Baby P

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Hi, to make it easier for people who are finding this subject very distressing, we're going to keep all Baby P posts in one thread. If you'd like to discuss this subject, then here is the thread to do so. We'll go on the other threads and link to this one. Thanks very much.

Ange, I do agree the tabloids, and media cover really don't do anyone a favour

Sad to see this thread has already gone down the guttersniping route. Perhaps we could put a lid on that now, accept that everyone feels grief/rage/outrage in different ways and actually start talking about what can be done.

Has EVERYONE who wants to see this little boy's ordeal actually initiate a change written to their MPs asing them to support John Hemming's Early Day Motion?

Write to your MP here

John Hemming's EDM here

EDM 2499:

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE INTEGRATED CHILDREN'S SYSTEM
13.11.2008

Hemming, John

That this House calls for an independent inquiry on whether the Integrated Children's System assists or hinders child protection and on what the effects of the other changes introduced since the Laming report have been; and further calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to reveal the national list of Serious Case Reviews in an anonymised form for independent audit.

I think there needs to be a radical shake-up of how social workers and police are able to deal with cases like this. It's tragic when a case like this occurs, and I feel that children should be removed from their parents or the family be monitored 24 hours a day in order to stop this happening. Maybe centres where the children could go with the mother/father which had cctv or something. I don't know quite how it would work but surely anything would be better than letting children suffer in their own homes.

Locally, there was a case were 3 children were taken away from their parents and adopted, because it was thought one of them was being beaten (lots of broken bones). It has subsequently come to light, due to a lot of campaigning on the part of the parents, that their child suffered from a disorder which meant his bones broke very easily. It's too late for them - their children have been taken and it's unlikely they'll ever get them back.

So a system whereby families agree to be watched, or have children fostered for a while, would help both sides. It may also lessen the stigma attached to having your children "taken into care" while checks are being made.

It could happen to any one of us - a couple of accidents close together and we may well fall under suspicion.

Would also like to add that, although social services should have acted differently, it was the nasty pieces of work who lived with that poor child who committed the crimes and who killed him, not social services.

Thanks pottycock, that is really helpful, I will look at those links.

And here is the link for information on volunteering for Homestart for those of you who feel you want to do something useful and practical in the light of all this.

Ah twofalls an excellent suggestion.

Thanks for the links on here...very good idea.
As I have said before I don't want to know details but want to know how on earth this could have happened...again and also it is obvious the system needs changing.I am fed up to the back teeth with woolly minded people saying wishy washy things.Absolutely sick of it.I am not advocating the death penallty! but I think people should stop pussy footing around.If a child has been visited 60 times what does it take to take action? and if solicitors are finding loop holes well bloody shame on them.
System needs changing FACT.

Many of us feel the handling of this case by the media leaves a lot to be desired - but that is nothing compared to some of the comments I've seen posted on the 'have your say' or 'leave a comment' sections which most online broadsheet and tabloid papers have these days.

I have seen comments such as Sharon Shoesmith is a trollope (she may be a lot of things but I don't think trollop is one of them), to ill-educated and crazy women taking over men's jobs, to all managers at LBH being anti white people.

Locally some people hope this will be the downfall of the Labour council - who have been unopposed for 40 years iirc.

I dont want to know details of the case either. I also really want to walk away from these threads but find that hard to do because I very much want to give a balanced opinion regarding child protection and social work in general.

We are currently recruiting people from other countries into the posts of child protection social workers because qualified people in this country dont want the jobs.

Why? Would you? The morale must be very low in this field of work atm.

That poor, poor child. I am crying. What a terrible life he had.

I see it differently. Morale should be high at saving a child from a terrible life or death.

I just turned panorama on by mistake and sat for about 3 minutes, before it had to go off

I will be amazed if any one of us makes it to the end of the programme

unbearable

You should have watched it - it only confirmed what I know from years of working for local and central government - a lot of it is down to funding.

Funding is a political decision.

Did you not see Barnado's/Yougov's survey published today?

I lasted the first five minutes of Panorama before i switched it over, then made the mistake of turning it back for the ending.

I think with the 15 year old girl it was likely to be a case of being 'in love' and not wanting to rock the boat IYSWIM? 15 is so young i expect she was going along not realising how bad the situation actually was, teenages can get messed up with very stupid, dangerous things, but wont remove themselves from the situation, afraid of the reprocussions or just wanting to be accepted/apart of something. Look at our 'gang culture'!

Possibly the same thing with the Mother, too scared of losing her monster of a boyfriend that she turned a blind eye to what he was doing to her baby.

Mercy. Do you think it's a lack of funds? Or a lack of funds being properly used?

I know from our dealing with our local council (I'm a nursery owner) how much money seems to be wasted.

I regularly hear myself asking why a 'meeting' is required (which involves a civil servant leaving their office for the entire morning) when a ten minute phone call or an email would suffice. We get glossy brochures, endless 'monitoring' forms and invitations to various talking shops yet, when we actually need a visit or some advice we are told that staff are 'too busy.'

Possibly the same thing with the Mother, too scared of losing her monster of a boyfriend that she turned a blind eye to what he was doing to her baby.

Thats so true but what happens to instinct? When she gave birth to peter why did it not kick in? how could you put a feckless tw*t before your child and HOW could you see your child hurt,something deep inside even should have made her stop

jesus like animals.

lions kill cubs so they can being lioness into heat and have thier own cubs and the lioness despite seeing her cubs slaughtered will mate

I think the answer is that she is a very damaged individual
Nobody who was alright could do that
things must have happeend in her life to make her very very disturbed, incapable of compassion

something terribly wrong with all of them

Difference is natural for Lions its barbaric for humans.

evil thats what wrong

some people have terrible lives and suffer terrible terrible abuse.some lovely mums on here have told thier very sad stories.

to do what they did cannot be attributed to them being broken people

they are evil same as hindley,brady,west and huntley

all the bloody same evil

and while im on a soapbox as these evil people are watching these sick 'horror' films that are out these days.loads of them.i caught one on tv the other week and though what the ????

was there a history of abuse before Peter and the Step Dad? I know one of the 3 daughters was also abused, but was it by him?

I think there needs to be a radical overhaul of the prison service, and a lot of prison officers need to be fired, starting with the wicked, incompetent, law-breaking ones mentioned on this thread.

Nah my dad is good at his job mabanana

Not his fault his keys go missing is it?

Oh and this happens in most prisons don't tell me you actually thought that any of them look out for these 'people'?

Trust me have you never heard of a riot van thump? And the Alliance vans well you don't want to be in one of them from what I hear.