recording

[SenSationsMad]

What kind of thing do you record? Do write a daily diary of events? What do you think is important? Do you record some random comments made by LO?

For example, the LO we're caring for has mentioned a few times things like, "this is a picture of me starting a fire - funny yeah?" ( He's five)

Thanks for any tips

War and peace pretty much.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a course on Allegations - which really shocked me into writing so much more into my diary...

I record the type of day we've had - what we did, how they were generally, any relevant developments/milestones, any medication they have had, and most importantly comments like you have mentioned.

Our eldest LO said on the way to contact 'mum hurt me' (shes 2.5). Not only did I record this in my diary, but I emailed (and therefore have evidence) both her SW and my link worker.

Bearing in mind that you have to keep these diaries for like ever! and things can come back at you many many years later, I put as much effort into them as possible.

I try and remember that these diaries are my protection and could easily be used should a comment be made and taken the wrong way.

I don't think you can write too much!!

Mmm..I've been told not to write too much in case the SW misses something important by scanning over it.

I'm glad you agree that the fire starting stories thing isn't irrelevant.

yes you must write everything no necessarily a daily diary but the essentials
so for instance if lo was not very welll weather you took him to the doctor or not if you didn't take him to the doctor why not.

How lo is before and after contact the name of the contact worker picked lo up and dropped them of what the contact worker said and what questions you asked.

Any school functions parents evening or if the school called you in for a meeting.
if they have a day off school why and how long they had off

Also any professional calls you on the phone, visits or writes you a letter not the time date and a brief out line of what what talked about also who instigated the meeting, phone call ect.
Also any meeting LACK ect

also after any phone call send email outlining the conversation so that you have proof.

also any thing significant happens or is disclosed from the child or by your children about lo

save all emails

any falls or bruises even a tiny scratch how they happend if you know that is.

i usually end up doing about 3 recordings a week depending whats happing but i also have a link book with both parents and that is used as part of recoding and evidence as well
it's a bit daunting at first but you will be fine

last piece of advice all recording on to a memory stick after typing it up just in case computer goes down then it will all be lost

i email my recording to my key worker once a month unless its somthing urgent then i email stright away then ring her

Funny that.. we're not allowed to do ours on the computer.. its open to abuse and can be altered at a later stage.

We have to do ours daily, and every 6 weeks it is signed by our link worker.

scary stuff, t'is really a full time job. Don't you find there's so many pieces of paper in their files and you could end up recording in medical/ significant events and again under contacts?
I don't want to record things that are too insignificant only to find that they're important later on, for example, he once told me about the packy house next door to his mam's house. I know I'm not really supposed to push for more info, but I was a bit taken aback - I asked why it was called a "packy" house ( I'm spelling it phonetically with a lower case p as I've no proof that it was racially motivated)
He's also shown a dislike to our first language and culture which comes out most often after contact with family and siblings.
would you record this however innocent the rest of the conversation?

Yes I would it, it's about jotting down behaviour before and after contact my lo often fakes illness just before the end of her contact. Also the recoding are not really about what we think but
What actually happened
To me him talking about p@@is is significant because that is not usual for a small child to have language like that

And even though this may seem a small matter now you recording this you may find down the line this information is very useful

mmmmm... (thoughtful emotion)

I'll have to do it every night before I get on mumsnet then.

Thanks for your advice

Oh wow as long as I send monthly to my link worker their happy with that, but havin said that I did have to show it was all kept on a seprate computer to what the main house hold use and its all backed up.

I have to write a daily log book (not allowed to do it on computer either) and my entries are always quite lengthy but as I was told the log book is accessible to the child once they reach 18 I'm always wary about what I write - ie I'm always hesitant when I have to write about parents not attending contact or turning up drunk etc as I'd hate to read bad things like that - I started keeping a separate record for the really bad things about them, or writing incident reports for SW.

Thanks scarlet. I do sometimes think that the things I write might come over as petty, but saying that, I don't want anybody of accusing me of not warning somebody about something.

We are allowed to write up the log on the computer but delete each sheet as it is completed. They have to be printed off and filed for signature. The log cannot be emailed.
Are you aware that the log can be read out in court and is very much for the child to read when they are older?
I would try to keep things as factual as possible. I think you are right to write up about the paki comment but not to log that you asked something that could be seen as a "leading" question in court.
Put all the medical stuff in that section, including night time enuresis so it doesn't punctuate the log later when the child reads it, and try to keep anything about parents in the contact section.
Wonderful advise about emailing SW's after phone calls, many other carers have told me to do the same. They have to log the conversation even if we think it is a quick chat. Frightening what can come back at you!

It's actually very scary that we do everything as if people in the future need to check up on you. Am I really up to this job?
I'm enjoying it it don't get me wrong, but to think that anything I do/say/write could be used in court feels off. I don't know. Heck,I'm still finding me feet

SW's are under attack, they can't do right for wrong. So it's only human nature that they have to be super careful.

Just proceed with care and if in doubt about which section to log something or whether to log something, check with your supporting SW first. (In writing of course)!!