Having a hard time at the mo for various reason, one being the complaint I made about my CPN back in October. I made a complaint for various reasons, for example:
- He asked if he could speak to my midwife when I was pregnant with Flynn which worried me but I agreed as I could see why it might be neccessary and then not bothering
- Me telling him I was going to post natal group and the next appointment him asking how post natal depression group was going - two totally different things!!!
- Him saying he'd arrange for a support worker to come and see me when he was on annual leave and I was really struggling with the anxiety, not sleeping, etc. then not bothering
- I told him I didnt feel like I was coping very well and he assumed I meant with the kids and asked if I had spoken to my health visitor even though my history of anxiety and depressions goes back to when I was 10 so way before I had the kids
A lady interviewed me so that she could investigate the complaint and when I got the report back it said he recalled speaking to my midwife and health visitor. I knew he spoke to my midwife after she chased him up but I didn't know anything about him speaking to my health visitor. My son was born in on 1st May last year and I saw the health visitor a few times after he was born but was discharged by the summer and just told to take him to the clinic to be weighed or if I have any concerns which I've done regularly.
When I read that went into panic mode and it took me 5 days before I could get in touch with my health visitor as she works part time but when I did she told me she'd never spoken to him so I thought it must have been a mistake. I rang the lady who is investigating the complaint and explained so she spoke to the CPN again and he said he'd spoken to a health visitor but couldn't recall who as he hadn't got any concerns but wanted to see if they had. As I understand it, he should not have spoken to anybody else without my permission unless he thought I was at risk to myself or others. As he had no concerns I can't fathom why he would speak to anybody, especially a health visitor that's had no contact with me? And how totally unprofessional not to know who he spoke to and not to record it in my notes!
Am petrified as I read an article recently about decent families who temporarily lost their kids because of jobsworth professionals so this is really stressing me out. Also My Mum got reported for child abuse by my head teacher when I developed the anxiety problem when I was 10. We both had to be interviewed by a police officer and a representative from social services. It was horrible for me but I cant imagine how terrifying and devastating it must have been for her. I still feel a lot of guilt about it 20 years later.
Anyway I spoke to my hv again and she said it is very unlikely he spoke to any of the team as non of them would speak on her behalf, they would have spoken to her about or directed him to her and nobody did, nor is it written in my son's notes. So angry and stressed as it doesnt make sense.
I know I need help, I know one of the biggest problems I have is caring too much what people think of me, especially what people think of me as a Mum. I know to get help I need to be honest with my new CPN but I find her hard to talk to anyway and am scared to say anything about the kids incase they take them away from me.
The woman investigating said almost two weeks ago that she was sending me a form to sign giving my permission for her to speak to the health visiting team to see if she can find out anymore but I still hadn't received it yesterday so phoned to chase it up and was told it was posted on Tuesday. A letter came today explaining why I needed to sign the enclosed permission form but there was no form enclosed. I know mistakes happen but it seems like one thing after another, people not doing there jobs properly. I made another phone call and the woman I spoke to was very apologetic and promised to send it first class this afternoon.
Sorry for the long post but I would love to hear from anybody else that has made a complaint and what the outcome was?