Great. Another baby dead as social services fuck up - WARNING, DISTRESSING

[ImFab]

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I can't bear to hear another story of a beautiful baby dead because his mother wasn't capable of caring for him and social services weren't up to the job. When will they learn?

Here.

people should be actively writing,complaining to mp about sw budget cuts,frozen posts (post left vacant when worker leaves) and caseloads.all of this impacts upon staff morale,reduced resources

this case has shortcomings and safeguarding failings,desperately sad

I know, let's all train to be social workers to bring an end to poor practice, because we're all really good at solving society's problems.

[deathly hush]

[tumbleweed]

I don't see the point of arguingabout apportionment of blame, tbh. I used to work in this area (professionally and geographically). I wonder whether a lot of the "optimistic thinking" referred to in the SCR is because the mum was managing to hold down a job and the baby was with a childminder. It's not clear when she stopped working. I think having a job gives a kind of veneer of respectability - people think that if you're managing to work then you must be ok.

whats you point donkey?whats the tumbleweed mean?

But still, we can't dare suggest that people like this be forced to use long-term contraception.

I think donkey means that while plenty of people have an opinion on social services they are not queuing up to train in the profession.

ok thanks for explanation

No problem

I thought my point was obvious. Recruitment is a big issue in social work and it isn't the most attractive job currently. Lots of people have opinions about how crap SW are, (and I have experience of that crapness) but would not be prepared to do a job like that.

Like you pointed out, they need to be more supported on so many levels.

Ivegotmrbitey crossed post. Exactly my point

its more retention.people train,courses are over subscribed.after a few years pqe many staff are exhausted,tired and demoralised.they leave .posts dont get filled.posts frozen.increased workload for those left

Then they get put to grass in Children's Disability Teams when Child Protection has chewed them up and spat them out.

yogididabooboo Wed 02-Feb-11 19:11:02
and for those claiming SS should take children sooner, no doubt you will be the same people who are shouting in anger because some poor innocent family have been through hell due to the over zealous social worker.

I agree, or that someone reported children to the SS.....

If part of neglect is abuse of substance or alcohol the parent should be subjected to tests in order to keep their child,.

Do you know what I found out today, with regard to SS budgets in Somerset? There is nowhere for a child with major mental health problems to go now nearer than Bristol, and even then it's a children's hospital. Nowhere for him to be assessed and for his poor family to get respite. So he carries on beating up his mother and younger siblings whilst his SW and the doctor assigned to him try different medication and agree that it isn't the right treatment for him.

But it isn't their fault! There is no provision for him. It is totally crap. And all I can do is offer to have the younger children when it all gets too horrible for them to experience.

SS's is underfunded and SW's are underpaid, undersupported and unappreciated - that said, I still think they failed this baby, the writing was on the wall :(

Still, no matter how much people are told how stretched the service is, people will still call SS to report a 10 year old being left home alone for an hour after school - further diluting the resources that are available.

Poor little mite x

Omirian :(

donkeyderby I would love to be a social worker but I have been told I need a degree (when I offered to give support) so goodness knows what I would need to be an actual SW.

I am sure it is a complex jobs with lots of legal stuff to understand, so I am not surprised it is a degree course. Lots of professions require a degree now, like nursing.

You can try and get a post as a sw assistant - there are avenues to go down working in all sorts of settings, and you might be able to pick up an NVQ on the job. That could later lead to a degree. Worth looking into if you are keen

i genuinly do not believe that you are in a stable enough emotional state to be able to offer support Fab. sorry.

and yes of course yo require a degree to be a social worker. if you didn't people would be up in arms at all these "know nothings stealing babies"

Imfab, yes you need a degree to be a social worker, but I am sure there are part time routes. Why not ask around? Or there are other roles, such as family support workers - i am not sure what qualifications you need. Also mentors for children in care, they really need people who are consistent and stick around.

I am pleased to see that this thread seems a lot more balanced than many I've read on this topic. But I agree with ICan'tbelieve it - why does no one ever mention the father?

This has become a debate between who is more to blame - mother or social services. Where was his dad? What were the other family members doing? The case review talked about a grandmother.

I think to reduce it to just two players is very dangerous. I think we all have a responsibility to make sure children are safe, we should be reporting worrying things we see or even having a chat with a mother to see if she is ok.

To put all the weight on 'agencies' is not the answer. Yes they make mistakes, they always will, they are made up of fallible human beings who might be clocking off at 5pm and not that fussed about what happens next.

SS are damned either way. If they had taken the baby away after her first arrest, I'd bet a lot of money she would have popped up on John Hemming's website or similar under heading Evil Social Workers snatch Kiddie after mum has one drink.

if you have degree already do the post grad sw route.need experience.try shadowing a sw too

is degree entry,as it should be.for such demanding job.

yogididabooboo thanks for that. Not.

Imfab. The degree does require a lot of exploration of self and us very difficult both academically and emotionally.

Could I suggest you look at route ways in such as access course. Then look at gaining some work experience in related forks. Surestart, home start, contact centres etc.

I went in with my eyes wide open and even I am debating daily if I am doing the right thing!