Social Worker Involvement

[MrsSnape]

I don't know if I'd just done the wrong thing.

My 7 year old son was referred to a behavioral expert team a few months ago because his behaviour at home and school was becomming uncontrollable. He won't concentrate in school, he fights, he's cheeky, he messes around constantly. At home he's violent, nasty, does stupid things like puts whole toilet rolls down the toilet etc and he genuinly doesn't care who tells him off. He just laughs in the face of anyone who tries.

So he was referred but in all honesty, the "behavioural expert" was useless, a complete waste of time and last time I saw him he said their resources were so stretched that they wouldn't be able to help me for months. So he asked if I would like to be reffered to a team at the university which is basically social workers in training that were looking for placements with families. I agreed.

So a young lad (early 20s) came around today with his supervisor and he did seem lovely and genuinly interested in us. He told me what kind of stuff they could do, he would build up a relationship with my son, sometimes take him out on visits as a reward for good behaviour etc and they would get into contact with the school and work with them etc...

But the supervisor got me talking about DS's 7 and how he shows little interest in DS and only has contact because he feels he has to etc. She said this is probably a factor in DSs behaviour...I agreed but when they left I felt worried that I had pushed this too far. DS is now under a "social worker" which sounds bad for a start, don't know why but I was always brought up thinking social workers were the worst people in the world etc...

I'm worried that they're going to push DS to say he's unhappy and they'll want to take him away. I know I'm probably being really OTT but I wish I'd just dealt with it myself.

Have I done the wrong thing?

sorry that should say she got me talking about DS's dad.

I've helped out as part of an organisation (only as a volunteer though) and all I can say is, that based on my experience, it all depends on the indivudal social worker and the local authority in which they work.

Some social workers genuinely care, genuinely want to improve things and will do everything to keep the family together. I have met others who seem very keen to take the children away ASAP. Fortunately, again based on my experience, there are far more of the former than the latter!

From your posts, no one can know what's happening in your case, so it's difficult to give you any concrete advice.

Nevertheless, I would advise you to ensure that everybody keeps written notes as to what was said and when etc.

It may be worthwhile to request that a CAF is filled out. A CAF is a Common Assessment Framework. Check out www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/caf/ for further information.

Mrs Snape - children are only ever removed from their families if they are being harmed in some way, I am certain.

Your son has behavioural problems and you and he need support, but this is not the kind of thing that leads to children being taken away - honestly.

I think you can put your mind at rest here. Social workers do many other things than put children into care. If you think about, there are only so many foster places available and those have to go to children who really can't stay at home.