To be worried/upset/cross that a Social Worker...

[KingCanuteIAm]

Turned up at our school today and told me (a parent) that she was here to collect a child being taken into care?

Basically, I went into the office to hand in trip money and was followed by a Social Worker (she had her ID badge in her hand). There was no-one in the office so we made small talk, after a few minutes she said "I don't know if I am in the right place" so I asked her why she was here, perhaps I could point her in the right direction, her reply? "I am here to pick up a little girl going into care".

I was shocked by that but then someone came into the office so she told them then name of the girl and where she was taking her. So I now know, that a child is being taken into care, who the child is and where she is going.

I have the womans name from her ID badge, should I complain or AIBU and I should let her get on with her work?

I just know if (heaven forbid) something like this happened to me/my dc I would be horrified if I thought it could become playground tittle tattle so easily! (For the record I have not mentioned it to anyone and I will not mention it to anyone - but I know many others wouldn't see the harm in it!)

SO, keep stum or stamp and shout?

I'm not sure 'unreasonable' people were suggesting it was Kings fault Edam-just suggesting alternative explanations.

I hadn't thought of that Edam

I didn't pass on the information I got though so there should be no reason to think that the child could be compromised is there? Unless she did the same somewhere else, like you say.

I do have to say something don't I? I have no idea why the child was being taken today, it could be something and nothing but then it could be something and something

They'll have a complaints system.

If you phone, they'll tell you what it is.

YANBU. She shouldnt have disclosed anything to you at all. Even if she did think you were a member of staff she should have checked what you did at the school. Not everyone who works in a school has the right to know a child is being taken into care.

Its a strange sort of thing to say. If she had no reason to think you were a member of staff she could have just said 'I need to talk to the welfare officer/head teacher/parent liaison worker etc'.

I was at my local clinic when a woman came in with a young teenager. She loudly annonced that she had bought the boy in to have his injuries examined and photographed by the child protection doctor. They had to wait for a while and the whole time she kept discussing the case with whoever happened to pass by (admittedly they were all staff but it was a public area). I felt really uncomfortable. The poor kid. She seemed quite excited about the whole thing. Maybe it was her first case . She was also one of those 'I havnt sat down all day, I am so busy, blah blah' all in front of the kid. As if being beaten up isnt enough, you have to put up with a twonk like that sorting you out!.

Stagger, if thye were suggesting anything could be my fault then they are obviously being unreasonable

Phone calls would get filtered through administrators first and you'd have to hope they pass you to the right person. Calls never have quite the weight of written words too. I would send an email or letter and give your contact details so they can get in touch if they need additional info. They probably have a "contact us" section on the social services bit of the council website. If in doubt, address it to the head of Children's Services/Social Services.

Chegirl, that sounds like an awful situation for the boy

Now I am worrying that I should have done something earlier incase there could be an issue...

If you feel the need to complain, then I would speak to the Head to get the name of the SW. You can then phone their office and ask to speak to the SW's supervisor(it may take a while to get a call though). I m not sure there is a softly, softly way you can bring this to attention, so be prepared to be asked in detail what happened.

I'd write to the director of childrens services (and the head). Don't faff around with complaints systems, I'd go straight to the boss. A letter has to be answered, phone calls can sometimes be ignored/messages put on a 'to do' pile or go astray.

I'd do it as soon as possible so this kind of behaviour doesn't continue - God only knows what kind of damage could be happening if this woman carries on prattling about very confidential identifiable matters in public. Giving away the location of children taken into care is horribly dangerous. Maybe this girl today isn't at any risk from her address being known, but what about other children on this worker's caseload?

Squirrel, thank you. I was thinking it was just a little one but thinking about it, it might (potentially) not have been just a little breach. Especially if this is her usual M.O.

(have a look on your county council/unitary authority's website for the name of the director - departments are called different things in different areas since reorganisation but could be director of children's services, children schools and families etc. etc. etc.)

I think the suggestion of reporting it (as well or instead, whichever you feel most comfortable with) to the school headteacher is very sensible. Social services might place more weight upon a complaint from them. In that situation, I would make a complaint, but try to get back up to make sure its actually heard and responded to by social services (in this case obvious back up is from the school). I speak as a registered foster carer.

sorry to butt in but i just wanted to say you are right, the woman had no right divulging ANY information to you and no right in advising the receptionist where the child was going. Child Protection information is a NEED TO KNOW only area, detailed info like where the child is going might not even be know the headteacher. Sounds as though this was prearragned as the woman appeared to be alone.

Would report definitely

Thanks everyone.

The more I think about it the more i feel that it could have been much worse and that the implication is that she does not see the importance of confidentiality.

I really am not in the business of causing trouble, it really did happen as I have said and she really could not have got me mixed up.

I think you are right Hedgie. I think I will have a look as you suggest Edam and send a letter to the relevant head and copy it to the school so they are aware of it. I have reason to know that the school do take children in difficult situations very seriously and they have always acted in an exemplary fashion IME so I think they would be interested if their own efforts could have been compromised.

