To think that social services are soulless thoughtless C***S!

[Kneehighinnappies]

I am appalled if not sickened at the way social services are treating close friends of mine.
This may be long winded as I need to vent!

9 years ago a friends of the family was sent to prison for child abuse.
He smacked his SD round the back of the legs with a cane.
There were many other things that all led to this point, but I'm not going to go I'm not that as it isn't really what this is about.

I don't condone what he did one bit, but he served his time a built a new life for himself.
He married a lovely woman and they had a DS 4 months ago.
All the time his DW was pregnant social services were poking their noses in, which I can understand given the conviction he has, but things have now got to the point that they are trying to take is DS away!
Even though they have done NOTHING wrong!!!!

He already had a DS with his previous girlfriend and he was taken into care along with his SD.

The thing that I really don't understand is how the hell can social services think that taking a baby away from a woman who has never done anything, or even been involved in things that went on in the past is a good idea.
It's bad enough that they have said that he has to move out, which he has done, but they are still not happy enough with that and are now after the poor womans child!
All she has done is fallen in love with a man and had a child with him, surely there is no crime in that and the child should remain with her!

As for him, he served his time 9 years ago surely that is enough?
I mean I could understand if he had had previous convictions etc or had done something recently, but it has been 9 years he knows what he did was wrong and he has paid for it, why are they going after him like this!?!

Apparently they think that he is going to influence his wife into abusing their child when it is older!
As if! The woman has a brain she is a deputy head at a private school so is not the type of person who would be influenced easily, if at all.

They are even going to his employers and telling them that they should fire him and telling them all about the case they have as he works at a school (in the evenings teaching adults) and he 'may' come into contact with children!!!!
The poor bloke won't even be able to stack shelves in a supermarket by the time social services have finished with him.

They have already told his DW school all about him, even though he doesn't work there, and can't get onto the site through all the security there.

They are destroying this couples life and they will end up broke as they can't even have the same solicitor.

I think this whole case is DISGUSTING it make me feel sick that an innocent woman,mother can be treated like this!

Social Services usually do everything in their power to keep children together with their biological parents.

Imo, to an extent where children are not removed when they are clearly at risk.
I cannot believe that this is the whole story, and as combustiblemelon says, they cannot remove the child from her if she has no contact with him, unless they believe that she also poses a risk.

Also, he has done wrong, that is why he is in this position in the first place. He beat his step daughter with a stick. No sympathy for child abusers, sorry.

it sounds like he did alot more than simply hit the child that once-it was the only charge that was given, there were other alligations made by his x, but it turned out that she herself was not blameless when the child was interviewed and she ended up being convicted of child abuse aswell.

I don't trust SS further than I could throw them.

The left hand is totally incapable of talking to the right. They are crap, the most hopeless agency I have ever tried to deal with. (Cue lots of social workers coming out now to say how wonderful they are- maybe but even the good ones get drowned in system that stinks).

If what you say is true (and tbh it could be, or it might be one sided) this family need a good lawyer - and quickly. There's nothing that anyone else can do.

You're a generous soul Edam.

Am I judging the mother? I suppose I am. It shows an astonishing naivety don't you think? Shacking up with a child abuser? And then going on to have a child with him.

I imagine that to do such a thing you would have to have persuaded yourself of his innocence or his repentance. I'm too old and too cynical to believe that very many innocent people get banged up (far more likely for guilty people to walk, as today's trial reports will show) and child abusers are notorious for recidivism.

"obviously I'm not saying all social workers are C**S"

err....yes, you are. Read your OP.Soulless thoughtless ones.

She needs to be very careful re her choices. I know a woman who opted to stay with her dp rather than her children. (children from a previous relationship)

Sadly for her and her dc the new dp was a convicted paedophile. The dcs were taken into care and subsequently adopted. The woman was warned what the consequences of her decision would be. The woman's new dp dumped her and she then decided she had changed her mind - but it was too late.

That (true) story may end up the story of the woman you mention.

All she has to do to be sure of keeping her child is cut contact with a man who has been convicted of child abuse. Would she really risk losing her baby for him?

Threads like this are a bit pointless really when absolutely no-one on here knows the full facts of the case...even the OP.

Snaf is right. However I expect the thread will get a bit longer yet.

You most certainly don't have the full facts. Social services is overstretched and my personal experiences have showed me that there are excellent social workers and there are terrible social workers.

However as it has already been pointed out, it is not a lone sw who takes the decision to remove a child. Meetings are held with many professionals, or at least reports from them. This would include GPs, HVs, anybody else involved in the care of a child and the parents themselves. SS are not childsnatchers.

Regardless of the facts, I'd imagine that it's a lot easier to put a child into care than it is to get a child back out of care. The rights and wrongs are pretty irrelevant if your child is taken away.

Edam thank you for your support.
No one else on here seems to think that perhaps they are being victimised.
I know I only know one side of the story this time round. I have seen the case note of all the alligations from the first court case and know all the circumstances surrounding it as my family were very much involved at the time, there are so many different factor that were involved there that lead to what he did, again I don't condone it at all but I can see why someone could snap.

I hear so much social worker bashing, complaints of splitting families with no real evidence, interfering in innocent peoples lives.

Then who do we blame when children are left with abusive parents and injured or murdered? Yep. Social Services.

And to be frank, I am surprised that a woman in a position of authority with children would shack up with a man who is a convicted child abuser.

Oh I don't agree that Social Services are not childsnatchers. I have a DH who does childcare prosecutions and he is frequently agonised by the lack of professionalism, procedures and the general imbecility of social workers with very very few exceptions. Look at all that satanic abuse nonsense in the Orkneys.

you have seen the case notes?

this thing gets weirder by the minute.

kneehigh that fact that you are now justifying his behaviour which was severe enough for him to get a custodial sentance says it all to me
I'm off pointless discussion

Fair point Donnie, perhaps next time I'll think longer about my thread title

What a totally shit thing to say about a profession and all second hand too.

It's not a job I'd do for any amount of money.

Am leaving thread now

Edam no I'm not familiar with that particular case. I also know that SS aren't infallible but they get it right (IME) more than they get it wrong. (I know the impact on the families is incredible by the way, I don't mean to belittle their experiences).

I just know how much work goes into a removal of a child from a family, most of it legal rather than social work based, and think the OP has knowledge of very few facts in this case (as do we).

No circumstances will lessen the severity of what he did.

No matter what 'factors' were involved, he abused a child badly enough to be given a prison sentence. SS involvement completely justified imo.

YABU, your thread title is foul and insulting and disgusting

a man got a custodial sentence for doing something horrific to a child, and you are defending him

how utterly, utterly bizarre

good men don;t beat their children with a cane