Back in 2017 I posted here asking for legal (and practical) advice on how to proceed when I was expecting my second child after having my first removed at birth by social services. I will link that thread below so all of the facts are clear.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/legal_matters/3089286-Pregnant-after-having-child-removed-at-birth
The advice I received was such a help and MN was instrumental in getting me through an incredibly stressful time which I'm forever grateful for.
That second baby is now almost 5 and is the centre of my world. He was diagnosed with autism just before his third birthday so things haven't been plain sailing but I've enjoyed every second of being his mum. In 2019 we also welcomed his sister, our little girl, into the family.
Recently I have been doing some work with an organisation consisting of social workers, birth parents and adopters. I'm going to be doing some filming in November at their invitation which will be shared with prospective adopters, the aim is to try and break the stigma associated with birth parents. All positive stuff.
I have received alot of feedback on my story which supports what my second borns pre-birth social worker concluded - that I was badly let down during proceedings with my first - particularly by the solicitor who was supposed to be looking after my best interests and fighting for reunification.
I'm now in a place where I feel I'm strong enough to open up a discourse about the failings in my case and wondered whether you think there would be a case to answer?
I feel that her work was inadequate at best and I dare say she was wholly incompetent.
She failed to inform me about alternative options for baby being discharged from hospital. No mother and baby unit placement was ever mentioned (until much later when researching I came across such a thing myself)
At no point did she object to the local authorities recommendation to place baby into foster care dispite me being adamant that I didn't want to give baby up.
She prevented me from attending the PLO meeting when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I was asked, by her, to wait in the town hall waiting room and she would come and get me when they were ready to begin on the second floor. She didn't. She attended on my behalf, without my permission, and didn't oppose the local authorities proposal to remove baby at birth.
She failed to highlight the inadequacy of my parenting assessment which consisted of 90 minutes in a children's centre as opposed to the comprehensive parenting assessments that the court requires.
She made (I feel intentional) damaging statements in the courthouse within earshot of the acting social worker and her representative, such as telling me to be careful arriving to court alongside babies dad. I hadn't. The court usher had to intervene and say that's untrue as she herself saw me arrive alone in a taxi.
There's lots more but that is the general tone of my complaint.
What I want from this is not financial recompense (and most definitely not to disrupt the adoption in any way shape or form - he is happy where he is and I'm satisfied it's in his best interests to remain with his adopters) this is about closure for me and my need to have what happened to me recognised as an injustice.
Thanks for reading. Any advice welcome.