Do I have a right to know?

[scarlet5tyger]

Just looking for some advice really.

I foster a 6 month old boy who's been with me since birth. Mum is Hep B & C positive so baby was tested too. I wanted to know the results to protect myself but was told I didn't have the right to the results and as long as I followed my safe care plan I should be fine.

I now have a new placement living with us too who is toddling and into everything. Baby 1 has a lot of problems and one of those is that his skin is really thin and papery and bleeds often. So far I've managed to stop baby 2 going anywhere near him when he's bleeding but it'd be helpful to know if I actually have something to worry about!

Should I push this further or will I just be banging my head against a brick wall?

Yes of comers you have the right to know to be honest if I were if that situation nd they wouldn't tell me the satus of a child I was caring for they would be collecting the child that very night positive or negative their is not an issue but not telling you is not on.

Contact the lack nurse for advise also I would ring the fostering net work but I would also be very strong in making it clear you will not continue to care for a chid for whom they won't revile the illness and then they can see if any one wil home a child in such mystery

Shocking just shocking.

Yes you should know, you are looking after this child 24/7.

Ofcourse you should practice safe caring at all times but you are part of the team fgs. You should be told.

I would recommend always treating him as though he is positive. That way you keep yourself and all others safe, too. I don't know enough about Hep B&C but I am a foster carer and I know most foster babies, obviously don't know about yours, have lots of contact with their mums and I suppose it might be possible for him to contract it at anytime after a negative test, in which case you might think you were safe but wouldn't be. If he has an open bleeding area when he sees her especially so.

Definitely should know, what are the reasons for non disclosure?

Good grief.

I expect you have been subjected to some medical tests/questioning as part of your approval to adopt. Why would they bother with this, if 'following a safe care plan' was it all it took?

It's ok for a child to potentially make you ill, but not vice versa?

Yes I think you should be told.

Hi, I have just checked on line and even though HepB is 50-100 more infectious than HIV it is only spread by: sex, needles, tatooing etc, during delivery but staff give immunisation at birth to prevent this, and blood tranfusions.

Hepatitis B cannot be spread through sneezing, coughing, hugging or coming in contact with the faeces of someone who is infected.
It is virtually the same for HepC.

Hope the baby does not have either as long term sounds awful. x

Thank you so much everyone. I'm seeing my support worker this week so will raise it again - it was baby's SW who wanted to keep it quiet. I've been told most things about him previously so can't understand why I'm not to know about this!

Absolutely agree you should be told scarlet - clearly soc services have to maintain confidentiality but you should have all the relevant information on the child, especially in the situation you describe. It should be given on a "need to know basis" so hope your support/link worker has more sense and talks to the sw or his/her manager. If not, then you must contact the child's sw's manager.

Some inexperienced social workers don't have a clear understanding of these matters and they need to learn - quickly!

yes or get the lack nurse involved i cant see her being happy this is being kept from you and will be able to fill them in on the guild lines on this matter