I'd suggest the same as hedgiemum-the school would need to be aware of these issues and they also have responsibilities regarding child protection. Lets hope it was an isolated incident that she could learn from.

I'm astonished at the suggestion that somehow it was incumbent on you move out of earshot so that you woudn't hear anything confidential.

I don't think I've heard anything quite so preposterous in some time. Please do report this to someone - as I said before, I'd be inclined to go to the Social Services (or Children's Services HQ).

Not only was the name of the child confidential but the fact that she was taking the child "into care" should also not have been mentioned - suppose she said that but not the child's name but you then saw her leaving the school with a child whom you knew - confidentiality breached just the same.

I've just come back to this thread and am really puzzled by some of the responses. If the OP was someone with an interest in said child unbeknown to the SW, would everyone think that person ought to know to leave the room and not overhear conversation detailing name and location? How bizarre, expecting any old random member of the public to behave in a more professional manner than a trained social worker!

A social worker who is unable to maintain appropriate confidentiality (whether on purpose or by accident) should have this drawn to their attention. Their employer is the correct way to do this, not the school.

I am really glad it is not just me who thinks the onus is on them to be confidential not me!

Actually, in a way I think it says something that I (a lowly member of the public) has valued that childs (and parents) confidentiality more than the child protection worker involved in the case!

I will probably have to start another thread tomorrow asking how on earth to word a letter, I am just not good at these things!

Yes the emphasis is on the professional to keep the sensitive information private rather than on the sticky-beaker to cover their ears.

Honestly ChesterTown have you heard yourself?

Edam speaks some wise words - like she says SW sounds like she hadn't a single clue she was acting completely unprofessionally. What other bits of "private" information does she fling around in her usual day's work?

i am a social worker. the sw in question should not have given you any details - the fact that she did so is a breach of confidentiallity.

i think that you should report this incident to the local authority involved. i would however suggest you use the complaints procedure (info on how to complain will be available online or contact your local social services). writing directly to the head of social services, as some have suggested, is inappropriate.

I used to handle complaints and quality issues for a PCT, and worked quite closely with the local council too. I think a letter is much the best approach. Just set out what you experienced in a clear way. If you want to formally complain you can, and you will find the address etc on the council's web-site (I think it is compulsory to have it there, so should be easy to find) most councils will have ways you can make a complaint online, so even less hassle for you. If you don't particularly want them to come back to you, but you still want the issue to be taken seriously then I'd write to the Head of Children's Services, again you should be able to find contact details on their web site. This is the sort of thing that Children's Services should take very seriously because it is totally inappropriate. An arrangement will already have been made with the school for the child to be picked up, so no need for the SW to say anything at all. I would also speak or write to the Head as the school admin person should also not have said anything in an open office, and perhaps their instructions on how to find the right place to go were not clear enough. The SW should have been taken to a separate room when she arrived to ensure confidentiality, with no conversation beyond "I'm Ms xxx", "please come through here" type stuff.

I am sure there was no ill intent anywhere, it's just a matter of training or reinforcing the message that if you have sensitive information you have to make absolutely sure that this sort of thing is confidential, just in case, and because such information is need to know. Hopefully this case was not a difficult one and that's why everyone was so relaxed about it, but still, poor practice.

I don't know ceres, we quite often had things passed down to us to manage that had come direct to the Chief Executive (our CE was also the Head of Adult SS). If it was an issue they cared about then that did give things some extra impetus (if not it didn't make much difference though tbh).

Ceres and others - SW didn't give OP the information, OP merely overheard the childs name etc didn't she? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I do agree with some of the others who have said this was unprofessioanl though, but there may be circumstances in which we could go a bit easier on the SW. She may be fairly new to the job, she may simply have not realised OP was still there listening when the member of staff came out to see her, and she may, as others have said, mistaken OP for a teacher.

My BF is a social worker who had to remove a child from a home setting for the very first time (she's never had to do it before on any other case) a few weeks ago and she was terribly upset and nervous about doing it. She also works on average 2 hours after her shift finishes each day because she has too much to do. Maybe these are factors too.

My opinion (for what it's worth) is that we should leave SS to get on with their jobs instead of jumping all over them every time something like this happens. For the most part, and for thousands of kids across Britain, they are working their hardest to safeguard children.

Eve - my understanding is that the sw told the op that she was at the school to collect a child, she then spoke to a member of staff, in the op's presence, and gave the child's name and where they were going. this is unacceptable. the sw may have been unaware that it is bad practice but that only makes it worse!

i know social workers have a difficult job - i am one. however not picking up on, and working to correct, poor practice makes the job more difficult for all of us.

Nooka - i believe it is inappropriate to send a complaint letter directly to the head of service as this issue can easily be dealt with through the appropriate complaints procedure. local authorities have to have these in place and they also have to respond to complaints within a set timeframe. i do not believe it is a good use of any head of services time to deal with a complaint such as this - any complaint that needs to be addressed by higher management will be directed there via the complaints procedure.