Woman to have baby taken away at birth...

[SharpMolarBear]

because she is likely to suffer from Munschausen's syndrome by proxy

Exactly UD Fran could be any of us frankly!

Yanka obviously it's a possibility but we have had several of Fran's friends & an MP on here posting various points of view. Now I'm not being naive enough to think that "gosh he's an MP it must be the truth" ... but I have had dealings with him outside MN & he is passionate about the whole campaign ; getting justice not just for Fran but for the hundreds of other families who maybe aren't as eloquent as Fran & need a voice to be heard.

Thanks for posting anyway!

Doricgirls how's Fran at the momen? I know she was a bit down last time she posted. (understandably) Has she settled in to her new place ok?

(Don't reply if you'd rather not BTW )

It really could be any of us... I'll never forget dp and I going into a panic when ds1 fell out of his moses basket at 2 weeks old. We didn't take him to hospital (to my eternal shame), partly because there was the worry that someone might think we were unfit parents - we're different and difference is viewed with suspicion sometimes. Ds1 was absolutely fine of course, but we should have taken him and should have felt that it would be absolutely fine to (and it might have been, but as new exhausted Mums we probably weren't thinking logically).

I just cannot understand why she can't be given a place in a mother and baby unit

Dottydot - your fear of taking your baby to hospital, is not unreasonable. Mothers living in fear of the medical and SW profession, is the inevitable consequence of cases like Fran Lyons, Angela Cannings, Sally Clarke, etc.

I think personally ( second guessing the authorities here) that they probably can't say they will go down the M&B route as there is no diagnosis to justify the placement. M&B units are a rare commodity & not enough places to go round. It is VERY expensive to fund a placemnt in one so it may have been Hexham's policy to not do that if at all possible. Birmingham may have a different budgeting policy.

BTW Littlebella you should never have to feel you can't go to a doctor because of "differences".

Medical consultations should be private & confidential & it's a sad indictement of our society if you can't trust one because of this culture of fear.

TBH most GP's see such a wide range of family units they wouldn't blink an eye.

If you're right Bossybritches, then what an indictment of how spurious Social Service's grounds for concern are, if it is not serious enough to get a place in a unit.
I can't work out why they haven't just backed down by now when faced with all the extra info (reports from doctors saying Fran is fine etc). Presumably someone in SS has a 'hunch' about Fran being dangerous and has convinced themselves that they are doing the right thing in fighting to have her baby taken away. It reminds me of the so-called satanic abuse cases - there were individual social workers who were so convinced they were right they felt justified in acting unethically.

I saw the This Morning interview on Youtube. Made my blood run cold when John Hemming said he thought it would all blow up in a few years when the children who were taken away from parents since 1999 get old enough to start speaking out.

I'm glad if I can be proved wrong on any of these theories Kathy but this was an interesting link from JH on the petition thread.

from Pm's questions

Frightening...& they say there are no adoption quotas??

that is just what i think too kathy, this is the calm before the storm. exactly like the rochdale case, it was only when the children were old enough to speak out that the true horrors of sw malpractice were brought to light

It makes my blood boil because in every other profession gross cock-ups have at least USUALLY resulted in changes in practice/training/percieved wisdom. I remember clearly the case of Maria Caldwell in the70's( you are all too young Ishould think!) & reading with horror about it & how SS then said "lessons have been learnt & this sort of thing must never happen again"

The main stumbling block seems always to be the lack of exchange of information between professionals to ensure at risk children are monitored.

This made me shiver ..

"Thirty years ago I was involved in the Maria Colwell inquiry. I was Maria's teacher and I spent the few weeks that I knew her trying to get help for her without success. Each time another report into child abuse is published I feel total despair that apparently no lessons have been learnt from the many children who have died since 1972. When are the professionals going to learn to trust each other and exchange information which might save a child's life?

Too much interference in some cases & not eough in others.

I know the SS have a thankless task & are GROSSLY underfunded as has been said before, but this system of secrecy cannot be good.

Message withdrawn

was she on GMTV this morning? I know the story was being covered in the news hour between 6/7 but ds got up early so didn't see it.

They don't say there are no adoptoin quotas. You can find the targets on each council website looking for BV 163 (or BVPI 163 or PAF C23).

What they say is that the adoption targets do not stop children going to their parents.

Pull the other one.

Thanks Millie give her our love.

John H-I knew there was a drive to place more children for adoption, didn't realise there were actual targets as such.

What I meant was I suspected there were but thought it was unofficial!

Message withdrawn

Lincolnshire-scroll down pastthe adult stats

bossybritches, no one should be afraid of going to doctors for any reason.

But in the current climate, it's inevitable that mothers will be. I certainly am. I don't go near hospitals or doctors, unless I absolutely have to. And I wouldn't dream of telling them if I have any problems other than strictly physical - I don't know how the state might choose to use that information against me in the future. I used to think that people who thought like that were mad conspiracy theorists. Now I think they've got a point. Particularly with the advent of ID cards. I'm so glad that I've always lied about smoking, exercise and alcohol consumption on doctors' forms.

Sadly I don't blame you LB just think it's so awful!

TMMJ- interresting reading though eh?

"Looked after" children are those in care...

It really is only a matter of terminology, it's both the same difference....I think it used to be referred to 2in care" but now it's Looked after children", iykwim....