to help support calming my LO down. I was holding her singing and stroking her back making sure my LO was ok. We played a game on my phone and LO was laughing her head off and they both couldn’t stop laughing at her. Managed to pop a stitch on her eye brow and was sent on our way. The nurse was asking me all sorts of questions regarding my home life and my other children and as my daughter has speech delay she asked i was concerned about it which I replied she is under a speech therapist and was being referred to Peads to suspect ASD as my other child has it. There was no mention of if my child was under SS like they usually ask. As soon as it was completed we got up my LO was waving and saying bye too them both with her unicorn teddy which they stuck a plaster and butterfly stitches too and they laughed.

I just cannot get it out of my mind that they might call SS about it. Or am I just being paranoid?

thanks for reading xx

There was no mention of if my child was under SS like they usually ask.

I have never been asked this. Have you been asked this regularly?

are your children under the care of SS at all or have they been in the past?

What does you playing a game on your phone have anything to do with it? And the laughing children?

im struggling with the relevance of the detail but I suspect it is relevant

Do you suffer generally from anxiety? AS shows a lot of posts about you worrying about stuff, especially when authorities/people in authority are concerned.

Taking this thread at face value, I can’t see what you have to be worried about - although not quite sure what you mean by the playing on your phone bit:

after a bit of a wait I was called through Lo was obviously very distressed so whilst the nurse check her head I was playing a game on my phone

@Longtoe our hospital always ask it’s procedure. Nope never been under the care of SS. my lo was playing on my phone and laughing, I was just explaining everything that happened whilst in the room.

They tend to ask when you are triaged.

I’ve been asked several times, I’m also a student social worker and it was mentioned in one of our lectures.

OP - You may get a call from a social worker, you may not. If you do, be honest about what happened and engage with them. If all is as you say there’ll be no further action.

@BIWI yes I have generalised anxiety had it as a teenager when I got bullied badly at school. Sorry I should edit that part my lo was playing a game on the phone with me and laughing.

@YesHonestlythanks so much I will always engage with them and be open and honest about the accident that happened. Yes it’s definitely standard in our hospital to ask.

Are you under the care of any mental health professionals?

I don't think you have anything to worry about OP. My little one had 2 accidents within a couple of months, both resulting in trips to A&E, they did say that I might receive a call from SS, but nothing came of it. I think they just ask to be on the safe side, and to cover their backs.

@BakelikeBertha thanks lovely. They never said anything to me was just assumed by my lo walking out waving and saying bye to all the doctors and nurses and showing her unicorn to them.

@longtoeyes my gp mental health nurse

Why did you call 999?

@Upsetbettythere was quiet a lot of bleeding when it happened which wouldn’t stopped even with applied pressure and I couldn’t see how deep the wound was due to lo being distressed.

I think the nurse probably forgot to ask, it might have been an a&e nurse covering for a peads nurse, I think your over thinking. You might get a call off a health visitor for a check up but I certainly wouldn't be worried

@GrowThroughWhatYouGoThroughthanks lovely I think she was as she was seeing adults as well as children the nurse was amazing and a credit to the nhs.

I had to go to A&E four times in less than a year with DS for head injuries when he was about 3 (undiagnosed ADHD - if he could fall off it, under it or into it, he would, and was slippery as an eel and quick as greased lightening, so basically a bloody safeguarding nightmare!).

I knew each visit would be automatically recorded and forwarded to the health visitor, and not surprisingly I was eventually asked to come to a meeting. It was a gentle, very informal chat and she observed him playing and us interacting, then she said, ‘thanks very much for coming in, everything seems great’, we went home and that was that.

On one hospital visit alone you’d never be under suspicion of anything, OP, especially as a worried mum with a totally plausible explanation for your DD’s injury. Even if you went multiple times, like I did, SS are not the first point of contact, and nobody’s looking to catch you out or judge you or punish you for anything. Their job is to make sure children are safe and well cared for, that’s all. And thank god there’s at least some kind of safety net for those poor children who are not as loved as your DD. Don’t stress - there’s nothing at all for you to be worried about.

@EnjoythemoneyJane thanks so much for your kind words I really appreciate it oh yes I was extremely worried especially as it was near her eye. My health visitor is amazing we see her for speech therapy. I would be more than happy to speak to her if needed as it was a total accident my fault for not moving the table out the way. Yes 100% it’s great to have a service that is there for children in need. Oh she is very loved she is a rainbow after 2 losses so maybe that’s why I am a little protective yes I am guilty of it. Currently in bed with her now all snuggled up so I can keep a close eye on her during the night.

This is a standard question.

Not one i have ever been asked

Have you been to A&E quite regularly with your children? Very recently?

Sorry I didn’t mean to quote you then!

You did everything right. And you made sure your child was given medical treatment.

Sometimes they do ask 'weird' questions. During covid my dd had to take his stepdaughter to be seen after she had an accident on a playarea on holiday. Only 1 person was allowed in and her Dm has massive anxiety so our son went in. They asked loads of qs where her dad was etc who she was on holiday with, what were the DoB of her half sisters!!!

Try not to worry. The chance of ss being involved is very slim but even if they do just explain and be honest. My dB and DSiL had a visit after a third trip to a&e with a DNephew although they were worried , they spoke with the sw and nothing came of it, and no issues following it.