Rather terrifying article about social workers attempting to take baby from its mother as soon as its born.

[Callisto]

It was in the Sunday Telegraph which I got round to reading last night. The story plus a couple of related articles is here: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/26/nbaby126.xml

so what were the details of the incident between the woman and her ex that involved the police and subsequently led to a referral to SS?

chipkid

She didn't say but i assume as they have a hearing in court in September she is probaly not allowed to say.

Lizziemum
She was clearly able to reveal some things to the press hence the newspaper article. This is why I am always a little sceptical about the extent of detail that is provided. I know from my experience of representing parents whose children are the subject of Care Proceedings-they can skip over or miss out quite salient information that is against their interests to reveal.

I am not saying that this is the case with this mother-but we need to be wary of making judgments about the rights and wrongs of a Local Auhtority's actions when there is information that is not available to us.

A woman on MN had problems when she reported that her mother's boyfriend had pushed her around at home (she lives with her mother) - social services turned up and started saying that SHE was to blame for being pushed and looked into her fitness as a mother.
It was very, very scary for her.
I would run a bloody mile from SS.
As others have said, I'd leave the country. But it's hard at 22 with no job to go to and a baby on the way. But better than the alternative. But perhaps there is an injunction?
I know from talking to the lovely Bunglie that her case was a total injustice and it has ruined her life, and I suspect, that of her son and daughter. It is a total bloody tragedy.
And did you know the gagging orders are so exensive that this poor woman, having had her beloved children STOLEN from her, could not even legally have counselling or tell her own GP what had happened?

When my ds was in hospital with a fishbone in his throat, idiot, arrogant consultant decided that he couldn't have one as 'he wasn't making enough fuss', and that the clear X-ray showing the bone 'showed a normal part of the anatomy of the throat' and we should give a small boy who couldn't even properly swallow his own saliva some food (which would have delayed his op by another 12 hours or something). I just sat there and thought, 'If I protest he will say I have MSPB and I will be fucked and they will take my child away'. Luckily his underlings rushed forward and corrected him.
It was scary.

There is so much hostility to parents from professional bodies and so much fear of the power of the "monstrous machinery of the state" (where does that phrase come from?) that people are afraid to ask for help when they need it.

That's the real tragedy of all this. PND, domestic violence, etc., have all been re-stigmatised so that families who really need help, will run a mile rather than ask for it. Don't the authorities realise that? Twenty years ago I knew someone who was advised to tell her doctor that she was an alcoholic and she refused. "I'm not having that on my medical records, they can dream on". At the time, I thought she was paranoid and neurotic. Now, I think she was very sensible. The state doesn't need to know this about her, who knows how they might misuse this information. And yet the number of organisations which gathers information about every facet of our lives, is growing all the time. Makes me feel very insecure.

That's a very good point, LittleBella. When this massive database of every child in the country comes in (it's being set up now) then presumably if you ask your GP for help with PND or anything else, it will be flagged on the childrens' database. Which, by the way, will not contain the details of politicians' children, or VIPs' children. Because they know perfectly well it ain't safe and is vulnerable to hackers. It's not good enough for them but our children will be placed on it without us even being told, much less asked.

This is terrifying but unfortunately it is not unbelievable. Ds was nearly adopted.

The secrecy is scandalous IMO.

totalchaos - because apparantly the treating psychiatrist isnt an 'impartial' expert. The fact that they know the patient better than anyone and therefore their opinion should be paramount.

God, I can't believe that Edam. They actually have the cheek to opt out of putting their children's data on the databases? That is outrageous. How can we campaign to opt out of the databases ourselves?

I'm telling you, Kerry, situations like this are why I keep all our passports at the ready.

Our DD1 has SN, and no way will I get SS involved.

DH has learning disabilities, and so does DD1, so you can bet when DD1 has kids I'll be watching like a hawk and I'll be sure to make sure she's always got two valid passports so she can motor if there's ever any need.

If you want to do anything to get change ask your MP to sign the Early Day Motions that I have tabled.

If you look at the JFF campaing reports that gives details.

john.hemming.name/national/familylaw/justiceforfamilies.html

Bump

Is it because they are kids' passports that you have to do them in person? That must be a new rule. Back when I first did DD1s, she didn't even have to be present. I just went to the Consulate at Edinburgh. With DD2, same thing, although I did have to bring her in.

DD1's is up next year.

Mine's up in 2009.

This was on tv yesterday, and really very shocking. She said herself that she accepted that they should[?], if they wanted to, monitor her.
The matter of the adoption stats was raised as well and the point raised about healthy white babies being the ones taken away under such ridiculous circumstances.
I'm not usually one for tears, but it really got to me.

This almost amkes me smile that baby will be higher risk for ASd and therefore less adoptable!

Both parents?! WTF?! What if one parent is British? Taht's bullshit to force foreign nationals to comply with their scaremongering. We'd have to haul ass across the country and DH would have to take a day off work.

Both times I've gone, only the American parent has to go, although DH did sign the passport application.

Like I said, maybe things have changed.

What if the other parent has abandoned the family and/or cannot be contacted?

I keep ours valid in case one of my parents falls ill suddenly.

My dad has heart disease and hypertension which, although he controls them with medication, he has had heart attacks in the past .

Whew! Looks like DH is off the hook if I get a notarised letter from him.

They have changed things, because the first time I went back in 2003 I didn't even need that. And I didn't even have to bring the baby!